Level 4 spelling

Matt's been working really hard on generating words and building vocab and is constantly improving. But writing the words, and especially spelling them, has always alluded him. He has homework assignments that give him a letter and he has to think of a word (no problem) and then write it. For the first column on the most recent worksheet, I wrote the words. By the time we got to the second column, he wanted to write the words, but I had to point out each letter on his alphabet board. Then on the third column, I could say the letter, he'd point it out to make sure and then write it and by the end he was writing the letters as I said them without using the alphabet board. (I hope this makes sense because it was so very exciting.) He's a long ways from spelling on his own, but he's a long ways from where he was even a few weeks ago.

Inclining so slowly

Well it's official - Matt is finished with PT. He's not as far along as we had hoped he'd be, but he has lots of exercises to do at home and will continue to get stronger on his own. He hardly ever uses his cane anymore and will go without the brace sometimes, too. He's been working in the wood shop with my dad a few hours and comes back really sore from standing so long, but he says it's getting better. It's hard to find the right balance of pushing him to get stronger without being so sore that he can't do anything for a few days afterwards.

Matt will continue with OT for now since he's still showing progress in the reevaluations. I wanted to post another video of his arm movement, but he says he is 'inclining so slowly' and wants to wait before we film it again. The tone that makes his fingers and wrist tight has been a lot stronger lately and we have to get that down before he'll gain more movement in his hand. He's back to sleeping with a really hard splint that straightens out his wrist and fingers, hoping that wearing it all night will help that tone calm down.

Matt has also finally started on his driving practice and it's going well. I don't get to go along, but his instructor seems impressed with Matt's adaptability. He has 8-10 more hours of practice, so hopefully by spring he'll be done.