This post is part of a mini blog series documenting four weeks of Constraint-induced Movement Therapy (CIMT).
I was feeling under the weather today so my husband took my daughter in for today’s Constraint-induced Movement Therapy (CIMT) session. I picked the wrong day to stay home because I missed out on an interesting chat with the office speech pathologist, Zoe. Luckily, my husband asked her excellent questions and got her permission to record the conversation.
Tips from the Speech Therapist for Kids with Visual Impairments
It was the first time speaking with a speech pathologist in regards to our daughter who has Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) and hemiparesis. Doing so has been on our long list of medical to-do’s for months. We’ve been eager for professional advice that could help our daughter learn to communicate should any difficulties arise.
She’s almost nine-and-a-half months old and it’s a bit too soon to tell if she will have any challenges. So far she’s babbling and has recently started to make “ma” and “ba” sounds.
The conversation with the speech therapist was very insightful. The key takeaway is to always acknowledge the sounds our daughter makes by repeating them, back-and-forth. Thankfully, we’ve been doing this since she started and no doubt she enjoys this little game.
No CIMT Session is Complete without Fun Water Activities!
Ruth and Fetullah filled a bin with water and somehow made it glow red (such a neat activity for Cortical Visual Impairment!). With the lights dimmed, my husband helped my daughter sit by the bin and they sprinkled dried rice and water on her arm and hand. She was definitely interested in the feel of the water and rice while listening to the pitter-patter sound.
My husband reported that they did several other activities that day, including having her push a red ball and push a red button to make a toy dog dance and sing.
Time to Change the Cast
Removing the cast and placing a new one wasn’t as easy as the first time. It took longer and our daughter cried more, but having a fresh, clean cast to start the weekend was worth it.
It has been both a short and long week, all at the same time. The weekend is here and it’s time for a little break and some sightseeing in London, England!
Cindy has a deep interest in Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) and is currently studying Early Childhood Education. She focuses most of her time on her energetic daughter: playing, cuddling and helping to make her world visually accessible. Cindy holds a degree in Marketing and has worked in the not-for-profit sector for many years.