Conductive Education Camp

Nick has been going to conductive education camp for the last week and a half.

He races up this ramp and has been very excited to go!

 

We made goals for the camp. I said that I wanted Nick to work on standing and balance and try out the forearm crutches, and continue to use his canes. The camp has group activities and some of the same activities focusing on letting the kids learn about their bodies and have fun and always challenging them.

 

For mobility Nick came in with his walker, and then the walker went into the hall and when he moved around, it was with his canes. When it was time to go home, the walker came back  out.

 

I was hoping that they would get Nick interested in the crutches. I had talked with some of the conductors and they had mentioned that the crutches forces the body to lean forward, and they want more of a straight back, which is why they focus on canes. Which makes sense to me.

They did try, but Nick still didn't really like his crutches. Taking off the arm part seemed to help, but he still wasn't that impressed (and told me so).

They also worked on challenging Nick with his canes. Starting with his larger based quad canes, then the smaller base HUGO canes, and also modifying the crutches for a single 'cane', which he actually walked with.

 

I didn't realize how big the quad cane base was. And of course the HUGO canes give him less support which he is totally ready for.

The just kept challenging him to help him to realize what he is able to do

 

 

Every day has a different theme and learning and singing and doing. It's learning and creating. Learning big stuff and small

 

Being silly while still learning. And Nick loves silliness!

Working on standing went amazing! He was doing 20-30 seconds of unassisted standing (and loving it) by the end of camp. We have one of these horses at home we pulled out to play with as well.

There is lots of opportunity for standing

Like when you are building an igloo.

 We talked all about igloos and the arctic on the drive home. The cold and the sleighs, what animals are there, where you live and how you dress

One of the great things about conductive education is that it isn't about what one child is doing independent from everyone else. It is also about doing things together in a group, learning and working together.

Friday was Nick's last day and they had a lemonade stand. The kids helped to make all of the signs, and made the lemonade and then sold it at the side of the road.

Nick got to be cashier part of the time (I love this picture, he looks so serious). They made $139

All of the hard work tired him out!

 

I am so happy he had the opportunity to participate in camp this year and hoping to do something in the winter semester.

More Summer Camp!

We have been wanting to continue with conductive education for a long time. But differing commitments always prevented us.
But I have kept in contact with the conductors (the instructors and therapists).

When the summer camp schedule came out I was really hoping that we could fit it in. At first glance it looked like we wouldn't be able to make it. And we signed the kids up for regular camp.

But after talking with them about going for part of the camp, and talking with my parents to see about transportation, we were in!

I am so happy that this year we are going to be sending Nick for part of the camp. 10 days of all day camp of conductive education.
Pushing him and being creative, learning how to be independent and being aware of what he can do.

I'm so excited about those days.
Yes it's camp and fun, but it's also therapy.

Nick has also had the opportunity to star in a March of Dimes ad!

SpinaBifidaAd CE 2014 HR

I have also found that Nick is a conductive education mascot through another helpful site too! http://www.threetobe.org/our-initiatives/academy-of-conductive-education/

Post-camp Party!

I think we have spoiled kids - as you will see over my next couple of blogging posts, the kids have 3 parties in 3 days.

But the first is a March of Dimes family BBQ.

There was lots of fun things to do.

Spider man was there, and so was Duke the Marlies dog-mascot

When we first met him in the hallway, Nickolas was TERRIFIED!

Shaking, screaming, I-want-up-NOW, terrified!

Nick kept calling him the bear. But he eventually understood that Duke was a dog.

And he would not let him out of his site while we were outside.

Even when we were home, Nick kept saying "the dog scared me".
Sorry Duke!

Nick wasn't really interested in much that they had.
He really wanted a balloon (unfortunately we said no, which was probably really mean of us, because w told Katheryn yes). But we just couldn't deal with 2 screaming kids.

They had a firetruck and firemen, a police horse (complete with police officer), a bunch of different animals, including this little baby kangaroo. Katheryn eventually got brave enough to touch him. But Nick was not interested.

What he really wanted, desperately, was to get his face painted.
BLUE.

So we decided on a blue Spiderman.

Everyone was happy!

Conductive Education Camp - part 2

The second week of conductive education camp went smoothly.

Nick knew he was being dropped off, and was really excited when mommy or daddy picked him up (because I'm back at work full-time I couldn't take the time off like last year - so Kyle and I split up the weeks). It was exhausting for all of us to be out of the house and ready so early in the morning. But definitely worth it.

Every day Nick came home with the fun crafts he had done that day.

(The time-travelled to the 60's)



And Katheryn wanted to do all the same things when she saw what Nick had!

And asking after Katheryn. As soon as he say me (or Kyle) the second words after "Mommy" was "where is Katheryn, where is Daddy?"

But I think the separation was really good for him.

Standing and do things, always adding some kind of challenge to what he was doing well at continued.
And Nick finally participated in the floor program (without crying) by the end of the second week!

 How did Nick become such a big boy!

Conductive Education Camp - part 1

Nickolas started his first child-only camp!

Nick was able to 'upgrade' even though he isn't 3 years old yet. They thought that he was ready to be more independent and with older kids.

So we had Conductive Education camp through March of Dimes for 3 hours a day, for 2 weeks.

It had only been a month or so since we had our final spring session with Abigail, so Nickolas knew exactly where we were when we pulled into the driveway.

But we did not talk ahead of time that he wasn't going to have mommy there. I didn't want to get him worried, and over the spring I started doing less and less so he could get used to doing things without me coaching him.

We walked in together. But when it was time for me to go...

MOMMY!!! I WANT MY MOMMY!!!

And I left.

I had no idea what I was going to hear when I picked him up 3 hours later.

But Nickolas was fine.

They said he was upset and crying for about 30 minutes. And didn't participate in any of the floor part (which he hates anyways). But that this is normal.

And it will get better.

Nickolas got to walk through the doors - all by himself!

And I already showed the video of his experience with the ramp

Over the 2 weeks Nick got more and more comfortable and transitioned better every day.

Until finally the last couple of days we had absolutely no tears at the drop off!

And Nickolas made all kinds of new friends as he 'travelled back in time' in a time machine

We got a book at the end of camp with all of the pictures and what Nickolas was doing good every day - as well as talking with the conductors when we picked him up.

Things that we worked on was walking over a floor ladder or between parallel bars and stepping over things - going control over where his feet were going, instead of anywhere. Walking in parallel bars and between ropes - all with a fun activity (building castles, finding dragon food).

He also worked on picking things up with his toes (dragon food) and passing things to his friends.

Some of the things that Nickolas did well was sitting on the peanut ball, pinching things with his toes and stepping over a floor ladder

By the end of the week Nick was having fun with his new friends!
The ever-typical boy. Always wanting to be in the drivers seat!



Learning and Working!

So we've finished 2 weeks of Conductive Education - and we are hooked!
Absolutely hooked!

Considering the amount of work that Nickolas did in the last 2 weeks (15 hours a week) he tolerated everything amazingly! He worked and he learned! He learned stories and songs. He learned that he has a whole bunch of people cheering him on. He learned about colours and weather, he learned he has choices that he needs to make.
Nick worked on standing, cruising, kneeling, stepping, kicking, kneeling, balancing. There is probably more, I just can't remember it all!

Here is playing with the oatmeal (we read Goldilocks and the 3 Bears). I had to really hold back from saying 'he doesn't feel that' or 'he can't move that'. Because won't he just show off something to prove me wrong!

Everything we did was meant to do something! But also be fun.
lets sit (on a bouncy ball) and listen to a story, sing a song, follow a routine.
Nick really hated this ball the first couple of times. He needed so much support. On Thursday he was able to sit on it all by himself! Sure mommy was sitting right behind him, ready to catch him, but he balanced himself!

Transitioning was important. No more lifting and carrying. When it's time to get up or over or down, he does it himself. We just offer assistance - boxes, or support or encouragement. So he knows that he has to do it himself.

And when there is something we want him working on, we want to make sure that it is fun!
What is more fun that kneeling up and popping bubbles?! Anyone?

And look at these cool weights!

One thing that we are working on is body awareness. So Nick has a ball between his legs and we pass it up to his hands, or kick is away or do something fun with it!

 This one was a bit of a bust. It was the end of the day and Nick would have NONE of it! These are barbie clothes handing down for Nick to grab. (This story was the elves and the shoemaker)

Most days we had a craft that we do (all sensory) that we get to take home. Nick and I got to decorate the Billy Goat Gruff!

And Oops! It falls down and we need to go and pick it up!

This is Lindsay - and Nick was in Love!

This was really one of my favorite things to do. Playing soccer with Zach!
It might look like I'm holding him - but I'm not really. Nick would get the ball and actually kick it to Zach! That interaction, that peer-ship, that looking and seeing other kids who are doing the same thing you are doing!

We've signed up the fall semester where we will go just once a week.
I wish we could do more, but it's expensive (OHIP doesn't pay, our insurance isn't covering it and we are looking at some different funding options, but nothing has come through yet). And we are also trying to fit the time into our schedule.

Some good/great news!

We start our new fall session in October. There is room for more kids. They are willing/wanting to make a spina bifida group! With focus on spina bifida related strengths/weaknesses.
I am SO excited to start again! (Except I was very happy to sleep in today).

So if you are in Ontario and would just like to investigate the possiblity of joining us (a consult) it is all through the March of Dimes. Mhairi is our contact. The more the merrier!