Music therapy

Dear Malia,

You started music therapy a few weeks ago.  It was a hard step for you, anything that changes is so hard.  The first session I went back with you, which the facility doesn't normally like to do, but the therapist could tell you were really needing me.  You clung to my neck and cried.  I had to eventually just leave you in the therapy room screaming and clawing at the door as I left.  It broke my heart but I just remembered the story of Temple Grandin that her mom pushed her to do hard things, so she could gain confidence in herself.  So I left you crying, while i cried with you. 

I called later to find that you had calmed down.  Well the next session was worse.  When you saw the therapist you threw yourself on the ground and wouldn't go with her.  The therapist is a tiny little thing and with you throwing yourself and kicking she was unable to carry you, so she had to get help from another therapist to carry you into the building.  It again broke my heart.  I thought if this doesn't change soon I am not going to send you to music.   Yet I know how much you love music and I knew you would learn so much. Music is so good for the brain and I wanted so bad for you to go.... but not at your expense. 

So the third time we were driving there  I called the therapist and asked her if she would be waiting for us and just whisk you off before you had a chance to start a fit.  It worked!!!  It all happened so fast you just went with her wondering what happened.  Since then you have had 3 more sessions all big successes!  You now ask everyday "I go yife today?"  Life is the name of the facility where you receive your therapies.  It has been great to see you transform!  Here is an email from your music therapist in your last session.  She is very happy with how you are transitioning!


Malia transitioned easily. She was a little hesitant to give up her flash cards she had brought along but was reminded that she gets to see cards during music, which seemed to help. Hello song: Malia sat down today relatively quickly and only needed a little reminder to do so. She is doing better with understanding the routine of this rather than going to the bookcase or drawers to try to pull things out. After strumming in the hello song, the therapist created a schedule for her to follow, and she sat very quietly waiting for it to be done. She enjoyed the schedule today and appeared comforted by having something to look at visually to see what was next. 

 

Oral motor: Needed moderate prompting to work on a frown face, fish face, and licking her upper lip. The last of these was the hardest, but she made some progress in moving her tongue to her top lip. Sequencing: Malia loved the Halloween brewing song today. She got to wear a witch hat and a cowboy hat to dress up, which was discovered to be very rewarding for her. She needed moderate to maximum prompting to follow the steps, name creepy things to put into the witch's brew, and stir with drum sticks. She also needed prompting to tell the therapist when she was ready to be done. Body part recognition: Worked on singing body parts and putting them onto a Mr. Potato head. Malia seems to get overwhelmed with a lot of choices when everything is on the floor and does better with a smaller choice field.

Way to go Malia!  Love you so much!
xoxo
-Mom