It’s May 5th already, I’ve been bombarding you with facts about Cri du Chat Syndrome for 4 days and I have more facts for you today!
Cri du Chat Syndrome is not something that can be cured but we love, therapies and family support, our kids have more chances now to reach their full potential!
Coming directly from the 5p- Society website
Treatments
Occupational therapy
Occupational therapy benefits our kiddos by providing fine motor, visual perceptual, self-care and sensory integration intervention to assist the child/young adult to maximize their skills, develop new skills and be able to relate more effectively to the environment around them. Occupational therapists who work with children have education and training in child development, neurology, medical conditions, psychosocial development, and therapeutic techniques.
Physical Therapy
Children with Cri du Chat syndrome may experience physical difficulties during their growth and development. Physical therapy can help your child’s physical development in the following ways: helping them to sit, stand, improve fine motor skills, etc. The goal of physical therapy for children is not to speed up the rate of their development, but to facilitate the development of optimal physical movement.
Speech Therapy
Speech therapists work with children from an early age to aid in swallowing by providing advice on what best methods exist for feeding. As children with Cri du Chat syndrome grow older, they may experience problems with their speech. Speech therapists provide guidance on assisting children with communication issues by utilizing and teaching different methods of communication such as: sign language, picture exchange system, technology assisted communication, etc.
Alternative Therapies
Many families have found the use of alternative therapies as a way to complement Occupational, Physical and Speech therapy. Here is a list of therapies that other children and/or adults with the syndrome have benefited from:
- ABA Therapy (Applied Behavior Analysis)
- Adaptive Physical Education
- Aromatherapy
- Aquatic Therapy
- Behavior Therapy
- Cranial Sacral Therapy
- Dolphin Therapy
- Hippo-therapy (also known as Horse Therapy)
- Music Therapy
- Play Therapy
- Pragmatic Group Therapy
- Sensory Learning Therapy
We have tried many therapies and activities over the years.
One of Emily’s favorite is Hippo-Therapy although I am fairly certain that if Dolphin Therapy was available around here, she would make us buy her a membership for life 🙂
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Lessons from my daughter 
Reblogged this on deanieblog.
so happy to hear that. Riding does amazing things. It helped make my dreams come true.
❤️
I have heard great things about hippo therapy. I also believe in dog therapy. My two dogs provide me with such unconditional love and feeling their woolly coats is very soothing. I used to have an Old English Sheepdog. People kept telling us that he was almost as big as a horse.
You are doing such a great job raising awareness and encouraging your daughter!
xx Rowena
Hippo Therapy is definitely an amazing thing and it doesn’t feel like therapy for Emily. It’s a hobby or an activity. We have dogs but I wouldn’t call them therapeutic 😜 lol. Thank you for your nice words and for taking the time to read and learn about Cri du Chat Syndrome.
You’re welcome, Pascale. I know what it’s like to live with a rare medical condition and it can feel like a pretty lonely road. Take care and Happy Mother’s Day tomorrow xx Rowena
Thank you!
Hippo therapy is great. My Dad taught me to ride after a doctor said I woudn’t be able to walk. We surprised a lot of people and I wrote a book about it. The book shows anything is possible if you persevere.
That’s awesome. Please tell me the name of your book. I would love to check it out. It sounds like something Emily would be interested to read or at least interested in me reading it to her 😊❤️
Oh, I love hippo therapy. I did a six week rotation as a student at a hippo therapy facility. It was amazing to watch the progress of these kids. I worked primarily with a girl who had CP and it was fantastic for her. I’m sure Emily loves it! 😃
Emily adores it! She always loved looking at horses and from the moment she decided to try riding, she’s fallen in love with it. Her posture has improved and it’s good for her chronic constipation as its working her core muscle. The program she goes to is amazing! We just love everybody there! She’s starting again next week!
That’s fantastic! It provides so many benefits, physical and mental. Good for her. 😊
😊