Friday, July 29, 2011

Touch this don't touch that.

So Lilly had a great day on Wednesday at OT. They worked a lot on Tactile things, since that has been the most reactive to her. She stepped on jelly the other day, and started to say, "Ow ow ow Mama!!" Holding up her foot. So I asked that they focus on it today and she had some more moments of those Ow's but she did better than the therapist thought she would with Shaving cream. She also suggested that we work with Shaving cream, bath foam, sand, grass, and even said that a good idea would be finger painting with a little sand in it.

It seems that lately its all about touch, though we did have a reaction to the sound of the bathwater running today. She told me it was too loud and to turn it off. I was a little taken back since she doesn't usually have this reaction to the water. But I noted it too. Been noting everything lately.

Oh and I need to catch up on our first visit with the Behavioral Therapist. We went to see her, and she suggested I start writing down any time she has a meltdown or a tantrum. Well I am not writing down the obvious 3yr old tantrums. Only the ones that are sensory related. Anyhow, I didn't feel comfortable with her. She didn't even read anything about Lilly before hand, and asked that I give her a few mins to catch herself up. Um..unprofessional. Don't waste my time! Geez!

Anyhow, If I feel like this again at the next visit, I will ask to be transferred to a different therapist.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Little Steps.

My child's world is very easily interrupted as with most kids with SPD worlds are easily interrupted. My husband who usually works the day shifts, had to work 2nd shift this week. This made her world topsy turvy. Friday-Sunday she kept asking for us to go to Appointments. "Appointment" usually is the term we use for Occupational Therapy (OT). She really wanted to go, which is NEVER in her plans. She usually is not a fan of doctor appointments, but then the light bulb flickered and she was really saying, "I want to go to Therapy!".

She goes to OT every Wednesday morning. She has good days with leaving my side, and some bad days. A good day is a day where she walks into the rehab room without any tears or sad faces. Last Wednesday was a whimpering day, after saying bye mama, and small lip pouting out, she went in. It was an emotional session. I could hear some crying, but not until she came back out to me at the end of the session did really show how conflicted her little body really is. Her crying, while saying " Mama I so happy! (enter hard crying and heaving) "So glad to see you Mama!" She had a hard time during her session. The previous week was fantastic. Even sat for a full 15 minutes to do an activity. No tears and no problems.

I noticed this week she found our hair brush. She started to rub various limbs and her belly with it on her own. It's not as soft as the Brushing brush we used for Brushing techniques at the beginning. We had stopped using it because instead of it calming her down, she would fight and fight it. She was doing it on her own, and paying attention to how it actually felt. I asked her to do it to me, and she did willingly. She was actually seeking it out. I had never seen her do this before. A little step in the right direction.

She also has been seeking smells. The other day Dad asked her why she had her sniffer on in the kitchen. She could smell the chicken cooking. He had sprayed body spray before work, and she went downstairs to sniff around down there too. She makes it obvious that she is actually seeking by sniffing loudly.

Saturday I tried putting her in big girl underwear, to help encourage her to go on the potty. I saw her grab herself, and took her right up. She fought me up until she got on the potty. She was okay with sitting there. No tears, and was excited for the "duck potty!" She actually went! She realized it was okay, and she actually went. I was so happy for her. She was so happy about it. Later of course she got busy and went in her panties, but it was okay, because she took litte steps and actually went in the potty!

At this time all I can ask for is little steps. Since we are waiting for an actual dx on her, and a full evaluation, we have really been trying the best we can to cope with her ups and downs throughout the days. Some days are better than others. I wish that I could have taken her to an appointment. Especially because, I wish I knew exactly how they did the therapies, so on the days she actually asks for the appointments, I could help her by trying those things. There's a lot of questioning myself. A lot of, "Am I enabling her reactions or am I helping her?" A lot of, " What could be triggering her?" and many "Why can't her sister's just understand, she can not handle that?"

You know they say that with some days kids will have a bad day after you have a bad day. I am sure that is amplified with kids who are SPD affected or on the Autism Spectrum. I hope that we can as parents can notice the tiny steps they make in progress. I find it very hard to some days. Though, there are those days where the little steps are so plain and simple, that you personally take a step back and realize, "It's really going to be okay."




Thursday, July 14, 2011

New testing

I took Lilly to see if we can get her an official diagnosis from a Developmental Ped. They said that they would like to do a full evaluation on her, to see what kinds of help we can get her. She is still in OT and I am now offered a behavioral therapist for her. We go to see her next Wednesday morning. I am a little iffy on this, only because I really don't want to be pressured into using any drugs on her. I know I will have the final say of course, but I guess I am mostly just scared because I don't know exactly what a Behavioral Therapist really do. The Social Worker I talked with at the initial appointment said that she will probably introduce her to things that she has reactions to, in hopes that more interactions, she can then learn how to cope with it.

Thing is.. she's only almost 3. How is she suppose to cope.. she's naturally having issues just being almost 3. It's frustrating knowing that I really want help for her but, not knowing what is going on or what is to come, is driving me bonkers.

The testing could take up to 3 months, and will be calling me to set the appointments up. 3 months. Blah!

Lilly's been really having a few rough days. I think its because Dad is home and working 2nd shift this week. She's asking for a lot of space. Followed by a lot of NO NO No!'s so we are working through this, I have to admit I am loosing patience some days. Thankful for a computer and Nick Jr. some days. I just keep praying..and praying for patience and that she learns on her own to help herself.