To catch Caden's first 4th grade news broadcast please check out: http://www.mtsd.k12.nj.us/Page/3508.
3/4 of the way down the page you will find the VES news. Caden's broadcast was on 9-28-12 :)
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Back in the Swim
Happy New Year!
Following another scan at the beginning of December, Caden put "no more special procedures and no more needles in 2011" at the top of his Christmas list. Fortunately, we were able to come through :)
It has been a busy couple of months with lots of progress and a few hiccups along the way. As the fourth boy, Caden was determined to be heard and was always the loudest, so it was especially hard when he was silenced by the injury. Well, a year after he started speaking again, we are now having to remind him to use volume control. Awesome!
Caden's physical advancements post-injury have stood out as though he is climbing another rung in a ladder of achievements. Surprisingly, the cognitive developments seem to stand out just as well: Caden has become a more independent worker; can stay on task for longer periods of time; and his processing of new information has improved. He has met some challenges since November, particularly dealing with self-consciousness and a sudden onset of "fear of failure." Success, for us, is trying things. Caden came home last month and told me he had skipped around the gym in PE. We both celebrated grandly -- even though the skipping was accompanied by some falling ;) . One skip at a time.
We are still working to get the right balance between the long school days and the amount of physical and occupational therapy Caden needs. His OT noted a slight regression in his progress (some increase in left side neglect and core weakness). The holiday break was a great opportunity to catch up on home therapy, and we've adapted some workouts to squeeze in at the end of school days. It has also meant a return to Pool Therapy -- a session Caden loves! Caden's last Pool Therapy was more than 6 months ago, so the advancements he made in the water over the summer were really noticeable: he is able to hold his breath and swim underwater for a short distance, and he no longer needs continuous hands-on support.
What was really remarkable to me was how much easier it is for him to change and get into and out of the pool. A year ago, he was just starting to walk again, and processing the need to balance and coordinate his movements was difficult. Add to that the fact that the floor has slightly concave channels, asymmetrically around the pool deck, to drain water. These slopes are not that perceptible as the floors are covered by perforated rubber mats, textured like millions of tiny legos. That's a lot of sensory input for someone trying to learn to walk again. Now, the walk to the pool seems much easier--and he can't wait to get in!
Following another scan at the beginning of December, Caden put "no more special procedures and no more needles in 2011" at the top of his Christmas list. Fortunately, we were able to come through :)
It has been a busy couple of months with lots of progress and a few hiccups along the way. As the fourth boy, Caden was determined to be heard and was always the loudest, so it was especially hard when he was silenced by the injury. Well, a year after he started speaking again, we are now having to remind him to use volume control. Awesome!
Caden's physical advancements post-injury have stood out as though he is climbing another rung in a ladder of achievements. Surprisingly, the cognitive developments seem to stand out just as well: Caden has become a more independent worker; can stay on task for longer periods of time; and his processing of new information has improved. He has met some challenges since November, particularly dealing with self-consciousness and a sudden onset of "fear of failure." Success, for us, is trying things. Caden came home last month and told me he had skipped around the gym in PE. We both celebrated grandly -- even though the skipping was accompanied by some falling ;) . One skip at a time.
We are still working to get the right balance between the long school days and the amount of physical and occupational therapy Caden needs. His OT noted a slight regression in his progress (some increase in left side neglect and core weakness). The holiday break was a great opportunity to catch up on home therapy, and we've adapted some workouts to squeeze in at the end of school days. It has also meant a return to Pool Therapy -- a session Caden loves! Caden's last Pool Therapy was more than 6 months ago, so the advancements he made in the water over the summer were really noticeable: he is able to hold his breath and swim underwater for a short distance, and he no longer needs continuous hands-on support.
What was really remarkable to me was how much easier it is for him to change and get into and out of the pool. A year ago, he was just starting to walk again, and processing the need to balance and coordinate his movements was difficult. Add to that the fact that the floor has slightly concave channels, asymmetrically around the pool deck, to drain water. These slopes are not that perceptible as the floors are covered by perforated rubber mats, textured like millions of tiny legos. That's a lot of sensory input for someone trying to learn to walk again. Now, the walk to the pool seems much easier--and he can't wait to get in!
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