A Little Background Info<\/u><\/h1>\n

When Everett first started therapy, he was at a children\u2019s hospital facility. We LOVED it there and our therapist was top notch\u2026.however, our insurance kind of sucks and we were paying over $300\/session out of pocket until our deductible was met. Our therapist also has a fairly busy schedule and can be tricky to reach.
\nOne day, I was driving through downtown on my way to see my husband. I noticed this cool therapy\/yoga studio place a block from my husband\u2019s work and told myself to remember to look it up.
\nGUESS WHAT?
\nI promptly forgot the name and even that I was going to look them up. About 4-5 days later, they followed us on Instagram, not even realizing we were local! I promptly contacted their owner and we set up a meeting.
\nWe have been at the new place, Boost Kids, for about a month and I am loving the program she has for him. Every other week we do occupational therapy sessions. On the off weeks, we go in for yoga and feeding therapy. It\u2019s AWESOME!<\/p>\n

A Typical Session<\/u><\/h1>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\nWhen I say \u201ctypical\u201d session, that\u2019s kind of misleading. Every session is something different. The end goal, of course is the same, helping Everett to better adapt to his enviroment, but each week it\u2019s a little different.
\nHis therapist sets up obstacle courses, scissors challenges, fine and gross motor skills activities, and so on.
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\nWhile she is doing his therapy, I\u2019m taking mental notes on how to best apply those techniques at our house.
\nThats right, the therapy doesn\u2019t end when we leave her office, we do it all day, every day.<\/p>\n

Sensory Diet<\/u><\/h1>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\nA sensory diet has nothing to do with food. It\u2019s a series of physical activities and accommodations specifically tailored for each child to give them the input they need. Once the correct input is given, the child goes back into a \u201cnormal\u201d state.
\nWhat does getting into a \u201cnormal\u201d state mean? For kids who tend to get overstimulated, their sensory diet can help them come down from an overloaded state and feel calm. Or kids who feel or appear sluggish can get into a \u201cnormal\u201d state by doing activities that help them feel more alert.
\nHis first therapist gave me a goal for when we first started. She said that we should aim to create a sensory diet that is constantly adjusting to keep Everett even keel. Depending on what activity we do, the effects of it last anywhere from 30 minutes to about 1.5 hrs.
\nThe effects of gentle brushing for example, last about 30 min. The effects of an hour of playing outside (running\/climbing\/etc), last about 1.5 hrs. This means I\u2019m constantly counting numbers and making schedules for us. This doesn\u2019t mean we are always on the go, we totally chill out and watch tv for a bit, but he will wear his weighted vest or lap pad to get the needed sensory input.
\nAm I some crazy amazing super mom who manages his therapy with a breeze? Hardly. I just try my hardest to give him what he needs while also maintaining some semblance of sanity.<\/p>\n

Progress<\/u><\/h1>\n

When Everett first started therapy, I didn\u2019t know what to expect. I was still pretty unsure about his diagnosis and wasn\u2019t sure how therapy would help.
\nWhat I didn\u2019t realize, was just how many signs I was missing. At 3, he still couldn\u2019t jump with 2 feet off the ground. He walked on his toes (for extra input). He could barely figure out how to climb (poor sensory planning). The list goes on and on.<\/p>\n