Tie a show with one hand - faster

One of the ways people find our blog is the "Can you tie a shoe with one hand" search, and it sends them to my family site where I have some old therapy things. About two weeks ago I shot video of Blondie tying her shoe (better than the photos I published over at the other blog) and THEN HER NEW TRICK.... a double knot.

So here is the tying shoe part. Please notice how short a time it takes her to do it now - some days one shoe is way under a minutes - slower than a two handed kid, but faster than me with one hand.



Here is the double knot. It isn't the greatest video, and I don't know what she does with her fingers, but she can do it. This is new, so it is definitely something that takes some time on her part. Soon she'll do it faster, but now its still something she has to think about - BUT I don't have to do it for her now.



Enjoy. Next post soon - I have more pics of ideas for playgrounds.

Sit Ups

Blondie is getting better and better at these. She used to find them utterly impossible. Our goal is to strengthen her trunk to help strengthen and even out the left side.



It has taken awhile, but she keeps on working it.

Reading

*****Read text first, then go back and watch videos - I don't like lots of text without pictures so I slid them in*****

I had another hemi parent ask me about the special issues we face with reading, and I couldn't think of anything. I literally drew a blank. I know as a teacher that girls tend to be more right brained than boys, but my daughter doesn't have a right brain, and I know that learning creates neural connections, and that because my kid doesn't have both sides that sometimes it takes longer for connections to be made. SO, we read a lot because our house has books piled everywhere, and all but Big Al spend hours doing it (Big Al is a great reader, but she is an extrovert who doesn't want to do anything by herself and shuns solitude).





When Blondie entered kindergarten I felt blindsided by the difference between her and other students.... sort of. I was used to dealing with her body differences, but wasn't sure where she would fit in a classroom. I knew she wasn't going to be as quick as her sisters in learning new things, but I didn't know that almost average would be just so hard. Here we have this tiny little girl that terrifies teachers as soon as I go into detail about her learning difference (because at first they just see the arm and leg). At first I fight (almost every year now) for her to be allowed to run and play tag, and climb things, and fall down like other kids and for the love of GOD please let her do everything on her own - in fact MAKE HER (I'm finding that I'm a bit different than other hemi parents in my philosophy - I run from extra help, where others embrace it -- maybe I'm still in denial). Once we get past that lesson it inevitably turns to the idea that she learns differently -um... duh.....she has half a brain. Some things (she cares about) zip right along. For instance, she has very little issue with math (as long as she isn't bored and is paying attention), but reading is a whole different ball game.

In kindergarten is was all she could do to identify letters and remember their sounds, but we did it. In first grade those darn blends about did her in. She cried everytime she read, and it was an exercise in patience when listening to her struggle over words. She simply sounded things out, stories weren't understood by her unless we read them out loud. One day she would be tested, and fail miserably, and the next month she would test right at grade level. I had no idea what to do, so we kept reading. This year we switched her school, and I think that took some pressure off of her. This school is for kids who don't fit the norm. Blondie tests at exactly grade level (which honestly means slightly behind), so she does not qualify for resource (although I keep waiting for someone to tell me its time to test - but I'm not beating down the door - we do a lot at home). This school has an academic assisstant for every classroom, and teachers are given WAY MORE training than I am (as a typical public school teacher) in learning differences.




This year we have seen less crying over reading (or hiding her books in the garage as she walked into the house - YES she did that) and more connections with her reading. BUT we also give her as many experiences as we can (just like with all our girls) so she can have a foundation to make connections to her reading. We read with a card or ruler covering up a bunch of the text below so her eyes don't wander when she starts looking for help from pictures. We make her read everyday. This year her teacher suggested she try reading WITH books on tape to increase her fluency (speed) in reading. Blondie is testing just one level behind (typical for us - a little bit behind, but not enough for resource help).




In the first video, you see Blondie reading by herself - she has already listened to the story so she knows what is coming, and she enjoys this book (Diary of a Fly). The second video shows Blondie trying to read as fast as the CD, but with absolutely no luck.... so we'll keep trying - maybe with easier reading books. The third video is Blondie reading a book she hasn't seen before (notice the card and the weight bearing on the left elbow). I ask her questions at the end, and she gets a bunch of it, but MISSES the two foot tongue - she says that the giraffe has a tongue that comes from its foot, or goes from its mouth to its foot, etc. THOSE are the examples we try to combat because they are all too frequent. So we keep reading, all types of picture books, and chapter books (she reads short pages, I read long) like Magic Treehouse (I stay away from Junie B unless I'm reading because the language is butchered to sound like a child), or Charlotte's Web. The more powerful words I can help her hear (like regurgitated - which she now knows means "thown up" and she thinks flies are MOST disgusting), the more she will use them in her speech, and eventually connect them in her reading.... at least that's my theory. I liked this article about how the brain learns to read, but I'm partial to brain research, having a hemi kid, and being a teacher. Check it out, I'd love to hear other opinions.

One handed things

I came across this website http://www.compartmentseventy6.co.uk/1-up/1UP.htm while Big Al was looking for info about how to do things one handed. Apparently she has to write a paper for English and that was her topic. I know a young woman who can do it with regular ponytail holders, but Big Al hasn't figured it out yet. If she does, or I can talk the young woman into it, I'll post a video. In the meantime I thought this was a neat idea, and I emailed the lady who made them to find out what the cost would be to ship to the U.S.

Another thing I found was a cool website that I hope may help Blondie out in the future. She really wants to play an instrument, and we thought we would be limited to a trumpet, but Dr. David Nabb, a professor at University of Nebraska, Kearney has found a way to adapt woodwinds for one handed players. You can check out that website at http://www.onehandwinds.unk.edu .

Two new braces

So, I'm going to try to explain why Blondie is using these two braces.....

The wrist guard is like one kids would wear while roller blading, or skateboarding. Her PT wants her to wear it on the playground or between classes in case of falls. That's the idea anyway. I think Blondie will probably wear it once and then too many people will ask questions and she'll hide it away in her backpack. I also think its going to be very hot. There is one her OT has ordered for sleeping in to maintain a proper position for her wrist because THE THUMB IS REALLY MOVING! Blondie is really getting movement back in that thumb, and the wrist can almost turn all the way over.

The leg brace is because she is losing range of motion in her foot - she can't move it like she used too, and somehow this may help. She only wears this to bed. I don't know the technical "how it works" stuff because honestly, I've taken a step back from therapy. I'm thinking that it maintains the traditional position of the foot, and may help stretch the hamstring while in the flex position, but I'm only guessing. Brian is currently taking her so I can get a break - I've been doing it with Blondie fairly exclusively for almost 5 years. I'm tired - I'm sure she is too, but she is still cheerful about going.

Making Christmas Ornaments

As I was starting to make Thanksgiving preparations this morning, Blondie and Cheesie were sitting at the table working on a craft kit for making wreath ornaments. Cheesie ripped through her half, but Blondie was getting frustrated. I started holding the pipe cleaner she was using to string beads, and Brian started looking for her grip thingie (I don't have a better word for it).

She used to use this when she was little to hold paper when she was cutting, but this year she hasn't needed it as her left hand holds paper down sufficiently and she really didn't want to use it at school this year. We initially bought 3 of these and we kept one at home, one in her classroom, and one in her art classroom. We bought them here: www.allegromedical.com/daily-living-aids-c519/easi-grip-free-hand-paper-holder-p500980.html We did however buy several different clamp to hold it to the table because the one that came with it was insufficient. We have a traditional little orange clamp (looks like a C with a twisty thing that screws down the clamp), and the blue one you see in the picture which is our favorite (made by IRWIN). Blondie can use this one quickly to release and adjust, but it doesn't do fatter tables like the traditional one does

Today we used it to hold the pipecleaner, and then her left arm had to be used to stabilize the other end while she put the bead on and slid it down. One thing our kids are weak with is the fine motor skills in BOTH hands. Blondie didn't play with 2 hands once she got sick at 2.75 years old, so the fine muscles in her right hand are also weaker and it shows in her handwriting. Anything we can do to have her working it is great.


I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving, and may your family and friends all be healthy and safe.

Lefty playing games,

A few nights ago, Blondie was playing the computer, and called us to come see her use her left arm to play. Please disregard the junk on the table....




Here is a shot of the nasty eye bruise.... thankfully its getting better.