Where do I start when it comes to Conner's therapy? First off, Conner had two amazing therapists while he was in the NICU. We wanted to bring them home with us, but knew other babies needed them more. We were lucky enough to get two wonderful therapy teams for Conner once he came home. One team is through Oklahoma’s Early Intervention Program and the other is through a local therapy group. He has seven knowledgeable therapists in all - two physical therapists (PT), two occupational therapists (OT), two speech/feeding therapists (SLP) and one vision therapist. We see a majority of them weekly - some multiple times a week - and we are incredibly fortunate that they all come to our house (Conner is often on lockdown because of his weakened immune system)
Conner's therapists all have their own way of working with him. All of them have the same goals for Conner, but the way they reach the goals is different one from another. I think variety has been very good for Conner - he loves to be challenged and do new things.
Therapy seems to be the treatment we seek the most when it comes to Conner. You see, Conner is very social and LOVES his therapists. He squeals with excitement when the doorbell rings because he knows the person on the other side of the door is there to play with him! We also notice the most improvement from therapy - in addition to Conner's weekly appointments, we spend a couple hours a day working with him on our own.
We have tried many therapy related products for Conner. He is globally delayed, but continues to make progress at his own pace. He has always done things on his own time, so we continue to be patient and work hard along side him to help continue to make progress.
Over the last two years, we've learned to adapt to Conner's needs and get creative when it comes to toys and therapy items for him. There are many products that special needs kids can benefit from, however, the price tag can be staggering and insurance can be difficult to deal with (if it is even something they will cover) . To learn more about items we've built out of PVC pipe, click here.
We are constantly looking for more therapy related things to add to Conner's treatment plan. We've tried reflexology and noticed some improvements with him. We are currently researching stem cell therapy, hyperbaric oxygen therapy and a procedure called Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR). If you have experience with any of these treatments - I'd love to hear from you!
