Week 2 at starfish 

Audrey is increasing time and reps this week. She is building strength and tolerance each day. Here is a recap of week 2 with Starfish therapies:
Day1: was pretty routine but wasn’t much different than week 1. Got to do her bike workout during the eclipse! 

Day 2: we had a rough start (very fussy and non compliant) just an off day but she added 15 more sets of the reciprocal legs in cage all the way to 45 reps! 

Day 3: worked up to 60 on each leg in cage work for a 120 total, such a workout! Tried a new platform swing to work on core control, balance and reflexes. She loved this activity! Got to have visitors too! My aunt and uncle got to see her in action a bit and visit with us after. AFO orthotics on for 1 hr 30 minutes today which is the most she has ever worn them. 

Day 4: Lots of standing activities, tolerated them much better today.  She even learned how to push down on a ball drop toy! She is starting to kick her foot without as much prompting in the reciprocal cage work! The goal next week is to do 3 sets of 30 On each leg. She only had 15 more to go from today’s therapy!

Standing activities seem to be the most challenging for Audrey which is something I’m really going to have to practice on with her at home.  Her crawling is improving and the goal is to get 7 consecutive crawls (she’s up to about 5) without her sitting up or extending at all. The hope with this is that she gets that repetitive motion needed for walking in the future.  

I know the cage work and bike are helping her build that strength up which will be very helpful with standing and walking. It’s amazing to see how hard Audrey works. Sometimes it’s frustrating to not see immediate results but I know these skills will all come with more time and strength.  

She is a warrior. What other 2 year old gets an almost 3 hour workout each day with no breaks?! #kickingcask 

Author: Rachel Alves

Hi there! I am a special needs mom to a beautiful, sweet girl. Audrey has a mutation on her CASK Gene. This is a rare genetic disorder that effects her globally. It has caused a seizure disorder as well as gross motor, fine motor and speech delays. A Microcephaly diagnosis comes along with it as well. Our last 8 years have been filled with therapy, learning about our daughter's disorder and also learning to cope while finding joy. Thank you for taking the time to read about our journey. For more information on the CASK Gene, please visit my Instagram @alvesmomkickingCASK. View all posts by Rachel Alves