Therapy-Free!

For the first time in her (almost five years of) life, my daughter, A, has no therapy appointments.

I am used to running around all over town to take her to various appointments. She's been in therapy of one kind or another practically since she was born. Her first physical therapy (PT) session was when she was about a week old, while she was in the NICU! Throughout her 12 week stay in the NICU she received both PT and OT (occupational therapy) services. Speech therapy was added when she was only 11 months old. So, for about 4 years, we had 3 separate weekly therapy sessions at Children's Hospital. (OT ended when she was three, as we had it only for feeding purposes. Once she was eating and drinking orally, and on her way to getting her g-tube out, OT ended. We re-started again for a few sessions at the end of last year to work on her writing skills.)

Once A turned 3, she started services with our local school district. So, in addition to getting all of her private sessions at Children's Hospital through our insurance, we also added speech therapy, PT and adapted physical education (APE). This past year, when she turned 4, the school district added OT and deaf/hard-of-hearing therapy. Yes, I was busy. Between all of her appointments through the hospital and at school, we were rarely home!

Once 2011 hit, our schedule eased. We got discharged first from PT at the hospital, and then from speech therapy. Both therapists said that she had met her goals, and, while she had a lot of work yet to do, her school-based therapies would continue to help her. I was thrilled not to have to make as many trips down to Children's! We continued, however, to get her school-based services 4 days a week...and NONE of the therapies were at our home school. We had to drive a distance for each one.

Now that the school year is practically over, all of her therapies ended last week. Because she is not doing summer school, no therapy is available to her over the summer. Last week we said tearful goodbyes to her OT, PT, DHH, APE and speech therapists, most of whom we may not be seeing again, all of whom did incredible work with her. All of her therapies will resume in August when school starts again, per her IEP, but for the next few months we have nothing.

Nothing!

Whatever shall we do to fill the time? I know I have work to do with her at home, both with her language and her fine/gross motor skills. But I am amazed that we have WEEKS of no therapy for the first time....EVER!