Drop-in clinics at Spring of Hope run on
Thursdays, starting around 10:00 a.m. and their length is determined by how
many patients there are, which is sometimes
enough to continue until 4:00 p.m. Parents bring their children for personally
tailored treatment from the physiotherapist or occupational therapists, with
some volunteer help on the side. So far I have participated in three drop-in
clinics, both as an assistant to the trained therapists and also treating children
on my own in tasks I feel comfortable performing. The ages of the children are anywhere from
young babies to school-age children, and their reactions to treatment also have
a wide range. Some children cry and scream the whole time even though they are
not in any pain, while others laugh and giggle while they are bounced around on
the balls to help improve their balance, proprioception and muscle condition.
Toys are used to distract and motivate children, and therapists try to work
with children and manipulate and stretch their joints in the position that is
most comfortable for them, whether it’s lying on their stomach, back or side. Therapists
use their hands and legs to help stretch the children, and there is also a
standing frame which straps children in to help them practice to correct
posture and muscle use for when they begin to stand. Parents watch attentively
and therapists give suggestions for exercises to work on at home. I was also
introduced to the children, parents and their stories. In almost every case there
have been huge improvements in condition, mobility and overall attitude.
Photos of Drop In
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| Steven physio advising Daddy Martin on exercises |
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| Child in standing frame |
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| Steven working on exercises |
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| Barbara - OT working with child and parent |
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| Prossy OT student counseiling parent on childs disability |
Personal Anecdote:
Last week my first patient was a little
girl named Bettina. She has a condition which
results in the paralysis of her left side. Her right side is fully functional
and she uses it to compensate for her weaker left. This is to her detriment
because as the right grows stronger, the left grows weaker. We started by
practicing taking the tops off empty bottles of various sizes. It was much
easier for her to work the larger lids, than the smaller ones which require
more precise motor skills. After this we worked on picking up shapes of
different sizes and thicknesses and putting them into a box, and afterwards
taking them out. In this activity it was easier for her to pick them up than
release them. There were larger and bulkier pieces such as checkers, and
smaller lady bug-type buttons. We also took this opportunity to practice
identifying the colours. Next we did the same activity but with blocks and
picking them up in alphabetical order. One of the things I have noticed about
Spring of Hope is that the workers try to use opportunities to their fullest by
trying to bring in an educational component if possible. Most of the children
here love to learn, and the reason the children work so hard to improve their
mobility or fine motor skills is so they can go to school. How very different
from children back home in Canada who spend their winters praying for snow
days! Bettina started out quite reserved but opened up eventually when we added
in high fives after she was able to grip things particularly well and I
eventually got some smiles out of her. She didn’t look too disappointed though
because after we were finished she was on her way back to school.
