Taylor Therapy Pics - April

-sorry, formatting is really bad on these - the blog service is acting up tonight, but I'll try and fix soon...-
This first pic is of Taylor weight-bearing on all fours - this is not only good practice for crawling, but huge progress using her hands to hold her weight. Not only is this important for functional use, but also for protective reflexes in case she falls. The next picture, she is practicing going from laying down to sitting - an important transitional skill that is very hard for her. The third picture, she is practicing using her hands on a toy gumball machine. She works on pushing the balls into the hole and then pulling a lever to make the ball pop out. This is a lot of fine motor work for her. The first standing picture, Taylor is practicing standing on one leg. This used to be very hard for her, but now she can do it. This is a good way for her to build up strength and prepare balance for walking. The next picture doesn't look like much work - but Taylor is working on controlled sitting. Rather than collapsing after standing for awhile, it's important for her to sit - bottom first - when her legs get tired and when she falls. She is sitting on demand, following Susan's request, from standing. Finally, this is Taylor on her new horse. Susan fitted it so she is big enough to sit comfortably. She practices keeping her arms forward and holding on to the bars - it encourages her to use her arms functionally and she really likes it. She can't do this by herself yet, but we'll get there. She's making great progress, isn't she?