Hussein and Kazim are the two physiotherapists at Small Home. There are two therapy rooms. In each room there are on average 10 children (which means about 20 children are in therapy at the same time, while 10 children attend special classes in the morning). Of course Hussein and Kazim can only treat one child at a time. In the meantime the children who are able to move play with toy blocks, puzzles, soft toys or they chase a ball.
The children who are bound to their wheelchairs love to watch the others who are playing. They are always looking forward to the afternoon, as by that time the children from school also join them in the therapy room. They entertain the children in the wheelchairs. It doesn't need a lot to make them feel happy and laugh.
In Kazim's room there are some computers. Every Friday morning the children are allowed to "work" at the computer. They use Paint to draw or type some letters in Word. Lucy sits in front of the computer and tries to click on every item - not with her hand, but with her right foot.
As the equipment is limited, the therapists have to use their creativity. Soft toys are used to provide a "comfortable sitting position" in the wheelchairs or to stabilize the head. Old plasters or wooden pieces are used to splint the legs or hands. With old clothes the wheels of the wheelchairs are fixed. Sometimes also the hands of the children have to be fixed at the wheelchair (it might sounds drastic and it looks rude when seeing it for the first time, but once you see how the children behave you will understand).
The therapists are always eager to increase the abilities of the children. In the clip you can see how Manu trains his left arm. All he needs is a wooden stick and a plastic cap. Our social worker Christine keeps on motivating him.