3-10-11

Here are Quinn and her school nurse, Miss Nadean. Can’t you just see the love! I appreciate it!

Well, we are still in the slow lane when it comes to getting better, but we are moving forward! I’ve told our colds that they have to be out of our bodies by the middle of this next week, hanging out with us for over 3 weeks is long enough!

Past that, here is a fun story from the week. I called Chrissy Tuesday after school to see how their afternoon went, and was greeted with Quinn screaming in the background, not an I’m hurt scream, but an I’m mad as I can be scream. I found out that Quinn did not go to sleep until a few minutes before they had to go the therapy and was telling Chrissy and Alexis how mad she was to be getting in the car when she wanted to continue with her nap. I’ve felt that way lately and totally understand the feeling, but the action is not going to fly with me. So I asked Chrissy to give the phone to Alexis to hold up to Quinn’s ear, as they were in process of driving to therapy.

I told Quinn hello, and asked her what was going on. The crying stopped, so I knew she had heard me, then it started again, and I asked Quinn what happens when she throws a fit? I heard silence. Then I reminded her that daddy does not do the cuddle time with little girls who throw temper tantrums for no real reason. That was it. No more screaming or crying! That silence says a lot! What a crazy smart girl we have. It’s funny in the sense that she has never screamed or cried at school, and if her teachers and therapists had not seen her at therapy, they would not believe that she can be so naughty. ☺

The follow up to that story is that I met all three girls as well as Stacie at Handprints for Speech Therapy. We try not to talk very much when we are there, as Quinn gets very distracted and would rather listen to us then work on what she should be doing. I however could not wait to chat with Chrissy on how Quinn got quiet so fast. So we said something to the order of I can not believe Quinn got so crazy loud, and in turn after a quick talk with me on the phone, how she got so quiet. Stacie interrupted our very quiet whispering to have us look at Quinn with her arm in the air with her finger waving up high, showing us that, yes, it was her yelling and she was listening to every word we were saying! That is why I have to call Chrissy on the way to therapy, because Quinn does not work well with distractions. Well she did join in the conversation and that is part of speech, but … well she needs to work on her job, not listen in and join our very quiet conversation! What a girl!

She is also improving so much in school. We had a meeting and here are the things that we all said we saw as improvements since the beginning of the school year. I’m simply going to attach the notes that were taken! I still believe it does take a village to raise a child, and we are so blessed to have folks that believe in Quinn and are working so hard to help her continue to enjoy life and improve in so many areas.

Here are our blessed moments from the last few months:

Quinn Otte’s Team Meeting
3-7-11

Update from Home:
• Improved head control
• Followed a direction: “Open your hand” using her right hand and closed it when told to
• Can identify letters, with a little help she is drawing them herself
• Bathrooming: Sits her on the toilet, she needs time to relax and then she’ll go after she relaxes. She goes consistently after she gets off the bus. She’ll sign potty with her left hand or both if she really has to go.
o A Flamingo potty chair has been ordered for home.
Updates from Daycare:
o Quinn is showing Chrissy she knows her letters by giving her an array of letters and mild arm support to touch a given letter.
o At school, Lori is working with her on touching pictures of given objects.
o Power points: cause-effect using switches. She started using a head switch and was able to successfully activate the power point over 40 times.
o Quinn is talking more for Chrissy.
o She enjoys her skateboard, a modified board she rolls on. It would be great to find something similar for her to do at school.
o Therapy plan to try out a power chair again using a mid- mount control.
School Goals:
o Use a variety of means to indicate control or choice
o Will look at increasing goals to a variety of people over a number of days
• Coming out to the house and having team meetings may help Quinn know that we are all working on the same things and we want her to show everyone what she know
Peer interactions:
• Going great! Kids are very interactive with her and she really watches them. They get excited when they here her talk and laugh.
• Some students try to help her move her hands for songs.
• Structured activities are in place and we’re able to continue to add more things
Health
• Doing so much better
• Continues to have secretions but more in the morning
• During story time and is really focused she doesn’t drool as much.
• Health has improved, sneezes a lot but has been very healthy.

Well there you go, it’s not just me, and it’s not just Chrissy, John and me seeing it! Quinn is finally starting to branch out and show other folks that she is as amazing as we know she is!

How blessed we are, and we sure don’t take it for granted!

Here is hoping you are remembering how blessed you are too!
Susan