Grayson first started at Medical Support Services (MSS) when he was 14 months old after participating in birth to three services following a diagnosis of stroke in utero. Grayson is a happy, motivated, and engaged little boy who loves to play with and copy his older brother.
Grayson was referred first for Speech-Language Pathology services, due to concerns with limited expressive communication. He had good understanding of what others said, but did not express his wants and needs, had only recently started saying his first word, and had experienced plateau in expressive development since 9 months of age. He was demonstrating a high level of frustration with being unable to communicate. During his 10 months in speech therapy, Grayson has demonstrated amazing growth in communication skills! He recently graduated from therapy and is talking up a storm. He is combining many words together, even using full sentences with a variety of word types and to communicate for many intents and purposes. Not only is he successfully communicating his wants and needs, but he is now talking about the world around him, sharing his thoughts and ideas, and beginning to tell stories.
When Grayson began Occupational Therapy at 16 months, he was very guarded with his right arm, often not utilizing it in any activity. Over the past several months, Grayson has made significant progress in the functional use of his right arm and hand. He now actively incorporates his right hand when carrying items, engaging in ball play, playing with interlocking toys, and participating in gross motor games.
We are so proud of Grayson for his playfulness and engagement, enabling him to make such great progress. It has been such a joy to see his personality bloom and his confidence grow as he has gained skills. We are excited to see what he accomplishes next!
Parent Quote:
“When Grayson was 4 months old (age 2 now) we started to notice him favoring one hand over the other and keeping his other arm guarded near his chest. After many tests and MRIs, it was confirmed that Grayson had a stroke in utero that affected one side of his brain causing muscle tightness on the other side of his body. After the diagnosis we had a hard time processing what this meant for Grayson’s future. It was at that time we were referred to outpatient therapy. We were/are fortunate to work with Nora for speech and Abbey for OT. Coming to therapy each week (at times multiple times a week) never feels like “going to therapy”, it feels like going to a second home to work with people who truly are passionate not only about what they do but your child as well. Nora and Abbey continue to go above and beyond for Grayson to meet him where he is at, but also give him the push they know he is capable of handling. Grayson started speech with Nora with a very limited vocabulary, and now he is talking non-stop in full sentences. We are so proud of the progress he has made with Nora, and we are forever grateful for the continued education and support for Grayson along the way from Nora. Grayson continues to work with Abbey for OT, and from the moment we had our first visit with Abbey we knew she was the perfect fit for Grayson. Abbey continues to meet Grayson where he is at, but also challenges him to do things she knows he is capable of doing. Grayson has gone from only using his left hand for tasks, to now using both his hands together. We are amazed at all the progress he is continuing to make in OT with Abbey. We can’t thank the staff from MSS Oak Creek enough for all they have done for our family. It will be a sad day when Grayson graduates and no longer needs services at MSS.”
-Jessica Nieskes, Grayson’s mother