HOPSA time

Sophie has been using a HOPSA dress for a few years now.  She loves it so much that she throws a little tantrum if her friends get to go in it before she does.  I love that, because she is showing what she wants.

I think this is the first picture of Sophie in the HOPSA.  She was just over 2 years old.

Is she not the cutest thing?  She was so proud of herself and did move her leg to try to take some steps.

These next pics are a few months later when she was 2 1/2 years.

Going for a walk with Lucas :)

Last week.

My big girl can saunter around the room and in and out of the ball pit as she pleases.
O.k, it isn't as easy for her as that sounds, but she certainly picks and chooses where she wants to go or who she wants to stand by.  She really moves around the whole floor area quite quickly and with alot of determination.

The HOPSA dress was invented by Dr. Lilli Nielson, she developed active learning as a way for children with multiple disabilities to be able to interact with the world on their own terms.  Sophie has been involved in many active learning sessions and many of the large equipment pieces she uses are invented by Dr. Nielson.  I posted a while back about the active learning session she was in where she used a Little Room and Essef board and other items that allows Sophie to decide what she will play with.

Giving my girl the chance to learn and play as she chooses is such a wonderful thing.  It is a choice that typical children get and I want her to have that same experience.

I hope that one day we will have a HOPSA dress in our home.  Once we get a track system installed it will be on the top of my shopping list.