An Interview with TEAM's Faith-Based Program Coordinator

As the recently named Faith-Based Program Coordinator at Children's Therapy TEAM, what do you hope to achieve?
I have a lot of goals for these programs, but ultimately I want to see all families in Northwest Arkansas whose lives have been touched by disability actively thriving, knowing that they are loved and supported, being earnestly embraced by the community, and also having avenues to actively participate and contribute back to their communities as well. I would love to see Northwest Arkansas become a landmark area of the world in regards to disability awareness and ministry.

How has your past missionary experience overseas served you in your current work?
I think a big way that my time overseas is playing into the present is that I don’t fear taking risks – even if sometimes I fail. I’m not afraid to run really hard after things, even if I don’t have all the details worked out yet, or even if I know I’m not the most gifted at it. If there is a need, I want to do anything in my power to try and meet that need (while at the same time actively recruiting someone who might be a better fit than me). I was thinking about this one morning while leading “The More” open worship set at the Fayetteville Prayer Room. I’m not the best guitar player, I’m certainly not the best worship leader, but I wanted there to be a designated time and space for families, therapists (OT/PT/DT/SLP), and individuals to come and lay down their burdens to the Lord and to hopefully be filled with His presence, hope, and peace. So I started this worship set. One morning I couldn’t get the sound equipment to work. So there I was, singing raggedly into a microphone that I couldn’t get to turn on, and I thought, “I’m kind of failing at this whole worship thing today... and that’s ok because the Lord is still present.” Failure is just an opportunity to learn, and it doesn’t define who I am. Taking risks, whether they work out or not, is such a reminder of how shame, and placing our identities in what people think of us, is not from the Father. Because we are gathered into His fold, because He loves us, because He only has good plans for us, and because nothing is impossible for Him, we can - with full confidence and abandon - be obedient to Him and take risks when He asks us to.  Because of our love for Him and by our faith and trust in Him, we are to risk for His Kingdom. Shame doesn’t allow for risk. Saving face or fear doesn’t allow for risk. But without risk, rarely does greatness happen.

While overseas I also really experienced the joy of being so completely dependent on Jesus - and how having that close of a relationship with Him is better than anything else. It leads us to wholeness and healing. This is a foundational driving force in all that I do. There is probably nothing I love more than seeing people grow in healing - having past hurts, disappointments, injustices, etc. mitigated by the love of Christ and the identity He has for them. I’m not sure people really believe that He can do this, that He can make all things new again, but I’ve seen it both in my life and in the lives of others. It can take time and effort, and sometimes it is very much darkest right before the dawn, but it’s so worth it. Fighting for your heart, fighting for your wholeness, knowing that God is good and because of that we can dream big and take risks - it’s so worth it. And once you’ve glimpsed even just a piece of this, once you’ve seen Him come through in impossible situations or break through what feels like an indestructible barrier in your heart, you’ll never want to go back to anything less than complete dependence on Him.

As an Occupational Therapist, you are obviously well grounded in medical science. What is your understanding of the role that faith and spirituality has in medicine?
A big theme in OT is holisticness. I believe that spirituality is a piece of being holistic. For me personally, it is my faith in Jesus that brings me peace, comfort, joy, perseverance, compassion, and so much more. For me as a practitioner, it is what pushes me to pray for the kids that I see, to constantly try to see their inner value - the gold inside of them - and bring that gold to the forefront. It is the identity that I have in Christ and the confidence that this brings that causes my heart to break for any child who says, “I’m not good enough,” or “I don’t have friends.” My job is not just a job to me - it is the platform that gives me access into loving children, their parents, and their siblings to the best of my ability. My faith is what keeps me grounded in knowing that I alone can’t fix everything, but I believe in a big God who can.

What tips do you have for families and faith communities?
I think there are several faith-based communities within Northwest Arkansas that are striving to provide better support and awareness through various types of disability ministry. If I were to give one tip to both families and to these communities, it is to create an atmosphere for open dialogue. To the families I would say - for those of us attempting to love you and support you, we are going to make mistakes. You might walk into a church and have someone stare at you. You might have someone approach you and ask a really ignorant question. But choose to be unoffendable. Instead, help us. Communicate with us on what your needs are, how we can better meet those needs, and what is helpful or hurtful. To the churches and other faith based communities I would say - stay humble. It is really difficult to be criticized when you are just trying to do the best you know how, but this is going to happen. So keep asking questions, don’t make assumptions, ask for forgiveness when you inadvertently offend, and pray without ceasing.

What are some local outreach programs that you are particularly excited about?
I literally get excited about whatever program I’m working on in the moment. I honestly think each one of them, in different ways, has the potential to truly change lives. I get excited about the Tuesday morning worship because I believe in the power of prayer. There are various summer fun events coming up that I am hoping will help to connect families who are wanting/needing community. We had a pool party at the Boys and Girls Club on June 25th, which was fun and so encouraging. Cross Church graciously supported a sensory-friendly tent at their Fireworks at the Crosses event this weekend. I am networking with various local churches to begin community groups and parent encouragement groups. Children’s Therapy T.E.A.M. has partnered with Potter’s House and New Heights Church’s All Abilities Ministry to form a mentoring program for the summer, and it is my hope to eventually develop a year round program. There are various projects in the works that are providing older children with special needs work training and volunteer opportunities. And Children’s Therapy T.E.A.M. is working on a partnership with the Joshua Center, a local counseling center, to provide counseling for families, children, and therapists. These are all steps towards community, healing, and wholeheartedness. Sometimes it seems a little overwhelming how much God has done just in the past couple of months, but I think it is truly evidence of His heart for these families. He desires for them to know that they are seen and that they are loved.

How can families learn about opportunities in our community?
Children’s Therapy T.E.A.M. has a Community Calendar. As events develop, I’ll post them there - along with more detailed descriptions of the various programs as they launch. This is definitely still a work in progress, so keep checking for updates.

Amanda Wherry is a local and international advocate for individuals and families with disabilities. She spent nearly 7 years in a remote area in inland Asia developing a hospital pediatric therapy program with teaching in physical, occupational and speech therapy as well as NICU therapy. read more

About the cover art: Whose hands are pictured? The picture shows Amanda Wherry (right) giving Dimitri Clark (left) a high five. Dimitri is a TEAM kid with Cerebral Palsy who serves as the spokesperson for Heroes for Kids. The picture was taken at the 2016 Heroes for Kids Run. The non-profit awards adaptive recreation equipment to kids with special needs so they can enjoy the natural beauty of the outdoors in Northwest Arkansas.

When is Physical Therapy needed?

Dear Melissa, 
I have a student in my preschool classroom who I think would benefit from physical therapy. How do I know when a child needs a PT referral?  

As a mama who still has a youngster in preschool, I frequently get pulled aside by preschool teachers or fellow parents to be asked if what a child is doing is “normal." 
First of all, any concerns about child development should always be discussed with the child’s pediatrician. In addition, I highly value the opinion of preschool teachers, Sunday School teachers, and any other adult who is both actively involved in the child’s life AND has frequent experience with typically developing children as well.  

This blog is actually the conclusion of a 3 part series on “How do I know if my child would benefit from therapy?” If you have questions for speech, refer back to the speech blog.  If you have questions for occupational therapy, look back at the OT blog. Over the years, I have found that oftentimes, therapists just know when a child would benefit from therapy, and often these “red flags” don’t necessarily match up with what is on common developmental milestone lists. 

When is Physical Therapy needed? For the question of gross motor development, I compiled a list of gross motor developmental milestones from reputable sources located in the resource section listed below. However, the resource lists are long, and some valid concerns seem to not make their way into those developmental milestones lists. Therefore, I interviewed TEAM physical therapists Holly Hill and Wade Cunningham to learn what red flags make them question whether a child might benefit from further, formal gross motor evaluation. Once again, I broke these concerns up into rough stages to help with your scanning needs.

Birth to 2 years:

• An infant who greatly prefers looking to one side or the other, or consistently tilts his/her head to one side (as in the ear of one side generally stays closer to the shoulder of that side)  
• Flat head - where the skull does not have a round shape
• Not crawling by 10 months – as an OT, I echo the importance of crawling!
• Preferring to stay in one place once he/she has the skills to be mobile
• Not walking by 15-16 months

3 to 5 years:

• Consistent toe walking
• Consistent “pigeon toe-ing” where the toes point toward each other 
• Chronic “W” sitting where the knees face forward and the ankles/feet face backward
• Not jumping with both feet off of the ground at the same time (by 2 years)
• Unable to walk up stairs without holding onto the hand rail at 3 years
• Unalble to walk down the stairs without holding onto the hand rail by 4 years
• Overly fearful of catching a playground ball by 3 years
• Frequent tripping and falling, especially when the child does not “catch himself” with his hands when falling, and frequently bumps his face/head
• Appearing to fatigue more easily than peers 
• Appearing weaker than peers
• Collapsed foot arches “flat feet”
• Not able to stand on one foot
• Incoordinated running pattern
• Not able to keep up with peers on playground  

Resources:
Move Forward – A Physical Therapist’s Guide to Developmental Delay, American Physical Therapy Association, Accessed March 2016
Developmental Milestones, CDC, Accessed March 2016 
Ages & Stages, American Academy of Pediatrics, Accessed March 2016 

About the Author:
Melissa Foster is the leading contributor to Children's Therapy TEAM's Weekly Blog. She is a Pediatric Occupational Therapist with over a decade of experience in the field. An active public advocate in the NWA community, Melissa addresses topics related to Autism, Sensory Processing Disorder and general health and child development.

Mom's Insight on Food Allergies

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) has declared May as “National Asthma and Allergy Awareness month,” and May 8 – 14, 2016 was Food Allergy Awareness week, deemed so by Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE). We’re a little late with this post, but better late than never, right?    

Food allergies are a significant issue in the lives of many of our children. According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, food allergies occur when the body’s natural defenses overreact to exposure to a particular substance, treating it as an invader and sending out chemicals to defend against it. 

How Common are Food Allergies? According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology:

• Food allergies are estimated to affect 4-6% of children and 4% of adults.  
• The most common food allergens are milk, soy, eggs, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish.  
• Peanut is the most common allergen, milk is second, shellfish is third. 

The most severe allergic reaction is anaphylaxis – a life threatening whole-body allergic reaction that can impair breathing, cause a dramatic drop in blood pressure, and affect heart rate. Anaphylaxis can come on within minutes of exposure to the trigger food. It can be fatal and must be treated promptly with an injection of epinephrine (such as an EpiPen).

In this post I wanted to offer a Mom’s insight on food allergies. As I, myself, do not have a child with food allergies, I decided to locate a parent who is actually “in the trenches” when it comes to problem-solving the very real concerns related to severe food allergies. Therefore, I interviewed Martha Tompkins, a local mother, whose 7 year old son, Luca has severe food allergies.  

Melissa:  When did you first know that your child had food allergies? 
Martha:  During his 6 mo check-up, Dr. Harvey, Luca’s pediatrician, saw Luca scratching the side of his belly and said that it looks like he has allergies. He recommended we see Dr. Campbell. We set an appointment and got him tested and sure enough, Luca was diagnosed with food and environmental allergies. We started reading and researching about food allergies. I don’t think we have stopped reading about it to this day. There is a lot of new information about food allergies. We try to stay updated and follow three or four blogs and Facebook pages to keep informed. 

Melissa:  What are your son’s specific allergies?  
Martha:  His food allergies are peanut, tree nut, soy, egg and sesame. His peanut/tree nut allergy is high enough that we were prescribed an EpiPen. We don’t leave home without it. 

Melissa:  What tricks do you have for avoiding allergens at school, birthday parties, etc., when your child is not able to be under your watchful eye?
Martha:  Luca takes his lunch to school every day. He sits at the “peanut-free table” while he eats lunch at school. For birthday parties, we bring cookies with us in case he cannot eat the cake. But his friends know about his allergies, and they try to accommodate. I have had moms text me to see if it’s safe for Luca to have whatever they are thinking about having at the party. Luca is now old enough to tell people about his allergies. He is very good about asking if something has peanuts or soy, because he’s allergic to it. If his dad and I are not around, we tell the other parents about Luca’s allergies and give them his EpiPen. So far, everyone has been very accommodating.

Melissa:  Who do you teach to use the EpiPen, and how difficult is it for them to use?
Martha:  Anytime Luca is going to spend time with another adult, we share with them his Epi and walk them through how to use it. We have never had to use his EpiPen so far. 

Melissa:  What are your best tips for avoiding “close calls”?
Martha:  We are always on high alert for allergies. We read the ingredients of everything Luca eats. Also, we always tell the waiter about it, regardless of what restaurant we go to. We have never encountered a restaurant that wasn’t willing to answer our questions or show us their allergy menu. 

Melissa:  It seems as though you have so much figured out! How do you stay informed on the latest food allergy information?
Martha:  The internet is a fantastic resource. I follow many blog pages to swap stories with other parents who are in the same boat. My favorite one is Kids with Food Allergies Foundation (KFA). I also follow FARE (Food Allergy Research and Education). We’ve participated in the FARE walk three times. We love the community participation, and it helps Luca to see that other kids have food allergies too. Allergy Moms and AllergyEats are good too. 

Resources:
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America:  Allergy Facts and Figures (accessed May 2016)
Food Allergies, American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (accessed June 2016)

About the Author:
Melissa Foster is the leading contributor to Children’s Therapy TEAM’s Weekly Blog. She is a Pediatric Occupational Therapist with over a decade of experience in the field. An active public advocate in the NWA community, Melissa addresses topics related to Autism, Sensory Processing Disorder and general health and child development.

Thriving on Long Trips with Kids: Car Trip Games and Activities

Featured in the Peekaboo Magazine, TEAM OT Melissa Foster shares her tips for thriving on trips with kids. The car trip games and activities she suggests can help make long trips more enjoyable for everyone!