The Merideth Family
The Merideth’s have an incredible story. With a history of fostering and adopting children with special needs over the years, they have poured their time, energy, and love into creating a safe and adaptable home for them to thrive to their fullest potential. Pictured from left to right: Piper, Aurora, Ryker, Jazmine, Penelope, Phoebe, and Willow. Short stories are featured of them below with details over equipment and therapeutic needs that have been met during their time with OKC SPEECH.
Aurora
Aurora has cerebral palsy, a very common disorder of movement. She also had a rough start to life, which contributes to her developmental delay. Aurora requires a wheelchair to be mobile at school, home, and in the community. She had a previous wheelchair that was falling apart, so OKC SPEECH acquired a brand-new wheelchair for her that better supports her needs. We also adjusted a stander that she already had to allow it to better fit her and to optimize the benefits that a stander promotes! She has also acquired hand splints, elbow splints, an activity chair, and a shower chair during her time with therapists at OKC SPEECH.
Phoebe
Phoebe has spina bifida, a disorder of the spine sometimes resulting in limited use of the legs. Because of this condition, Phoebe requires a wheelchair to transport from place to place. OKC SPEECH acquired a sporty wheelchair for Phoebe in her favorite colors, as she is able to maneuver the wheelchair all on her own! We also obtained a stander for Phoebe to help strengthen her legs so that we can practice walking with a gait trainer in the future. Phoebe was a little hesitant of her new equipment at first, but now she loves pushing her wheelchair around and playing with toys in her stander!
Ryker
Ryker is a sweet boy with cerebral palsy, a very common disorder of movement. He also unfortunately experienced some trauma at 2 months old, which contributes to his movement limitations and developmental delay. OKC SPEECH acquired a new wheelchair for Ryker because he had outgrown his previous one. Now he can transport to and from school, at home, and in the community comfortably and safely. We are also in the process of obtaining ankle-foot orthotics (AFOs) for Ryker to protect his ankles and place them in the proper position.
Willow
Willow has a neurologic disorder causing frequent seizures, developmental delay, and trouble with controlling her movements. Because of this, she needed equipment to optimize her independence and function. OKC SPEECH acquired a wheelchair for Willow and adjusted a stander that she already had to help achieve these goals. A stander helps her legs become stronger and provides many other benefits including increasing alertness, promoting muscle activation, and promoting heart health. A wheelchair allows her to be mobile in her community and home. Her smile shows how much she loves her equipment!
Penelope
Penelope uses an Augmentative and Alternative Communication device called a NovaChat. Penelope has hearing loss, which requires an amplifier for her device. Last year, Penelope’s amplifier needed repairs, and her speech therapist was able to help get the repairs done. Penelope’s favorite thing to ask using her device is “I want to watch Daniel Tiger.” Penelope, who is a non-verbal communicator, uses many phrases and sentences on her device she would not otherwise be able to express. She is able to communicate her wants and needs very effectively because of her NovaChat. Penelope’s family loves that her device has photos of each family member uploaded, and she is able to call her family and caregivers by name. Recently, Penelope told her nurse that she loved her using her device!
Piper
Piper uses an Augmentative and Alternative Communication device called a Tobii Dynavox I-110 with Snap Core First. Her speech therapist at OKC SPEECH LLC evaluated many different devices to find the right fit for Piper. She is able to use the AAC device to communicate thoughts and feelings she is often unable to verbalize. The AAC device has given Piper the freedom to connect with peers and caregivers in a deeper way. Piper’s device also has a wheelchair mount, which allows her to bring her “talker” with her wherever she goes. Piper attends speech therapy to continue to learn how to best use the device, and her therapist and family are very excited to see how her communication and independence grows!
