Written by Jeannine, Ben’s mom
This year, Ben’s rehabilitation took place in May at Kokon Rohrbach-Berg in Upper Austria. This season is very suitable as we can go for walks in the fresh air and minimize infections. The therapists and staff warmly welcomed us, and everyone remembered Ben from his previous stay last year. Ben is a little ray of sunshine and shines with happiness. Our goals for this year, as well as last year, were to improve core muscle stability, improve diet, and incorporate speech therapy through triangulating while looking at picture books and playfully incorporating sign language.



Since Ben is now two years old, he has made further cognitive progress. During physiotherapy, he started crying as soon as we entered the room because he knew what was coming. During group therapies, he was in his element and was allowed to practice balancing in a crawling position on a large therapy swing, reaching for things from a higher position while sitting to bring his core into an upright position. We quickly noticed how tiring the therapy routine became for Ben, as he also needed two naps a day. We see his resistance as positive because he has learned to associate certain situations with a room or therapist. He knows what to expect. This is an enormous step and his irritation shows self-determination and autonomy.


Ben particularly enjoyed hydrotherapy and water relaxation during physiotherapy. Specific exercises were shown that can be easily applied in daily life, and the weightlessness helps Ben feel his body in a different way without constantly fighting against gravity.
We also received a lot of information about the level of care and new aids for everyday life.
For us, the rehabilitation was a complete success, and we enjoyed a beautiful and intensive time with Ben. By alternating between mom and dad, we were also able to better meet Ben’s needs. The older sister was also able to participate in the rehabilitation day according to her own desires or stay in her familiar environment and kindergarten.
We are already looking forward to the lasting effects of the rehabilitation and to next year.