Rebecca

Three-year-old Rebecca is starting preschool in the fall. This transition can be stressful for any child, but for a child with special needs who will require additional assistance, it is a monumental milestone. Going to school means riding a bus, eating at school, playing on a playground, and many other novel experiences.

When Rebecca was one and a half years old, her mother Tamara was concerned that she wasn’t walking or talking. A developmental pediatrician at the University of Kansas School of Medicine recommended that Rebecca come to Heartspring Pediatric Services for occupational, speech and physical therapies in April 2008.

Working with Audrey Hummel, speech-language pathologist at Heartspring, Rebecca is improving her communication skills through sign language and a voice output device. She is almost entirely non-verbal, but at times will spontaneously say a word. She understands language well and can follow several one or two-step instructions.

When Rebecca first started seeing physical therapist Cheryl Jabara, she was not walking or standing by herself, she had limited play skills and put everything in her mouth. Rebecca began walking three months after beginning therapy and is working to advance her skills. Cheryl’s primary goals are to develop functional skills that will help her once she begins preschool so that she could interact more appropriately and safely. Independently navigating stairs is a focus of therapy as well as throwing and catching, kicking, jumping and riding a tricycle.

With the number of distractions that will be present in the classroom, Rebecca will have to work hard to follow directions. As she continues to receive therapies from Heartspring, she will be able to use her new abilities to excel in the classroom.