Neuro Therapy Update

Samantha,

We've been working really hard, trying to do all your therapy as best we can at home.  You still get PT with Kathy and OT with Tiffany through CCS, but we are supplementing with this therapy at home.  You know the drills.  You scored really low for your neurological age.  Bummer.  I think you tested at 7 months!  Woa lady.  You aren't 7 months anymore.  So, we're helping you get neurologically older. 

There were some basic, life saving skills that you lacked that we are trying to develop.  Like, you don't startle to loud noises.  Tell me, what would I do if you had walked out in the road, a car was coming by, honked their horn, and you laughed?  Because that's what you do now with loud noises.  Not even a cringe.  This isn't good Sammy and I can't imagine losing you that way.  How about eating anything...even if it smells Nasty McNasters?  There's a reason things smell the way they do.  We aren't supposed to eat molded food or excrement.  You want to put anything in your mouth.  So, we're working on your olfactory sense.  We're helping you smell better.  When Donna poked you with a pin, you didn't give any sign of discomfort until poke #10!  Girlfriend!  Are you kidding me?!  Sure, she wasn't piercing the skin, but it was unpleasant when she did it to me...and it was for you too.  But your reaction is a bit slow.  So, we're sharpening up the sense of touch by rubbing textures all over you.  I'll explain it all to you later.  In the meantime, keep letting me do what I need to do.  Ok?  Because I sure love you. 

I'm going to keep our progress here for you.  Then we can go back and check it out...see the progress.  I love you sweet girl.  You're doing great!
 
Eyes:  We are using a flashlight in a dark room to practice dilating and constricting your pupils.  I think you've made improvement here.  But I still need to compare your pupils with Daddy's.  You have started to hate doing this, so I give you an M&M after each time.  You're a little better during the sessions because I think you anticipate the chocolate?  Or maybe because you're just giving me a break on this one.
 
Startle Reflex:  You are starting to startle about 50% of the time now.  That's an improvement.  You still giggle, but it's after a little jump.

Hands:  We're working a lot on your hands, and girl, I've seen a ton of improvement here.  I didn't even know if you could open your hands!  Ok, I'm exaggerating, but still . They are always so tight and red; but now, your hands are much more open.  You are gripping things better.  I think this has to do with this exercise combined with the texture exercises.

Babinski Reflex:  So, tell me Sammy.  How are you going to properly step if you've never integrated your babinski reflex?  When something hits your foot, your toes still curl upwards, like an infants.  Taking a step will be harder if your toes naturally want to curl up.  So we're still working on integrating that to making your toes push down, like mine do and Daddy's and Callie's do.  You'll get there.  Hey, you're walking and they said you wouldn't.  So I know walking properly can be done.

Textures:  You are much more quick to get goose bumps and tell me you aren't happy with a rough texture.  You laugh, but it's a complaint.  It's on the verge of yelling at me or crying.  Whereas the soft textures, you giggle or smile.  Futhermore, young lady, when we were at Dr. Nachbauer's last week, you developed a poopy diaper and you really complained and cried until I changed it.  You have never done that before  Then I got report from Nicole at Scribbles and Giggles that you did the same thing there.  So, I'm pretty excited about that.  You should want your diaper changed, and now you do.  Yippee.

Locating sound:  I'm still working on sounds in front of you and in your peripheral range.  I know you can hear.  That's never been the question.  But you have never been able to locate where the sound comes from.  You struggle the most with up above and to the sides.  But you've improved a lot on your left side...the right side, last week, was still lagging.  Now, though, you are consistently responding more quickly to sounds on your right.  This has been fun to watch the past 2 weeks because there's been a lot of improvement.
  
Smell:  I've seen a change here.  I've mainly been working on good smells.  We've done lemon, orange, cinnamon, mint.  I just don't have a good variety of "bad" smells.  Ok, I have none.  I really need to work on that.  Anyway.  You are starting to really smell them instead of me just passing it along your nose...and after you smell it, you want to eat it.  Before, you wanted to take a bite out of it before you even knew what it was.  Twice I've taken a nasty diaper (I know, is this borderline abuse?!) and passed it by your nose.  Yuck to the max!  Both times you cringed.  You pulled up her nose, turned your head away, and pushed my arm away with your hand.  So that's HUGE progress I think.  Remember when you wanted to eat the barf smelling thing that Donna put in front of your nose?  Gross.


So, we're making progress sweet girl.  Just keep on keepin' on, and we'll see even more changes...I just know it.


Love you!
Mommy