Meet Zane
Tell us your child’s story.
As parents we knew Zane would not be a typical child before he was born. By three months old we had First Steps involved in Zane’s Vision Therapy, Physical Therapy, Occupational and Speech therapies. It wasn’t until Zane was eleven months old that we understood what his diagnosis was.
Zane was what’s referred to as a “floppy baby” because he had ‘tone’ issues. We did not know if he’d ever sit up on his own, if he’d ever walk, or how he’d develop but his piercing ice blue eyes and smile would cut through all concerns.
Dr Puri’s office with University of Louisville Pediatric Neurology called when we were on a beach vacation and it was then that we learned that Zane had a Neurometabolic disorder that would not allow his body to process protein the same way our bodies would. We were told to limit protein so I immediately threw away all baby food meat products.
We came home from vacation and sought answers that did not exist as Zane’s metabolic disorder has such a large range of impacts that there was no way that Paul and I as parents or the doctors could tell us exactly what to expect.
What we did know is that anytime we mentioned that Zane could not do something, he would prove us wrong.
Today Zane is 10 years old and still has ice blue eyes that cut through hearts. With APT’s help with Occupational and Speech therapies Zane’s progress has continued forward.
Why did you choose APT for therapy services?
I believe that our vision therapist from VIPS (Visually Impaired Preschool Services) had recommended APT. Zane went from First Steps to APT and didn’t miss a beat. APT has had the staffing to maintain Zane’s therapies even when a specific therapist had to be out of the office. This continuity has been helpful for Zane’s development.
What improvements have you seen in your child since they started therapy at APT?
Zane has been with Occupational and Speech therapy the entire time since First Steps and he has improved his physical tone and balance as well as his vocabulary and clarity in his words. He has continually achieved the goals that we were unsure if he would ever make. It has just taken a bit longer.
What has been your brightest moment along the journey?
One of our brightest moments along this journey has been his recent improvements with Proloquo 2go, an assistive speech program that runs on his iPad. By therapists adding new words and phrases, Zane has found his voice. There are days he is downright chatty with his assistive technology.
Additionally, Zane always enjoys going to therapy. He happily participates and engages. The therapist consistently makes his learning fun. The brightest moments are the smiles of Zane’s pride when he masters a new skill.
What advice would you give other parents who face similar situations?
Be patient with your child and continue the tasks from the therapies at home makes the growth occur faster and keeps the patterns similar which Zane is comfortable with at home at school and at APT.
Speech Therapist Kiley Hogg and Occupational Therapist, Addie Curry are Zane’s therapist and share about their relationship with him and the improvements he has made through his hard work.
How long have you been working with Zane and what improvements have you seen?
Kiley: Zane has been receiving Speech Therapy services at APT since 2013. I have had the pleasure of working with Zane since August,2018. Zane currently uses a communication program called Proloque2Go on his I pad. Zane uses his device to choose activities in therapy, answer questions, and most recently, participate in social conversations. In the past few weeks, I have seen a significant increase in Zane’s ability to ask and answer social questions with other people in the therapy office. Zane will greet others and ask questions such as “What is your favorite food?” or “What is your favorite animal?”. Zane enjoys hearing other people’s answers while sharing his favorite things with them! During the weeks leading up to Halloween, Zane would “trick-or-treat” from therapy room to therapy room using his device to say, “trick-or-treat”. Zane asked and answered questions about Halloween and loved getting a lollipop from each room!
Addie: Although Zane has been receiving Occupational therapy services through APT since June of 2014, I have been able to work with Zane since November of 2017. Since working with Zane, he can now imitate basic prewriting lines and shapes, pull a shirt over his head, start socks over his toes, put shoes on independently and follow a visual chart to brush his teeth.
Describe a little about your and Zane’s relationship.
Kiley: Although Zane and I haven’t known each other for very long, we have created a strong therapy-patient relationship. Zane participates in speech therapy for 45 minutes on a weekly basis. Zane enjoys playing games while participating in speech therapy. Some of his favorite games include sorry and connect 4. Zane is very curious throughout our sessions, often asking “why” we are doing a certain activity. Zane works very hard in therapy resulting in a reward activity at the end of the season.
Addie: Zane and I have great patient to therapist relationship. Zane receives OT services for 60 minutes, once a week. Our sessions usually start with Zane picking a preferred toy or activity that he can have during breaks. Zane usually prefers to pick the sensory bean bin or stacking chairs. One of his favorite activities to do at the end of the session is the soft play room which he knows how to ask for using his communication device!