First physio experiences

Finally! This week I could start with the physiotherapy sessions. I was really looking forward to working with the children and getting to know them. I quickly noticed that certain equipment I had been working with in Switzerland would have been really useful here too. For example a device which is called “Sitzkiste” in German - which was of course far too big to bring on the plane - would be a great support for children with CP to work with them on their core stability. The advantage of this device is that it gives more stability to the children if they have the box between their legs and then they can concentrate better on straightening their upper body. Also, I can sit behind the children and support them where it is needed. So I need to think about how I can find something similar here in Bhutan which I will be able to use for the physiotherapy sessions!

Next to giving therapies to the children I have also started to teach some parents how to do the Qigong massage for children with autism. On Wednesday I had a group of 6 parents I taught. They were very motivated and interested which was very nice. At first I was a bit unsure how it would be for the parents to do the massage on each other to practice it because in different cultures its different how open people are to touch and the massage goes from head to toes. But I was relieved when I saw that the parents had no problem with that as long as it was part of the teaching.

That evening after the session when I went outside an aunt was waiting there with the child she takes care of and she started to speak with me in Dzongkha but I didn’t understand anything. So one of the social workers translated it to me. It seems that she has heard that some of the other parents have these classes with me, and that she also wants to learn this massage! I explained to her that at the moment I’m fully booked in the afternoon but in three months time when I finish the teaching of the Qigong massage with the first lot of parents I will gladly teach her as well. But she begged me that I can show her the massage tomorrow. She is very motivated and doesn’t want to wait so long. Because soon she will be going to another part of Bhutan for a couple of month and then she wants to be able to do that therapy for the child. So, I was discussing with the social workers if maybe I could ask some parents to come a quarter of an hour earlier and some parents to stay a quarter of an hour longer. Like that I could fit in 3 sessions in the afternoon instead of the two sessions I had originally planned. So the next day I had planned on showing the massage to 3 more parents but in the end 6 joined, as they all begged to also be able to learn the massage. So I’m now already completely booked out in the afternoon for the next couple of months - but I can just about fit every child and their parent in. It’s so nice to see how motivated the parents are to learn how to support their child : )