Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Special Baby Sitters for Kids with Special Needs

DENVER -- Diagnosed with hydrocephalus at birth, Brian had fluid around his brain. When he was 3 weeks old, a shunt was inserted to direct the fluid to his abdomen. Later, he was diagnosed with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy with dystonia, a brain injury that happened before he was born. Brian isn't paralyzed, but his movements are uncoordinated, with involuntary twisting.
Today, at 5, he uses a wheelchair, has frequent seizures, uses a stomach tube to ingest some food and medications, and uses a communication device operated by a head switch.
"We had a sitter for 10 months who I had to train for a few weeks," says Quayle, 37. "Things like how to transfer Brian into a wheelchair, or how to communicate with him. There are so many things you have to train somebody to do."

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