OT - Occupational Therapy

Kai had his first of what is likely to be many appts in OT today. He did really well. We are calling the OT room the "lucky room" because Kai gagged only once the entire time we were there. I was shocked. He ate 1 whole jar of sweet potatotes (pureed of course) and a half of a large jar of the stage 3 Herbed Chicken... He gagged only once on that one.

They want us to take him to speech therapy since he's not talking yet. They said that he should have a vocab of over 20 words...they associate it with him not knowing what to do with his tongue.

So, we have been given exercises to do with him.

Tactile stimulation play before he eats, then we are supposed to do tongue exercises with him...not what you think...more to do with given him things to try to put in his mouth...

He does have an oral aversion...but they have seen worse. We just have to put food on his molars to get him to use his tongue to get the food off his molars.

The gagging, it's just a natural reflex for him...to protect his airway...his tongue isn't accustomed to textured things on it...so it's unfamiliar...so he gags...

Poor kid.

Looks like we will be on our way here soon...then he will hopefully be like Troi and eat us out of the other half of the house! *grin*