Tag: OT

World OT Day

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I couldn’t let today go by without acknowledging World Occupational Therapy (OT) Day.

I’m so thankful for J’s Occupational Therapist. She has taught us so much, made J feel comfortable during his sessions and is always available to answer our questions. Although a complex profession and not centered around one specific niche, Occupational Therapists work to promote independence for their clients. Whether they’re working with children or adults, they work to help them grow socially, physically and emotionally.

For us, it seems appropriate to celebrate OT during Sensory Processing Awareness Month. OT helps J navigate through daily activities easier while providing us with a better understanding on how we can help him succeed.

Hard Work Pays Off

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J is 3 1/2 and the hardest working person I know.

This week was his first real sessions of OT. Last week he met his therapist, we talked and got him comfortable with his new surroundings, but the real work started this past Monday and Wednesday. He did great!

We weren’t sure how he would feel about going back into the gym with just his therapist while I waited in the waiting room. Even as I tried to prep him for it, he said he wanted me with him. That would have been fine as we knew there may need to be an adjustment period. That feeling didn’t last. As soon as he saw his therapist, he was so excited and walked back with her. Luckily, he wanted to do the same the second time around.

On Monday, he was wiped out after his session! He was doing a lot of work on his stomach while on the swing and I think he finally met his match as to what can tire him out. I also noticed when we got home, including after his nap, he seemed a little off. A little cranky. Acting out a bit. The change in routine, a change in people and location and a half hour of sensory input, it would be naive not to expect some personality changes. OT will definitely be a lot more work than speech. He’s going to be challenged in ways he won’t like while on his path in figuring out what will help him in the bigger picture.

If anyone it up for it, it’s him. He works so hard every single day and doesn’t even realize it. He pushes through, gets excited and succeeds. We can all take a lesson from him. Keep your head in the game and hard work will pay off!

Day 1 in the Books!

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Today was our first day of Occupational Therapy. I’d call it a success since J is looking forward to going back on Monday!

It was a bit of a bumpy start. We walked into the waiting room, where PJ Masks was playing and I just so happen to have his PJ Masks sippy cup with me. A perfect match! But I digress. Once we turned the corner, he saw a couple of people waiting and froze. He tried to get back out the door and said he wanted to go home. With some coaxing, I got him to sit on my lap and eventually started playing games on my phone to try to shake the nervousness. His therapist came out, introduced herself and asked if he wanted to go back to play. Since it’s his first day, I went back with him. Luckily, once he saw the gym, he was all in. He played with the swing, tunnel, puzzles, putty, magnetic letters (his favorite) and the trampoline. I went over some of my concerns and filled out paperwork.

Today was all about introductions, learning more and most importantly getting J comfortable with his new surroundings. Much like speech therapy, to J, it’s having fun with someone one on one.

I look forward to his progress as time goes on and coming up with new ways to prevent or calm his triggers.

It’s the Final Countdown

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What a week it’s been!

Baby J’s sickness developed into a virus with a new symptom everyday! A few trips to the doctor and a week later, she’s finally feeling better!

Big J had a snow day from school on Tuesday and was back in the grind on Thursday. I’m so happy he loves going to school…I’m sure one day he won’t!

It’s the Final Countdown to OT! We start on Monday! With everything going on lately, Itenor haven’t even had time to think about it too much. I definitely want to write down some questions and get him ready for the addition to his routine. Due to the timing availability of OT, we have to rearrange our Speech Therapy schedule. With J so comfortable with his awesome speech therapist, it’s easy to make adjustments without it affecting him.

I need to catch up on my reading of The Out-of-Sync Child and gear up for Monday! I’ll be sure to keep you all in the loop with our new journey!

OT Approved – Now What?

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After an evaluation and a meeting with CPSE (Committee on Preschool Special Education), we were approved for Occupational Therapy twice a week. We start in February.

I felt relieved leaving the meeting. I knew he’d benefit from OT, but I had the thought in the back of my mind: “what if they say no?” Luckily we were all on the same page. Great! Now what?

Now I get 6 pages with names of agencies that provide Occupational Therapy throughout my county. 6 Pages!

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No really, this is great that there are so many resources! But where do I start? Since Sensory Integration was our main concern, we discussed during the meeting that it would be beneficial to find an agency with a Sensory Gym. However, I was told that with us being in the middle of the school year, it may be tough to find an agency with availability. After a few suggestions of agencies, researching online and looking up feedback in Facebook groups, I started my quest!

First agency I tried: no availability.

Second agency: left a message.

Third agency: has to get back to me.

Fourth agency: no availability.

Fifth agency: Availability! I’ll take it! Whatever it is! Sign me up! No problem that its 25 minutes away, I don’t care!

Thankfully, a friend brought me down to earth. It’s a little crazy to take my son and 1 year old daughter that far away when there are other options closer. There are two other places that are more conveniently located that I hadn’t tried. One in my town and I had to leave a message. The other is about 15 minutes away and they had availability!

The one in my town called me back and out of everyone I spoke with, I felt the most comfortable with her for one reason: she actually asked about ‘J.’ She didn’t just say “sure here are your options.” The Occupational Therapist I spoke with asked how old he was, if he went to school and how he was doing, what my concerns were, and figured out the best time for him. This conversation definitely put me at ease.

I went through a similar process when looking for a Speech Therapist and feel so lucky with how that turned out. I just hope he enjoys OT and trusts his therapist there, the same way he does with speech.