Posts by qcauthor
August 2019 Happenings
August 2019 Music Therapy (Birth-3 years & 4-8 years) Come move, sing, and play instruments with us as we address communication, following directions, and so much more! These music therapy sessions are provided by West Music and a board-certified music therapist! Registration for this 10-week music therapy session is closed. The series will run every Wednesday…
Read More13 Tips from an Occupational Therapist
For Occupational Therapists, one of our major concerns is helping people to be functionally independent with their daily tasks and routines – i.e. dressing, grooming, bathing, feeding, schoolwork etc. As my internship at GiGi’s is coming to an end, I wanted to take a moment to briefly review all of the tips I’ve created for…
Read More5-4-3-2-1 Mindfulness
Anxiety is a perfectly normal human response that the body has developed as a part of our adaptive system to tell us when we are in danger. This means that when we are looking to deal with our anxiety we are never trying to eliminate it, but instead manage it. Sometimes our thoughts can go…
Read MoreThrough the Eyes of an Occupational Therapist
As someone who has chosen to become an Occupational Therapist (OT), I am used to people not knowing exactly what I do. Often times, people assume that my responsibility is to help others find their own jobs/occupations – other times; I just receive blank stares as I attempt to give a textbook definition of my…
Read MoreW sitting
What is W-Sitting? A child is in a W-Sitting position when they are sitting on their bottom with both knees bent and their legs rotated away from the body If you stand above the child and look down, it looks like their legs are forming a “W” Why do Kids W-Sit? Children with poor balance…
Read MoreMeet Jay
Please help us welcome Jay Manix to GiGi’s QC! He is going to be an intern here for the next 16 weeks. Jay is a 3rd year student in St. Ambrose University’s Occupational Therapy Doctorate program. Jay is originally from Aurora, IL where he lives with his parents and younger brother. Prior to graduate school,…
Read MoreCircle of Gratitude
As the 2018 car show season comes to a close, we would be amiss if we didn’t take a moment to thank the local car clubs and the car show attendees for their support and generosity. We also wanted to highlight just one reason this community support has meant so much to us here at…
Read MoreAccommodations vs. Modifications – What is the difference?
Jennifer Parsons, MS/CCC-SLP, Program Manager GiGi’s Playhouse Quad Cities It is that dreaded time of the year again… ASSESSMENT TIME! Legislation in most states require all students be tested at least once a year, if not more often. Therefore, testing accommodations and modifications must frequently be made to meet student needs. But sometimes it is difficult…
Read MoreGetting to Know Our Board – Laurel Johnson
My name is Laurel Johnson, and I have been a GiGi’s Playhouse Board Member since 2013. I grew up in Moline, Illinois with my parents and younger sister. I attended Illinois State University where I received my degree in Special Education. I am currently teaching special education at my old stomping ground, Moline High School.…
Read Morea small community making a huge impact
If you live in the Quad Cities, you have heard of Prophetstown, a small community of around 2,000 about 45 minutes outside of the Quad Cities metropolitan area. Prophetstown High School is home to the Prophetstown Lady Prophets basketball team and Lady Prophet, Lexi Rangel. Lexi is cousin to our Playhouse friend Zoey whose parents…
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