So a year ago when we started OT and ST at The Shandy Clinic, Dominic recieved standardized testing from both departments. We've done the 1 year re test for OT but not yet speech (its a timing issue. we'll get it before the month is out, no biggie).
Last year, Dominic was unable to even start the age appropriate OT test (for ages 6-10). The OT had to use the Birth-5 test. on that test, he age tested at about 4 1/2. He was 9.
This year, Dominic was able to take the age appropriate test and finish the whole thing in an hour. This alone is a HUGE accomplishment and we should be jumping up and down! I don't have the numbers with me, but from memory he scored about age 4 1/2 for fine motor (which is why his handwriting is still on very wide lined paper with the little dots in the middle), and age 7 1/2 for upper body strength. There was one more section that i don't remember off the top of my head and he was around age 6.
So HUGE HUGE progress in the occupational therapy arena in the last year. Ton of milestones hit.
BUT
Lets put the filter of what we now know regarding his primitive reflexes onto this. The OT's were testing the WALLS of a house without a foundation. No wonder he's had to work SO hard to get where's he's gotten with fine motor. he has compensated remarkably all across the board. I've said for years how hard he has to work, and how we celebrate inchstones because milestones are few and far between.
Now it makes sense. NOW we know that the problem is a lack of foundational brain activity, specifically in the left hemisphere. The primitive reflexes are the foundation for all of these activities and the lack of their integration is going to continue to be a challenge until we get them fully integrated.
So we will be getting specific exercises from OT that will have to be done 3x a day. Every day. I have a suspicion that the vision processing therapy will have some overlap, and at this point I'm going to place my bet that, upon deeper testing, the optometrist discovers a brain injury in the left hemisphere of Dominic's brain.
Last year, Dominic was unable to even start the age appropriate OT test (for ages 6-10). The OT had to use the Birth-5 test. on that test, he age tested at about 4 1/2. He was 9.
This year, Dominic was able to take the age appropriate test and finish the whole thing in an hour. This alone is a HUGE accomplishment and we should be jumping up and down! I don't have the numbers with me, but from memory he scored about age 4 1/2 for fine motor (which is why his handwriting is still on very wide lined paper with the little dots in the middle), and age 7 1/2 for upper body strength. There was one more section that i don't remember off the top of my head and he was around age 6.
So HUGE HUGE progress in the occupational therapy arena in the last year. Ton of milestones hit.
BUT
Lets put the filter of what we now know regarding his primitive reflexes onto this. The OT's were testing the WALLS of a house without a foundation. No wonder he's had to work SO hard to get where's he's gotten with fine motor. he has compensated remarkably all across the board. I've said for years how hard he has to work, and how we celebrate inchstones because milestones are few and far between.
Now it makes sense. NOW we know that the problem is a lack of foundational brain activity, specifically in the left hemisphere. The primitive reflexes are the foundation for all of these activities and the lack of their integration is going to continue to be a challenge until we get them fully integrated.
So we will be getting specific exercises from OT that will have to be done 3x a day. Every day. I have a suspicion that the vision processing therapy will have some overlap, and at this point I'm going to place my bet that, upon deeper testing, the optometrist discovers a brain injury in the left hemisphere of Dominic's brain.
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