Elizabeth Thiers, OTR
email: [log in to unmask]
homepage: http://www.bv.net/~john/bethsot1.html

----------
> From: Trisha Cummings <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Right Hemi
> Date: Tuesday, April 06, 1999 8:34 AM
>
> Hi Elizabeth,

>         Amber isn't eligible for OT or PT services thru the school
system,
> She has a Physical Disabilities Itenerant Teacher who comes in works with
> her for 1 hour each week. Frankly the new PDI - wants to remove Amber the
> program so she can concentrate on children that truly need the help. I am
> amused - last year Amber classroom teacher couldn't deal with a disabled
> child in her Gifted class - this year the PDI can't deal with a Gifted in
> Special Ed. program. She did keyboarding that one hour - then last
quarter -
> Amber had shop and she came and helped her use the heavy saws and such.
They
> are back to keyboarding.

ArrrrGH!!! What century is Fairfax county working in?  A child can be
gifted and still qualify for services under Special Education.  When's the
last time they evaluated Amber?  You may have to get a little nasty with
them Trisha.  Amber still qualifies for services under ADA that's title
504.  The problem is schools don't like to let parents know about that
little law because, they recieve no funding.  They have to provide
accomadations to Amber and that sometimes means providing for OT, PT, or
here in Florida sometimes ST.  Are they teaching her one-handed typing?
There are several out there that combined with word prediction could be
powerful.  What ever you do, don't let them take that AlphaSmart away.  Let
me see if I can find some of electrodes in the big Sammons Preston catalog,
I might be able to find them for a better price.
I'm going to forward you email to some collegues, they are really good at
brain storming stuff like this.  I have yet to figure out why schools fight
helping kids like Amber so much.


> >You may wish to try to get voice recognition once Amber is a little
farther
> >along puberty.  Even girls change their voices. Is she getting
keyboarding
> >instruction at school?  Have the assistive technology team tried using
> >different kinds of keyboard access with her such as a smaller keyboard,
> >keyguards, intellikeys, etc to access a smaller word processor such as
an
> >AlphaSmart?  Once Amber is over 14 see if you can get your state Voc
Rehab
> >to pay for a computer (hey, sometimes this actually works for those of
you
> >who have had bad luck with Voc Rehab).  Or try contacting your local
Tech
> >Act provider.
>
>     Amber has been assigned an AlphaSmart. Time seems to be a major
factor -
> Amber has 7 classes and none of them are free period or study hall. She
> misses parts of her classes to do the computer stuff - like download and
> just type the stuff. They put a program on a computer in the English
class
> that can do word prediction - but with so little time - I am thinking of
> having her stay after 3 days a week to do stuff like that - but that
seems
> vaguely like punishing her for the counties already stuffed schedule. The
IT
> people put the word prediction program on the computer for her and
assigned
> her an the AlphaSmart - the PDI teacher would rather have the AlphaSmart
for
> another child. She just fails to see how hard it is when Amber has to
make
> both sides of her body function together - her options are either do
> something very slowly, laboriously concentrating on her right hand and be
> horrendously behind - or keep up and get a half completeled totally
sloppy
> job done. I have fought and fought for more time - but she trys so hard,
is
> so normal looking - the teacher keep saying she just isn't trying hard
> enough and needs to get organized. And I am coping with a sobbing,
> frustrated child who can't get it all done.
>
>
>
> >Check on my website I think under http://www.bv.net/~john/assadapt.html
> >for sites.
> >Can she use her right hand as a stabilizer?  You know holding things
down?
>
>         Can and does - but the more she concentrates on cognitive
processes
> the less and less she can do with her hand.
>
> >That's the only problem with the estim units.  Didn't you get to keep
the
> >unit after all that time?  They actually work best if you can
incorporate
> >their use with a fun task to do.  What kind of e-stim?  Was it the
> >functional kind (FES) that is all the rage now?  It's generally worn at
> >night.  The e-stim I'm familar with I've done on a stroke patient and
had
> >him grab things (gotta have that mind/ body connection)
>
>
>     Amber had e-stim assisted pt for 8 years. Shirley would wired her up
and
> then they did the pt. Exactly like working with your stroke patient. We
TES
> breifly and the two combined worked beautifully and she actually used her
> right hand without think several times. When I lost my BCBS coverage and
got
> other insurnace - they dodn't cover stuff like that. Now, I was spoiled
with
> BCBS - I worked for them for 18 years before being laid-off in 94 and was
> able to hold onto my insurance for almost another 2 years. Amber father
> doesn't insure her and to be frank - is so irresponsible - I have in the
> decree - I will carry the insurance - so I know we have it. I have the
units
> but can't find a place to get the electrodes except thru Mayatek and they
> cost earth. I am a firm believer in TES, FES and e-stim assisted pt - it
may
> not work quickly but it reversed the atrophing in both the bones and
muscles
> and stimulated both to grow. It replaces the electrical impulses your
brain
> isn't producing. If you're interested I can share Amber's PT's name and
> number with you. Are you on the CPParent list also?
> We discuss it there. Also - check-out the TASC web site - they contacted
> me - for a story, I guess they must have run across a earlier article I
> wrote.
>
> ""We appreciate your support of ThresholdES therapy.  We would like to
let
> you know about a new website where parents are invited to share their
> thought on ThresholdES and discuss things that have worked for them.
> The site is www.tascnetwork.net  You can share a bit of your story with
> other parents looking for options to assist their children.  The goal of
> the site is to foster communication between parents, practitioners and
> the general public interested in the program.  Your experiences could
> quite possibly help change the lives of others.""
>
>     Anything I can help you with on this let me know. It literally took
> Amber's arm and hand from a paralized closed fist clenched under her chin
> and atrophing limb - to a at one point completely functional hand with
> fingers capiable of independent movement and added both muscle mass and
bone
> length. I believe if we could have continued thru her growing years - she
> would be able to function on a normal level eventually.
>
>     Oh, and we live in Alexandria, Va just outside Washington, DC. Where
are
> you?
>
>
>                                         Brightest Blessings
>                                                Trisha