Day 2

This morning, Ryan had an OT assessment. The assessment included his ability to shower and get ready for the day. Ryan can do a lot of these normal activities on his own, but needs help with some things that involve both hands or moving from his wheelchair.

Ryan also had a speech assessment today. The therapist said that he is very aware of what he needs to work on. She also asked about voice quality. We discussed how Ryan's voice has changed since his accident. He sounds more strained and monotone now. She said that won't be the main focus of his therapy, but she will definitely work on that with him.

While Ryan was in his speech assessment, I was in a family assessment with the psychologist. She asked a bunch of questions about our expectations, Ryan's personality, my personality, our relationship, etc. She offered information on classes about TBI and TBI related subjects for us to look at. 

For lunch today, Ryan had to cook his own meal. The therapist had Ryan make a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup. He did GREAT! I was so impressed by how well he got around the kitchen and gathered the items he needed. He was even using his left hand for some of the tasks. And, his grilled cheese sandwich was the most perfect golden brown sandwich I've ever seen. I was so impressed. 

Ryan had a life skills assessment in the afternoon. The therapist did some basic tests with money management. The therapist asked him questions like, "if you paid for an item that was $1.87 with a $5 bill, how much change should you get?" Ryan was able to perfectly answer each question. He also knew how much certain items cost (on average) and what type of bill he would use to pay for each item. He could accurately tell her what he would use a computer for (emailing, finding information, managing bills, etc.). 

Ryan had a medical management assessment with the nurse. She asked him a bunch of hypothetical questions about different medical situations. Ryan had perfect answers for everything. He knew exactly what he should do in most medical situations. When she discussed his medications with him, he wasn't exactly sure what each one was called, but he knew how many he takes and what they treat.

Ryan had a Dimension III assessment. Dimension III is similar to recreational therapy. The therapist will work with Ryan on recreational and some "real life" and vocational tasks. The therapist basically just asked about Ryan's job and his hobbies and interests.

Ryan and I played the Wii again tonight. Seriously, this is probably the best gaming system ever. Love it! :)