[tri-med] Re: An occupational therapy question

Keren's OT does a lot of work with her on cause/effect toys/objects.  
She started her off with simple choices and getting her to trigger  
toys, and is continuing to push her to do more. I think the idea is  
forcing Keren to work harder to get what she wants and communicate in  
some way what it is she wants. They're working on some of the finer  
motor skills as opposed to PT which focuses on more of the gross  
motor skills.  Feeding therapy/feeding play also fall into the OT  
category.
That's all I can think of at the moment--hope it helps a little!

Oh, VitalStim for the throat and mouth fall into OT (can also be ST,  
but has been shown to be more helpful for kids who don't eat by  
mouth, or speak, to help them control saliva). You have to find  
someone who is certified in this, though. It's more and more popular,  
however.

Loren (wife to Kraig, mom to Keren Elyse, T18, 3 1/2 years old!  
(9/27/02), and Clarissa Joanne (7/17/05) )
Southeast Michigan
http://webpages.eng.wayne.edu/~ad6075


On Aug 30, 2006, at 12:48 PM, Irene Smith wrote:

> I have always been wrestling with what the benefit of having a  
> certified OT
> is to Caroline.  To be honest, it seems that they don't offer me  
> any real
> new suggestions or ideas on what to and how to work with her.  We  
> have seen
> 3 different OTs over Caroline's first 3 years.
> When the EI sessions ended when she turned three, we continued PT  
> though the
> Shriner's hospital, but never did get OT reinstated.  We are now  
> taking her
> somewhere new for all types of therapies (a local therapist is  
> finally now
> offering all types of pediatric therapy).  Anyway, the OT just  
> seemed to put
> it in my lap as to what I want her to work on with Caroline.  I felt a
> little dumb, because I wasn't sure how to answer her.  I was hoping  
> she
> would be the one to provide me with suggestions.
>
> With PT it is easy, we want her stronger so she will sit on her  
> own, maybe
> crawl or walk someday.  WIth ST it is also easy, we want her to  
> communicate,
> whether verbally, with sign or with a computerized assistive  
> device.  With
> OT, I am not quite sure what my goal should be.  Obviously, I want  
> her to
> grow developmentally.  The OT therapists have all seemed to just  
> work on
> getting her to hold toys, bang toys together, putting weight on her  
> hands
> for strengthening, and having her feel textures.  My question is  
> that it
> seems that everything they do is pretty much things we can and do  
> easily at
> home, and there are never any "new" ideas.  I almost feel that like  
> is it,
> there really isn't many more things to work on.
>
> I would love to hear what your OTs work on.  Is is the same sort of  
> things?
> Coincidentally, since Caroline stopped official OT early this  
> summer, she
> has seemed to have had a spurt of development in that area.
>
> Oh, and please remember, my question is not whether she needs OT or  
> not, it
> is whether it is really worth my time to drive her to see an  
> official OT
> rather than me just continuing to work with her at home.  Oh, and  
> she will
> get some school-based OT, ST and PT when she starts preschool in a  
> couple
> weeks.
>
> Thanks!
>
> -- 
> Irene
> Christina (4), Caroline (3 with partial trisomy 17p) and Kallie (1)
> Caroline's site:  http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/carolinesmith
>
>
>                   Building ___ooOOoo__ Rainbows
>                        www.trisomyonline.org
>                   Families Helping Families On-line
>



                  Building ___ooOOoo__ Rainbows
                       www.trisomyonline.org
                  Families Helping Families On-line

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