PT Evaluation update - why is it up to me?

malcivar

So, as some of you may remember, I relented to a 2nd PT evaluation for DS last week because the school was making a case for it.  They suspected hypotony (sp?).  Well, the evaluation happened Friday and from what I heard (I wasn't there) it went well.  Although I knew it probably didn't go AS well as my mom indicated.  She tends to be a little over optimistic when it comes to DS (I think deep deep down she still hasn't accepted his dx though she works with us with all his therapies).  

I spoke to the evaluator and she did confirm that it went very well and that he's quite the handful - ball of energy.  She said she did notice a delay in climbing stairs and jumping and was concerned about reciprocal ball play.  Apparently he didn't want to play with her but he does with us so I did mention that. 

So here's where I get uneasy.  She says she can "make it" so that there's a 25% delay which would qualify him and EI might approve 1x/week PT.  Then she put it up to me - did I want her to do that or not? So I said if we could get the help then yes I would like her to make the recommendation but it really sounded like she was doing it more because she was trying for him to "get" something and less because he needs it.  Very confusing.  She stated no concerns about hypotony and everything was focused on his ability (or lack thereof) to jump and climb stairs.  

*sigh*  Why can't any of this ever be cut and dry? 

finsup

If any of this were cut and dry it would be so much easier.  I hear you on that.

It sounds like there is a concern about a couple of skills, but beyond that he did ok?  The way she phrased it "make it" so he can get services sounds like she was stretching it so he would qualify?  But if she said "yes he needs PT" or "no he doesn't need PT" would be a more obvious and preferred result of the evaluation - so much grey area.  I experience that too.

I think I would have answered the same way you did - its only going to help him in the long run either way. 

 

Justinlove

He is probably right on the border and chances are, if she only scored him based on what he did/didn't do during the evaluation, then he would qualify.  When she adds your information, he might not qualify. She can "discount" what you say he does if that helps qualify him (she has that liberty since some parents embelish their child's abilities).

I would always err on the side of accepting services and then backing off if they aren't needed anymore.

And of course g'ma thinks he hung the moon--that's what g'mas do

malcivar

finsup:

If any of this were cut and dry it would be so much easier.  I hear you on that.

It sounds like there is a concern about a couple of skills, but beyond that he did ok?  The way she phrased it "make it" so he can get services sounds like she was stretching it so he would qualify?  But if she said "yes he needs PT" or "no he doesn't need PT" would be a more obvious and preferred result of the evaluation - so much grey area.  I experience that too.

I think I would have answered the same way you did - its only going to help him in the long run either way. 

 

Yes she did say he was "borderline" where she wasn't sure how much was just him not knowing her and therefore not being willing to cooperate.  She did also point out that if down the line we feel that it's either really not making all that much difference or he just plain doesn't need it, we can always stop the service.  I really love that flexibility about EI.  It puts a small amount of control back into our hands.   

malcivar

Yes, I thank G*d that she got him on a good day.  All his previous evaluations were on bad days.  Well, maybe I need to take that back.  This evaluation is his 1st one after starting ABA and I think it's THAT that made him so agreeable to the evaluator.  He wasn't 100% but he was not completely uncooperative as he'd been in the past.  

Yep, at the center, they're concentrating their efforts now on getting him to play with his peers and ball playing is a big part of it.  And that's how she presented it - in terms of him being in a group of children and knowing how to take turns and what to do when it's his turn etc.  At the end of the day that's one of the biggest things I want for DS.  I want him to be able to enjoy as much of his childhood as he can and that includes playing with other kids.  

No, she didn't mention anything about hypotony and his ped didn't mention it either when we specifically asked her about it.  She also adopted the stance of 'well I don't see it but I'm not going to stand in the way of him getting add'l help'.

I have looked up some core strengthening exercises for tots that I'll try to incorporate into our playtime - on our own time.  Can't hurt and he might like it. 

mollybloom

Sounds like you got a sympathetic EI evaluator. Since your son is borderline, he likely would have been denied services according to the EI standards. Leaving it up to you lets you have some control.

Does your county require 25th percentile to qualify for services? My daughter is at 25th for gross motor, but my county says she needs to be 2 standard deviations below to qualify, so we opted to go the private route for P/T.

malcivar

mollybloom:

Sounds like you got a sympathetic EI evaluator. Since your son is borderline, he likely would have been denied services according to the EI standards. Leaving it up to you lets you have some control.

Does your county require 25th percentile to qualify for services? My daughter is at 25th for gross motor, but my county says she needs to be 2 standard deviations below to qualify, so we opted to go the private route for P/T.

 

I do believe they require 25th percentile - to be honest, all that talk of standard deviations confuses the heck out of me but the evaluator did say that if she indicated a 25%, he'd probably qualify.  She said she just couldn't say 33% because that would be just completely wrong.  I'm assuming 33% is 2 standard deviations.  

And now we wait.  Always the waiting. 

mollybloom

malcivar:

mollybloom:

Sounds like you got a sympathetic EI evaluator. Since your son is borderline, he likely would have been denied services according to the EI standards. Leaving it up to you lets you have some control.

Does your county require 25th percentile to qualify for services? My daughter is at 25th for gross motor, but my county says she needs to be 2 standard deviations below to qualify, so we opted to go the private route for P/T.

 

I do believe they require 25th percentile - to be honest, all that talk of standard deviations confuses the heck out of me but the evaluator did say that if she indicated a 25%, he'd probably qualify.  She said she just couldn't say 33% because that would be just completely wrong.  I'm assuming 33% is 2 standard deviations.  

And now we wait.  Always the waiting. 

EI is such a waiting game. We waited for 4 weeks to hear the official denial from EI.

The standard deviations stuff confuses me as well.

robynlesley

In NJ to qualify for EI?initially?your child needs a delay of 33% in one area or 25% in two or more.  DS already was receiving services when he had his PT and OT evals.  He qualified (with at least 25% in each) and receives OT for his sensory issues/mild hypotonia and PT for the gross motor.  The main reason he qualified in gross motor was because he didn't jump at 28 months (when evaluated) or walk up stairs.