United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

My son who is 4 years old and in preschool recieves therapy 1xweek while at preschool. He also recieved speech and ot 1xweek. Here is my concern. His pt says that he has met all of his goals and I need to come up with new goals to continue his therapy. Of course I am drawing a blank and cannot think of any. He said that he is going to do a peabody test as well. The pt wants me to write a list of gross motor/school related activities that I would like him to work on. Can anyone help me with this? My son's injury is on the left non dominant side. He has had 2 sugeries as well. Thanks for any and all input.
Beth

I agree with everything Rich said......while brainstorming I might add:
How about opening a door while holding his books. How does he manage a backpack? My son isn't supposed to use a backpack at all because of his shoulder. So how can you hold the books and get the door open?
Is he able to access his desk(if it has a lid can he hold it open while getting books out or putting books in. If it is a desk that has an opening is the opening on the uninjured side?
What about lunch..Can he open his own milk and carry his own tray? Does the school require the children to clean off their lunch tray and separate the paper garbage from the food garbage. Can this be done one handed?
When writing can he manage the paper and draw...does he need help holding the paper?
Getting a drink from the fountain?
When you see him interacting with other children his same age are there things he can't do? It's a real eye opener to take your child to the park and watch him/her with other kids...How's his balance? Can he swing? They may say it isn't educationally necessary but what about fitting in socially? Think of everything you can and make notes...I agree that this should be a team effort. Good luck to you and from past experience you have to push for everything you get from school....they won't give you any services unless you push for it.
T.

Rich has hit a lot that we came up with. Hear are a few more areas of concern I asked about in our IFSP meeting. A lot will depend on your child's range of motion and ablity to supinate. What we said in our meeting regarding the school therapy was that we wanted services to be determined by the rehablitation needs due to the injury, not by our child's ablity to compensate. She is very quick to compensate, but often it is in a way that will not work for more difficult task or is going to develop into a bad habit that requires over use of her other arm.

Can he steady a paper and use scissors to cut? Can he use a glue stick, glue, or paste (manipulating the object to turn it over and position it?)
Does his music program include movement that requires him to cross midline?
Can he pull a bathroom stall door closed and turn the lock?(think about it, alot of them you have to hold closed with one hand while you lock it. I have found this to be very true in schools were kids some times loosen the hinges by "hanging" on the door.)
Can he steady objects while writing and drawing?
Can he string beads or do a sewing card?
Can he use a hole punch?
Can he use a stapler?
Can he use a stencil, ruler, and compass?
Computer skills including typing, reaching to turn on the computer if the switch is in the back on the left side or reaching behind the computer to turn on a power strip.
Playing indoor games, spinning a spinner, shuffeling cards.
Does the school have autamatic faucets where you have to hold the water on with one hand while washing the other?
Can he manipulate two handed controls like for a remote control car or computer game?
Can he place objects on a bulliten board using a stapler or thumb tacks?
Can he open a three ring binder, put in papers and close it again?
Can he put on headphones?
Ask to speak with phys. ed., art, music, and any other enrichment type teachers to find out what activities the students will be doing in kindergarden. Keep in mind classes down the road as well. Home ec classes may expect a student to run a sewing machine or use a can opener, things not easily done one handed.

WOW this one's a saver!!! whew - what great information!!

I agree with Francine. We were told Michaela didn't need an IEP but with PE concerns this year I'm beginning to think different. You all just gave me a bunch of stuff to go to school and ask the teacher and PE teachers about directly. Hopefully I can get an IEP for first grade. Thanks! Hope you don't mind if I print it to "steal" your questions. LeeAnne

LeAnne I am going to "steal" something you posted about.

Jumping jacks

I looked in on our pe class hear at school a couple of times today. Most of the classes did Jumping jacks as a warm up. (K-8 grade)

One other thing that school has done that drove me crazy was when they do a singing concert and they have the kids do arm movements over the kids heads with the song and there's my sweet baby with one arm in the air...It just broke my heart that the teacher was so darned insensitive!!! Maybe she never thought of it but I bet she did because it was really obvious during the program that he had a problem with his arm...like putting a big sign on him!!!!

Nancy Birk,

Is there a place on the web page that these suggestion can be placed? I know a lot of people have problems with coming up with suggestion of what to put on their IEPs. Alexis is my first child and what I told them in my IEP meeting is that I don't know what they expect because I haven't been in preschool for over 25 yrs. and don't know what they do in preschool. So, the suggestions that Rich and the other parents came up with are great. These suggestion might even help me with getting Alexis to stay at her current school with the therapists that she has had since she was an infant.

Thanks Rich and other parents!

I agree that we need to have this available somewhere on this site! I would also like to see a place for where the adults (or the parents) come up with an assistive device (or a particular way to do something) it could be posted for all to see and not overlooked as each reach a certain stage and repeating the questions. JMO