Lauren Weichman, Author at North Shore Pediatric Therapy

About Lauren Weichman

Lauren Weichman is an Occupational Therapist and a former Special Education teacher. She has always had passion for working with kids to reach their full potential in leading successful and happy childhoods. She attended Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana to earn her Bachelors degree in Special Education, with a focus on mild disabilities. Upon graduation she became a certified learning behavior specialist in Illinois and taught special education in the Chicagoland area for 3 years. Her classroom consisted of children with a variety of diagnoses, including learning disabilities, behavior disabilities, Autism, ADHD and others. Lauren made the decision to pursue the field of occupational therapy in order to work with children in achieving goals in all areas of their lives. She attended Rush University in Chicago, Illinois to earn her Masters degree in occupational therapy. While a student, she completed a twelve-week internship at North Shore Pediatric Therapy (NSPT). During this time she worked with the NSPT therapists and staff to learn first hand of the fundamentals of pediatric occupational therapy. Lauren is also a participant in the Best Buddies Illinois and is an active member of their Associate Board.

Entries by Lauren Weichman

Multi-Sensory Activities to Practice Pre-Writing Shapes

in Birth-3, Development, Education, Health Topics and Concerns, How To, Kindergarten-5th Grade, Milestones, Occupational Therapy, Preschool, School, Sensory Processing Disorder, Writing

Mastery of the pre-writing shapes is an essential part of a child’s development towards efficient handwriting. Pre-writing shapes include the following (in order of development): Pre-writing shape Approximate age of development Horizontal lines 2 years Vertical lines 2.5 years Circle 3 years Cross 3.5-4 years Square 4 years Diagonal line 4.5 years Triangle 5 years […]

Creative Ways to Teach the Meaning of Independence Day to Children

in Birth-3, Development, Education, Family, Games, High School, Holidays, Inspiration, Kindergarten-5th Grade, Middle School, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Play, Preschool, Reading, School, Speech and Language, Summer, Teachers, Teens

Teach your children the meaning behind Independence Day and instill pride to be an American through these fun red, white and blue activities. Through creating these crafts, you can talk with your child about Independence Day and why it is such an important holiday. Meaningful Independence Day Crafts: Trace Pictures of Famous Americans: Find pictures […]

Activities to Promote Eye Tracking

in Development, Diagnostics, Health and Wellness, High School, Kindergarten-5th Grade, Living Skills, Middle School, Milestones, Occupational Therapy, Parenting, Preschool, Reading, School, Therapy

Visual tracking is defined as efficiently moving the eyes from left to right or focusing on an object as it moves across a person’s visual field. This skill is important for almost all daily activities, including reading, writing, drawing, and playing. This skill typically emerges around the age of five. Once your child begins to […]

Activities to Promote Visual Memory

in Birth-3, Development, Kindergarten-5th Grade, Occupational Therapy, Parenting, Preschool, Reading, School, Therapy

Visual memory, a component of visual processing, can be broken down into two parts: long-term and short-term. Long-term visual memory refers to the ability to remember something seen in the past. Short-term visual memory refers to the ability to recall something that is seen very recently. Visual memory plays a key role in the in […]

Benefits of a Slant Board

in Development, Education, Executive Functioning, Kindergarten-5th Grade, Living Skills, Middle School, Milestones, Occupational Therapy, Parenting, Preschool, Reading, School, Teachers, Teens, Tutoring, Writing

There are many reasons to invest in a slant board for your child, including benefits in handwriting. A slant board typically consists of a flat surface positioned at an angle with clips or anchors to hold materials (such as paper and books) in place. They come in a variety of sizes and angles, and some […]

Common Household Materials for Tactile Exploration and Learning

in Behavior, Birth-3, Development, Diagnostics, Family, Kindergarten-5th Grade, Living Skills, Milestones, Occupational Therapy, Parenting, Preschool

At times, the best source of entertainment can be found in the simplest materials! Use these readily available household items for a rich tactile sensory and learning experience right at home. Common Household Materials for Tactile Exploration and Learning: Beans or Rice tubs- Find buried treasures hidden within! Fill a small container that can be […]

Why does my Therapist want to observe my Child at School?

in Aspergers, Autism, Birth-3, Development, Education, Kindergarten-5th Grade, Middle School, Parenting, Preschool, School, Teachers, Therapy

There are many benefits for therapists that are permitted to observe their clients in the classroom. These observations, when appropriate, are beneficial not only to the therapist, but to the teacher, family and child as well. These observations provide the therapist with additional insight into your child’s school day, as well as promote collaboration with […]

Top 10 Sensory Tools for the Classroom

in ADHD, Aspergers, Autism, Behavior, Birth-3, Development, Diagnostics, Education, Health Topics and Concerns, High School, Kindergarten-5th Grade, Middle School, Occupational Therapy, Parenting, Play, Preschool, School, Sensory Integration, Sensory Processing Disorder, Teachers, Teens, Therapy

Below is a list of the top 10 Sensory Tools that can help regulate a child in the Classroom: Weighted materials– These come in many forms, including belts, vests, blankets, animals and pads! These provide proprioceptive input without becoming distracting to the other students. Seat cushion– Seat cushions are generally filled with air and have […]

Dressing Skills: Developmental Steps for Kids

in Behavior, Birth-3, Development, Education, Kindergarten-5th Grade, Living Skills, Middle School, Milestones, Occupational Therapy, Parenting, Physical Therapy, Preschool, Therapy

Dressing may seem like a simple task, but it is actually a task that requires multiple skill sets from children. Dressing requires skills such as fine and gross motor coordination, body awareness, bilateral coordination, right/left discrimination, postural stability, and motor planning. As a parent, it can be difficult to know at what age a child should develop […]

7 Reasons to Attend NSPT’s New Bucktown Clinic Open house!

in Around Town, Birth-3, Education, Family, Friends, High School, Kindergarten-5th Grade, Mental Health, Middle School, Neuropsychology, Occupational Therapy, Parenting, parties, Physical Therapy, Play, Preschool, Sensory Integration, Speech and Language, Teens, Therapy, Tutoring

The Chicago Clinic has recently expanded to a new and improved space! We would like to celebrate and introduce ourselves by opening the doors to the community. We are so excited to share our new space with both our existing families and also hope to meet some new faces! It is hard to find fun […]