Cisco’s First Steps

2016
01.10

Cisco took his first true steps this Monday! He was working with his new PT (first real session as we did an evaluation before Christmas). He stood about 5 seconds at the end of his last winter hippotherapy session in mid-December and I have got him to stand a few seconds here or there but not by his choice. In our first session with Children’s Therapy Center his therapist had him standing 5-6 seconds several times and then had him walking with help down the hall. Then it was time to go back to his room and on the way in she had him walk toward her and he made it 8 steps with her scooting back then he fell on her. It was amazing. We have waited so long for this day. He will be 4 in February. This woman is amazing so we quickly contacted her after thinking more sessions during this important milestone would really help. We will see her two times per week this month and maybe next. During our second session this week he did 5-6 steps several times then 10 steps although he will only do 3-4 at home with lots of work and tricks from us. Unfortunately, we can’t keep up this pace for long. PT is our only therapy right now (we also do OT, speech and hippotherapy throughout the year) and insurance will only help cover 75 sessions per year of all therapies regardless of diagnoses. I hope to be posting pictures or video of his walking soon.

In other news, we have had a busy fall. During home-preschool we focused on learning colors through stories and art projects along with therapy practice. Cisco had weekly speech therapy that we discontinued because while his verbal skills are improving we felt our therapist was lacking new ideas, we did OT which we are taking a break from, and we did hippotherapy that is off for the winter. The NP at our Physical Medicine doctors office empowered us to take big breaks. She says that the present research is supporting intensive therapy with long breaks to helps families not become burnt out and better outcomes. I had been feeling this way but felt guilty when I felt we needed a break from one therapy or another.

For the winter we plan to focus on numbers and fine motor skills from wooden puzzles to Montessori type scoop and pincher activities in addition to walking/standing practice.

 

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