"Thank you for providing our related service providers with an outstanding workshop. Many of the OT's and PT's have thanked me for the workshop, and they are already implementing the principles you presented. Some of them are likewise providing short in-services to the staff at their respective schools."
--Keri Scott, MS, OTR Neuromotor Liason Albuquerque Public Schools
"Thank you for the fantastic in-service you presented to our Montessori Academy. Our guides have expressed their gratitude in gaining a better understanding of Sensory Integration. They have integrated SMILY into their daily schedule and are seeing student benefits. Their students are excited and motivated to participate. The SMILY routines and educational activities are easily implemented and a valuable asset to our program."
--Debra Ewing Educational Specialist Southern Ute Indian Academy
"I have attended numerous workshops over a long career as an Occupational Therapist. I found this to be one of the very best for content, functional use, speaker presentation and audience reception. One therapist said it all by just saying
"WOW!"
--Suzanne Poirier, MS, OTR Occupational Therapy Supervisor EASi, New Mexico
Training Participants
New Mexico & Colorado
In response to "What did you like the most?"
"This is one of the best practical workshops I have ever attended…I can apply it tomorrow – right away!"
'How everything is planned and organized to tie into school function...Lesson plans to go!"
"The practical, functional, FUN approach of integrating so much into yoga with supporting literature & research."
SMILY Yoga Training
SMILY Yoga Training workshops are designed to teach school
based therapists how to use the program with the children on their
caseloads. Workshops are available for entire school districts, and
are appropriate for Physical, Occupational and Speech & Language
Therapists. Continuing Education credits (CEU’s) can be applied. The
SMILY workshop can be a full day or more.
Add to your "therapy tool box" immediately: These yoga techniques are
easily applied with children the very next work
day.
Give school based therapists educationally
relevant yoga strategies that relate directly to state benchmarks
and objectives.
Bring evidence based practices into your
school: the SMILY Kids Yoga Program has been successfully researched with
positive findings. click here for results
Receive over 80 organized therapy, classroom,
and preschool
activity plans, all structured for easy use with children.
Help kids learn how to focus their attention:
show children how to be calm and alert, ready to learn through yoga.
Click play button below to listen to yoga
instructor April Merrilee MA, OTR:
Smily Yoga Training Workshop Description:
The SMILY workshop will teach participants how yoga itself can be
understood as a Sensory Integrative treatment approach, drawing from
multiple research studies and literature on childhood development.
We will review the sensory motor components of learning needed by
young children in the classroom, as well as the components of
reading and handwriting supported by the SMILY program. Most
especially, we will cover in detail how to teach SMILY to children.
You'll learn how to do yoga with children and why it is so
beneficial. During the one day workshop, we will do at least 3
complete SMILY routines. This will include a wide variety of
functional activities designed to enhance fine motor, visual motor
and visual perceptual skills.
With regard to the school setting, April will share how the use of
SMILY supports general education benchmarks, which is very helpful
for teachers and administrators. In addition, she will show
participants how specific goals (both therapy and educational) in
the IEP support the use of SMILY as an on-going treatment approach.
Much of the workshop will be experiential, so please wear
comfortable clothing and bring a mat or large towel for the floor.
Workshop Objectives:
Upon completion of the SMILY workshop, participants will understand
and be able to apply the following skills in their practice:
Common principles and benefits of Sensory Integration treatment
and yoga.
Knowledge of the Sensory Motor Components of learning related to
the classroom.
How to write appropriate IEP goals for students that also support
the use of SMILY as a PT/OT/SLP treatment approach.
How SMILY addresses general education benchmarks.
Research findings and literature supporting the use of yoga,
movement and music for childhood development.
How to do yoga with children: at least 3 complete SMILY routines
and their related functional activities.
Smily Yoga Training Workshop Description: