Oliver Benson is almost 4 years old, and he is a very determined and happy little boy! Oliver was diagnosed with microcephaly, mild cerebral palsy, and genetic mutation on the CTNNB1 gene when he was one years old. Ollie began to do PT/Infant Stim/OT when he was 1. He completed 3 months of feeding therapy too. Ollie began to army crawl at 18 months, crawled a little by 20 months, and took four independent steps the week before his 2nd birthday,
During 2019-2020 Ollie attended NAPA intensive therapy for 3 rounds which had a tremendous impact on his development in speech and PT. His weekly routine since he was 2 includes 5 PT sessions including hippotherapy, 2-4 speech, and 2 OT sessions. This past year, we have completed about 6 months of these therapies on Telehealth while both working full time. We also have the Maryam Parman foundation that supports Ollie in many of his therapies. Ollie currently receives AFO’s which now allows him to walk longer distances without falling as often. He can walk independently with us near him, but he struggles with transitions from the floor to stand. My goal is for him to achieve that this year!
Ollie is verbal with many approximations and signs he uses. He attends a mild/moderate preschool on Zoom each day which has helped with his development. He recognizes letters, can count to 5, knows his shapes, and achieved all of IEP academic goals this year! Oliver loves to play outside, in the dirt, bugs, and just loves to explore. Oliver works very hard, and I cannot wait to see what the future has for him!
Brandon, Krissy, and Oliver Benson