As Sofia's mom, I want to do my best for her -- to provide her with the support, love and opportunities that will encourage her to be HER very best.

As a parent to a child with a diagnosis of mild cerebral palsy, that includes lots of education, reading, listening, and tracking existing and emerging modalities to consider to unlock her potential.

Every child is unique, and that goes for children with movement disorders, too. Sofia is not a candidate for every surgery and intensive, and, as her mom, I believe it's important to make sure she knows she is perfect as she is. This journey isn't about making her 'normal', this is about having her gain strength, control and confidence.

Here's a list of just a few interventions and programs Sofia has responded to, or that we're considering:

-CONDUCTIVE EDUCATION This a comprehensive method of learning where children with neuro and mobility impairments learn to specifically and consciously perform actions that children without such impairment learn organically through life experiences. With this approach, kiddos may use specialized learning strategies to perform daily functions and to do them repeatedly. They're encouraged to think through the process (in essence, 'roadmap the activity', and emotionally connect to physical tasks to understand how to perform them successfully. 

-CME (MEDEK) "Medek" stands for dynamic method of motor stimulation. The intensive model helps teach a child -- by developing body awareness, postural control and motor planning -- how to create movement patterns and control their own body so they can build the skills to reach motor milestones (or, "inchstones", as I like to call them!)

-DYNAMIC MOVEMENT INTERVENTION This is a therapeutic technique used in PT and OT to treat children with motor delay by improving automatic postural responses and promoting progress towards developmental milestones.

UNIVERSAL EXERCISE UNIT This is a suspension system that works with the use of belts, elastic cords and, in some cases, with a therasuit (see below). The exercises are most commonly performed at low weight and high repetition to encourage muscle strengthening, isolation and control. It's often referred to as a 'Spider cage', a name that was given by creative kids who were being treated with bungee cords and jumping around like a superhero!

THERASUIT Sofia loved to learn about the history of this functional garment -- the idea originated from a spacesuit designed for astronauts to reduce or prevent muscle loss as a result of zero gravity. That concept was further developed by Richard and Izabela Koscielny, both therapists and parents of a daughter with cerebral palsy.

THERATOGS These are soft, orthotic undergarments designed for everyday wearability. They're worn against the skin, and have a special strapping system to provide the child with sensorimotor impairment stability.

WHOLE BODY VIBRATION This is a practice in which the child stands, sits or lies on a machine with a vibrating platform. This vibration transmits energy to the body, and strengthens muscles by forcing them to contract and relax several times per second. Device options include the Galileo and Hypervibe, among others.

ELECTRICAL STIMULATION ES can activate muscles and provide sensory and motor input and awareness for the child. There are various methods, including NMES (Neuromuscular electrical stimulation), FES (Functional Electrical Stimulation) and TASES (Task Specific Electrical Stimulation). The goal is to improve muscle function, range of motion and muscle strength.

Do you have other suggestions to add to this list? Please share!