Well here we are almost 5 weeks later...we have had an unbelievable experience which ended in a great last week! We spent our day on Tuesday at NARCIE (National Resource Centre for Inclusive Education) where we had to assess two little ones with CP to determine their readiness to enter the schooling system, as well as the supports they will require.
Our first little guy was a client we had visited before named RJ. He is a 5 year old boy with cerebral palsy, his lower limbs were affected with little difficulty in his upper limbs. He is non verbal but able to make sounds and has the cutest smile any of us have ever seen. We put on our OT hats and got down to business. We assessed various areas including: communication, balance, affect, coordination, reach-grasp-manipulation, interaction as well as ADL's which were explored through speaking with his mother. It was great to be able to use the skills we have learned throughout our OT education. We also learned that our understanding of kriol is getting much better! We were able to understand RJ's mother compared to when we first arrived and couldn't decipher one word.
Next we ventured to another clients house since he wasn't feeling well due to an infection in his g-tube. His father picked us up from the NARCIE office and was the nicest man. When we arrived at their home we met Joshua who had severe CP. He currently attends a pre school around the corner from his house but he is 9 years old so entering primary school is the next step for this little one. Due to his difficulty with communication coupled with being irritable due to the infection, much of the assessment was done through his father. We spoke about his readiness for school and the concerns that his father has regarding his abilities in school as well as a plan for his transition from pre school to primary. There was so much love in this household it made us feel welcomed and happy that this client is so well taken care of. It was a great experience getting to make recommendations to this family and NARCIE. We felt that we had made a small contribution and that these children will be able to engage in school and build relationships with their peers.
The rest of the week was spent working in the office. We had to finish some projects we had been working on including a hand out on the task oriented approach which is becoming more popular in occupational therapy. The hand out will be distributed to the RFO's and will hopefully give them new and fun ideas! We also had discussions with some people who work here regarding recommendations that we think would be beneficial for the organization.
We feel so lucky to have been able to come down here to Belize and work with this amazing organization. We have learned so much and have experienced things we never could have imagined. The children and families are amazing, tenacious and resilient in the face of many difficulties. This organization is making a large impact on the communities they work with and will continue to have much success in the future. Yesterday we got to see the site which is being built for the first rehabilitation clinic in the country!! It was history in the making and we feel privileged that we had the opportunity to see it! We plan on coming back in a few years for the grand opening :)
There are not enough positive things to say about our experience and returning home is bitter sweet. We all feel that this experience will make us better professionals in our upcoming careers!!
Thanks for following us on our Belize Experience and we look forward to seeing everyone when we get home :)
Much Love
xoxoxo
Catherine, Laura and Jennifer
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