OT Evaluation Report

Our OT evaluation addressed two main areas: sensory and feeding. Therefore her OT report covered those two topics.

The sensory issues were addressed through a standardized sensory profile administered via parent report. Essentially, I answered a lot of questions about Ava. The profile covers auditory processing, visual processing, tactile processing, vestibular processing, oral-sensory processing, low registration, sensation seeking, sensory sensitivity, and sensation avoiding.

Ava scored in the typical range for vestibular processing, low registration, and sensory sensitivity. She also scored in the typical range for tactile processing, but the OT commented that Ava does seem to have some tactile processing hypersensitivity (doesn't play with food, play-dough, messy art materials, etc.). She responds slightly less than normal to auditory and visual inputs. She responds more than normal to oral inputs (food). She also scored high in sensation avoiding. She withdraws in group situations, avoids noisy places, avoids foods with strange textures, resists being touched by anyone other than very familiar family members, etc.

Nothing in the sensory profile was surprising. That makes sense, because the results were based upon my own observations. I am anxious to begin therapy and see how the OT recommends addressing her sensitivities.

As for feeding issues, again, the report was mostly a summary of my answers regarding Ava's food avoidances and preferences. The only new information was that her gag reflex is not overly sensitive. Again, I am interested to see where therapy takes us. The report itself didn't reveal anything earth-shattering here either.

I am mostly looking forward to beginning her OT therapy to see what that therapy will consist of and how much it helps. I want to help her with her eating issues for obvious reasons. I need to help her with the sensory issues for two reasons. The first is social. I don't want her hypersensitivity to prevent her from being able to socialize normally. The second reason is her speech. With apraxia, the greater the processing demands, the more difficult speech is for our children. So, when Ava is in an environment that is overstimulating for her, her system is so busy trying to deal with that overload, that her speech tanks. I hear her communicate so much less when we are out, when she is at school, and when we have a lot of people around. If we can start to work on that hypersensitivity to her environment, perhaps her speech will improve in these settings.

First Official Day of Preschool

Michael's first day of preschool went beautifully. The children were amazing. Ava didn't mind at all that she was leaving the house without her brother (she gets dropped off an hour earlier than he does now). Michael didn't seem at all sad to see her going off to his "old school". My husband and I dropped Michael off together taking a couple of "first day of school" pictures. He did beautifully. He walked into his classroom. When his teacher walked him over to a table full of name tags for each children he immediately recognized his name, picked it up, and handed it to her for help putting it on. Then he just took off for the toys and children without even looking back in our direction.

Two and a half hours later I headed back to the school and sat through my first pick-up line of cars. He walked out with his class. I took his hand and buckled him into his car seat and that was that. He told me that they didn't do art. After some questioning, I realized that meant they used crayons rather than paint that day. He had colored fish crackers for snack which was very exciting. He also got to choose his own drink from the refrigerator. He chose white milk, but next time he's going to choose chocolate. He also informed me that their refrigerator is much colder than ours. The milk was so cold it almost hurt his mouth. He also mentioned that there are a lot of new friends at school but one boy did push past him to get up the slide. He was also a bit disappointed that he was on the preschool playground rather than the larger playground for the elementary children. He told me there were two circle times. One at the beginning of the day and one right at the end. He also wanted to know when the next school day was.

I thought I got a pretty amazing amount of detail about his first day and was pleased that he seemed to be looking forward to going back again in a couple of days. We went home, ate lunch, and then left again to get Ava from daycare. When his former teachers asked him how school was he explained carefully to them that now he's going to "three and a half school" not "two and a half school". Apparently that's what he thinks is going on. I do adore that child.

It was a great beginning.

A Completely Unexpected Gift

My cousin (also a parent of an adorable preschooler) sent my children a completely unexpected gift. I had no idea it was on the way so when we found the package in the mailbox it was a surprise for all of us. The package was addressed to Michael and Ava so they watched me open it. Inside were some dvds of their favorite television shows (New Handy Manny, yea!) We don't usually watch tv in the evening, but I made a special exception and the children watched their gift while I had some time to myself. It was a wonderful surprise for everyone. All thanks to the thoughtfulness of my cousin. Thanks!

It reminded me of how powerful a random act of kindness can be. I'll need to pass it on.