Meet Ezra

SOH Ezra

Ezra started early intervention services when he was 10 months old. His mother reports that he met all developmental milestones until it was time for him to sit up and crawl. Ezra was evaluated and referred to Easterseals to receive physical therapy on a weekly basis. Soon after he began physical therapy, his mother, Stacy, noticed some issues with Ezra’s feeding skills, so occupational therapy services were added to his services. Stacy notes, “As a mom, I had intuition that something wasn’t right in Ezra’s development. He was having difficulty tolerating baby cereal. It was after he began receiving occupational therapy at Easterseals that his therapists and I became aware of his sensory differences.”

Special instruction and speech therapy were added to Ezra’s services to help him communicate and play. His therapists worked together to provided various strategies for Stacy to practice throughout the week during Ezra’s daily routine, using play activities as a fun way to introduce therapeutic interventions. Ezra initially had a short attention span to activities, so his therapists suggested different seating and positioning options to try while he played until they found one that helped to increase his attention. Stacy and all of his therapists payed close attention to which ways Ezra learned best. One thing they discovered was his love of music, so that became a wonderful tool to use when practicing imitation skills, songs and finger plays, and sensory play and gross motor skill practice.

When it was decided that Ezra would benefit from some extra equipment to accommodate his sensory differences, Easterseals assisted Stacy in obtaining the appropriate equipment he needed. Ezra now enjoys jumping on a mini trampoline when he needs a movement break. He has a yoga ball and a “cozy cocoon” that help him to calm. Ezra also uses a beanbag chair to sit and read books. Previously, he sat on his mother’s lap in order to focus on the book, but now he is able to sit independently and comfortably in his beanbag chair and read an entire book. Ezra has a weighted vest and a weighted blanket that provide comfort. Stacy reports that Ezra has not had as many temper tantrums while wearing his vest. He used to rock himself to sleep, but now he is able to go to sleep more easily with his weighted blanket.

After Ezra began receiving early intervention services, his mother and his therapists were able to notice progress weekly. His mother states, “As a mom, there are times that I become frustrated or doubted myself, but meeting with Ezra’s therapists weekly has given me more confidence. I am now more aware of how he is progressing and understand the ways he learns best. I like the fact that all of the therapists work together as a team to help Ezra and they give me new ideas of how I can work with him. I’m so honored to be a part of Easterseals and I am thankful for all of their help.”

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