Jungle Gym?
Ok, this might sound like a no-brainer, but today the school's PT called to remind me about our end of the year meeting to discuss summer. During the call, she mentioned wanting me to meet her at a playground that has a low jungle gym so that Bug could be taught how to use it. She said "she told me the only thing she doesn't play on at recess are the bars, because they hurt their hands. I told her that she needs to develop calluses on her hands, that everyone does, and we just need to practice them to get those." I must admit, I was shocked and didn't have a response. After we hung-up, I called the Geneticist and left a message to get a go ahead or a "heck no!". My daughters hands hurt her more than any other part of her body, I cannot understand how it is good for her to be hanging from them on Monkey Bars... Even the OT from our school doesn't do too many strengthening exercises with her right now because they get sore and tired so easily - so why we'd push her to do Monkey Bars is beyond me.
I think I'm going to say no regardless - but it would be great to have the Dr's backing me up on this. Since children do not have to do Monkey Bars, I don't see why we should take a risk and have her do them. She doesn't miss doing them, or wish she could. So I would rather focus on other things. However, this really makes me wonder what is going to happen when I ask for adaptive PE for next year. After all, the PT is the same person who typically recommends an adaptive PE program in our district. Unfortunately, we just don't have the resources that bigger areas have and so several of the specialists actually do multiple jobs. I really hate the idea of having to step on toes and request a Adaptive PE specialist be brought in from another area, but I think I might have to. I guess I'll know more after our appointment this week.
Seven more days of school - yippee! We are all looking forward to a change of pace for awhile, although Bug will be doing summer school 5 days a week for 3 hours. I'm hoping that goes well and gets her a little more practice on some of the things she learned this year. I also am hoping I can talk them into putting some programs on her iBook before summer for us to get started practicing before fall when she has real work to do. Crossing my fingers...
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3 comments:
So's I don't use up all your webspace, I'll tell you about my experience with getting adapted PE for my daughter on my blog. I can only hope that, in the years that have passed, someone has bought a clue.
DON'T be afraid to step on the toes of this incredibly uneducated physical torturer; in fact, jumping up and down upon them could only add the "necessary" calluses--and her heart is one giant callused piece of ice. URRGH! You are talking about doing long-term, possibly permanent damage, versus the chance to help your daughter. That is a no-brainer. For me, the problem with monkey bars is that my skin is not firmly attached to the tissue below, so I felt a horrible pulling-on-my-skin sensation in my hands when I hung from the bar. OOOOOWWWW!!! Not to mention my crappy upper-body strength! Monkey bars are completely unnecessary; I would bet that the PT has some list of activities that a child of X age is supposed to be able to do, and she is trying to get your daughter to do them all so that the PT can check them off on the list (possibly to prove that your child doesn't need adaptive PE). Keep up the good fight, cuz your child is worth it! :) I hope that your dr backs you up on this...man, this just makes me all the more determined to go to med school, because the EDS community desperately needs MDs with their heads screwed on right to combat all the miseducation...and having 1000 EDSers say this is a bad idea just doesn't carry as much weight as 1 MD!
I'm not seeing the PT's logic. She's not playing on the bars because they hurt her hands. That should tell her something. How does she know it hurts her hands simply because she doesn't have calluses? And even if that were the case, does she really need to strain the joints of her upper limbs just so she can develop calluses???
I say step on all the toes you have to!
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