Archive | January, 2008

low tech vs. high tech

by jennifer on 30. Jan, 2008 in communication - general, equipment

Owen had his communications assessment meeting yesterday, at Bloorview Kids Rehab, and it was fascinating. It will likely take several posts to distill it all – but I’ll start with the most compelling stuff. I have been assuming all this time that independence should be the final communication goal for Owen. To be able to [...]

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communication breakdown

by jennifer on 27. Jan, 2008 in communication - general

A couple of incidents over the past couple of days that make me realize just how imperfect the idea of a ‘communication system’ is… Incident 1 Owen is fed by g-tube and especially these days gets very little to eat by mouth. He silently aspirates even on his own saliva and adding any food into [...]

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‘Kids Rock’ dynamic wheelchair

by jennifer on 24. Jan, 2008 in equipment, seating, wheelchair

Here’s the website for the wheelchair described in the previous post, in case fetching the youtube video is too slow for your connection: http://www.kidsupco.com

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back on track

by jennifer on 24. Jan, 2008 in equipment, medical, seating, wheelchair

It seems Owen’s increased tone was in fact due to the clonazepam withdrawal. He’s back on his previous dose (after consultation with his physician) and almost instantly, he returned to his old self. What a relief! I feel much more confident about the quality of his communication assessment next week – he’ll likely be in [...]

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difficult times…

by jennifer on 22. Jan, 2008 in baclofen pump issues, medical

In recent days, Owen’s spasticity has been through the roof. He’s so tight and reflexive, his joints look like they are dislocated (especially shoulders and wrists). As I type this, I can hear his wheelchair creaking from the strain of his thrusts. He’s been up for days, with sporadic 2-3 hr naps. This is one [...]

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welcome!

by jennifer on 19. Jan, 2008 in new to blogging?

I have already entered a post (see below) but thought since I’m now officially announcing this blog to the world, I would offer an orientation – for those of you new to blogging. This section you are reading will be updated frequently. I will post an entry, and it will appear at the top of [...]

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initial meeting

by jennifer on 17. Jan, 2008 in communication - general

Decision is made: time to develop a proper home-based curriculum, and withdraw Owen from school once the programming and support are in place. I’m aiming for March, but this process could take until the end of the current school year. A good first step was made – I had a long meeting with Laurel (at [...]

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