Hippotherapy

Asa had his very first hippotherapy appointment this afternoon. Hippotherapy is theraputic horseback riding. Not only will he ride a horse but he will do therapy skills on horseback! I've been told how amazing the horses are for kids and after today I believe it!

I was pretty sure we'd get to the stables and Asa would freak out. We left school and he was a little gaggy so I was nearly positive we were wasting our time. As we began the evaluation and Asa started having a fit (complete with a head bang into my chair), I wanted to just get up and leave. Instead we pushed on. Two young helpers came over with a therapy box and distracted Asa while I talked.

Then it was horse time and magic happened! I watched from the sidelines as they tried to get Asa to touch the horse. He gave him 2 small pats with some resistance. Then they tried to get him to hold onto the saddle and throw his leg over the horse. That wasn't happening but he did let them pick him up and sit him on the horse. Then they were off!

Asa looks pretty good on the ground. He seems to have adapted his poor muscle tone and somehow looks tight and in control. When he got on the horse though all the low tone came right back! He had on a helmet but it wasn't very heavy. Still, he often lost some head control and his head fell backwards. The helpers either helped him get it back up or reminded him to pull it up and he straightened back up again. It was amazing to see him working so hard on skills that he's mastered on the ground. this therapy is really going to work him and help him get stronger!

And sensory wise he was a pro too! He handled the horse and the sounds. I've got a video and in it he waves as the horse comes over near us. He completely did this on his own! Later, not on video, he got upset during a tough therapy task. He let out some sobs but then pulled it back together, wiped his tears, and pushed on! It was sooo amazing! I'm so excited about next week!

One of the big cons with this therapy is the horses and my allergies. I took an allergy pill before we got there and had allergy eye drops ready but is till reacted! I came out sneezing, itching my eyes that were quickly watering and swelling. We wiped our hands with wipes, sanitized and changed clothes as soon as we got home. It'll be worth any sneezing, watery eyes and itching just to watch Asa grow by leaps and bounds in his skills!

Check out this posture in the video. I took the sound off because we were all talking and loud! Shocking, right!?

Also, check out this friend Asa made when we first got to the stables. This dog wanted to play so bad but Asa just isn't that into dogs. In fact, he really doesn't like them at all. When we got home though, Asa waved to Gracie's dog, reached out to rub her back twice and even sat down so he could lean in and give her hugs!! Unheard of, I tell you! Unheard of!

Things that make me laugh

I've got to turn in some forms for Asa's IEP that's quickly approaching. I read a blog a few months ago and now it comes to mind when I hear "IEP"! Sooooo, Ways To Make Your Next IEP Awesome (my favs from this BLOG POST)....

 ~When someone brings up goals your child has accomplished, pat yourself on the back and say, "good for me"

 ~Insist on doing "Duck, Duck, Goose" around the table to decide who has to read their section first. Demand the outcomes of the game be written into the minutes.

~Bring all of your other kids in. And other people's kids.

 ~Hand out your own goals at the beginning of the meeting. "The Speech and Language Pathologist will bark when someone says 'IEP' 2 out of 3 times with minimal prompting" Measure goals at the end of the meeting.

 ~Start every sentence with "I read on the Internet...."

 ~....or "my psychiatrist says..."

~Come in all decked out in sensory attire: weighted vest, lap pad, chewelry and fidgets.

 ~Bring in Scooby Snacks and throw one to the person whenever you like what they said.

 Oh, and there's soooo many more. Go read the blog!! Even though I've read it many times, I've laughed out loud at some of the entries while typing this. I'm easily entertained though so you may not be rolling on the floor like me!

 I will note that I've not had a bad experience in an IEP! Asa has a great team and I get to see many of them often since I take and pick him up from school. Many go out of their way for him...and me! But even at best, an IEP can get dry and boring and I bet most of the team wouldn't object to throwing in some humorous moments to break up the meeting. If I get bored with my own kid's meeting how must they feel to do several meetings in one day! Yawn!

Much Better

Asa is feeling sooo much better! He could've gone to school today since it'd been 24 hours since his last bout of diarrhea and well over 24 hours since his last fever. I kept him home though so I could monitor his energy level. He's been sleeping 14 hours at night plus a 2 hour nap! He skipped his nap today and you could tell!!! We had a fun day today and I'm glad he was home to enjoy it! We started out our school but as the morning wore one it became clear that the sunshine and warm temps were not to be missed! We rushed through our necessary school work and then had a fun Friday outside! We had the windows and doors open while we worked. Asa has recently learned to open the deadbolt on the front door and open it but he hasn't gone out. The back door has a screen door on it and we've caught him going out of it on his own! He was following Gracie around on his tricycle when I could tell he wasn't with her anymore. We looked and he had pushed his tricycle out of our yard and into the rough dirt strip that leads thru the woods to my parents house next door!! He had gotten stuck in the big ruts and was pretty mad about it!

Later this afternoon we had his Power Wheels out. He was riding all over and we really noticed how intentional his driving was. He was squeezing thru some tight spaces! A few minutes later we could hear the car moving away from us. I followed him at a distance. He never looked back or seemed to hesitate for a second! He headed straight for the trial to my parent's house. This time he chose the smoother but longer route. He was a decent driver. At one point the path narrows and gets close to the road so I yelled when he got there. Of course, that only made him look behind him while pushing the gas! It's a wonder I get him in the road! He was great until I spoke up! He made it all the way to my mom's though! No slowing him down!

All of this is truly amazing when you remember that it was just this time last year that he started walking with the walker! And even then he was scared and hesitant. No more!! This boy has things to do and he on his way!!! Thanks so much for all the love and prayers for his speedy recovery. I'm so thankful that this was just a stomach bug! Many of our friends are fighting much, much worse tonight! Praying for all my tough mito kids and families!!