Speech therapy
Sophia Clay thrives at Schreiber
June 21, 2016Sophia has cerebral palsy and struggles to control her body movements. Gaining muscle strength and control is important for her, as this will help her stand and walk. Because it is hard work, physical therapy is Sophia’s least favorite activity. The therapist has started working on relaxing techniques that will also help with movement control. Sophia’s mother helps her exercise and stretch during the therapy sessions.
“I’m right there with her,” Kelly says. “The best way for parents to help their kids is to be involved here. Therapy is only once a week, so you have to work on these things at home if your child is going to progress. Each month I come away learning something new.”
Kelly knows that with constant work Sophia will gain greater mobility and the skills necessary to live a better life. Sophia is able to move her own wheelchair to get around and has positive interaction with her peers at school. As she learns to better control her movement and speech it will improve her ability to communicate and interact with those around her.
Sophia’s condition requires more than one type of therapy. At Schreiber, Sophia is able to work on her gross and fine motor skills, develop her speech articulation, and learn important social skills.
During speech therapy, Kelly watches Sophia through an observer’s window.
“She’s come a long way with her speech.” Kelly says. “I learned different ways to help her make sounds that she has trouble pronouncing from watching the therapist work with her here.”
Kelly plans to enroll Sophia in Schreiber’s summer camp program and looks forward to meeting other families that may have children who will become playmates for her daughter. One way she hopes to develop relationships is through a newly formed parent support group. The group, which plans to meet monthly, was formed by parents who want to network, encourage and connect with other families experiencing similar challenges.
“I’m glad we’re at Schreiber because there aren’t a lot of places that offer this kind of support,” Kelly says. “Everything she needs is right here. And all the therapists show concern for Sophia and for us as a family.”
Meet the 2016 Ambassadors: Ty McCabe
March 2, 2016Tiberius “Ty” McCabe
Age: He turned 6 in December
Diagnoses: Pierre Robin Syndrome, Pterygium Syndrome, hearing impaired, speech and language impaired
Grade and school: Schreiber S.T.A.R.S. Preschool
Parents: Kevin and Margaret McCabe, Lititz
Siblings: Delaney, 12
Favorite activities: Playing with Delaney; playing with trains, tractors and monster truck toys; playing ABC Mouse and tabletop games with the nurses; video games
Favorite food: Pudding
What he watches and listens to: On TV, he likes “Magic School Bus,” Mr. Rogers, and SpongeBob; for movies, he likes the “Air Bud” series; favorite song is “The Wheels on the Bus”
When he grows up he wants to: Be a pilot or drive monster trucks
Three words to describe him: Outgoing, determined and happy
For the Ambassador photo shoot, Ty McCabe came prepared. He rocked the white hat and black bow tie. When it was his turn, he plopped down in the comfy chair and faced the camera, his whole demeanor saying: “I’m ready. Let’s do this.”
That’s Ty: spreading smiles and good vibes whenever he comes to Schreiber. Which, as it turns out, is a lot. He’s here for preschool, and he receives physical, speech and occupational therapy.
He was born with a couple of different conditions: Pierre Robin Syndrome, which left him with a smaller-than-normal lower jaw, issues with his tongue and feeding problems; Pterygium Syndrome, which carries several symptoms but primarily affects his joints and bones; and he has hearing, speech and language impairments.
During therapy and at home, he works on stair climbing, bike riding and dressing himself. He practices fine motor skills like writing, using scissors and feeding himself. He’s trying to improve his speech and his signing skills. Since he started at Schreiber, he has learned to walk without a walker, is able to form some words and is eating Stage II foods, the thicker, chunkier foods that replace purees.
“(He is preparing) for mainstream education at the highest functional level of independence,” his mom Margaret says. “We have seen academic improvement despite many hospitalizations, surgeries and medical appointments.”
Meet the 2016 Ambassadors: Graham Lodwick
March 1, 2016Graham Lodwick
Age: He turns 12 in August
Diagnosis: Deaf and childhood speech apraxia
Grade and school: Fifth grade, John Beck Elementary School
Parents: Wendy Williams and Karl Lodwick of South Lebanon Township, Lebanon County
Siblings: Graham has an older brother Reese, 14
Favorite activities: Playing with pets, playing video games, bowling and riding his bike
Favorite food: Pizza
What he watches and listens to: “Drake and Josh,” “Minions,” the song “The Best Day of My Life” by American Authors
When he grows up, he wants to: Be a car designer
Three words to describe him: Happy, silly and loving
Graham has been coming to Schreiber for speech therapy since he was 6. Dorlas Riley, Schreiber’s lead speech therapist, diagnosed Graham with speech apraxia. The condition is defined this way by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association: Graham knows what he wants to say, but his brain has difficulty coordinating the muscle movements necessary to say those words. He’s also deaf and has a cochlear implant.
So in his twice-a-week therapy at Schreiber, he practices his speech sounds and works on listening to get the best use of his cochlear processor. He’s also working on talking in complete sentences. The work is paying off. When he started with Dorlas, he communicated entirely by signing.
“(Now), he can carrry on a conversation with someone who does not use sign langugage,” says his mom Wendy.
It takes a lot of effort to make that kind of progress. But his therapy with Dorlas doesn’t seem like work.
“He loves it,” Wendy says. “Even after six years, he still looks forward to coming.”
Meet the 2016 Ambassadors: Sophia Clay
February 29, 2016Sophia Clay
Age: She turns 5 on March 28
Diagnosis: Cerebral palsy
Parents: Kelly and Adam Clay of Manheim Township
Siblings: None
Favorite activities: Playing with her toys, going to the beach, watching movies on her iPad, riding her bike around the neighborhood and seeing plays at local theaters.
Favorite foods: Pizza and ice cream
What she watches and listens to: Disney movies, “Doc McStuffins,” “Sofia the First,” princess movies
Three words to describe her: Happy, outgoing and determined
What else to know about Sophia: She has a black lab named Dallas.
***
Sophia Clay and her mother, Kelly, attended a Schreiber board meeting late in 2015, and Sophia charmed the room with her smile and her spirit. Sophia’s cerebral palsy means she uses a wheel chair for a lot of her day. Her therapy at Schreiber is intended to help her be out of the chair more. “She’s working to become stronger in all areas of her life,” Kelly says. “She practices with a gait trainer so she can stand on her own. She works on sitting up without assistance. She practices her fine motor skill, her articulation and eating on her own.”
It’s the articulation — how clearly she speaks — where Sophia has shown the biggest progress, her mom says.
“Sophia’s language has come a long way,” Kelly says. “When she started, she could only say a few things. Now, she can say 10-word sentences.”
And that’s just the beginning. With her determination, she will be ready to make speeches in her class when she starts school.
Jedi training coming to Schreiber
January 8, 2016
How did Star Wars Week at Schreiber come to be?
Go here for a surprise.
“One of the biggest things Luke Skywalker had to do to be a Jedi,” Bernie says, “was to learn to control his reactions to frustration that would make him upset and angry activate the Dark Side. So we will be using that hook with many of the clients who are learning to conquer new daily routines that are hard, like tying shoes.”
That’s just the start of what Star Wars Week at Schreiber will offer.
“Jedi knights have to learn balance and core strengthening activities, so we will have the Jedi Training obstacle course,” Bernie says.
“Jedi knights learn how to use their abilities to positively sway others, we will be practicing social skills.
“Jedi knights learn other languages. We will have some select Yoda and Darth Vader expressions for the children to listen to and imitate.
“Of course there will be Storm Troopers to target, and we will be using our powers of observation and visual scanning as well to be aware of hidden dangers.”
The entire center will be turned into a Jedi Training Center to help celebrate Schreiber Pediatric’s 80th anniversary year this year. The multipurpose room will be the main area decorated in the Intergalactic mode, but already Speech Therapists have their lighting up and Physical Therapists have begun their decorations.
Update: Some folks from the Central Pennsylvania Avengers will be on hand Thursday afternoon, Jan. 28. Jason Johnson is director and founder of the group, which consists of adult hobbyists who dress up in superhero costumes and do appearances to entertain. Their motto is: “We came, we saw, we made smiles.” Expect to see a Kylo Ren, a Rey and a Darth Vader (non-scary variety) roaming the halls of Schreiber that day.
In the big picture, some big steps forward
December 29, 2015We have a better building. We obtained several substantial donations, including grants from the Stabler and High foundations, that allowed us to replace our aged HVAC system. We also replaced the plumbing, carpeting and repainted throughout the public areas. We managed this without having to spend one dollar from our operating funds.
We have better technology. After raising more than $85,000 in dedicated funds, we were able to completely overhaul our IT infrastructure. We replaced two aging, overloaded servers with two new servers. We updated our billing and scheduling software for the first time in 12 years, and we purchased new accounting software for the Finance Office.
We raised the bar on fundraising: One of the four main goals of the Schreiber Strategic Plan passed by the Board in September 2014 was to raise $1 million net on annual basis within three years. We reached our goal after one year through increases across all areas of Financial Development. We had the largest fundraiser in Schreiber’s history when our annual Phonathon, which only began three years ago, brought in more than $180,000.
We also hired staff in all therapy departments to keep pace with increased demand, and our rebranded daycare is filled to capacity. But here’s the most important thing to remember: Thanks to your continued partnership and support, we will continue to provide the life-changing services that are so needed within our community. We look forward to sharing more successes as we celebrate our 80th anniversary in 2016.
James DeBord is president of Schreiber Pediatric. Jon Hill is chairman of the board of directors.
A dad’s story: One family’s long road to recovery
November 11, 2015That is one thing that has always frustrated me: being out there trying to figure out the road ourselves.
We are a family of four. Erin and I have been married for 27 years. We have two children, Jason (18) and Kiana (21). Kiana suffered her TBI in a car accident on Aug. 27, 2005. She and Erin were on their way to school for a basketball open gym when another car slammed into theirs broadside. The force of the impact shattered Kiana’s face from her eyes up. She was 11 years old.
That day turned all of our lives upside down. Jason, who was a happy kid in third grade at the time, had to stay with multiple friends and family as we spent time with Kiana at Hershey Medical Center. Kiana was a good student and a successful athlete. She played both softball and basketball and competed in horse-riding competitions. But she has spent the past 10 years trying to work her way back, a struggle that still goes on and, of course, has its ups and downs.
Kiana had to relearn everything. In her 84 days in Hershey, she went the full spectrum from not being supposed to survive to coming home right before Thanksgiving and her birthday, then going to Schrieber Pediatric for physical, speech and occupational therapy.
We are 10 years into this journey, and, yes, there were and are some really tall hurdles to get over for all of us. But God has been so good to us. Kiana continues to improve and fight to get back what was lost.
If you’d like to check out more information on her journey, please feel free to check out her story on CarePages.com (registration required), an online community for visitors to share the challenges, hopes and triumphs of anyone facing a life-changing health event. We started this page only a few days after her accident and have continued it to this day.
We have learned many things along the way, and I have a few topics in mind for future blog posts, including:
- Living with the aftermath of a traumatic brain injury
- Navigating the school system when you have a child with a physical and mental challenge
- Advice for parents whose kids are transitioning to adulthood
Troy Brown and his family live in Gap.
No, really. Thank you
July 6, 2015Dear Mr. DeBord,
On August 4, 1955, our second child was born in Lancaster General Hospital. A little girl, she weighedijn at 5 pounds, 4 ounces, and was healthy. However, by the one month check-up, our doctor had some questions about her neck and hip, and he sent us to see Dr. Goodman, an orthopedic physician in Lancaster.
Dr. Goodman diagnosed a congenital dislocation of the left hip, early club foot, and a wry neck. She was to wear a bar 24 hours a day to separate her legs and straighten her legs while her body grew a hip. He assured us that with lots of therapy our little (daughter’s name withheld for privacy) would be normal. He explained that help was available at the Crippled Children’s Society, which was then in Rossmere, and referred us to Miss (Edna) Schreiber. That was the beginning of our daughter’s healing.
We did her exercises daily, and a neighbor came up to help me to hold her down on the table while I gently pulled her neck and twisted the muscles. Miss Schreiber’s assuring words, “Do this religiously, and she will get better,” were the commands that carried us on as (the daughter) began to improve. Miss Schreiber saw us regularly, and we do not remember ever being charged for the service.
Our daughter was a competitive swimmer in her teens, and is now a registered pharmacist working in Lancaster. She lives in Lancaster with her husband. They have two children and one grandson. She has been able to live a normal life and seems free of any complications of the hip.
We have tried to support the Society’s fundraising campaigns, because we have been extremely thankful for all you did for us then. The news in today’s Lancaster paper caused us to think how we were aided then and how you continue to help people. We want to help now. Our check for $1,000 is enclosed.
Here’s another one, sent in just last month.
To everyone at Schreiber,
Thank you, thank you, thank you! This note is a long time coming, but very well owed.
Our only child, (name withheld for privacy), who is now almost 17, was born 61/2 weeks early back in 1998. She weighed 4 pounds, 4 ounces, came home from the NICU at 11 days old at exactly 4 pounds, and started with Early Intervention the next day or so.
When she turned 1 is when Schreiber took over. If Mari Cunningham is still with Schreiber, please let her know that we truly do appreciate and will never forget what she did for us as far as helping our daughter. Today, she is a beautiful, healthy young lady getting ready to start her senior year of high school. She’s an A-B student who makes the honor roll every marking period. She plays tennis, does track, plays softball, plays lacrosse and loves every minute of it.
So, again, we say thank you to all of the therapists for doing what they do every day. It truly does make a difference. Thank you to everyone else at Schreiber as well. We wish we could give more, but, unfortunately, right now that’s not possible. Some day it will be though, at least we hope.
Thanks so much again, and keep up the good work!
And sometimes, the notes are shorter. We received this one in June after Schreiber President James DeBord visited Schaffer Elementary School to accept the money raised by students in Laurie Fellenbaum’s second-grade class.
Thank you! Schreiber is COOL!
So to those second graders, to the proud parents of a teenager, and to the folks we helped 60 years ago who all find it in their hearts to remember us and support us, we can only say:
No, really. Thank you.
My Story: Jana Kuhns
May 19, 2015The night of the accident I was taken to Lancaster General Hospital then transferred to Hershey Medical Center right away because Lancaster General doesn’t accept trauma pediatric patients. I was in Hershey’s pediatric intensive care unit for 18 days with many differnt injuries, including a severe brain injury. Then spent 3 months and 3 days in the Lancaster Rehab Hospital.
I am told I had a breathing tube and a brain probe, and they also had me on life support at Hershey. But I don’t remember any of that.
The day of Jennie’s viewing they removed my breathing tube.
I don’t remember the first two months, but I remember the big events. My nurses, techs and therapists sang “You are my sunshine.” I remember being sung to, but I don’t remember when.
I had no physical abilities because my left side was stiff, and my right side was curled. But now my left side is my good side, my right side doesn’t work. I also had a fractured jaw and pelvis, but I don’t remember any pain. I am told I had a feeding tube as well. I wasn’t responsive in Hershey or when I first came to the rehab hospital.
***
She started coming to Schreiber for therapy in July, about four months after the crash. She comes three times a week: for physical therapy (each visit), occupational therapy (twice a week) and speech therapy (once a week).
The physical therapy is the most arduous. PTs Laurie Miller and Lisa Stachler Volk are working to restore strength and range of motion to Jana’s right arm and leg. For the ankle and foot, Lisa and Laurie are using a therapy technique called serial casting. Because of the brain injury, Jana’s foot became locked in a flexed position. The muscles were stuck.
With serial casting, Jana’s doctor injected the muscles in her lower leg and foot with Botox to temporarily shut down and relax the muscles. Then Laurie and Lisa put her foot and ankle in a series of casts that will gradually allow her foot to be moved back toward the correct position. Each week, they take the old cast off, adjust the ankle position and put a new cast on. Each week is a little more progress toward normal.
***
I hate it when Lisa and Laurie put a cast on my leg and ask me not to talk, but I know what they’re doing is going to help me in the long run. Also, I love asking almost everyone to sign my cast, and I understand why they’re asking me, so that helps me to stand it.
I love it when Laurie does the exercise that helps me hold my shoulder back when I’m walking, because I just lay on the table and roll this way and that. I love it when Lisa has me do wall pushups because that’s making my left arm stronger. I love it when Isaak (Schreiber OT Isaak Ross) has me cooking because I’m doing something that will help me at home.
***
Jana’s mother RoseAnn didn’t know exactly what to expect when she started bringing Jana to Schreiber. She saw the progress in the first four months – learning to talk and walk again – and thought she had come a long way pretty quickly.
“I think I thought she’d get back to normal,” she says. “The more I learn about brain injuries, the more I know that ‘normal’ might take a long time, if ever. Jana has a new normal.”
The new Jana is a chatty, cheerful teenager who teases her therapists while taking some teasing from her little sister Jenessa. The new Jana shows no signs of any woe-is-me wallowing. The new Jana is a smart girl with lots of support from her family, her faith and her friends at Schreiber.
Matt Woods: Training with a purpose
May 7, 2015After he graduated from LVC in 2007, one of his swimming buddies talked him into trying a sprint triathlon in Harrisburg. That led to his first Ironman-style triathlon last year in Atlantic City, N.J., the Challenge Atlantic City. A triathlon requires competitors to swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles and run a full 26.2-mile marathon, all in one day. That might seem a little daunting to most people (to say the least). But Matt was already hooked.
“I like the community in triathlons,” Matt said. “There’s definitely competition and pushing yourself. But at the same time people pull for each other, you have volunteers helping you. It’s definitely a different type vibe.”
He managed to finish last year, and after the race he and his wife Katie, a Schreiber speech therapist, talked about whether to do it again this year. He said he had noticed a lot of the athletes use their racing to raise awareness or raise money for various things.
“I said if I did it again, I’d want to do something to raise money,” Matt said. “Eventually, I thought it would be a great idea to do something for Schreiber. I know a lot about it through Katie. I knew about all the great work with kids that happens there. Everyone I’ve ever talked to about (Schreiber) had nothing but great things to say. So I thought I could try to raise some money and, if nothing else, raise awareness.”
And having a cause to support also helps stay motivated on those I’m-not-sure-if-I-can-do-this days.
“Absolutely, it helps,” he said. “People contacting me and saying really nice things about Schreiber and about me gives you a definite boost and motivates you and reminds you that what you’re doing makes a difference or helps the cause in some small way.”
Matt is halfway to his goal of raising $3,000. To join Matt’s team and donate to his Tri Schreiber fundraising page, go to: https://www.crowdrise.com/trischreiber/.