Help me understand dysgraphia

[PeterPan]

Wow, this is dredging way back into the memories, but I THINK we started doing longer sessions because ds seemed like he wanted to keep going.  I had totally forgotten that!  And you're right, it's just a subjective sense of hey I could keep going.  I had totally forgotten.  He went from fighting speech therapy to enjoying it.  

 

That's good that your ds is at that point!  :)

[Lecka]

AAC aside, the AAC-related blog/Facebook page I still follow is starinhereye.wordpress.com.

 

I always like it, it is very kind-hearted.

[Mom28GreatKids]

Well, again, thanks for all the food for thought.  All your answers are helping me think through what we need in OT this fall.  I can't afford bad therapy, not financially and not emotionally.  And now I know what that looks like.  I did not know bad therapy until I found good therapy, kwim?  Our behavior counselor set me straight- she said never to allow a therapist to set a goal for my ds that we as parents don't have for him.  I know that sounds like common sense, but you see, when you are new and dumb and green, you don't know that that is common sense.  So, now we have therapists who know and support our family vision for our son and are no longer dealing with the stress of target goals that just don't apply.  And instead of being challenged at every turn, I am being encouraged and even prayed for by the members of his team.  I can be picky in finding an OT that fits in to this framework.  Thanks for taking the time to answer.  I am definitely more of a taker on this board.  Maybe someday I can give too.  :P

[OneStepAtATime]

Well, again, thanks for all the food for thought.  All your answers are helping me think through what we need in OT this fall.  I can't afford bad therapy, not financially and not emotionally.  And now I know what that looks like.  I did not know bad therapy until I found good therapy, kwim?  Our behavior counselor set me straight- she said never to allow a therapist to set a goal for my ds that we as parents don't have for him.  I know that sounds like common sense, but you see, when you are new and dumb and green, you don't know that that is common sense.  So, now we have therapists who know and support our family vision for our son and are no longer dealing with the stress of target goals that just don't apply.  And instead of being challenged at every turn, I am being encouraged and even prayed for by the members of his team.  I can be picky in finding an OT that fits in to this framework.  Thanks for taking the time to answer.  I am definitely more of a taker on this board.  Maybe someday I can give too.  :p

So glad the thread is helping.  And don't worry about being more of a taker.  We all have seasons of need and seasons of knowledge (for me it feels like sometimes those seasons of knowledge are only minutes long but still... :lol: ).  Best wishes...

[Kat w]

Mom28,

 

I haven't had time to read all the comments, I scanned some tho.

 

There is NO way we could do all that work with such little breaks the SLP appears to be suggesting.

 

Even in some if the comments I've been able to read , we would not even be able to do for as long as they are.

 

Even if it's some sort of play therapy .

There's jus no way we could go that long.

 

At some point , and depends on your child, you lose them.

Once you lose them, alllll the therapy in the world ( even play) is for nill. We wouldn't get a thing out of it except loads if frustration and a meltdowned kid.

 

It's kind if, a big waste of money at that point. All kids are different on their stop and start points. As young as your lil guy is, you don't want it to be a point of, him starting to hate therapy.

 

But I would try to work out a different/better schedule.

I know your time is limited. I would say if it were us, even if we had to miss one of the therapy sessions. At some point we have to weigh what's doing more apparent/possible harm than good.

And I mean harm as in, making him not like therapy.

 

We have horses. And sounds weird, but when training a horse, (weve had a bunch of babies)

You ALWAYS end that training session on a good note. A success, rather than continuing on and have it go to the horse meltdown stage.

 

We have applied this with the kids and therapies. We ALWAYS end on a good note, hence, making them want to go back, not feeling any bad feelings about the therapy sessions.

 

It's , for us, about laying the foundation of good positive feelings about any therapy/training.

 

I have walked away from many a therapy sessions when I gauged him feeling happy and accomplished, and not to the meltdown stage ir check out stage.

 

If course, you have to have experienced the check out ir meltdown stage in order to figure out where that fine line is lol.

[Mom28GreatKids]

Kat- Oh, sorry, OhE has a little more back story. DS won't get the scholarship til this time next year, when he is 5 and starting K. So he will stay at 50 min sessions for another year at least. We are in no rush at all to increase. SLP is very happy with his progress at just 1 session a week. We are just looking ahead as to how to get him more therapy when he is a bit older and can handle it.

 

His episode of behavior this week is not his norm with this slp and it is hard to know what was the trigger. It could have just been he was having fun and didn't want to stop. He also hates the ride, so he may have been just dreading the ride home. Or it could have been getting stuck which he still does at times. Also, I am traveling this week w/o him and he was anticipating that as well. There are just so many factors. This is only the second time he has gotten to meltdown down point for her where he was doing it almost every session at his old clinic. So I don't feel like it is a huge concern , but glad OhE suggesting chatting with his Play Project therapist about it. I would not have thought of that. I sent her an email yesterday. Honestly, he is really doing awesome. He has made big big strides in speech, emotional regulation , etc. I am thrilled with where we are as compared to even just 6 months ago.

[Kat w]

That's a good feeling isn't it? :)

So glad you guys are making progress.

Warm fuzzies when that happens

Edited July 31, 2016 by Kat w