There is just too much going on!
On Sunday I took the kids to an indoor playground for Adi's birthday. On Monday we had her party at home. On Tuesday we went to the geneticist. On Wednesdays I took Adi to pick up her new orthotics. Thursday was the last day one of Adi's special ed teachers came to work with her. And my iPad sold. Today I have to go ship it!
Sounds like fun, doesn't it?
Now reeeewind. Indoor park photos coming soon. It was hot, stuffy, packed, and everyone wanted to leave after less than half an hour. Adi's party? A typical toddler event! Adi fell asleep on the couch right before the party and woke up confused and screaming. We had half the party without her. Then she came around and joined us for cake and presents! Who wants onion rolls with spread, anyway?
Geneticist went well. We will test for Pitt Hopkins syndrome. Eh, I don't know. It might be the right one, but I'm not putting stock in it. Other syndromes were much closer to what Adi has by description, and she tested negative.
The geneticist is a gem. I created a label for the posts I wanted him to see and he read through them before the appointment. I mean, who does that? A real gem of a doctor, that's who. He also spent over an hour in the office with us.
On the train to the geneticist, Adi acted weird. She started loving trains lately, and we went on trips all summer. She loved the trains and buses and never got motion sickness like she had before. Every time she sees a train now, there is a meltdown if we don't go on it. But this time, she asked to get off halfway through the ride. I was surprised, but she kept insisting, and then began to scream. Same thing happened on the way back home. In fact, I walked 1.5 miles to the train to avoid having to transfer.
Well, now that she had a bad experience, I figured she'd be cured of trains. I was getting worried about school. Her school is right near a train!
When I took Adi to pick up her new orthotics on Wednesday, I decided to walk past the school on our way home. I wanted to remind Adi of the place before I take her there next week. She saw the train tracks, and I held my breath. Will she scream to go on it? Or will the memories of the day before prevail?
She screamed. School time should be a fun experience! :O
Yesterday our teacher Aviva came for the last time. She was the first of the last teachers. The rest will have their last official day on Monday. It was sad! I hope we can keep up with all the therapists, but I know life gets in the way of the best intentions...
Maybe I'll post about the iPad situation later. I'm so tired. It's close to Shabbos. This post is long and boring without photos. Till next time!
Showing posts with label Therapy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Therapy. Show all posts
Friday, October 28, 2011
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
How's Therapy Going?
It's been a while since I've updated on Adi's therapy. Her sessions are 30 minutes each... here's a little about each one!
Shaking the balls to figure out where the little ball is.
When she's made her decision, Lois opens it up! Yay! Adi got it!
Adi's speech therapy is very similar to special ed. She just learns to integrate words (saying, understanding) into everyday matters. She says so many more words for her speech therapist than she does for us! Should I be miffed that she never said "car" to me? In speech Adi is estimated to be 18-24 months level.
And I just had to add this photo from back in October...
Adi has two special ed teachers. They both have different approaches, and I think Adi gains so much from each style.
Aviva teaches Adi about everyday things. Body parts, animals, flowers, feelings, routine... She does it by pairing up a little song, action or chant to an object or concept.
Adi picked up SO many things through this method. She can't say "nose," but she can press it and say, "Beep beep." She can now say "dog," but before she was able to, she'd say "Woof-woof." She can't say "stomach," but she can drum on it while singing the tune of "Yummy in my tummy."
Adi's doing puzzles with Aviva- trying to fit wooden shapes where they belong on the board. They are fitting pegs into pegboards and doing some pretend play. Adi's really doing well with the set routine in Aviva's class.
Adi has another special ed teacher, bringing her weekly total to four sessions. What I love about having two teachers is their different approaches. Mary is more "go with the flow" than "routine." Like this day, when she took Adi out to a toy store. Fun!
In PT, Randi is working with Adi on stepping up and down curbs and ledges... stepping over thresholds and obstacles. Without holding on, even! Adi's not there yet, but practice makes perfect. I just know that I wouldn't want to be the one to have to force Adi to step on and over things for half an hour straight. Adi's getting stronger each day, even though she still falls over her own feet a lot. But I guess everything comes with practice and time. The stairs in our house have really ratty carpeting. We are planning to replace it soon, and then I guess Adi and Randi can practice going down the stairs.
Adi just came up behind me. She saw this photo on the computer and said, "Wadi. Wadi."
"You're right, Adi, that is Randi."
"Uh-huh!"
Jill is Adi's OT. She is the one that lent us the amazing, wonderful, awesome weighted vest. She plays a lot of sensory games with Adi. Digging in a box full of beans, playing with clay, climbing through tunnels. They do fine motor things like drawing, pegs, puzzles... We also tried out brushing therapy, but never got into a real regimen with it.
Jill comes only once a week, and she's been working with Adi less than a year. And try as I may, I was never able to get pictures of them working together. Adi would freak when she saw me, so I had to be hidden. The only good place to take photos unseen is from the window when Adi's working at the table. Usually Jill took Adi all over the yard, they worked inside the house. It was so frustrating! But finally I did.
So that's a week in Adi's life.
One session on Sunday, three on Monday, three on Tuesday, one on Wednesday and two on Thursday. Whew! Little Miss Popular.
Speech - 3 times a week
Here Adi is playing a game with Lois. Lois hides a little ball in one of these hollow balls and Adi has to use her skills of deduction to figure out where the ball is.
Covering her eyes...
Shaking the balls to figure out where the little ball is.
When she's made her decision, Lois opens it up! Yay! Adi got it!
Adi's speech therapy is very similar to special ed. She just learns to integrate words (saying, understanding) into everyday matters. She says so many more words for her speech therapist than she does for us! Should I be miffed that she never said "car" to me? In speech Adi is estimated to be 18-24 months level.
And I just had to add this photo from back in October...
Special Ed (Aviva) - 2 times a week
Adi has two special ed teachers. They both have different approaches, and I think Adi gains so much from each style.
Aviva teaches Adi about everyday things. Body parts, animals, flowers, feelings, routine... She does it by pairing up a little song, action or chant to an object or concept.
Adi picked up SO many things through this method. She can't say "nose," but she can press it and say, "Beep beep." She can now say "dog," but before she was able to, she'd say "Woof-woof." She can't say "stomach," but she can drum on it while singing the tune of "Yummy in my tummy."
Special Ed (Mary) - 2 times a week
Adi has another special ed teacher, bringing her weekly total to four sessions. What I love about having two teachers is their different approaches. Mary is more "go with the flow" than "routine." Like this day, when she took Adi out to a toy store. Fun!
They also have conventional sessions ;) (This ones from December).
They match pictures of everyday items... sometimes they match a little toy to a picture of the same toy. Adi has to pick out an object from a lineup... like an apple, a chair, and a hat. She should give the picture that Mary asks her to give. They dress up dolls and and do role playing. Sometime Adi has some free play so Mary can see how she interacts with certain toys and games.
Physical Therapy - 2 times a week
In PT, Randi is working with Adi on stepping up and down curbs and ledges... stepping over thresholds and obstacles. Without holding on, even! Adi's not there yet, but practice makes perfect. I just know that I wouldn't want to be the one to have to force Adi to step on and over things for half an hour straight. Adi's getting stronger each day, even though she still falls over her own feet a lot. But I guess everything comes with practice and time. The stairs in our house have really ratty carpeting. We are planning to replace it soon, and then I guess Adi and Randi can practice going down the stairs.
Adi just came up behind me. She saw this photo on the computer and said, "Wadi. Wadi."
"You're right, Adi, that is Randi."
"Uh-huh!"
Occupational Therapy - Once a week
Jill is Adi's OT. She is the one that lent us the amazing, wonderful, awesome weighted vest. She plays a lot of sensory games with Adi. Digging in a box full of beans, playing with clay, climbing through tunnels. They do fine motor things like drawing, pegs, puzzles... We also tried out brushing therapy, but never got into a real regimen with it.
Jill comes only once a week, and she's been working with Adi less than a year. And try as I may, I was never able to get pictures of them working together. Adi would freak when she saw me, so I had to be hidden. The only good place to take photos unseen is from the window when Adi's working at the table. Usually Jill took Adi all over the yard, they worked inside the house. It was so frustrating! But finally I did.
One session on Sunday, three on Monday, three on Tuesday, one on Wednesday and two on Thursday. Whew! Little Miss Popular.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Summer Vacation; Week Five!
First week of August.
Adi filled out the calendar this time. :)
The Nine Days.
Gedalya's stitches episode.
Poor first week of August got gypped. The following photos are literally the only ones from that week. Besides the bloody stitchy photos I already posted.
Sunday: Park
Adi's last time in a swing for the next two weeks. We didn't go to any parks at all while Gedalya wasn't able to bend his leg. That was 11 days. Then the next few days there were thunderstorms with a smattering of heavy showers.
That was also the day that my in-laws came to visit in the morning, before the park... and after the park, Zusha, Gedalya and I left Adi with Hillel and jetted off to Target!
We got some cool stuff there, like Thomas the Train fuzzy blankets for the boys, the squishy dinosaur I mentioned before and some more little goodies.
Later that night: Lightning! As seen outside our door.
Cool, or what?
On Monday Gedalya fell and got stitches. You can read the rest of the week in that first photo above!
Oh, except one highlight I must mention. The weighted compression vest.
Long story short (long story will be make an appearance as well- shortly) Adi has sensory issues (like the rest of the world.) But hers are interfering with her life.
Imagine if you didn't know where you are in space. You don't know how far to step to step over a curb, how much pressure to exert when lifting something... Try this: (I did this to the boys.) Take a boxed juice and put it on the counter. Now tell someone in the family to throw out the empty juice box, and watch what happens when they try to pick it up. Then drink up the juice and leave the empty box out. Ask someone else to put the boxed juice in the cabinet, and watch them pick up an empty carton, thinking it's full.
Now imagine living your life this way. Not knowing how to act, feeling no control over yourself and your environment, and having everything in your life be unexpected. You'd get frustrated and tantrum a lot.
But eventually you'll learn what to expect by trial and error. Now you have a handful of things in your life you can depend on. And you try to stick only to those predictable things.
But then something unpredictable happens. Like your mother steers the stroller into a store! You've made peace with your surroundings, and now they are changing. Scary stuff. Cue the screaming.
So there is something called a weighted compression vest.
It weighs two pounds and is made of stretchy neoprene. When you pull it tightly and close the velcro, the child is able to feel themselves a lot better.
When Adi had the showdown of a century in the urgent care while Gedalya was being stitched, I begged Adi's OT to do SOMETHING. She lent us this vest.
Within two days, I had therapists and relatives commenting on how focused, relaxed and happy Adi seemed all of a sudden.
We had this vest for two weeks, and just gave it back today. I ordered one for Adi for keeps! I hope it will bring my happy, carefree, little girl back. When she was an infant, she didn't really care if she was perpetually confused. But as she grows and understands more, she gets more and more frustrated at her limitations.
Adi filled out the calendar this time. :)
The Nine Days.
Gedalya's stitches episode.
Poor first week of August got gypped. The following photos are literally the only ones from that week. Besides the bloody stitchy photos I already posted.
Sunday: Park
Adi's last time in a swing for the next two weeks. We didn't go to any parks at all while Gedalya wasn't able to bend his leg. That was 11 days. Then the next few days there were thunderstorms with a smattering of heavy showers.
We got some cool stuff there, like Thomas the Train fuzzy blankets for the boys, the squishy dinosaur I mentioned before and some more little goodies.
Later that night: Lightning! As seen outside our door.
Cool, or what?
On Monday Gedalya fell and got stitches. You can read the rest of the week in that first photo above!
Oh, except one highlight I must mention. The weighted compression vest.
Long story short (long story will be make an appearance as well- shortly) Adi has sensory issues (like the rest of the world.) But hers are interfering with her life.
Imagine if you didn't know where you are in space. You don't know how far to step to step over a curb, how much pressure to exert when lifting something... Try this: (I did this to the boys.) Take a boxed juice and put it on the counter. Now tell someone in the family to throw out the empty juice box, and watch what happens when they try to pick it up. Then drink up the juice and leave the empty box out. Ask someone else to put the boxed juice in the cabinet, and watch them pick up an empty carton, thinking it's full.
Now imagine living your life this way. Not knowing how to act, feeling no control over yourself and your environment, and having everything in your life be unexpected. You'd get frustrated and tantrum a lot.
But eventually you'll learn what to expect by trial and error. Now you have a handful of things in your life you can depend on. And you try to stick only to those predictable things.
But then something unpredictable happens. Like your mother steers the stroller into a store! You've made peace with your surroundings, and now they are changing. Scary stuff. Cue the screaming.
So there is something called a weighted compression vest.
When Adi had the showdown of a century in the urgent care while Gedalya was being stitched, I begged Adi's OT to do SOMETHING. She lent us this vest.
Within two days, I had therapists and relatives commenting on how focused, relaxed and happy Adi seemed all of a sudden.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Week Four of Our Summer
Last week of July:
Week four was a great one! Very busy and fun, which is just as well because the following week we were forced to take it easy.
We were going to meet Adi's PT at an indoor park Sunday morning, but when we got there we discovered that they didn't open till noon. So we went to a playground nearby, and Adi did very well!
Learning to walk down stairs. When she masters it, I'm in trouble, because that's the only thing keeping Adi from escaping the house when the door is open. ;)
Hard work deserves a rest on a bench and a tangerine snack.
After the park we went home... but the boys wanted a detour to 13th avenue. By the time we got home, we had walked over three miles. On our way back we saw this adorable kitten. It is obviously a fancy breed, so I think it was someone's. Gorgeous eyes!
And if three miles in the heat wasn't enough for us, I decided to wash and fill our kiddie pool. I had been doing research on a better pool. Still vinyl, but it's filter compatible, eliminating the need to empty it every two days and wash off the slime. They happen to sell this pool around the corner from us, so I went to buy it. Setting it up wasn't hard, but we had to shovel away half the sand "box" to make room for the pool. Wash the plastic tarp, spread it out smoothly... by 4 PM the pool was up and we went swimming! Yay!
Monday: Library day, as usual. After the library we went to check out something new... a Jungle Gym opened in our neighborhood! $10 per kid, kinda steep, especially since there isn't that much to do. But the time isn't limited, so you can play all you wish!
I know the kids enjoyed. :)
My wild Yaya... doing his stuff.
On Tuesday we enjoyed our new large pool. Yeah!
Snorkeling!
By the time we went outside, it was too late to do anything but a little shopping. On our way home, we were lucky enough to catch this sunset.
Wednesday:
Nothing out of the ordinary. Adi had therapy... I keep trying to get photos of Adi and her OT. I have not even one. It doesn't help that she screams if I stick around during the session. So I have to hide. But I still can't manage to get one out the window! I caught her cuddling her bear, but the therapist was out of sight. One day, I must!
On Thursday we went on an awesome trip to the aquarium and the ocean.
Too much awesomeness for one post, so stay tuned for more. :)
On Friday we were swimming when we discovered something wriggling in our sandbox.
What? A snake! A baby snake! (Where's the mother, that's what I wanna know.)
Look at that cool tongue.
Gedalya was in love.
What a lucky day!
Week four was a great one! Very busy and fun, which is just as well because the following week we were forced to take it easy.
We were going to meet Adi's PT at an indoor park Sunday morning, but when we got there we discovered that they didn't open till noon. So we went to a playground nearby, and Adi did very well!
Learning to walk down stairs. When she masters it, I'm in trouble, because that's the only thing keeping Adi from escaping the house when the door is open. ;)
Hard work deserves a rest on a bench and a tangerine snack.
After the park we went home... but the boys wanted a detour to 13th avenue. By the time we got home, we had walked over three miles. On our way back we saw this adorable kitten. It is obviously a fancy breed, so I think it was someone's. Gorgeous eyes!
And if three miles in the heat wasn't enough for us, I decided to wash and fill our kiddie pool. I had been doing research on a better pool. Still vinyl, but it's filter compatible, eliminating the need to empty it every two days and wash off the slime. They happen to sell this pool around the corner from us, so I went to buy it. Setting it up wasn't hard, but we had to shovel away half the sand "box" to make room for the pool. Wash the plastic tarp, spread it out smoothly... by 4 PM the pool was up and we went swimming! Yay!
Monday: Library day, as usual. After the library we went to check out something new... a Jungle Gym opened in our neighborhood! $10 per kid, kinda steep, especially since there isn't that much to do. But the time isn't limited, so you can play all you wish!
I know the kids enjoyed. :)
My wild Yaya... doing his stuff.
On Tuesday we enjoyed our new large pool. Yeah!
Snorkeling!
By the time we went outside, it was too late to do anything but a little shopping. On our way home, we were lucky enough to catch this sunset.
Wednesday:
Nothing out of the ordinary. Adi had therapy... I keep trying to get photos of Adi and her OT. I have not even one. It doesn't help that she screams if I stick around during the session. So I have to hide. But I still can't manage to get one out the window! I caught her cuddling her bear, but the therapist was out of sight. One day, I must!
On Thursday we went on an awesome trip to the aquarium and the ocean.
On Friday we were swimming when we discovered something wriggling in our sandbox.
What? A snake! A baby snake! (Where's the mother, that's what I wanna know.)
Look at that cool tongue.
Gedalya was in love.
What a lucky day!
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