Some of you might remember I mentioned that Maya is a bit scared when it comes to playing on the jungle gym. These are thing that many of us take for granted. Sometimes we might rely on one sense over another to guide us. In this case we are speculating that Maya relies on her vision more than her other senses and so when she is looking down at the platform, the holes which allow her to see down to the ground, confuse her. After looking down at the platform myself, I could see what she is experiencing. It is scary.
So Maya's physical therapist and I thought we would try and go to the playground together. It's really helped especially to get another perspective on how to help her get through this.
At first Maya was very resistant but just by using beads to play with on the platform, while sitting, has really helped. Rolling a ball or throwing a ball is another way that keeps Maya's mind off of being on the platform. Each time it seems better, but always at first she is afraid. By the end of the session she is confident. Last time she was so confident that she crossed a wobbly bridge. Then she stood up on the platform all on her own without a hand to hold.
These are small triumphs for our daily lives. They remind me that she is growing right in front of my eyes. It makes me fall deeper in love with this little girl of mine.
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| 1st time ever sitting on the platform. She loved the beads. |
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| After about 40 mins, she stood up on her own. |
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| Exploring the step. |
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| Getting adventurous on the wobbly bridge. |
1 comment:
Great job, Maya! Samantha still hates those wobbly bridges. I'm so glad the therapist accompanied you - I know how helpful it is to get that insight and instruction. Btw, when you get to IEPs you can try to include playground skills, especially if there is a recess for her class and any kind of climbers in the schoolyard.
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