Hi Everyone,
Today was a good day. Each time Diane works with Corey she shows us something new. Corey responds accurately to auditory prompts; however she is not consistent with her responses to the written word. She hasn’t shown consistency with any cues that would lead us to believe she remembers how to read. Sometimes she recognizes words and sometimes she doesn’t. She is not always accurate when we put single sentences in front of her to decipher, yet she has perfect spelling if you ask her to write her answers.
Today she was able to read a sentence and when we isolated the multiple choice words to complete the phrase she choose the correct answer each time. This is very encouraging. It may mean that we need to minimize what is placed in her visual field in order for her to read. Diane is going to explore multiple techniques to see if we can assess Corey’s reading and comprehension capabilities.
The best part of their session is watching Corey get excited as she answers Diane’s questions. I wish you could see her face. For those of you who can’t tell from Corey’s photographs, she has big blue eyes. When she works with Diane and is aware of the connections she’s made, her eyes get bigger, brighter and she has the most beautiful smile…it’s obvious to us she’s proud of herself!
Corey continues to develop core strength. She still hasn’t surpassed her 4 minute mark for sitting independently but her posture is wonderful and she’s strengthening her ability to “right” herself as she begins to lose her balance sitting. We use a large exercise ball to practice balance. Corey has to move more slowly on the ball vs. the matte so she doesn’t tip off the ball. She is gaining control of her movements. This is important because we are hoping that she’ll have the strength and balance to begin Equestrian Therapy! Gillian thinks she’s getting closer. I’m going to go out and look at two barns near our home that specialize in this therapy. We’re told that when a person sits on a horse, the motion is the closest example to a person walking that you could imitate. The muscles used to sit and ride a horse are the same muscles we need to walk. This could be very exciting!
A full day of therapy and school wears Corey out. We sit together quietly and she decides what we will do in the evenings. Tonight she wanted to get on Facebook and Skype. We IM’d Jesse and Brianna and had an opportunity to skype Elaine and Papa. She even wrote that she wanted to call her brother and sister. I now hold the phone to Corey’s ear so she can speak directly. She has limited words and more breath than a true voice but once you figure out what she’s saying, you can understand her. Caitlin was out but we left a message. When JohnPaul answered, Corey instantly squealed with laughter! It’s so good to see her reaching out socially!
One of Corey’s girlfriends posted a link to a song that seems perfect for her. It’s called Little Miss by Sugarland. I’ve never heard it before tonight but after listening to it, I agree. Ironically, Little Miss is one of the many nicknames I have for Corey.
Honey, the lyrics to this song are perfect for you. “Little Miss Brand New Start”! “It’ll be alright again, you’re okay”! Happy dreams, xoxo