Beth started with the new Occupational Therapist yesterday at Sensational Kids. I’ve never really seen that much benefit with O/T before but yesterdays session was fabulous. Beth was so focussed on everything she did. They were playing a type of darts with a ball instead of a dart and Beth was taking turns and writing the scores on the whiteboard. I was a bit worried for a minute there because I heard Beth call her Whiskers instead of by her real name. (The new O/T has asked me not to mention her name so Whiskers can be a good pseudonym!) I glanced over to see if it was because she needed her lip waxed at all but it ended up being because she had wispy bits of hair hanging out. Thank goodness! Whiskers continued with the How Does your Engine Run type of system where she asked what sort of activities Beth liked to do to get her engine ‘just right’. I had gone to buy Beth’s magazine so didn’t hear them putting the list together but it was an interesting combination. There were the usual things that you’d expect such as jumping on a trampoline or swinging. There were also things she liked like guinea pigs and hampsters. Then there was skydiving! I thought this was amusing as Beth wouldn’t even climb the tree at the adventure park. Whiskers suggested that I give the list to Beth’s teacher to give her some ideas for self regulation but we decided to do a more practical one next time as most of the things that Beth likes aren’t able to be done at school. Beth was so focussed though, I was amazed. A friend took her daughter there this morning for her first session with Whiskers and has said the same thing. I’m so pleased that we ended up sticking it out.
Beth’s session with Rod was next and once again it was a fantastic one. She’s always good for Rod as she has such a good rapport with him. Yesterday though she was so focussed and ‘there’ for nearly the whole session. Rod said that it was the best he had ever seen her. He put her on a swing in the middle of the room and she chatted and teased and played tricks so, so well. When he tried to take her ring that she had gotten with her magazine she just told him no, it was for girls, he had to get a more handsome ring that would suit a man more. She was so quick with her thinking and answers it was amazing. I’m not sure if it was because she had been so well regulated in O/T or anything to do with the flaxseed oil treatment working but it was so good to see her like that. The only time she started to lose focus was when she sat on the floor to play a game with Rod. She started to look at the floor and not concentrate as well. Rod said it’s harder for her to hold her body up in that position as opposed to a table and chair setting. He gave me some question cards to do with her and asked me to tape it so that he can see how she goes. I’ll make sure I do this at a table if this is the result that we get.
Nothing else going on in the school front yet. I spoke to the principal of our school this morning and the bad news is that Beth doesn’t have level 5 funding as I thought but level 4 which means we do have to do an assessment next year after all. She did say though that the IQ score was inconclusive as it seems to be done in 4 areas which numbers varied from in the 50’s to in the 90’s. This should go in our favour and she’ll talk to the psychologist about it. When I told her about the age issue and that she would have to finish her schooling before 18 because of funding issues she pointed out that Beth could do that and do her last year via correspondence if necessary. I will write a letter to the special school in question outlining these things and nicely but firmly let them know that we are still going to be pushing for acceptance into their school. I can only try I guess.
