Hi all - thanks for the words of support and encouragement.
Well I did say I would come back with my observations of the OT session. I found some things totally baffling and interesting at the same time and some comments she made have made me look at things differently since. Here goes, pour the wine, grab the chocolate:
First exercise was to take small rounded top pegs from a very small plastic container and place them in a board. First with the right hand then with the left. Although he was slightly faster with the right hand he was a lot more awkward, twisting his body and moving his arm out to get the pegs in the holes. He is right handed but his movements with his left looked much more 'natural'. We both picked up on this.
Second exercise was copying down some writing, copying shapes, drawing within 2 narrow lines and cutting out a circle. Although his writing wasn't too bad he talked all the way through about how bad he was at writing/drawing and how hard he was finding it. The scissor exercise was ok. Her comments at the end were that he was clearly upset by the exercises and wanted to do them well but knew he couldn't and also she found it interesting that a right handed person would normaly draw lines/shapes left to right and he did the opposite. And the end of this he was also desperate to move and wanted to know when he could do the gym stuff.
The next set really freaked me out. She sat him facing her hands on lap and said you need to copy exactly what I do, pretend you are my mirror so if I move this hand (right) you move this (touched his left). She then carried out a sequence of events touching ears, nose, shoulder etc and then some clapping routines - no matter what the routine, which hand she started with, wether it was simple of complicated he would watch her, pause and start with the opposite hand to the one he should have, every time without fail. As she said later, it was actually more complicated for him to do that and he didn't miss a beat just did it opposite. ??
The next stage was walking a line and balancing, hopping and jumping which he actually did pretty well on. Then came the ball catching/throwing bit... well lets just say its just as well we are not in America as he is not going to make the little league any time soon.
We had a break and she called me in to go over her observations. Apart from pointing out the things I've already mentioned she asked about his ability to get dressed, brush his teeth, tie shoe-laces etc. How clumsy he is and problems with his speech. Funny how now she has mentioned these things I'm 'seeing' more than I did before, probably because those things have always been part of who he is to us.
At swimming today he tried to put his swimming shorts on over his clothes and now I think about it he does that sort of thing all the time, a few days ago he came into breakfast ready for school with his shorts missing! I still have to brush his teeth despite lots of practice, (I admit I hate sending him off to school with his blue T-Shirt covered in white blobs). Drinks come in cartons or we have to closely monitor before they end up on the floor, drinks a lot of water because it won't stain
Always in trouble for breaking things (glass candle holder last night (practicing his head stands on the sofa) "sorry mum it was just an accident" - going to put that one on his headstone if I outlive him, which with his accident rate....
Always bumping into people - watched a great game of tag yesterday at school, his teacher did well, set him off to chase first before he ran out of puff and the ones that were tagged could be released by someone crawling through their legs so no tantrums for being 'out' - all going really well until he bumped heads with one of the girls so it still ended in tears. One day!
On a lighter note - major success story - he came first in his group for the sack race at the 'fun' sports day today. Got a 'medal'- first award he's ever got and his face was pure delight. (sob - tears of joy). He also did really well in his swimming lessons, no dramas. And .. the ENT Dr reckons he'll get in for another set of grommets in about 6 weeks
Yee Ha - go to bed happy tonight.
