Another evaluation - good news!

Sally J · February 2010

Charlotte had another evaluation (occupational and physical) for developmental delays. We were worried about her lack of pretend play and weakness in her extremities, particularly her arms and hands. The screening was 2 hours!

Good news! She isn't delayed enough to need services, they just plan to show us some exercises/activities to get her closer to her age in the areas she is behind (running, climbing, pretend play, getting dressed/undressed). She is also very advanced in her fine motor skills and with a ball. She can catch a ball and properly hold a writing utensil, both skills that are not something usually done until age 3. Maybe she's focused on these skills at the expense of some others...just so exciting to know that she's not delayed in every area!

They are also considering re-evaluating her behavioral therapy needs. Originally they said she is at 15 month level and needs about 6 hours a week. After this evaluation and seeing more of her behavior, they thing she was likely going through a rough patch, maybe related to her learning more expressive language. They think she may only need a couple hours a week of behavior therapy, but that she isn't quite as far behind as they originally thought.

Oh, and she also said 'dow' unprompted to let us know that she wanted down from her chair. She put two sounds together (she previously could say duh for down, and she could make the sound 'ow') and used words to communicate, rather than whining/tantrums/signs! She also calls for 'daddeee' when she's done with her nap, rather than throwing a tantrum. These are huge milestones with her speech and we are so excited to see her making progress!