SIS: Children and Youth
Is there a PANDA on your caseload?
PANDAS/PITAND is a recently- identified disorder autoimmune disorder resulting in the child’s own antibodies targeting the basal ganglia and interfering with function. Children with PANDAS/PITAND frequently have problems with tics, OCD, sensory defensiveness, and handwriting deterioration.
Classrooms trade in chairs for a well-rounded experience
Canandaigua, N.Y. — In Julie Marie Smith’s second-grade classroom at Canandaigua Primary School, the chair has taken a backseat. While there are chairs in her room, most students in Smith’s classroom utilize a more rotund and colorful sitting device: stability balls. “We began using stability balls in 2008,” she said. “Stability balls enhance the learning environment by providing seating that allows for active sitting, which improves attention, concentration, posture, blood flow, flexibility, coordination and balance.”
