Therapies

jbranden12 · September 2014

Let's discuss!

What therapies are you doing with your LO?

Where are you getting services?

What do you like/dislike about each therapy?

How do you incorporate therapy into your daily routine?

Anything else to add?

jbranden12 · September 2014

What therapies are you doing with your LO? Anna does PT, OT, and aquatics once a week. We also do intensive Anat Baniel Method/Feldenkrais, 6 sessions/week every third week.

Where are you getting services? Currently PT and OT at home through ECI, but we are in the process of switching to home health from our local children's hospital because I think they will offer us more sessions per week. ECI operates on a "non-medical" model where the goal is to teach the parents to continue the work, but they seem to do the same things as the home health therapists so I don't see why more therapy wouldn't be better. We do aquatics at a hospital about an hour away, and our ABM practitioner is also about an hour away.

What do you like/dislike about each therapy? I like our PT in that she pushes Anna, so I can see her in positions she wouldn't usually get into and that makes me happy and hopeful, but then I remember that she won't do that by herself. She also gets angry sometimes, though she'll usually do more for the therapists than us. Aquatics has been really good for her and she is always very loose (and tired) after her sessions. I'm glad we will be able to continue this through the winter.

ABM/Feldenkrais is a little bit more controversial, but we have chosen to believe in it. It's hard because this model argues not to put the child into positions before he or she can get there alone, so it sometimes clashes with regular PT but I really don't want to stop doing either because how do I know what is best! I'm afraid that we're screwing up by not being "pure" with either technique though. It's hard. For example, our PT is recommending DAFOs for Anna which is against the spirit of ABM. We'll probably have it on sometimes and off sometimes.

How do you incorporate therapy into your daily routine? I work full time so I miss most of her therapies, but my husband and mom try to tell/me show me what the therapists recommend. I am able to do more with her now than when she was little, because back then she just wanted to nurse and cuddle when she was with momma, but now she'll let me play with her more. She is very headstrong, though, and I want the little time I have with her in the evenings to be happy so I try to incorporate exercises but she if often too tired. We get some done on the weekends, but it never feels like enough!

Anything else to add? I had to get a smart phone to keep up with all of her therapies. She is the busiest 20 month old I know! It hurts my heart that her week is filled with therapy, though, and not play dates and trips around town. We do as much as we can, but there's only so much that will fit in a day!

Missi576 · September 2014

We had PT in home until last week, but only the private. Somehow we went from being 26 weekers to booting almost all of the specialist out the door. Of course, some of that was because of a crazy July where the belly button hernia went critical and the g-tube came out. The PT still contacts us because she enjoyed us and we her so much ^_~

We do still have an infant teacher come once a week for 30 minutes per girl. That is provided by ROOC (government early intervention here where we live). We have EDAC (the early intervention 4 hour interview thingie that our babies do to make sure they aren't behind) in October.

Despite the fact that neither really had a huge need for the therapy, I actually asked my doctor to continue the physical therapy twice as long as they evaluated them for. I really enjoyed knowing that the girls are thriving and the ideas for how to help them to get those tiny little muscles up to par with the bigger kids that are their actual age. That and ~blush~ our PT was really fun to talk to and as I'm home all day with our four kids (two older in virtual school 7th grade) .. well, the adult conversation was nice!

As to how we incorporate them.. we tried to have a set time for the appointments. That was fun trying to get both awake and interested at the same time.. and not when either of the older girls had something outside of the home! I'm still using all the different things with them daily when we play. We have so much fun doing baby squats (ok, technically it is pulling to standing from a seated position on mommies fingers), and the infant teacher gives up 'assignments' like sounds to work on or to play in the mirror. I also love seeing which of her toys they really like so I can get those when I'm buying toys!

jbranden12 · September 2014

@Usm123 I'm sorry, it is a slow process. There are definitely peaks and valleys. June was a big month for Anna when she learned to sit up and immediately started scooting, but I know it will be a while before we (hopefully) see more gross motor development. I try focusing on the small other developments, some days I am more successful than others!

Does your DS have a CP diagnosis?

jbranden12 · September 2014

@Missi576 I'm glad you have the infant teacher coming, that sounds really neat!

and @Usm123 we are so lucky in that my mom is the one who goes crazy with toys, she has twice as many at her house as we do! (she keeps Anna 2-3 days a week) She usually does get them from therapy websites.

jbranden12 · September 2014

@Usm123 she was officially diagnosed with CP at 14 months, 11 adjusted. Before that, she was diagnosed with "mixed development disorder."

gault530 · September 2014

What therapies are you doing with your LO? - Both have PT every two weeks (we just went down from once a week). They will focus on handling stairs, then we should be done.

Where are you getting services? - Child Find, it's our EI through the state.

What do you like/dislike about each therapy? - I really like it for the most part. The therapist explains why she is doing things, what it will do to help, etc. For the most part the twins were patient with her, now they just want to move all the time.

How do you incorporate therapy into your daily routine? I do the exercises she recommends as does their nanny.

dunnmommy · September 2014

What therapies are you doing with your LO?
DS2 has PT once a week, OT once a week, and ST twice a week.

Where are you getting services?
We were getting OT and PT through Babies Can't Wait ( GA EI program for kids under 3). But, the OT would show up at random times and miss sessions. So, I battled with insurance and finally got the pediatrician and
neurologist to write prescriptions for all therapies DS2 needed. So, long story short we have PT through BCW. And, OT and ST through a private company.

What do you like/dislike about each therapy?
I am not a fan of the BCW program in GA. I feel like as my childs advocate I should have a say in the therapists that come to my home and work with my son. But, BCW only gives 1 OT and PT per area so you are stuck with whomever they chose for you.
I love our PT. DS2 has worked with her since he was 6 months (2 adjusted). We have seen great results and she is hands on with me so I learn all the techniques to work on with him. Our new OT is terrific and specializes with preemies with sensory disorders which is a huge help. And, speech is our biggest concern right now. So, the ST is working on sign language with DS2 which is helpful because he is currently nonverbal.

How do you incorporate therapy into your daily routine?
We have exercises and tools that we have to use 3 to 4 times a day. Sometimes I feel like I am working my day around therapy routines. DS2 has to be "brushed" with a special sensory brush 3 times a day. We also have a Nuk brush to stimulate his mouth before meals. When he wakes up in the morning and after bath time we have massages and stretches to loosen up his tight muscles and joints.

Anything else to add? DS2 has come so far in just over a year. It is amazing what the therapies have done for him. But, like @jbranden12‌ said my phone is full of appointments for DS2. He is the busiest 19 month old. There is literally some type of appt everyday!

jbranden12 · September 2014

@dunnmommy the EI program here is similar with the therapists you get. Just like any doctor or practitioner, there are good ones and bad ones. The hard part was that outside of demeanor and how they work with Anna, it's hard to know the good ones from the bad ones. Honestly I feel like if anything, this journey has taught me that everyone in the medical profession is just guessing and nobody really knows anything because we've run into so many with different opinions. It's hard for someone like me who wants to feel some semblance of control!

dunnmommy · September 2014

@jbranden12‌ Like you said it is definitely hard not feeling like I am in control of every aspect at all times. I feel like the three therapist we have now are a good fit for DS2 but it is still difficult to figure out what techniques and strategies are a right fit for him within the therapy world. I know he is progressing little by little and that truly makes it worth it all. Baby steps!

jbranden12 · September 2014

@MaiTaiBeth tummy time is hard, Anna hated it as well. Honestly, I wish we hadn't pushed her because she developed a really bad habit of arching her back to keep her head up while on her tummy and that became a default movement for her that was very very hard to break. You are right to go at her schedule! Remember that time on your chest or time in a carrier counts as well

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