Therapy activities and exercises to do at home

There are hundreds of therapy activities out there. However I will only cover OT activities which is easier. The following ideas are taken from a therapy website called http://www.otplan.com/default.aspx. The website is full of OT activity ideas and has a search engine feature. 

1) Water running is a popular activity. The aim of the activity is to help the child develop and strengthen their finger muscles. 

2) Pom-Pom Bird helps the child improve their grasping skills. The aim of the activity is to make birds of different sizes. 

3) Crossing Colours is another recommended one. In this activity, the child has to draw between vertical lines while standing. An added bonus is that the child practises mid line crossing and functional grasping as well. 

4) Crumbles is a fabulous one. Your child has to crumple the paper into tiny little balls. Is good for manual dexterity and strengthening the finger muscles. 

Four different therapies available on the NHS

There are many types of therapies which exist today. Wikipedia has a extensive list of therapies. However I decided to focus on the four common ones. Those are, physio, OT, speech and vision. Okay, maybe vision therapy isnt that common but who cares. All of those therapies are available on the NHS. 

SIDE NOTE- The therapy directory has details of therapists. Here is the website- http://www.therapy-directory.org.uk/region-surrey.html. The site is a UK one though. 

Physiotherapy is hands on. But some physios prefer the useless hands off method. I do not understand that at all. Don't become a physio if you are never going to touch the child, please. Yes its wrong and everything, but there is a exception for physios. 

OT is another type of therapy. Unlike physio, OT is hands off mostly. OT therapists do have to get hands on sometimes. OT therapy is concerned with feeding, swallowing and so on. 

SALT therapy is pretty obvious. This form of therapy is communication based. Speech therapists help children who cant talk. I dont think this sort of therapy is hands on.. But I could be wrong, feel free to correct me. 

SIDE NOTE 2-  Funnily enough OT, vision and speech are not mentioned. Why is this, as OT, vision and speech ARE effective proven therapies. Unlike homeopathy which is mentioned... well never mind. 

On to vision therapy. I'm guessing vision therapy is about vision. Again, I dont know a lot about this kind of therapy or its effectiveness either. In fact it probably does work.

On Downs Syndrome and the new screening test

Yesterday afternoon, while surfing the Internet, I came across an article which discussed the new Downs syndrome screening test. I dont think women should be forced to take the test, not if they dont want to. Out of plain curiosity, I decided to read the comments section at the bottom. 

The first poster said" I think the test is wonderful. Care homes are not a option because he/she would be treated badly. Stop being small minded". What, does no one have trust in care home workers, then?? Also, sometimes care homes are a necessity. And, the people who dont abort, are not small minded and a coward, you are. 

The second poster said" Your job as a parent is to raise a child who should be independent". Not necessarily, sometimes the child will never be able to be completely independent. These comments are utterly disgusting and disturbing. Yes, raising a child with issues does require effort but if you cant do it, dont be a parent. It really is as simple as that. 

Next commentator said" Why bring a damaged person into the world when it can be prevented"? You seriously think Downs children are damaged, then? Okay, that shows you are small minded and a despicable person, really despicable. I never thought people would display cowardice and small mindedness. 

On the flipside, here is a positive comment. I dont know why it was worst rated it should NOT have been. "Don't get pregnant if you're not prepared and never forget you killed a child because you didn't want to make the effort and provide a little more help and support for longer". So true, I love the comment. 

Why I dont believe in homeopathy

I came across a website which promoted homeopathy. The website is a Indian one. Sorry but I dont believe homeopathy even works. I wish the NHS would ban homeopathy and focus on effective therapies instead. Homeopathy offers a strategically planned approach towards the treatment of developmental disorders which incorporates medicines and behavioural therapy. 

Does anyone have any proper evidence to prove it works. Nope, people think the therapy works but it doesnt. Homeopathy is a waste of money. I have discovered homeopathy practitioners waste time doing it. Homeopathy is merely a cock and bull thing. Homeopathy is also a waste of valuable resources. 

The parents could spend the money on other things. Like, books, food or clothes for example. Of all the silly stupid things out there, homeopathy has to be the most ridiculous, I think. The problem is that homeopathy abuses the placebo effect and promises a 'solution' or 'end' to desperate people. And, they make money out of it which is dreadful. 

What is even worse is that homeopathy has never been proven scientifically. On the Baby Centre blog, a lady wrote a post defending the therapy. Baby Centre is a parenting website. Elsie- that is her name, said homeopathy resulted in her pregnancy. I'm not sure I believe that is true. In fact, I dont. 

Because the only real way to start a pregnancy, is sex. Uncontrolled sex, for that matter.  Maybe, a death would convince them homeopathy is utterly pointless. Here are some pictures of practitioners. 

Virendray Kumar 

Asif Syed 

Devi Roy 

Stupid things hospital staff say to me

Have you pooed? Do doctors realise how inappropriate this question is? Doctors DO not need to ask a patient this gross question every time they come to the hospital. Asking once in a while is not unappropriate, asking every time is. 

Only give Fentanyl once a day. Do you actually realise I am in pain? A LOT. If you come to my home and observe me, then you would not give crap advice. 

Are you pregnant? Does it look like I'm pregnant. What a stupid thing to ask. It also indicates the receptionist is sort of stupid. 

You need to paint your nails again. I was livid when a doctor said to me. And, surprised a doctor had the cheek to say that. I dismissed her though. She was crap anyway. 

You have cancer. A doctor said this to me in 2005. I knew I had cancer though so I was never really sure why he said it. Maybe to reconfirm? 

Im sure there is more but I cant be bothered right now. 

Therapies for CP children

According to Wikipedia there are several different therapies available but I will cover three in this post. Therapy aims to help the child or young person acquire skills. Many different people can carry out therapy including parents and grandparents. 

It can even be done by the child if they want to. Qualified therapists include physio, speech and OT. They direct the session and help the child. Physio and OT help the child to improve or develop motor skills. 

Physiotherapists focus on skills such as walking, crawling, jumping, rolling and other activities which use the legs. They also assist with rehabilitation. Physio also use tests  which include assessment in their first session with the child. 

Occupational therapists help the child to acquire independent living skills. OTs also pay attention to normal activities like feeding or drinking. If needed, your OT or physio will order lycra suits, leg or arm splints or any other equipment deemed necessary. 

Make sure you choose a physio who is hands on and has worked with children with cerebral palsy. The same applies to the OT and the speech therapist as well. The parent should ask the PT if she/he is hands on. 

The parent should also check the PT has worked with children with the condition. I hope this article helps you.