Brothers

Sometimes being a brother is even better than being a superhero. ~ Marc Brown

Help your brother's boat across, and your own will reach the shore.  ~Hindu Proverb

Landon was able to attend occupational therapy, at Blind Children’s Learning Center with Gavin today, as he is on spring break this week.  He was his motivator during some of the more difficult tasks.  Gavin was also doing a little bit of showing off!

There's no other love like the love for a brother.  There's no other love like the love from a brother.  ~ Astrid Alauda

BCLC Series - Climbing up the stairs

Sorry for the lack of updated videos from Blind Children’s Learning Center.  I am trying to post what I can, and actually have a few half-written posts that have not been published yet.  Those will be up soon.  I do appreciate how these videos are helping others out there – I promise to return the emails!  The whole purpose of this blog, when I started it, was to share Gavin’s story, but also help others learning about our unique story.  I’m glad to be able to not just help one person, but many!

We are continuing to work with Gavin on getting him confident moving in space.  This is a general feat, but it is something that will link over into everything he does.  If he feel comfortable and confident, taking on new tasks or entering an unfamiliar area will allow him to feel better about himself when he explores.

We are also continuing to work on object permanence with him.  I truly think he gets it, but some times I wonder.  He doesn’t tend to go after things.  Yes, we totally understand this may be due to the blindness, but even in eating situations, I am still seeing that he is lacking in this area.  A good area where we are working with this, is him playing catch with his brother with a basketball.  I have to tell Landon to let him find it… and some times he does.  It’s a fun interaction game between the boys, and it’s teaching Gavin at the same time.

Back to climbing up the stairs.  We have stairs at home.  The majority of our living is downstairs.  Upstairs are the 3 bedrooms and the 2 bathrooms.  Every chance we get, when we go upstairs, I try to not just scoop up Gavin and carry him (which is sometimes much easier).  We are trying to get him to walk up the stairs by holding one hand on to mine, and the other he trails the wall.  He does it 50% of the time.  We are not quite to the point of where he crawls up the stairs.  He has zero interest.  He actually will stand at the bottom of the stairs and say “I want to go up the stairs”.  He will wait until someone comes and guides him.

At therapy the other day, we worked on the stairs, and he did it.  There was some hesitation, and at the top of the stairs was a toy – so he was enticed.  But nonetheless, he DID IT!  I love these moments of challenging times for him, and a sense of accomplishment he must feel when he is pushed out of his comfort zone, but yet, crosses a hurdle!  He did it all by himself.  I’m a proud momma.

Gavin crawling up the stairs at Blind Children’s Learning Center

BCLC Series–Peg dropping and pre cane

Today at Blind Children’s Learning Center, Gavin worked with pegs.  He did very great with transferring the pegs from one hand to the other, and then drop them into the drum.  (We use the drum, because it makes a distinct sound when something is dropped into it).  He picked up the peg out of the peg hole with the left hand, transferred the peg to the right hand and then drop into the drum.  His OT moved the drum from the front, to the back, and each time, he did fairly well listening to where the drum was and dropping the peg in.

Ultimately, his OT would like for him to get the peg, and transfer it in one hand (across mid-line) and drop it in the drum.  This technique is crucial to him utilizing his cane appropriately, with the long wide sweeps.

The transfer of one hand to the other, and listening to the where the drum is was a big leap.  He is using both sides of his body to complete a task.  For a child with no vision, using both sides of your body, while trying to accomplish something (as simple to us as dropping a peg into a drum), and keeping yourself upright and straight and balanced is quite a feat.  We use our eyes to stabilize our body, to keep us in balance.  Remove the vision, and you need your entire vestibular system to work together to keep this balance in tact.

Gavin dropping Pegs into a drum. Using balance, hearing, and hand transfer to accomplish.

The other part of his therapy today, was getting his tiny little hands ready for the cane.  He has his cane now.  His O&M brought it during our last visit, last week.  He is not ready to use it, but we are getting ready for that.  We have it hanging by the back door, so he knows, when we leave, the cane comes with us.  We are moving closer to having him find and pick up his cane on his own, when we leave somewhere, but still working on it.  Everywhere we go now, the cane comes with us.  Usually I’m the “cane holder”.  He really wants nothing to do with it, but as expected.

I talked on a previous post about “Pre Cane skills”.  He uses his little shopping cart at home.  At therapy, there is a different type of push cart they use for all the pre cane kiddos.  His thumbs still aren’t quite there yet.  It’s hit and miss.  Some days when he pushes the cart, his thumbs are in the right position, other times not.  You wouldn’t think, how much skill a little one needs to utilize a cane correctly – and not with bad habits.

Using a push cart, to help with Pre Cane development.

The other part of using the push cart, is just like the little shopping cart, or any push toy, the cart/toy will hit the wall before he physically does.  The same with the cane.  His cane will always hit something before he does, and so this is the same concept.  Teaching him how to manipulate the push cart, comes with time.  He is very confident behind the cart, and takes big wide steps, because he is understanding that he is safe behind it.  Backing up, and maneuvering it back and forth when necessary – is still something we are working on. 

Put him on a straight shot of cement, and he will plow you over!  He moves with such force, determination and confidence.  It’s great to see, because at this stage, he is very cautious and moves slowly through space when he is in an unfamiliar area.

Have I mentioned how great BCLC and his OT is?  They’re wonderful.  The other parents, and I, call his OT the “blind baby whisperer”.  She helps me to understand so much, and I am so grateful for her and the services they provide.

Gavin’s Pre White Cane skills

Gavin’s 24” white cane is on back order.  We should be getting it in the next few weeks.  Meanwhile, we have been working on skills to get him prepared for the day that he is introduced to it.  It has been a joint effort between his early intervention teacher, his Occupational Therapist and his O&M (Orientation and Mobility instructor).

Getting his little hands ready (strength wise), is key for him to be able to maneuver the cane appropriately, and not just whack his brother over the head.  Building up the thumb opposition strength, is one of the areas we were concentrating on.  Of course, we do this through play.  In the clinic setting with his OT, he loves, and I mean loves jumping on the tire.  It’s great, because he is getting the needed vestibular stimulation (by jumping), but he is also working on hand/finger strength (by tightly gripping the poles).  It is a necessary fine motor skill needed, to be able to sweep the cane from side to side.  Swinging in a swing, and holding the ropes, is also a good way to work on strength.

Another thing we tried is a very small shopping cart.  It’s a mini replica of a real, metal, shopping cart.  The idea behind this is, when he pushes the cart, the cart will bump into a wall, or hit a bump, before he will.  The same thing that his cane will do.  It’s the idea of maneuvering his body behind something.  He also loves the cart.  When we first introduced him to it, he took off!  It’s hard to now keep up with him.  When he bumps into something, he is learning to try to get around it.  He will back up, and try a different direction.  If we are at the park, and the cart goes off the sidewalk, and into the grass, he will try to pull it back, and change direction.  He does get frustrated, as he just wants to charge straight ahead, but he is getting much better.  It’s also a listening lesson for him as well.  He hears the words “stop” “right” “left” “behind” “in front of”, etc.  No, he does not understand them all (especially right/left), but it’s getting him familiar with the words.

Here is a video of him pushing his shopping cart.

This is also another pre cane toy he has, but right now he much rather prefer the basket.  He does play with it, but doesn’t push it around all too much. 

I have a feeling when he does get his cane, he will not want to hold it for too long, or not at all.  That’s just my gut telling me.  He still throws things to the side.  Yes, he is getting much better at placing things in front of him (in a bucket, etc), but newly introduced things, it is still taking him a while to get acclimated.  Of course, I understand this is all going to happen over time, and I am totally ok with that.  We are in no rush, but I am totally on board with introducing the cane early in life.  There are opposing arguments about when a cane should be introduced.  I weigh on the “earlier is better” side for many reasons.

I will do my best to update, and I will also keep the tally over how many times Landon, and the rest of us are whacked!

Kidding.  Maybe.

Blind Children's Learning Center

Yesterday was Gavin's first day at BCLC. BCLC is in Santa Ana, it's a little drive for us - but worth it. He will be going once a week for occupational therapy. This has been a long time coming, and I wish he could have started there sooner, but some things are out of my control. Needless to say, I am so excited for him! Yesterday he did great. Of course with a new facility, new people, it took him a while to get used to. He was hesitant and started with the death grip around my neck with two hands, 10 minutes later we were down to one hand (while the other hand was playing), and another few minutes later, he was on the ground playing. I was able to step back a little. I brought Landon with us, in hopes that it would help him to be more comfortable, and it worked. Landon helped Gavin, and another few minutes later, all three (including our new therapist) were all playing, laughing, and singing.

Adorable!

We stuck with toys that he is used to, to bring the comfort level to a good point. We did not want to introduce anything that would scare him. Yesterday was a day of exploration for him, and one day down in attempts to get him comfortable there, by having it be full of fun. They played with the balls, drums, and I could not peel him from the dizzy disc. We are going to have to buy this for him, at home. He did not like sitting on it (yet), rather he spun it around and around. He liked the sound, and was easily manipulated by his small hands, and didn't take a lot of strength. Landon got on it, and we made a game out of Gavin spinning his brother. ONE - TWO - THREE - SPIN. We said that about a hundred times. It took me another 10 mintues to break him away from this. It is looking like he is left handed dominance so far, let's see how that pans out.

I will try to do a post every week, with new things Gavin is doing at therapy, so maybe you guys out there can learn something new, that I am learning along with him. His OT is wonderful, she knows exactly how to interact with Gavin, ways to approach him that are not scary, and she instantly knows when to pull back when he is not receptive. Her key is to give him the self confidence he will need to continue to successfully explore his world. I cannot tell you how proud and excited I am for him, for this new path. I have a feeling she will take Gavin to the next level of development, through play and self confidence. I also am looking forward to the knowlege I will gain, so I can continue these techniques at home.

He is still receiving home services from Braille Institute, his early intervention teacher, Vision Impairment teacher, and soon O&M (Orientation and Mobility). BCLC we actually travel to once a week, and it's pretty nice to have him get services out of his home, and a new environment (for both of us).

As for Gavin and Landon, they are starting to become closer buds. With Gavin getting older, they can interact a lot more, wrestle, and give mom a heart attack. Guess that comes with the territory of boys. Landon is so patient, and helps so much with Gavin, as far as guiding him and making sure he is safe. They have had a lot of fun this summer. I look forward to watching the relationship develop!