William Doherty
Although 18-month-old William had met all of his developmental milestones, Ashley Doherty noticed that her son was avoiding using his left hand. He was diagnosed with mild cerebral palsy, and immediately began receiving early intervention services of physical and occupational therapy in their Worcester home through a collaboration with Easter Seals Massachusetts and Pernet Family Health Service, Inc.
“He is super strong-willed, so he needed someone who would make him work – which is what he got,” Ashley said of William, now 3 years old. “We noticed improvements almost right away.”
With the condition affecting his left side, Occupational Therapy Clinical Supervisor Valerie Smithwood-Green worked weekly with William on using both hands simultaneously in a controlled and organized manner and improving fine motor skills. William focused on his left hand during functional play when doing puzzles, stacking blocks, stringing beads, pinching and rolling Play-Doh and playing a variety of games. During his weekly physical therapy sessions, William worked on his balance, flexibility, strengthening exercises, navigating stairs and throwing a ball.
When William was given the right encouragement, Valerie said he willingly participated in requested activities and began to master new skills at a rapid rate. She attributes his progress largely to the excellent support and carryover of his parents: Mark, a school behavior therapist, and Ashley, a former special education teacher. In fact, Valerie said they both took special interest during therapy sessions and eagerly assisted William with his “homework” the rest of the week.
Having previously worked with Easter Seals speech therapists in conjunction with her students, Ashley said she was confident that her son was receiving superior care. In fact, she credits Valerie’s structured approach to therapy with William’s smooth transition to his public preschool, where his teachers have praised him for paying attention and following instructions. William is also impressing his parents at home, where he loves to draw now that he knows how to hold a piece of paper steady with one hand while using a marker with the other.
“William always greeted me with excitement and was eager to dive into my bag of toys. In the context of play, he worked very hard during his therapy sessions and did great as a result,” Valerie said. “While many activities were challenging, William was resilient and always accomplished his goals with a smile on his face. It was very gratifying to witness his progress.”
William enjoys the beach
