Sunday, July 10, 2011

Progress Report Time - Wyatt's Turn!

First of all, let me say that Wyatt is amazing.  He has adjusted SO well to his cast - I really can't believe it.  It will be three weeks tomorrow that he has had it on and it has gone relatively fast.  However, the little stinker is walking all over on it!  He doesn't put all his weight on it, but he is limping around.  I keep getting on him to sit down, crawl or use his walker, but unless I literally follow him around the whole day, it is impossible to keep him off of it.  I hope and pray that everything looks ok when they x-ray it....

It is funny because I had imagined him maybe scooting around the main floor of the house and sticking by me in the kitchen area.  I figured I would be carrying him up and down the stairs to his room or the play room and thought he would be sleeping in our room so we could hear if he needed help or if he needed to go to the bathroom.  Wow - I was sure wrong!  This little kid just climbs up and down the stairs by himself!  He either crawls up or scoots on his bum.  He has been sleeping in his own bed and since we have arrived home has not wet the bed once!!!  This little boy is all over the house by himself and yesterday even opened the back door and got outside!  Oh no!

The first few days we were here Wyatt would say "potty" when he needed to go and we would have to take him in, pull his pants off, lift him onto the toilet, etc.  Well two days ago Wyatt was upstairs alone and I heard water and got nervous.  I went to check on him and found him on the counter in hazel's bathroom!  I can't believe he got up there with a broken leg!  He didn't have any pants on... I looked and saw that even though he had a cast on, he had gotten on the toilet by himself and went poo poo!  He had used the whole roll of toilet paper.. but he had even wiped himself and was now on the counter trying to wash his hands!  what a good boy!  Since then he has been using the toilet by himself every time.  He hasn't told me potty once.  He just knows what to do and does it.  The cast isn't stopping him!  :)

He is also still communicating a lot.  He will say "I want playroom" if he wants us to take him upstairs".  He will also say "climb stairs" or "bed, nigh nigh" if he wants to go to his room.   Yesterday he was trying to put a Lego train back together and he said  to me "blue block"!  It was great that he was putting words together and knew what he wanted. So I looked around and sure enough, I found a blue block.  Then he said "yellow block" - and I found that too!  Then he said "Gordon train", and I found the face of Gordon the train.  He knew all the parts that were missing and was able to ask me for all of them! 

He was sitting on the couch last night and I tried to take him to bed and he said "no" and he said, "blanket and pillow".  There was a blanket and pillow on the ground since Brody had slept there last night... I gave them to him and he snuggled up and got comfortable.  I decided to leave him there until he fell asleep and then I would just carry him upstairs.  I was doing other things and the next thing I know my husband had carried him upstairs to bed (I had asked him to help me get the kids in bed..).  I heard Wyatt saying "no, Kitchen", etc.  It was so cute.  My husband finally left him in the playroom to play.  I decided to go check on him a few minutes later and he wasn't anywhere upstairs!  I came back down stairs and he was back on the couch underneath his blanket all happy!  It was so cute that he wanted to sleep there and amazing how fast he made it back down the stairs and onto to couch!  I love that he is thinking for himself :)

Now for the progress Report!  As I mentioned before, I am SO GRATEFUL that we got this assessment done before he broke his leg!  We did the sensory motor assessment only ONE day before.  He was able to do the cognitive portion the next week with his broken leg...

He started with 5 primitive reflexes and ended with 4.  However, some of them actually changed?  It is quite hard to test the reflexes and there are some that he didn't seem to have at the beginning, but at the end it seemed it did.  In a case like his, I would say it is better to be safe and just do ALL of the primitive reflex exercises.  That way you ensure you are getting rid of them all. 

*Note:  some things are hard to test on a child like Wyatt some areas may not have changed because of that.  In fact, some things were not even tested.
  • Computerized-eye muscle coordination/balance:  Went up half of a level!  (which is great because they just barely started him on the computer!
  • Computerized-Visual processing assessment:  Went from below age 3 to age 4
  • Arm-Touch sensation (literally being able to feel his own body) Went up 1 level
  • Leg-Touch sensation:  Went up 1 level
  • Eye movements/reflexes:  Went up 2 levels
  • Smell identification test:  Stayed the same - still doesn't really sniff...
  • Eye Movements/Reflexes: Went up 4 levels!
  • Pupil Light response:  Stayed the same
  • Auditory assessment:  Couldn't test
  • Auditory Processing: Couldn't test
  • Fine Motor assessment:  Went from under age 3 to age 4
  • Proprioception (body's spatial awareness): Went from under age 3 to age 4
  • Balance Beam:  Stayed the same - age 4
  • Gait/Aerobic and endurance:  Couldn't really test
  • Postural Assessment (muscle tone) -
  • Supine Core: Went from age 3 to age 4
  • Prone Core:  Went from age 3 to age 4
  • Lateral Core:  Went from age 3 to age 5
  • Abdominal Core: Went from age 4 to age 5
  • Upper Body Strength:  Went from below age 3 to almost age 4
  • Brachiation (hand strength) Went from age 4 to age 6
  • Interactive metronome (Bilateral/Unilateral Rhythm and timing):  Went from below age 3 to age 4
  • Inner ear balance:  Went up 11 levels!!!!! (He actually gets dizzy when he spins now!)
As for his Cognitive results they test what they can get out of him, but I am not going to post all of the results.   It shows he went up in all areas but there are so many like: cutting with scissors, prehandwriting, toileting, etc that I am just not going to type them all.  In the Pre Brain Balance program they don't focus very much time on cognitive at all.  We have a long way to go in the sensory motor area that we aren't worried about cognitive.  Besides, we already know that he is smart, can read and spell,  etc.  so he will catch up quickly once his brain starts functioning properly!

So there you have Wyatt.   More CONCRETE EVIDENCE that he has changed and improved in all areas and some were HUGE.  This means his brain is changing and will continue to change.

I am also very pleased that even though we have not been attending Brain Balance for 3 weeks now, that he has still continued to improve.  However, I know that won't last forever and we need to get him back in.  We are shooting for an October opening date for our center!  I am glad that I have had the experience of being a mother of children in this program.  I have learned so much and because I know what it is like to go through this process, I will be able to connect with the parents dealing with the same things.  I am grateful for this knowledge and experiences because I know it will help me be able to better help the children and families in our center. :)

Goodnight!

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