Update!

Last night after the boys went to bed, Abe and I had a really nice chat about all the progress Connor has been making. Between the OT he receives once a week at KidzSPOT and preschool 4 days a week, we have seen a huge improvement. Sometimes when I am going day to day and week to week it’s hard to see how far he really has come. But, hearing positive feedback from his therapists & friends and getting sweet text messages like these….

It reminds me of where we were when we started this journey. And how thankful I am of all the help he is receiving.

I have so much joy while writing this update. Not because life has been perfect lately, but because it has definitely improved. It’s become manageable. Fun, even!

Because I don’t get to see Connor work with his therapists at school, I can’t really write about what he does with them there.
But, outpatient therapy is AWESOME. Connor is really challenged and is becoming stronger & stronger with each passing week. Here are a few videos of what Connor does each week with Mrs Kim.

JAN 29, 2014
In this first clip Connor is working with shaving cream on a mirror. His brain is working hard to understand a lot of different sensory input during this activity- the feeling of headphones on his head, the sound of the preschool songs playing, listening to directions given by Kim, the feeling of the shaving cream on his hands, all the other noises going on in the room, and also keeping himself balanced with his feet on the floor. She is also working on his fine motor skills while attempting to get him to copy her making letters, shapes, and other figures with his finger in the shaving cream. You can see him get excited and have a hard time following directions. This is because his brain is overwhelmed with all the sensory input it’s trying to organize.  He was able to cooperate for a few minutes and tried to make a smiley face and the letter C.

This next clip shows Connor using a scooter board to strengthen his fingers (by pulling himself) and his neck (by having to keep his head up to see where he is going). Kim makes this a fun activity by having him work on a puzzle at the same time. She places the puzzle board on one side of the room and the pieces on the other side. He lays on his belly and pulls himself using his fingers across the room to put the puzzle piece in the correct spot.  At first, this activity was difficult for him and he would tire quickly. He would also try to use his feet to push off with. Now, he really enjoys this and Kim makes the activity a little more challenging by adding in other obstacles. We can see him keeping his head up with a strong neck and keeping his toes off the ground! So proud!!

FEBRUARY 12, 2014
A lot of Connor’s sessions start out with some kind of swinging activity. This really wakes up his senses and gets him ready for therapy. The clinic has many different kinds of swings and this one in particular seems to be his least favorite. I think it’s because it requires him to work much harder and he doesn’t feel as in control as when he is on the board swing. Like Kim does with the scooter board, she normally incorporates some sort of puzzle or game with the swing. Here he is using his fingers to pull himself over to buttons and then pulling himself back over to the board to push the buttons into place. He got tired quickly on this particular day and had a really hard time completing this activity. This was the first time Kim was able to see the aggression I’ve always tried to describe to her. He was frustrated because this was a tough activity for him and he couldn’t express that he needed help or a break. Kim got him out of the swing and waited for him to calm down and then let him decide on a new activity to try.

We have seen huge, huge improvements with his interaction with other kids. He still isn’t as playful with kids his age but he has definitely become much more gentle and less aggressive.

I am so proud of how hard he has been working! He is such a sweet boy and I love seeing that side of his personality shine!

Thanks for checking up on Connor!
Renae