Pediatric Therapy Resources
Our therapists like to share resources and activities that they feel would be beneficial to families. Some are therapy-based while others are for overall fun and learning.
We are always looking to add helpful resources to this page. Please send suggestions and links to abilities@capper.org.
Note: Not all resources are guaranteed to be posted. Also, there is a link below for Kansas residents in regards to long-term supports and services.
Activities
Autism
- Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Missouri: Resources to help support individuals with autism and families.
- Traveling with ASD
- A Neurotypical's Guide to Speaking to Someone with Autism
- Know the Signs of Autism — One of the Fastest Growing Developmental Disorders
At Home
- The Complete Guide to Well-Rested Kids at Every Age
- Autism Parenting Magazine has a blog post - "How to Create A Sensory Room for Kids with Autism"
- A Homeowner’s Guide to Creating A Sensory-Friendly Space For Individuals with Sensory Processing Disorders
- Kids Cook Real Food: Spend quality time cooking with kids using these online lessons.
- Health at Home: CATCH Global Foundation's free set of health, nutrition, and physical education materials.
- Educational Activities for Kids at Home: Check out these fun educational activities that will help bust boredom while still encouraging learning.
Behavioral Support
- Your Words Matter Checklist: Tips to help parents mitigate behaviors.
- Online Counseling Programs: How to Know When it’s Time to Seek a Counselor or Therapist: Throughout our lives, individuals will experience tough decisions, life changes, and many emotional situations. Seeking extra support through therapy can provide a number of benefits during these challenging times. This blog post breaks down emotional and behavioral signs at different ages that indicate when someone should seek help and how you can encourage a friend or loved one to talk to someone.
Education/School
- Pre-K Pages: Playful learning for Preschool, Pre-K, and Kindergarten kids with fun hands on activities.
- Teachers Pay Teachers: Access to hundreds of free resources for kids of all ages. Just narrow down the search to “free”.
- Helping Children with Special Needs Transition into Kindergarten
- Practical Resources for Teaching Your Kids at Home: A resource list of websites and other resources for parents to make the most of the educational time with kids.
- How School Lunch Programs Support Children’s Health, Even From A Distance
Long-Term Services and Supports
- Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services' Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Programs
- There are currently seven HCBS waiver programs in Kansas including the Autism Waiver, Intellectual/Developmental Disability (I/DD) Waiver, and Physical Disability Waiver.
Occupational Therapy
- OT Mom Learning Activities: Another great website for fine motor skills, gross motor skills and much more.
- PocketOT: This website is filled with fun activities provided by a long-time pediatric occupational therapist with children with special needs.
- Managing Sensory Overload for Children with Special Needs
Speech Therapy
- Tips to Get Your Toddler Talking: Nine tips and tricks to get your toddler talking.
Therapy (Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy)
- Tools to Grow: Free therapy resources for fine motor skills, gross motor skills and much more.
Travel
- Traveling with ASD
- brettapproved – Travel confidently – guide for resources and reviews of accessible areas
- Wheelmap – Wheelchair accessible map of areas.
- Tips for Flying with a Child Who Has Autism | Marcus Autism Center – Guide to traveling with children who have autism.
- Wheelchair Travel - Wheelchair Accessible Travel Blog by John Morris – guides and groups of wheelchair travelers. Lots of tips!
- Passenger Support | Transportation Security Administration (tsa.gov) – Learn more about your rights as a passenger with disabilities.
- Planning an Accessible and Sensory-Friendly Theme Park Trip (urbantastebud.com)
Additional Resources
- The Kansas Society for Children with Challenges - provides funds needed by families to purchase equipment, vehicles or adapting a vehicle, etc.
- Accessibility.com: This website's mission is to create an objective and trustworthy information and resources to become a catalyst for equal access to the physical and digital worlds. Capper Foundation is listed as a resource and our page can be viewed here.
- Telehealth Therapy Checklist for Parents
- CBS News - Steve Hartman: Kindness 101
- Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD)
- DIY Tutorial - Masks for Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing
- Positive Language Alternatives
- Guide to Sensory-Friendly and Accessible Event Planning