Occupational Therapy

I thought I would let you know what Ella is working on with OT. I know it's hard to understand exactly where and how she is "behind" and what it is that we work on. I recieved a list of "Outcomes, Criteria, and Strategies" from her therapist and thought I would share it with you.

FINE MOTOR SKILLS
Outcome: Play using hands.
Criteria (outcome has been achieved when): When Elizabeth uses mature grasp patterns.
Strategies (activites that will help my child to achieve the outcome):

• Facilitation to aid in the integration of grasp reflex
• Finger play at midline/Toy play at midline (traslation: Ella plays with toys in the middle of her body, not off to the side...with her head in the middle)
• Transfer toy hand to hand
• grasp with thumb and 2 fingers
• rakes or scoops small objects (cereal)
• pokes with isolated index finger
• drops with voluntary release
• uses neat pincher grasp (translation: to pick up something with thumb and pointer finger)

ORAL MOTOR SKILLS
Outcome: Have strong sucking and chewing (gum) skills
Criteria (outcome has been achieved when): Demonstrates functional lip/cheek strength/chews well.
Strategies (activites that will help my child to achieve the outcome):

• Oral motor interventions to improve lip and cheek strength
• close lips on spoon to remove food
• chew/gum with lateral tongue motion
• bite cracker/chew cracker
• like food off spoon
• finger feed
• chews well

Personally, I'm hoping that Ella will be able to give herself a bottle (or at least hold her own bottle) by the time she's a year old...that would be a HUGE deal in our house. I know that someone reading this may have the thought that "well, some kids just don't do that yet" or "I know a child that didn't do some of these things until later"...that doesn't make it any easier for me. I have come to admit to myself that Ella isn't "slow" or "behind"...she has brain damage that keeps her from being ABLE or UNDERSTANDING as well as the rest of us. I know that children develop as different stages, but Ella's is a different scale chart completely. It's slightly obvious when she is "playing" with her cousin, Micah, that Ella is different. She can't sit up, or hold her head up for any long period of time and still has no ability to sit on her own. THINGS ARE GETTING BETTER!!! Don't get me wrong, I know that she has made HUGE strides in her short life (almost 9 months now), but we have a lot to work on. It's getting more difficult to "hide" the fact that Ella is different. I'm trying to keep her as normal as I can, but even carrying a 20 lbs weight is hard some days. I need to carry her in a car seat or keep her in the seat when she's in a stroller. She is super happy and doesn't seem to get frustrated which is great. She is starting to cut a tooth and I'm glad that it came a little later, but relived to know that something is happening within a normal schedule. Ella has been fighting a cold, probably compounded by her tooth, and she's now much happier and not sleeping during the day quite as much...thankfullhy. Please feel free to always ask any questions or comment on Ella's progress. I, sometimes, don't know what is "commom knowledge" and what we feel is common just because it's our life. Thank you again for your concerns and love for our family.

"Nothing is impossible with God." Luke 1:37