Developmentally speaking : CHOP & Aqua Therapy

There I was at the edge of my seat.

This is exactly what I thought it would feel like to be at my kids first soccer game, anxious, nervous, eager… leaning side to side as if I was encouraging his own movement. I held my breathe a few times watching his little fingers pick up the smallest block and place it in a jar.

SCORE.

Ok, Grady didn’t join the local soccer program, not yet at least…But after a very long waiting list we finally got into CHOP’s Down Syndrome Clinic for an overall evaluation. We made the few hour drive because I have really wanted to see how Grady is doing, what we could be doing better and to be a part of the program as he grows older.

He was evaluated by an OT, ST, and PT and also saw the head Ped Dr. of the program.  I watched his tiny face squinch up and concentrate while they were giving him tasks to do. My face squinched up with him.

And even when he sometimes failed to do what they asked of him, or when he didn’t show skills perhaps he should already have…he would look up through all his frustration and gave that look of pure contentment. That is where I was able to sit back and do my own little evaluation.

Overall…we gained some great insight into Grady’s development and so glad we went.

Physically they were pretty happy… they recommended “Sure Steps” to support his ankles and feet while standing.  A few suggestions was letting him crawl over couch cushions or in my case mounds of clean {dirty} laundry to challenge him a bit. Also to purchase a shopping cart, fill it with heavy objects and let him try to push it around.

Concerns: Grady isn’t really “talking” much nor is he babbling or carrying on like he should. This could be early signs of speech apraxia. But we are far from making that diagnosis. In the mean time we are going to start signing more {buy signing time videos},  we are going to be making a familiar household objects, toys and people book…. they encouraged us to purchase an iPad as it has some great apps for children with special needs to encourage back and forth play as well as the book “It takes two to talk” by Elaine Weitzman.

{they also recommend organized and clean playing spaces, I promise to address this as soon as we aren’t living out of boxes between houses, till then….}

This week we started Aqua Therapy for Grady. He will get this service through Orange County Early Intervention once a week in addition to his 3 PT, 3 ST and 2 OT and 2 Special education therapy sessions a week.

WE ARE SOOOOOO GRATEFUL for NY State Early Intervention. The CHOP Down Syndrome program was so impressed with the help/assistance we are getting… it made me so proud to be a NY’er and feel so supported. They were floored that we would be getting aqua therapy and also that Grady was getting fitted for a TRIP TRAP Chair {this will help support him while eating and playing in therapy}

Here are some highlights from his first Aqua therapy session:

Updates:

1.) I’m glad to be back blogging!

2.) TODAY we received the Air Quality Test back and found out that our new HOUSE IS CURED! The renovations and remediation worked and we are clear to move back home. We are waiting for paint and floors to be put in and we are moving back home in two weeks! PICTURES SOON! {promise}

3.) and btw did you read THIS?

Going to leave you with this till the next post: Sums it all up: