Someone asked me if therapy, at his age, was more gauged towards playing. In some ways, it might look that way to the untrained eye. He gets to use all kinds of colorful, unique "toys" and has someone who "plays" with him. Only, for Brandt, it is not playing. The things they do in his therapy are not fun and play. They are challenging and strenuous. He has to use muscles that he is usually unaware of. He has to strengthen muscles that are very weak. And, he has to have the endurance to do this for an hour.
Yesterday, they worked more on his hypertonia by strengthening his core muscles--more specifically his protective reflexes. For instance, when he is sitting at his table coloring or playing, he might lose his balance and tip to the side or fall backwards. Most babies would either try to counteract that tip or they would put out their hands to try and catch themselves. Brandt does not do that. He will just fall wherever gravity takes him. The therapist instructed me to continue working with him on the physioball at home to help with his protective reflexes.
Luckily, Brandt's school allows his therapy sessions to take place in the one-year-old classroom so that he can prepare himself and work on the skill necessary. The therapist was also able to work with Brandt on maneuvering around some of the obstacles in the one-year-old classroom, which she said he was getting better at crawling around and over. She worked with him on getting in and out of the table and chairs. He does well getting out of the chair, but he is still having some difficulties with getting into the chair.
And, so, my protective reflexes are going at full-force, where I want to do everything and anything for my son. Progress is being made, but it is slow. At times, I feel like not enough is being done for him. I feel like once a week is not consistent enough for him. I can't do much with him in the evening because it's usually routine nap, food, bath, little play time, and bed. Therapy is so busy working on the little skills that are necessary to get him into the one-year-old classroom that he is not getting the necessary practice on other important skills--like cruising, holding a cup upright, and perhaps walking. It seems so silly to me that time has to be spend to teach him skills as simple as banging two blocks together (which he has still not mastered), and yet I understand that it is a necessary step. I just wish that there was more being done. But, for now, it is starting with the basics and working on protective reflexes.
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