Our four kids have been in therapy for years and years. So very many days in the past 10 years of pediatric therapies, I have wondered when will all this work pay off? When will things get better, or even just a little bit easier? When will we be able to do things normal families do without it being a total disaster? When will the rages stop? When will we be able to wear socks and brush teeth without having a meltdown? When will we be able to handle transitions better? When will our Some Day come?
The answer is: Here and there, there are bits of progress all around our family if we pay attention.Ella has been in PT for several months and can now run like a typically developing toddler. Her torso isn’t frozen anymore and her arms can swing like they’re supposed to. She can twist and twirl and turn like the little ballerina she believes she is. Her physical therapist taught her how to push a swing. That’s something I never thought to teach her, and it involves a lot of sequencing, planning, and skill. You have to lean back on one leg, with the other leg in front, push the swing with your arms and let go with your hands while moving your torso forwards, then make sure you’re far enough back so that you don’t get knocked over when the swing makes its way back to you…that’s a lot for a toddler! Ella’s PT said she could tell it was something Ella wanted to learn, because she wanted to push a huge teddy bear in the PT swing, so she taught Ella. Hm! Wish I had thought of that. That’s why I pay the PT the big bucks I guess. …continue reading
