OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY: It's the Little Things that Make Life BIG!

It truly is the little things in life that make a big difference, especially when working with kids who want to be just like their friends.

Madison is a 9-year-old sweet, friendly, adorable young girl who underwent a hemispherectomy at 7 years of age due to a cancerous tumor growing in her brain. She lost all function in her left hand aside from being able to use it as a stabilizing assist.

Madison is a motivated young girl and is doing all of her bilateral skills independently: cutting, stringing beads, dressing…..but she can’t do her own ponytail, a goal that she strongly stated when we first met.

I pulled up some you-tube videos that day and together we watched one handed techniques for ponytail making. Most kids would have seen those videos and given up. They were hard. But not Madison.

Together, week after week we created different types of adapted pony holders and tried numerous techniques. One day Madison came into therapy with a big grin on her face, telling me she had a surprise. She then proceeded to use one of our adapted pony holders and made herself a beautiful one handed ponytail.

She told me that it was the best day of her life because now she is truly independent, and she can make her own ponytail after gym class!

Madison is just one of the many inspirational children I am fortunate to work with every day!

Karen Gibber, OTR/L works at Janna Hacker & Associates. Please visit their website @ www.jhatherapy.com and their blog @ https://jhatherapy.wordpress.com/

To read the previous post in the "little things" series, click HERE!

Karen Gibber received her Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy from Columbia University in New York City. She began her experience in pediatric rehabilitation at Staten Island University Hospital in NY, and then married and moved with her husband to Baltimore. There, Karen worked at Kennedy Krieger Institute and a private pediatric practice for 9 years. During that time, she attended Drexel University in Philadelphia and obtained her Graduate Certificate in Advanced Practice in the Hand and Upper Quadrant.

        Karen has experience working with a variety of pediatric diagnoses, with a special interest in children with orthopedic and neuromuscular impairments including brachial plexus injury, congenital hand deformities, cerebral palsy, hemiplegia, and upper extremity fractures. She also enjoys providing therapy for sensory integration and fine motor delays.

Karen moved to the Memphis area in July 2014. She has three children with whom she is excited to explore this great city!

      

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY: It's the Little Things that Make Life BIG.

Some of the best parts of being an OT are the intangibles that rarely even get documented.  Yes it’s a joy to see a baby go from having a severely flattened head with mandibular and eye misalignment to being a-okay!  And yet, what strikes me so often is the beauty of the birth of a parent that I am privileged to see.  When I first laid eyes on Eugenie in our waiting room, he was 8-weeks old and asleep in his car seat with the sweetest little tilt to his head and a yellow hat on his head.  When I asked his parents to take him out of his car seat a look of fear washed over their frazzled, tired demeanors.  Move Eugenie when he is sleeping?!?!  It seemed an outlandish idea to them.  I understood why when they took him out like he was a fragile piece of china and he cried, and cried, and cried, and cried.

When they removed his sweet little hat I could feel the tension and fear and guilt in the room, as his mom stated: “He’s perfect!” Dad gently said, “Honey, I think we need to see the measurements!”  Meanwhile Eugenie is continuing to cry, and cry, and cry.   They attempt to feed him and change him and rock him.

I ask if he likes to be swaddled and they said no.  I asked if it would be okay if I gave it a try.  They were very open to anything that might stop the crying.  Between swaddling him and rhythmically bouncing with him on the ball, we were able to get him calmed and thus began our work together.  We talked about baby gear and how most of it wasn’t good for Eugenie or his developing sensory system.  Eugenie had quite a case of torticollis and plagiocephaly.  I dipped in to my NDT, myofascial release, developmental, sensory processing, and many other toolbags.  And I encouraged his parents when things plateaued and the going was tough. 

After many months Eugenie had a head within normal limits including jaw alignment. He was able to use both of his hands equally and well, he could roll in all directions, and he could fully visually explore his environment.  All of that is awesome!  It is however, looking at the impairment level only and looking only at the baby. 

But you want you know what brings me joy as an OT these days?  It’s the parents’ growing sense of confidence in being able to handle their baby.  It’s the beauty of the parents being able to take in information and decide how much therapy he needed during each phase and whether or not another cranial band is in order after he outgrew the first.  It’s overhearing them in our bathroom as they are changing his diaper saying “It’s so great to be able to understand what he needs now when he cries!”  It’s the glow in their eyes as they gain confidence and began to sleep again at night and remember all the reasons they wanted to create this family together.  It’s the laughter as they reminisce about those early days.  They are enjoying their occupations as parents!  They are engaging in Rest and Sleep and Work and Play.  All of this is done in new ways since Eugenie was born and has needed so much therapy and help at home.

To read the previous post in the "little things" series, click HERE!

Susan Klemm Slaughter, MS, OTR/L is the founder and owner of Carolina Kinder Development. The juxtaposition of her analytical skills with compassion and creativity from dual degrees in civil engineering and occupational therapy has allowed Susan to develop her practice into the national model it is today. Please click here to read more about Susan Slaughter.

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY: It's the Little Things that Make Life BIG!

Thanks to Rachel at Candokiddo.com for providing this amazing post in celebration of "OT Month."

Dawson was a 5-month old recently discharged from the hospital following a Traumatic Brain Injury that resulted in one-sided weakness and severe visual impairments. His young mother seemed at her wits end when I arrived to evaluate her baby boy for home-based OT. As a result of his injury, Dawson was totally different - he didn’t reach for toys, hold his head up or look and smile like he used to. He had cried around the clock since coming home and his mom said she was starting to just tune it out. She was told by his hospital team to “do Tummy Time”, but no support or strategies for HOW to help Dawson feel comfortable belly-down. He cried so hard when she tried that she gave up the first day home.  Together we set goals for Dawson to enjoy playtimes in a variety of positions, including Tummy Time.

First, we brainstormed ways to soothe Dawson - I pushed her to think of things she hadn’t needed to do with him since his first weeks and things that had helped her other children soothe when they were babies. After some trial and error, we discovered that a swaddle blanket, a pacifier, gentle rocking and mommy’s calm voice settled Dawson down. He sucked furiously on the paci as his eyes shakily scanned his mother’s face and they enjoyed a moment of reconnection. I talked through some basic sensory concepts related to deep pressure and movement and encouraged mom to experiment in the coming week with other ways to give Dawson the types of inputs he was showing helped him feel comfortable.

With Dawson calm, it was time for Tummy Time to help him regain strength, body awareness and to use his vision to the best of his abilities. We began with Dawson positioned on his side, and I encouraged Mom to show him simple toys and objects from around the house - a bowl, a hairbrush, a set of toy keys - and watch his reactions. When she exclaimed that he really liked the shiny mixing bowl, I coached her to roll him onto his tummy and help position his weaker arm as he looked at the mixing bowl in this new position. She could hardly believe that he happily stayed belly-down for 4 minutes!

As our initial session ended, I encouraged mom to take the time she needed to calm Dawson completely before playtimes and to find toys or objects that captured Dawson’s interest before rolling him over for Tummy Time.

When I returned a week later, mom’s face beamed as she gushed, “You HAVE to see this!” She rolled out a soft blanket in the shade of a tree in the front yard and brought a plastic tub of metal household objects - spoons, measuring cups, a mirror. She showed me how he calmed almost immediately when he was brought outside with a paci and slowly rocked as she walked a lap around the front yard. She gently placed him on his side and captured his attention with a set of measuring cups before lovingly rolling him onto his belly, all the while explaining that she noticed he sees shiny objects best, especially when placed on the dark navy blue blanket.

Not only was Dawson showing greatly improved self-regulation, visual attention and much more even weight-bearing through his arms in just a week, the way his mom interacted with him was dramatically different. She was proud of him, confident in herself, connected and warm towards her baby even when he grew fussy. She saw Tummy Time as a position for play, not an misery to endure. Both mom and baby were enjoying belly-down playtimes. From then on, the hour a week I spent in their home was merely a jumping off point and Dawson’s mom continued to show me new activities and skills she discovered each week.

To read the previous post in the "little things series, click HERE!

Rachel Coley, MS, OTR/L, has been a pediatric Occupational Therapist for 8 years. As a new mom, Rachel lets her personal passion for parenting and her professional expertise in infant development collide in CanDo Kiddo, a family business with a mission to help fellow parents understand baby development so that they can confidently and playfully give their kiddos the healthiest start possible.

Blog: http://www.candokiddo.com

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OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY: It's the Little Things that Make Life BIG!

I'm excited to share this wonderful post from a future occupational therapist!

    When I was a junior in college, I learned a big lesson from a very little boy: it is the small victories that make life worthwhile.  As someone with a calling to be an occupational therapist and a heart for kids, I jumped at the opportunity to work with Sam, a 3-year old boy with developmental disabilities.  When I first met Sam, his abilities were fairly limited, namely his motor skills.  He was yet to sit or crawl and had trouble holding his head up; nevertheless, he rolled everywhere! Although Sam was nonverbal, he communicated in his own way­­—mostly with giggles and smiles. To call him a flirt is an understatement!  At the time I began caring for Sam, he had just started preschool and had begun working with the school’s occupational therapist.  I attempted to supplement his therapy by continuing to help Sam with his goals during my time with him. 

  Sam’s progress was slow at first.  I felt unsure of the effects that the occupational therapist and I were having on him, but my hope was renewed the day Sam put a Goldfish into his mouth for the first time. Then came two Goldfish, then three…soon he was attempting to eat the whole bag! This seemingly tiny breakthrough catapulted Sam; his progress throughout the rest of that year was truly remarkable.  His strength improved, along with his fine motor skills.  Sam was now able to hold his head up long enough to read a book or swing with me on a warm afternoon.  A few Goldfish eaten independently turned into entire meals, and songs once simply sung to liven up the car ride home became tunes in which Sam could clap along.  Another essential skill Sam learned was sign language. Signs like “more” and “finished” became an integral part of his vocabulary, which were of great use during mealtimes.  A few signs may seem like a minor accomplishment, but the difference they made in Sam’s ability to communicate his wants and needs was monumental. 

  Occupational therapy had a marked impact on Sam’s quality of life, and continues to do so today. Not only has Sam experienced its positive effects, but his family has reaped the benefits as well.  Although the improvements made through occupational therapy may be small victories, they amount to something so much greater: independence, self-esteem, well-being, and overall participation in life.  I can’t think of a more wonderful thing to help people achieve!

To read the next post in the "little things" series, click HERE!

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY: It's the Little Things that Make Life BIG!

A special thanks to Cindy at www.yourkidsot.com for sharing this special post to celebrate OT Month. What follows is a mother’s experience of how sensory processing affects her son and how Occupational Therapy helped him.

Do you think Tom’s OT treatment has had long-term benefits in the way he processes sensory information?

It was explained to us that Tom would not be “cured,” but that he would be more able to manage his sensory issues. With tactile processing – 4 years later, Tom is much more able to tolerate strange and different sensations. There still are issues at times, like this year with the change into a winter uniform, and the button at his neck and the buttons on his wrists “hurt.” He still interprets someone bumping into him, or treading on his foot, as them hurting him and reacts more than another child would. As parents we can now understand, and respond more helpfully to him. He also has more skills to manage this too. With auditory processing - Tom is now able to be quite focused in class, and is doing well academically. There are times when he is unsettled, that I need to work to get his attention, but on the whole he is managing well with focusing attention. With vestibular processing - Tom is now much more able to be involved in physical activities and doesn’t have the same anxiety stopping him. He is still careful with rides at shows and theme parks, and will assess carefully beforehand if it is something he thinks he can manage. He is able to get involved in school and youth group camps well, and generally participates as would be expected.  Thankfully, Occupational Therapists who specialize in Sensory Processing Disorder do have lots of tools to help our kids function more effectively!

To read more of Tom's story, click HERE.

To read the previous "little things" post in the series, click HERE!

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY: It's the Little Things that Make Life BIG!

Blog Series: OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY: It's the Little Things that Make Life BIG!

The following post is a wonderful account of how a young lady decided on a career in occupational therapy!

Chad, a small boy with blonde hair kicking, screaming, and biting his teacher was the first thing I saw when I walked into the preschool classroom on my first day as a volunteer. “Woah. What have I gotten myself into? Is it too late to turn around?” I asked myself.

By the end of that day I knew this boy, Chad, would change my life forever. Chad had autism. He needed extra attention, and I immediately cared for Chad and wanted to see him receive the help that he so desperately needed. His father was a single parent, and I feared that Chad wasn't getting help at home and, sadly, he wasn’t getting the support he needed from the teachers either.

Photo Credit:Serge Bertasius @ freedigitalphotos.net

An occupational therapist came once a week to see Chad. I didn't know much about occupational therapy and honestly didn't see how one session a week was going to help my new friend. Chad was the boy who couldn't sit in "circle time" independently like the other children. He was the boy who wouldn't make it ten minutes on the playground before his clothes came off. My heart ached for him and I wanted to help but didn't know how. I wanted someone to help Chad five days a week and not just once a week.

Thanks to occupational therapy, by the end of the year, Chad WAS the child sitting in "circle time" independently. He played on the playground and didn't take his clothes off (well sometimes). Chad was behaving better and participating more in class. I was so proud of him!

I was immediately hooked and wanted to find out everything about occupational therapy that I could. All Chad needed someone who was eager to help him and saw his potential. The weekly sessions did more for him than I could ever have imagined. I decided that I wanted to be in a field that could change someone's life in such a positive way. Chad is my story. He’s my motivation to become an OT. I wish he could know the impact he has had on my life. Thankfully, I was able to witness the impact that occupational therapy had on Chad’s life!

Dear Readers, If you have found my blog to be helpful, please follow my blog (on the right of this page) and click here and "like" my facebook page... 
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OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY: It's the Little Things that Make Life BIG!

It’s April, and it’s time to celebrate Occupational Therapy Month!  Pediatric OT Tips is celebrating OT Month by having a blog series called OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY: It's the Little Things that Make Life BIG!

This month's posts will feature special stories of how occupational therapy made a positive difference in someone’s life! The stories will come from therapists as well as patients. So let’s get started!

Photo Credit: Naypong @ freedigitalphotos.net

Jason was a nonverbal 7-year old boy with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. He also had sensory processing challenges! He didn’t know where his body was in space and craved constant deep pressure input. When I evaluated him, I asked his mother about her goals for Jason. She shared that she would like Jason to be able to brush his teeth, put on his shirt in the morning, and improve his attention to task. When I asked her what she thought Jason wanted to be able to do, she said, “Oh, that’s easy, he wants to learn how to ride his bike!”

Every afternoon, weather permitting, Jason’s little brother would ride his bicycle up and down their long driveway. Without fail, Jason would attempt to join him. Jason could get on the bike independently, but all attempts to teach him to ride the bike (using training wheels) had failed.

After several OT sessions, it became clear that Jason’s sensory and language challenges were part of the problem.  Jason’s mother would tell him to “push the pedals,” but Jason would just stare at her confused. So, during Jason’s sensory play, we started working on the concept of push. With Jason positioned on his back, feet in the air, I would put my hand on Jason’s foot and say “push!”  No response.

One day while browsing at the dollar store (my favorite therapy shop!), I spotted several squeaky dog toys.  I had an idea!

During Jason’s next session, I held the toy against his foot and told him to “make the toy squeak.”  As soon as he pushed against the toy to make it squeak, I said, “Yes, you are pushing!”  By the end of the session, he was pushing his foot against my hand on request.

The next session I brought my duct tape (another wonderful OT tool!). With Jason’s mother’s permission, I taped the squeaky toys onto the bike pedals. The rest is history! The squeaky toys helped Jason grasp the concept of “push,” and they are no longer needed. Now Jason loves to ride bikes with his brother after school! No more watching on the sidelines!

To read another "little things" post, click HERE!

Dear Readers, If you have found my blog to be helpful, please follow my blog (on the right of this page) and click here and "like" my facebook page... 
Thanks :)