I took Eli to his first Occupational Therapy Evaluation today and his first speech class. I feel like both of his therapist connect well with him. Today was a little bit difficult for Eli because he work up with a low fever and did not feel himself but he was a trooper.I am looking forward to meeting with them each week and watching him progress.
We met with the OT first. She instantly saw some of the concerns that I had. She explained to me that because of the ear infections that he had previously, the way things are said to him and the way that his brain hears things are sometimes confusing to him. She told me that the muscle involved with the way the brain is processed is very closely related to his ears and that with time we will be able to strengthen the muscle with different exercises. She noticed that Eli has a very hard time staying focused. Whenever someone is not holding him or if he is not in a confined space, it is very hard for him to learn things. When she tried to talk to him while he was standing up and looking at her, he was very uncooperative. She placed him in a desk that was very similar to a high chair and he became a totally different child. She said children with sensory problems do better when they are in a place where they feel secure. Places like strollers, car seats, bath tubs, high chairs, etc... She told me that in the bath tub is a good time to work on sensory skills because it is a place where he feels comfortable. Today was just an evaluation and I do not have official results yet but I left feeling like I now have someone work with me on how to work with him which has been my biggest concern. She told me to look at her as a partner to work with him. It made me feel awesome to know I have someone who understands what we are working through and that she is there to help me figure out the best ways to work with Eli.
After working with Cindy, we met with Katie, our speech therapist. Eli was getting a little bit overwhelmed from not feeling well, working with Cindy and now working with Katie too. Following instructions were very difficult but Katie was very patient with him and worked at his rate and worked on building a relationship with him. Today we worked on the letter 'G'. She worked with flash cards, incorporated trains, bubbles and other activities to get him to work on the G sound. She gave us some homework to work on for about 10 minutes a couple times a day. I can tell that Eli really wants to say words correctly so now that I am learning how to work with him, I think we will make progress very quickly.
I will meet with Katie again for speech at 10 next Thursday. At 3:00 on Thursday, Cindy and Katie will have a meeting with Andrew and I to figure out a game plan so we are all on the same page. I am very excited to have homework this week so that I can begin to work on things with him. Although some of the answers I am getting are not the answers I hoped for, I am so thankful I am getting answers. Again, I know we will get through this and come out stronger than we started.
Proverbs 3:5-6
-Britt
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