Therapy

A couple of days after we received Ashlyn's diagnosis of Down Syndrome, we found a social worker in our hospital room talking to us about things available to us.  I remember her giving us many different pamphlets and phone numbers.  I was in such a haze at that point, it was really hard to focus.  I do remember hearing the word "therapy."  She told us that Ashlyn would qualify for state funded therapy until she turned three and that the therapists would come to our house.  At the time that sounded horrible to me.  I did not want my child to need therapy.

When Ashlyn was just a couple of months old, the therapy process started.  They sent people to our home to evaluate her and then assigned us to therapists.  I remember the first times, I would watch their cars pull up to our house and I would fight back tears that all of this was happening.  Little did I know, that three years later they would be like family to us.  We were blessed with three fantastic therapists who have been in our home for a weekly basis for the past almost three years.  The bad feelings I had about the whole thing soon faded away as I saw how loving and caring they were to Ashlyn.  And I saw that they weren't just doing a job, they really wanted her to succeed.  I saw them rejoice, sometimes with their own tears, as they watched Ashlyn make gains. 

It got to the point where I didn't dread therapists coming, I looked forward to it.  And, Ashlyn did too!  She loves all of her therapists so much.  We could not have asked for three better people to help Ashlyn get off to such a great start.  And, thank goodness, we are going to continue to see each of our therapists privately or I would have been a mess saying goodbye to them when Ashlyn turned three. Please meet three people who are so special to us....

Ann - occupational therapy

Working on cutting

Ashlyn and Ann

Mandi - speech therapy

Ashlyn intently listening to Mandi.....she always loves speech time

And Mandi was so good with Kyla too, who was always with us for speech

Big love

Jim - physical therapy

Working on stepping over

Ashlyn and Jim

We really are going to miss having them in our home each week, but are just thankful they are still a part of "Team Ashlyn" as we call it.