Jacksonville here we come!

We are gearing up for our appointment with our DAN doctor and we are so anxious. We have collected all of Payton's medical records and read through them and its funny what doctors write. During her delay evaluation, the doctor put, saw child eat crayons, does not color with them. I just have to laugh because at 20 months old during that time, it was not a concern for me. It had to of been written down though. Trenton still taste tests crayons and he is 4. How about the fact that at 20 months she had no speech or receptive language? That wasn't written down though. 3 months later she saw another doctor and luckily he saw what I knew all along! Seeing her diagnosis on paper is very emotional for me still. I never saw it written down, only coded. But we are moving on and trying everything to get this beautiful girl out of her cocoon. 

Just this week Payton started Therapeutic listening therapy. What is it you might ask.....
Listening is a function of the entire brain and goes well beyond stimulating the auditory system. We listen with our whole body. In order to fully address listening difficulties one must also attend to the listening functions of both the hearing ear and the body ear. One such approach that addresses the multiple facets of listening is Therapeutic Listening. (Listening With the Whole Body) The main idea is to emphasize integration of the auditory and vestibular systems together. Since there is such a close connection with visual functioning, visual processing also will likely improve. Particularly spatial awareness, and the concept of time and space. (http://spdsupport.org/articles/11-therapeutic-listening.shtml) She will start using headphones for about 5-15 mins at a time. It is a program that has had research done with excellent results and the hope is she is more attentive and that it strengthens her listening skills indefinitely. We also learned recently that she has a weak core. We started more core strengthening exercises that will strengthen her core muscles. Devin and I were kind of shocked to learn that because she is so strong. She uses her arms and legs for everything but if she is laying down, she has difficulty arching her back and lifting her head. Weak core muscles are common with ASD kids. I never realized how important your core is until recently. If you want to learn more read here: http://miriamjang.wordpress.com/2011/03/24/poor-muscle-tone-and-severity-of-autism/


On top of her Autism diagnosis Payton also has sensory processing disorder. Formerly known as "sensory integration dysfunction" is a condition that exists when sensory signals don't get organized into appropriate responses. Pioneering occupational therapist and neuroscientist A. Jean Ayres, PhD, likened SPD to a neurological "traffic jam" that prevents certain parts of the brain from receiving the information needed to interpret sensory information correctly. A person with SPD finds it difficult to process and act upon information received through the senses, which creates challenges in performing countless everyday tasks. Motor clumsiness, behavioral problems, anxiety, depression, school failure, and other impacts may result if the disorder is not treated effectively. 

The listening therapy is supposed to help Payton become more focused and attend to task and hopefully start to listen better! :) I will update when we get back and let everyone know our next steps!!! We thank you all so very much for the donations to make this possible. We love every one of you more than I could express. 

                                                        This girls face says it all.