He's been wearing the suit most days, once or twice in a day, for about an hour each time.Haven't done most of the activities he's supposed to do in the suit cos he can only walk & run unaided in the suit. Slowly we will come round to doing them.
Changes noted while in the suit:
- able to stand in one spot, without his usual shuffling around the spot. I think it's to do with proprioceptive feedback from the suit
- takes slightly longer stride when running, rather than his trotting
- endurance improving slightly. Doesnt get tired in the suit as fast as before. Gagging, as an indication of being tired, is lesser.
- if we feed him while he's wearing the suit, he forgets to chew or swallow. This is not totally surprising cos the therapist says it's common that people forget to swallow their saliva when wearing the suit, at the initial stage cos there's so much information being fed back to the brain.
Changes noted while out of suit:
- bends his knee more easily when walking, running, stepping down. If asked to stand on one leg, the leg that is lifted up has its knee bent.
- he can walk up all the way up the stairs using alternate legs going up (hooray!)...that is if I'm on his left side & holding his left hand. If I'm on his right, he'll always use his right leg to go up ie. he has both feet on one step before moving up the next step. This is something I dont understand.
Changes regardless whether in or out of suit:
- speaking more. I think it's to do with better breathing resulting from the suit. Articulation still needs improving but that is not meant to be addressed by the suit therapy. For that, I'll have to do oral motor work with him.
- his drooling is lesser.
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