Occupational Therapy

Nathan has been seeing a wonderful occupational therapist, Lori Hickman, since October 2007 to help with his sensory processing. We've seen a lot of improvement in what he can tolerate and we've learned so much as to how to deal with his emotional outbursts and to give him choices and how to slowly introduce him to new things.

He still won't go down slides or swing at the playground, but we've got him playing with sand and not freaking out when he gets messy. Nathan is still very picky about what he eats and wears, but those are battles we choose not to fight. I buy clothes I know he will wear and cook food I know he will eat.

Our routine is very important. He likes to know whats coming up in the day! I've made a picture schedule I plan on implementing next week and we use a timer or the clock hands for almost every transition we have to make. Its been baby steps, but its getting better.

We are sad that our last OT appointment was this past Tuesday. We drive to north Scottsdale every week, which is at best an hour and a half away and it is so hard to keep the kids out all day. If we're going to drive all that way we get all our errands done and it makes for REALLY long days! Plus, gas is over $3 a gallon! YIKES! Then add in our $20 a visit as out insurance co-pay. It just all adds up!! So we're going to put our money into a preschool for our Nate the Great!

I took the camera this last visit so we can remember Ms. Hickman and all the help she gave us! She said she'd love to see Nathan in a few months to check progress...so we'll make the trek again then.