Alphabet Soup OT, PT, ENT

Nate had two specialist appointments today.  He saw a physical therapist (PT) and an Ear, Nose, Throat (ENT) physician.  Both appointments had positive results, so I was very pleased.  Finally, the physical therapist sees that Nate has coordination issues.  It can be so frustrating to have to wait until there is a gap when you can see the struggles all along.  She completed a survey with me where in one category, he scored at the 26th percentile which is slightly lower than they would like to see.  She then had him run up and down the hall.  This is where she could really see how awkward his running is.  He is a very active and physical boy but with his motor planning issues, he has developed an awkward run.  Arms and shoulders are pressed back, more like bird wings, chin juts out and mid-run one of his arms will pop out to the side to keep balance.  Even more telling was the next activity she had him do.  In the middle of the floor she placed a very short balance beam.  No more than 4 inches wide and 2 inches off the ground.  He had to stand with both feet on one side and move the foot closest to the beam to the other side with the next foot following and then repeat going back the same direction.  Initially he did not want to do it at all.  I have had evaluators interpret this as him just being difficult.  However I've noticed that when it's things that are hard for him to do, he will just not try it at all.  So after much coaxing and doing it with him, he tried.  It was quite hard for him to do as he would start with the foot that wasn't closest to the beam.  He will be going in again for further evaluation very soon.  I'm pleased that he is getting some help in this area.

Next stop was with the ENT.  Nate's always been a mouth breather (which I attribute to the apraxia), so we wanted to get his adenoids checked out and make sure everything was ok in there.  His adenoids tend to be enlarged although he hasn't had an excessive amount of infections.  The ENT numbed one of his nostrils and was able to send a tiny little camera into his nose.  She was able to see his breathing and that he has enough space for air to come through.  She and the nurse complimented him on his ability to sit and be patient while she was looking as most little kids can't handle it for that long.  In the end, Nate is right on the border for having them removed.  I told her that I would need to talk to my husband (and do some more research on it).

Next week we have an appointment with the occupational therapist (OT) and will be getting into to see the physical therapist again soon.