poniedziałek, 27 kwietnia 2009

time for summary

‘The phenomenon of the World is its riches. When you live in one culture or one environment, you don’t realize how huge and extreme is the variety of the World.’


[Kapuściński]


.................................................................................................................................


TAK !

sobota, 25 kwietnia 2009

practice - continuation

After short break, we started our practice again.
In the second week I observed work of physiotherapists in deparment B in Fjordskolen in Aabenraa.

This part of school is for children with multiple handicaps. Most of them is sitting in wheel chairs and need a lot of care with personal hygiene or eating. Some of them have to be fed trough a stomach tube.

The main diagnosis in department B are:
  • spasticity
  • muscle contractions
  • lopsided back
The main tasks of physitherapists are:
training of stability, mobility, balance, strenght, body awareness;
gain the children ability of sitting, standing, walking or getting from one position to another.


The third week I spent with physiotherapeutist Gitte ang Ulla in Department A. This part of school has students with pervasive developmental disorders (PDD), with Autism, Aspergers Syndrom.

PDD
:
children with this desease have problems with social communication, social imagination in playing and in flexible thinking.

Asperger's Disorder:
  • lucid speech before the age of 4 years of age
  • communication is sometimes repetative
  • voice tends to be flat, emotionless
  • can be obsessed with coplex topics - pattern, weather, music, numbers, cars
  • IQ's: many are above normal range in verbal ability and below average in performance range
  • lack of common sense
  • movement tend to be clumsy
  • sensory probles appear not to be as dramatic as in other forms of autism
  • socially aware but display inappropriate reciprocal interactions
  • often seen as depression, anxiety
  • in adulthood many lead productive lives; living indepently, working effectivly in a job and raising a family
Autism:
For this children the most important thing is to use an individual programme. Therapists should use visual, concrete materials and practice skills in real situations. They should learn how to solve conflicts. The day at school have to be predictable and understandable by using scheduls for the day, lessons, rules should be written.
Every student has his own seat, table to work, place to relax, his own materials and individual schedule: what to do, how long, with whom, where, what's next. They have to know what to do during the break and the day at school can't be stresful.

niedziela, 12 kwietnia 2009

Missing Easter in Poland

It’s my first time, when I spend Easter far away from my home and from my family. In Poland Christmas or Easter are very domestic time. It’s very important for us. We spend time together and visit each other… and it’s why I supposed this time would be very difficult for me.

Still yesterday I thought it would be really a big defeat. Because I assumed that only in Poland, with my family it’s possible. And in addition somebody stole our 30 EGGS ! I haven’t presumed that it’s possible here- in Denmark We put with Gosia our eggs downstairs to the fridge the day before. And yesterday we wanted to boil some and…surprise! Our all pallet with 30 eggs just disappeared. Now it’s funny! :) But yesterday I thought that we would cry with Gosia. Because we don’t have here our typical, traditional polish Easter food, and to make things worse we didn’t have then even eggs.

But fortunately girls from our house were so nice and they share with us… :D

Easter Sunday is very important in Poland. We spend all day with our family. The most important is common, festive breakfast.

We decided to prepare it together in our place. But before this, Lilla prepared for us big surprise and we went to look for painted eggs in grass. It was very very nice! :) And later we came back and settled down together to the Easter table. It went beyons all my expectations !!! Even Cana joined us! :) It wasn’t completely like at home, but almost ! :) Big thanks girls !!! ...for beautiful decoration, delicious food and just for very nice atmosphere ! :)

…but in spite of all this nice things I still think that only at home you can celebrate Easter in the best way, which you used to do. After breakfast I went for a long walk and then I really started to miss my relatives. I wasn’t nice experience, because I knew that at that moment they were together …

środa, 1 kwietnia 2009

Wednesday, April 1st - equipment

Today, I'm impressed by all equipment, which Fjordskolen have and can use to make moving and excercising of children easier and more comfortable.

First, I participated with Nasir in short bike trip. He has paresis in his leg, so he wouldn't be able to ride. But he as a special bike in which he can use his arms.
In the school in the hall there is a lot of bikes. Each of them are doffernet and adapted to each pupils.













Then I was with one of physiotherapist in the swimming-pool. It was nice to see:
  • adjustable bottom of the swimming-pool
  • special sling to carry children from dressing room to the swimming-pool
  • good equipment to use in swimming-pool













And on the end Louise showed all equipment which they have in basement. There was a lot of them. I'm impressed by this. But it's perfect, I think. Because therapists can match and choose the best one for each student.

And the most important sentence which Louise said today:
IN DENMARK, THERE IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ALL HANDICCAPED CHILDREN HAD AND WERE TREATED LIKE THE OTHER, HEALTHY.
And today, I really saw it. All this equipment, all this therapy and efforts aim to make and ensure their life as easy as possible.

wtorek, 31 marca 2009

March 31, 2009

Today was very nice because we met in Fjordskolen polish physiotherapist- Magdalenę, who works in this institution. Now she has break, because on the maternity leave. The surprise was that she lives in Haderslev! :) She has been living in Denmark since 16 years. Magdalena had started to study physiotherapy in Poland and finished here in Denmark. After this year's summer holiday she will continue work in Fjordskolen.
It was very interesting meeteing - we could tell how looks like physiotherapy and study in Poland and the same she explained to us. She said us more how therapists work in Fjordskolen, which methods they use. So now we know much more and lots of things are more understanding :)

My next 'patient' today was:
Jeanette- 9 years old girls with Cerebral Palsy; she is a premature baby; additionally she has epilepsy, spastic legs and very weak postural muscles.
  • the aim is strenghten postural muscles to make possible sitting without any help and belts in wheelchair
She use this wheelchair, which is very adapted to her.

poniedziałek, 30 marca 2009

ready, steady, go!!! practice time started… Monday, March 30, 2009

Today, with Marlena and Gosia, we started our practice in Fjordskolen in Aabenraa. The school is divided for three departments (A, B and C). Each of them has children with different diseases.
I started in deparment C. My tutoress is Louise, a physiotherapist, who has been working in Fjordskolen since 2001. In this part of school there is about 125 students with many different diagnosis, some of them are:
• General developmental disorders
• Cerebral palsy
• Muscles dystrophy
• Spinal bifida
• Speak and language disabilities
• Epilepsy
• Deaf and blind
• Syndromes (Down-, Griscelli-, William’s syndrome)

The treatment is done individually, in groups in the gym, in the hot water pool, in the outdoor surroundings of the school.

Some general information:
o most of children come to school by special bus (from Aabenraa and surrounding towns)
o classes star at 8.20 and finish at 12, but most of children go later to after- classes lessons, where they usually spend their time playing
o lesson lasts 45 minutes
o in class usually is about 8 students
o its happens that pupils are in different age, its depend on diseases and development
o in class there are minimum 2 teachers
o lots of children have very good intellect and have only some attention problems (for example ADHD disease)

Today I could see how Louise works with three students.

Josephine
– 9 years old girl with Cerebral Palsy; additionally she has scoliosis and epilepsy; she can’t speak and walk only with help.At Fjordskolen she is the third year and now she attends to the 2nd class.
In her class is 8 children . They have also a Cerebral Palsy and additionally a Down Syndrome.

Exercises:
  • going up and down the stairs;
  • walking in a special equipment which helps her to keep balance (this exercise is more difficult, but therapist wants to motivate her to start walking alone);

The problem with Josephine is that she doesn’t start any move without help. The therapist has to initiate and direct and not till then J. can continue.
Louise sometimes sings during the walking, what makes J. more eager to exercise.



Benjamin
– 7 years boy with General Learning Disabilities; psychomotoric problems; attention disability; problems with balance, muscletonus, coordination.
He finished a ‘normal ‘ kindergarten and now attends to the 1st class.

Exercises:
  • riding on some kind of skateboard and carry a pieces of puzzle from on to the second part of gym;
  • kneeling down on the same desk; he kept one end of line and Louise the second one; she pulled him and B. had to try keep a balance;
  • play in fishing;

The aim of the exercising was to strengthen his back and practice keeping balance.


Mikkel – 7 years old boy with William’s Syndrome; General developmental disorders; heart disease; attention, balance problems.

Exercises:
  • on the trampoline;
  • walking on the balance beam;
  • ‘flying on the balloon’;
  • circuit track;
  • exercises with big ball (pushing, throwing, keeping balance by sitting on it)

For M. the main aim is fight with his very big acrophobia !

sobota, 28 marca 2009

Danish for the last time

On Thursday, March 26th we had the last danish lesson. I don't know why, but I really started to feel that the end is nearer and nearer. Maybe because it was our last week with classes in college.

Danish:
  • almost impossible to learn ;)
  • with difficult pronunciation
  • with difficult grammar
  • difficult to understanding what other say
  • difficult to remember
but! instead of that we had:
  • very nice teachers!!! ;) who tried to learn us the most useful words and sentences
  • very nice atmosphere at classes
  • very friendly attitude and relationship
That weren't only typical danish lessons, but also very nice time spending together. Time spending not only in class but also during lunches in Christina's house...and of course unforgettable party in the end of international week :)

Girls! Big TAK for all! (: :)