MEGA Therapy :-)

 Note: if you are truly interested, I have included links to everything we are doing.

As soon as I can get organized we'll start the light therapy with the twins. When they were tested the other day it was quite clear, even to me, that they are like horses with blinders on. They are in a tunnel. Dr. Wylie and the therapist were not at all surprised that their peripheral vision is so reduced. They totally expected it given their history of trauma and developmental delays. They have found light therapy, or syntonic phototherapy very effective in opening up the peripheral vision. Buster chose an orange filter, Missy chose pink. We'll be doing 20 minutes of light therapy while doing school work, listening to classical music (the listening program that Witcombes gave us from Sharper Minds)  and other things every day for the next 4 -5 weeks. Missy's new prism glasses will be ready by the end of the 4-5 weeks so we will go back to pick them up and re-evaluate things. This light therapy should also be a help in Buster's strabismus (eye turning) but also he is to be patched an hour a day. His left eye strains so hard to match the other eye even with his new glasses that his brain has turned that eye off and he is seeing very little if anything with that eye. Both children were given a few exercises to enhance their neurological development. The duck walk/ pigeon walk, etc.. are very difficult for them. Their hands and arms totally react when they try to duck walk. Eventually this won't be so difficult and the rest of the body will be able to relax.

I mentioned to Dr. Wylie that the Buster loves music, but Missy doesn't seem to even notice it in the least. He explained that her brain has basically shut off that stimulus right now. Both children have not been able to cope with stimulation in various forms (due to trauma, medication, and neglect, so the brain has shut it down to only what they can handle. He says she absolutely NEEDs to listen to the music program to wake up that part of her brain. (I'm doing a TERRIBLE job of reiterating what I learned!! Sorry for you!) The progress we have been seeing is their brains waking up. It's so interesting to me. I mean this kiddo never used to even noticed if a phone was ringing right behind her head. She would not know that Vanessa was playing her harp unless she saw her hands moving, but this is changing!! So, yes, she may have some hearing loss, but she had also shut down the auditory part of her brain and we are seeing it slowly come to life and we think her "hearing" has improved, when actually her brain is now taking in information it formerly blocked out.

I thought it was amazing that Dr. Wylie asked if there were any issues with Missy's digestive track. Oh, wow! G I issues??? Yes sirreeee!! He suggested we look into bioray cyto flora.  Okay, now that is expensive stuff, but if the raves on the website is true about how children are suddenly developing speech from taking care of the toxins and troubles in their colon, then I guess it's worth looking into.

I'm a little tired just thinking about all these things we have to do besides speech therapy and the homework, pt -Physical Therapy and ot - Occupational therapy. I'm thinking the bulk of our "school" will be just  keeping up!!