Her first Session!

Wow, it's amazing how much can be learned in 40 minutes.

An Occupational Therapist named Ashley came this morning, arms loaded with toys. The first toy she pulled out was a plastic contracption with 4 holes on top that you place balls in. The trick is you have to push the balls into the holes, so it's a challenge. So, Ashley begins passing the balls to Amelia and asking her to say please while signing it (rub circles on your chest). She did this over and over and over, until Amelia started doing it. It was the cutest thing! When she asked please she would rub her belly. Hee hee. And yes, eventually she got the balls in the hole without help and did that over and over...

Ashley also asked me about Amelia's tendencies to want to bang her head on things. Yes, she mostly does when she's upset or frustrated, but she does do it sometimes just because. She told me she may like the pressure feeling she gets from it. What I can do before I anticipate her banging is place pressure anywhere on her body. And of course, redirect her when she starts to bang. The pressure thing also makes sense in that she has recently picked up pinching (not to be mean) but just likes to pinch squishy skin, and spinning, which are all tied together in wanting to feel sensations.

And...she made me feel really good about her "A" diagnosis. She asked me what her official diagnosis was, and all I could say was "Ya know, as soon as the Doctor blurted out the "A" word I really didn't hear anything he said after that, so let me go get the report..." She pointed out that she was diagnosed as having PDD (perceptive disoder) which is at the bottom cusp of the "A" umbrella. Like boarderline, "she doesn't have it, but possesses a few of the symptoms" catagory.

I also have to say she is doing so much better in pointing. Because that was one of the doctor's main concerns was that she didn't point to things, I made a point to point it out to her! When we flip through books I ask "Where's the dog?" Then take her hand and make her point to the dog and say "There's the dog!" Before I always did the pointing, but making her do it makes a world of difference. It really is amazing. Now she points at random things, even if they're not important, ha ha. GOOD!