Iann has 9 hours of therapy each week. This is nothing compared to the twenty hours a child with autism is 'supposed' to have, but it's very good for where we live! The men and women who work with Iann are all fantastic, so I am going to give a little description of what each of them do, referring to them by their initials for their privacy :)
First, occupational therapy. Iann's OT, LL, is fantastic and has been working with him for almost a year. I am already getting sad for when Iann starts pre-school in the fall, in order to receive therapy there, and we will no longer be able to see LL. Unless the autism waiver comes through by then ... please let this happen God! LL is working on increasing Iann's cognitive abilities and helping him regulate his sensory system. Iann is a 'sensory seeker.' What is that? Good question and exactly what I asked!!! It means that his nervous system has a difficult time organizing, and telling his brain exactly where all his body parts are. Also, Iann has a really high pain tolerance: he trips over a lot and I rarely worry b/c he pops back up and runs off. Even when he has blood pouring down his face! When he does cry, I feel like it is more the shock of what happened, as opposed to any pain. So, one of LL's job is to help him learn how to get the sensory input he needs so that he can concentrate and learn. Also, LL works on things like him be able to feed himself (which he is starting to do), stacking blocks and scribbling.
Iann's first speech therapist (SLP), KK, was awesome too. She did all the hard work of teaching Iann the power of communication. Sadly, she moved away a month ago and now can't see the results to her hard work. After KK let us all know she was deserting us, um, I mean moving, the search was on for a new SLP. It is amazing how there are just no SLP's willing to work with the Early Intervention program, within an hr's drive to us! Anyone looking for a career change might consider becoming a SLP, b/c there is a real shortage of them!
Before leaving, KK started to talk about Iann to a SLP who lives over an hour away, finally convincing him to take Iann on. So, Iann has a new SLP, a man who comes through our town on his way to work with various school districts. Iann has seen him twice and already we are seeing results. A mixture of KK's hard work laying the groundwork, and BM's amazing way with kids has lead Iann to start babbling more than ever and even try to say some words.
Iann also has 2 other SLP's he sees, who work at the Pediatric Rehab center. Obviously, speech is hugely important right now. These ladies both have different approaches to BM, and between the 3 of them we are seeing results.
And then there is the autism/behavior therapist, AM. This poor lady lives closer to two hours away from us, but has another kiddo she sees here twice a week, so comes to Iann after him. We are working on increasing her hours with Iann but I am having a rough time receiving any feedback from her employer! Argg, very frustrating! AM's type of therapy is the one we were told Iann needed twenty hours of a week in order to have the best chance at life. And she comes two hrs a week. Like I said, this isn't what either of us want, and we are trying to increase her hours but her employer is in Denver, and we are out here in the Western Slope. The best way to understand her therapy, is to understand that she is getting Iann ready for pre-school; teaching him to sit down and pay attention to her, and make choices between toys. Obviously this is a very broad sketch of what she does!
Finally, Iann goes to gymnastics twice a week. He used to see the world's most amazing physical therapist, but that was costing us $50 a week, where as gymnastics is $88 a month. He goes to a mommy, daddy and me group once a week and has a private lesson once a week with an wonderful coach. This man has years of experience and has working with Olympic level gymnasts. He has a real interest in kids with Special Needs, and is truly great with Iann. He has told me not to push Iann to be where the rest of the group is, on the Monday class, but to allow him to get used to other kids being there and to wait for him to join us ... which he usually does.
And there you have an overview of Iann's week. And my week with him! We are happy that Iann has two men working with him, since these guys truly get into the rough and tumble with him, in the same way that Jon does.
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