Allison

Allison was born premature at 26 weeks, weighing only 2 pounds, 1 ½ ounces due to a Strep B infection. Shortly after birth, she became ill with sepsis and was not expected to survive. The fact that she is here at all is a miracle in itself. We later learned that she had suffered two brain bleeds both prior to and immediately following her birth. One was grade 3 and the other a grade 4, the most severe type. I can remember a nurse telling us even during her 3 ½ month hospital stay in the NICU that she would likely have cerebral palsy. Allison was evaluated for developmental delays beginning at 5 months of age and began an in-home early intervention program at 10 months. (In Michigan a child must perform at half of his or her chronological age to qualify for services). At the age of three she began attending a half-day of special needs preschool five days a week. At this time she also began using a reverse walker so that she would not resort to crawling at school and in public, as was her main means of mobility at home.

We were introduced to conductive education in the summer of 1999 when Allison was invited to participate in a study at nearby Oakland University. This study's purpose was to look at different combinations of physical therapy programs to determine which were the most effective. Although the study favored traditional physical therapy in the end, all of the families involved believed we had witnessed something truly wonderful and life changing. I had always thought that a child had to progress from a walker to crutches to canes and so on. The program lasted for 5 weeks and at the end she was walking with no assistance whatsoever! There were many other subtle changes in her as well, such as that she could jump up off the ground for the first time and walk backwards.

She has continued to fine-tune these balance skills and to make progress over the past several years. She loves the group setting of conductive education and the songs they sing while stretching or moving through the series of 'tasks' as they are called. I am always amazed at the way the conductors are able to see her next goal and progress towards it, even when I am doubtful that she is really capable of it. The physical and occupational therapists she has worked with seem to move at a much slower pace towards those same goals.

Allison is now seven years old. She is a happy, charming and sociable girl with a very strong 'can do' attitude, which drives her to become involved in many things. In the past several years she has played soccer and taken ballet (she was even in the recital!), both of which would not have been possible while still using a walker or canes. This year she left her special needs classroom and began attending our local elementary school with her older sister. She is in a regular first grade class and is thriving both socially and academically.

My hope is that our dream of a larger and more permanent conductive education program in the Metro Detroit area will be realized and that other families will be able to witness the many wonderful results that a program like this can offer!