Re: Muscle tone specialist???

[Guest guest]

will be 16 next month, he still can not write his name. He can type

it., he can spell it, but due to low muscle tone I do not believe he will ever

write it. He also uses a name stamp.

Viola

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[Guest guest]

Muscle strength is a definite issue which I can address on a personal

level. I lost all use of my writing hand after breaking my arm and being

improperly casted. Here is how I knew I had imrpoper muscle tone. I had NO

WRINKLES on my hand! Compared to the uninjured hand which has many

wrinkles, easily seen, my hand was wrinkle free (talking palm of hand here.

With hand exercise (which is good for your child and can be prescribed by

either an OT or PT ) one can build this muscle. I used squeeze balls,

spring loaded hand squeezers, modeling clay, rolled cookies, meatballs,

TYPED (badly) , creepy fingers, massage, etc.

IF there isn't muscle strength, holding a pencil, picking up puzzle pieces,

opening containers, even holding on to things is difficult.

On Mon, Apr 7, 2008 at 3:35 PM, Flinders

wrote:

> Hello

>

> Does anyone know what kind of specialist checks for muscle tone? Ashlee

> (my

> daughter 10 years old) had her IEP last week and the OT said the reason

> why

> she STILL can not write her name was due to the lack of muscle tone in her

> hand? I am at a loss and maybe in denial - how difficult is it to teach a

> left handed 10 year old (who has " moderate " DS) how to write her name? Or

> if you think I am expecting too much - please let me now.

>

> Thank you

> Liz #2

>

>

[Guest guest]

Ask your o.t. what kind of specialist and what

excerises you could do at home with your child. Is

this the first time it has been brought to your

attention. Shame on them if it is.And I agree with

you, it is not asking alot.

--- Flinders wrote:

> Hello

>

> Does anyone know what kind of specialist checks for

> muscle tone? Ashlee (my

> daughter 10 years old) had her IEP last week and the

> OT said the reason why

> she STILL can not write her name was due to the lack

> of muscle tone in her

> hand? I am at a loss and maybe in denial - how

> difficult is it to teach a

> left handed 10 year old (who has " moderate " DS) how

> to write her name? Or

> if you think I am expecting too much - please let me

> now.

>

> Thank you

> Liz #2

>

>

> [Non-text portions of this message have been

> removed]

>

>

[Guest guest]

It can be very difficult for a child who has low tone or fine motor issues to

write.? Having said that, it doesn't mean they will neve write it just means

that more intense therapy may be needed to work on the fine motor skills.?

Trisha is 16 and has a very difficult time trying to write because of low tone

and fine motor issues but she is slowly making progresss.? Just our experience.?

Carol

Trishasmom

She isn't typical, She's Trisha!

Muscle tone specialist???

Hello

Does anyone know what kind of specialist checks for muscle tone? Ashlee (my

daughter 10 years old) had her IEP last week and the OT said the reason why

she STILL can not write her name was due to the lack of muscle tone in her

hand? I am at a loss and maybe in denial - how difficult is it to teach a

left handed 10 year old (who has " moderate " DS) how to write her name? Or

if you think I am expecting too much - please let me now.

Thank you

Liz #2

[Guest guest]

Elie can print his name as a kindergartener does. Holds the pencil lightly,

shakily, and large. His musccle tone in his fingers and paalm aare not good

- despite years of hand exercises. HE will not use a name stamp, but

preferes to print his name. He is 22. We last did purposeful hand

exercises when he was about

18. He has strong gross motor. But finite motion (buttoning, pencil

holding in good tripod grip, tiny zip tab pulling) are not possible for

him. HE can carry things in his hands, work knobs and buttons and switches.

> will be 16 next month, he still can not write his name. He can type

>

> it., he can spell it, but due to low muscle tone I do not believe he will

> ever

> write it. He also uses a name stamp.

>

> Viola

>

> **************Planning your summer road trip? Check out AOL Travel Guides.

>

> (

> http://travel.aol.com/travel-guide/united-states?ncid=aoltrv00030000000016

> )

>

>

[Guest guest]

Liz,

Seems t me you should be asking what THEY are going to do about the

low tone and who THEY will need to contact. There are some good

ideas in the posts that I have read responding to your question, but

you should not have to do the school's job! If they found a

problem, they should have a plan to address it. And if I'm right,

the OT should be the one to come up with a plan! If you already

signed the IEP...you could always call for another IEP or ask to

revisit this particular issue. There are exercises, etc. BUT the

OT should be writing goals and have strategies to meet these goals

that you agree with.

My son cannot write his own name due to sensory issues - hates

things in the palms of his hands - but with patience and a good

program of desensitization we are working on it, and he is 12. But

we are exploring other options: using a stamp or stickers for his

name, but still working on the other of writing it. Gosh, it's ONLY

2 letters, for cryin' out loud!! But YES, out kids can have a lot of

trouble writing their names...but it is THEIR job to find a way to

teach them and for them to find the right evaluations and supports!!

Hugs,

Donnell

>

> Hello

>

> Does anyone know what kind of specialist checks for muscle tone?

Ashlee (my

> daughter 10 years old) had her IEP last week and the OT said the

reason why

> she STILL can not write her name was due to the lack of muscle

tone in her

> hand? I am at a loss and maybe in denial - how difficult is it

to teach a

> left handed 10 year old (who has " moderate " DS) how to write her

name? Or

> if you think I am expecting too much - please let me now.

>

> Thank you

> Liz #2

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

You can ask to have an OT evaluation done specifically to address the writing

issues.  Trisha has had OT since she was a baby and it wasn't until the OT she

has working with her this past year discovered that she had underdeveloped hand

manipulation skills.  Since this OT has been working with her she has made good

progress but sadly because she went all of those years without " proper " OT

therapy she may be limited in just how much progress she makes at this stage. 

She will continue to make progress but not like if she had the correct therapy

done when she was younger.  She uses supports to help with positioning her hand

and arm.

You could ask them to do the Benbow hand skills checklist and see what his

strengths and weakness are with his hand manipulation skills. Here are some of

the progress notes on the hand manipulation skills since Oct. 2006:

October 2006

Supination: decreased range of motion by 45-50 degress bilaterally

Forearm stabilization – Emerging

Wrist extension with stabilization – undeveloped

Isolation of thumbs – emerging

Separation of two sides of hand – emerging

Maintenance of web space – undeveloped

Individuation of digits – undeveloped

Palmar arching – emerging

Translation – undeveloped

Precision rotation – undeveloped

 

This checklist indicates that Trisha has no mastered skills and has emerging

skills in 4/10 areas and needs extensive work on these skills for improvement of

hand skills. She also has short digits and increased space between thumb an

fingers for opposition skills.

October 2007

Supination- Still decreased ROM—but improved 5 -8 degrees bilaterally

                                Forearm

stabilization- Mastered

                                Wrist

stabilization in extension- Emerging

                                Isolation of

thumbs- Emerging

                                Separation of the

two sides of the hand- Emerging

                                Individualization

of digits- Emerging

                                Maintenance of

thumb web space- Emerging

                Palmer arching- Emerging

                Translation- Undeveloped

                Precision rotation/Undeveloped

 

These results show an improvement from: No mastered skills, and only 4 emerging

skills   to 1 mastered and 7 emerging skills.

January 2008

Supination- still decreased range—(increased 5 degrees on the right only this

time)

Forearm stabilization- Mastered

Wrist stabilization in extension- Emerging

Isolation of thumbs- Mastered

Separation of two sides of the hands- Emerging

Individuation of digits- Emerging

Maintenance of web space- Emerging

Palmer arching- Mastered

Translation- Emerging

Precision rotation- Emerging

These results show in last two months she has improved again, showing two new

mastered and two new emerging skills.

Even with the improvement being made she still has trouble writing and even

coloring sometimes.  I am just sharing this so you can see even with

extensive therapy it still takes awhile sometimes and like Vi said, she may not

ever be able to write legibly.  

Carol

Trishasmom

She isn't typical, She's Trisha! 

Re: Muscle tone specialist???

Liz,

Seems t me you should be asking what THEY are going to do about the

low tone and who THEY will need to contact. There are some good

ideas in the posts that I have read responding to your question, but

you should not have to do the school's job! If they found a

problem, they should have a plan to address it. And if I'm right,

the OT should be the one to come up with a plan! If you already

signed the IEP...you could always call for another IEP or ask to

revisit this particular issue. There are exercises, etc. BUT the

OT should be writing goals and have strategies to meet these goals

that you agree with.

My son cannot write his own name due to sensory issues - hates

things in the palms of his hands - but with patience and a good

program of desensitization we are working on it, and he is 12. But

we are exploring other options: using a stamp or stickers for his

name, but still working on the other of writing it. Gosh, it's ONLY

2 letters, for cryin' out loud!! But YES, out kids can have a lot of

trouble writing their names...but it is THEIR job to find a way to

teach them and for them to find the right evaluations and supports!!

Hugs,

Donnell

>

> Hello

>

> Does anyone know what kind of specialist checks for muscle tone?

Ashlee (my

> daughter 10 years old) had her IEP last week and the OT said the

reason why

> she STILL can not write her name was due to the lack of muscle

tone in her

> hand? I am at a loss and maybe in denial - how difficult is it

to teach a

> left handed 10 year old (who has " moderate " DS) how to write her

name? Or

> if you think I am expecting too much - please let me now.

>

> Thank you

> Liz #2

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Too funny Donnell! And then there was J-A-C-K-S-O-N!

will be 9 on the 22nd of this month and is working VERY hard on

writing. He uses a program called Handwriting Without Tears

The OT and his Ed Tech have worked very hard on hand strength. Finding

pennies in theraputty, twisting jar lids on and off, etc...

started out last year not wanting to hold any kind of writing

implement, he would throw it across the room! He uses the pip-squeaks markers

by crayola

He can write his name now and most of the upper case letters. He is working

on numbers now.

We also used a little rubber band device we made with the OT which I have seen

similar devices online

I would definitely have the OT work out some goals and they and the teacher

should be working on them!

Hope this helps!

Jayne

Donnell Kenworthy wrote:

Gosh, it's ONLY

2 letters, for cryin' out loud!! But YES, out kids can have a lot of

trouble writing their names...but it is THEIR job to find a way to

teach them and for them to find the right evaluations and supports!!

check out the view from my shoes at

www.wickedbusymomto3.wordpress.com

---------------------------------

You rock. That's why Blockbuster's offering you one month of Blockbuster Total

Access, No Cost.

[Guest guest]

Okay this bums me out - I had about 4 links in this email for you! I'll have to

resend...

Jayne Hickey wrote: Too funny Donnell! And

then there was J-A-C-K-S-O-N!

will be 9 on the 22nd of this month and is working VERY hard on writing.

He uses a program called Handwriting Without Tears

The OT and his Ed Tech have worked very hard on hand strength. Finding pennies

in theraputty, twisting jar lids on and off, etc...

started out last year not wanting to hold any kind of writing implement,

he would throw it across the room! He uses the pip-squeaks markers by crayola

He can write his name now and most of the upper case letters. He is working on

numbers now.

We also used a little rubber band device we made with the OT which I have seen

similar devices online

I would definitely have the OT work out some goals and they and the teacher

should be working on them!

Hope this helps!

Jayne

Donnell Kenworthy wrote:

Gosh, it's ONLY

2 letters, for cryin' out loud!! But YES, out kids can have a lot of

trouble writing their names...but it is THEIR job to find a way to

teach them and for them to find the right evaluations and supports!!

check out the view from my shoes at

www.wickedbusymomto3.wordpress.com

---------------------------------

You rock. That's why Blockbuster's offering you one month of Blockbuster Total

Access, No Cost.

[Guest guest]

Hi Liz#2

Low muscle tone does affect writing. As well as the entire body.

As confusing as it may seem to those of us with regular muscle tone;

something as simple as grasping and manipulating a pencil or feeding

utensil takes alot of energy for those with muscle issues. And

actually can be exhausting unless their body is positioned correctly

and assistive devices not used.

Our little dudes and dudettes are constantly fighting gravity with

every action they perform. Because of low muscle tone. Examples:

When learning to stand, wide leg stance is used, " w " sitting, palmer

grasp. Sometimes these actions are seen with open mouth. ALL to

compensate; to find their center of gravity, to stabilize themselves.

To offset exhaustion and instability issues that interfere with

complex tasks such as writing, the OT AND the PT at your school can

and should be providing what is termed assistive technology devices

and/or supports.

For an example, my son DJ has a special cushion to sit on that helps

stabile him at table/desk work. Pubilc school PT ordered this for

use at school. For awhile, the school tried different ways to " build

up " his pencil, such as the use of weights, pencil size and finally a

rubber grasper thingy that slides onto the pencil.

(I am sorry that I cannot remember the names of the cushion or grasp

thingy...I will look thru his folders later & try to find names)

At home we've used play dough, silly putty, squish balls & magnets to

help build fine motor strength. Not formal therapy times; just made

these available daily around the house. Fridge is great to put all

those giveaway magnets & great for building fine motor skills.

Also chalkboards of varied sizes. I recently discovered that

wallies.com has chalkboards that you just place on a surface & are

moveable (similar to wallpaper but not)

I mention chalkboards because there is instant gratification & little

force needed when writing or doodling. I've argued for years that

the school needed to use markers for this reason (to no avail)

because my child WANTED to write and doodle but the results were so

faint as to need a bionic eyeball to see when using crayons or pencil

or ink pen. What type of feedback for success does that give?

As a result of my renegade stubborn self, my son is now covering

chalkboards, dry erase boards & notepads with writings and doodle art.

At school he uses the pencil with the tech aids and is finally at the

point where it is no longer so faint. He will be 13 on May 30th.

Oh! Initially, to help my son copy his name I would write it on the

surfaces mentioned. As well as Mommy/Daddy/KittyCat etc. We praised

& made a big deal about any attempts. At the end of each night, I

would check for anything new & then erase it for the next day.

Imagine the joy when I discovered one morning that I had forgotten to

do this and found everything erased and new things written albeit

misspelled....

LOL, we have created a monster. Now we find notes to us. Dad's are

about going to blockbuster. Mine are about reminders of something

promised as a bribe (like pancakes. I found one ON MY CHEST that he

left as I slept before Dad put him on bus...

And this has only started happening about a year ago (when I got

ticky about the pencil)and went from a few words to multiple. Some of

which appeared to be martian until we figured out that he was trying

to sound the word out & write it based on how he thought it sounded.

In an aside, due to this, we recently asked for (and got) a

predicitve speller augmentative communication device thru the school

system. (DJ cannot verbally communicate in a way that others can

understand)

I hope this has helped some. Please do not dispair or become too

frusterated. Sometimes it takes a combination of things to enable

our kiddos. And it has been my experience (so far) that there really

isn't a timetable for skills to emerge.

Peace.

Kris

[Guest guest]

Hi Viola,

The OT has many strategies to teach handwriting even with low tone. Zeb also has

low tone. The school would prefer to accommodate rather than teach writing but I

insisted. It can be done.

Charlyne

ViPorier@... wrote: will be 16 next month,

he still can not write his name. He can type

it., he can spell it, but due to low muscle tone I do not believe he will ever

write it. He also uses a name stamp.

Viola

**************Planning your summer road trip? Check out AOL Travel Guides.

(http://travel.aol.com/travel-guide/united-states?ncid=aoltrv00030000000016)

[Guest guest]

Hi Char,

Oh yes I know, we have tried SEVERAL different things, and continue to try,

its just not coming.

Hi Viola,

The OT has many strategies to teach handwriting even with low tone. Zeb also

has low tone. The school would prefer to accommodate rather than teach

writing but I insisted. It can be done.

Charlyne

_ViPorier@..._ (mailto:ViPorier@...) wrote: will be 16 next

month, he still can not write his name. He can type

it., he can spell it, but due to low muscle tone I do not believe he will

ever

write it. He also uses a name stamp.

**************Planning your summer road trip? Check out AOL Travel Guides.

(http://travel.aol.com/travel-guide/united-states?ncid=aoltrv00030000000016)