Something for the therapists

In these videos, Alex is practicing holding the "half-kneel" position, which is how typical people usually stand up from the floor using a table or something for support. It may not look all that difficult, but therapists who've worked with her as well as others who've worked closely with CP kids know just how difficult this position is due to the spasticity and muscle weakness. So Alex usually "muscles up", using mainly her arms and both legs at the same time when she stands up from the floor at a table.  She may always do this, but it would be pretty cool if she could get strong enough and learn how to do it through half-kneel--it is better on the joints and helps build strength and all kinds of good stuff.  This is one of the first times she has attempted this position post-surgery, and she did really, really well.  Even before surgery, she rarely held this position without at least some support from the therapist, so I was absolutely thrilled to see her do so well in it already.  The therapist in the video is very pleased, and offers hope that because she is doing so well already that maybe she can learn to get into the position on her own and use it in her daily life on her own.  I am excited that it seems to me that it suggests that spasticity was a bigger limiter than we realized and that Alex does have at least some underlying muscle strength.  And it is fun to be starting to work toward being in more and more upright positions.  Jim and I are really looking forward to standing practice and taking steps with her walker, parallel bars, etc.

 half-kneel video 1

half-kneel video 2