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May 2011 Moms
atlb
member
Any babies getting PT or OT?
atlb
member
One of my twins (Camille) has a developmental evaluation with Early Steps today. Is anyone else's baby in a program like this? What should I expect?
The twins will be 7 months old next week. Elizabeth has been sitting for over a month, and is trying to crawl. Camille still hasn't fully rolled over. She only rolls onto her side. She also doesn't push herself up with her arms when she is on her belly. Anyone else dealing with similar delays? I am just nervous that they will say something is really wrong with her. The pediatrician has been very relaxed about it so far. He keeps reminding me that it is more common for multiples to have delays, and that her "issues" look worse because I have a baby that is ahead of schedule to compare her directly against.
I don't really know what I am looking for here, but I needed to get this out, haha.
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Re: Any babies getting PT or OT?
No input other than prayers for your munchkin (and for your sanity).
((()))
DS 6.12.11
Hypermenorrhea, Anovulatory & Hypothyroid
TTC#2
My Lack of Ovulation Chart
My DD is in OT three times a month for muscle tone, developmental skills, and general preemie stuff. Were your girls early by any chance?
The EI evaluation is really pretty easy. The OT or PT will come to your house (often with your assigned case worker) and play with Camille to see what she is doing and diagnose any delays. Then they will set up a program based on what she needs. We love our OT, she has done so much for helping my DD catch up on her milestones.
If it helps any, my DD has just started really sitting unassisted in the last week or so and is no where near crawling. Right now her OT is working on transitions from sitting to belly and leg strength for crawling. I'm happy to answer any other questions-I don't post here often but you can find me on the preemie board. Most of the moms over there have experience with OT/PT/etc and one even works for EI so feel free to cross post even if your girls aren't preemies!
ETA-OT comes 3 times a month not per week!
Our precious girl, born at 27 weeks.
Has your pedi said anything about her weight? I would guess that there is a connection. Does she eat well? If you qualify for OT or PT you can also ask EI about a nutritionist consult if you want. We have one every other month and I learn a ton.
Don't freak out if she qualifies for services. It doesn't automatically mean she is really far behind, just that she needs a little help to catch up. There is a huge range in the children they see. We've seen steady improvement since she started OT but its slow going sometimes depending on the skill we are working on. Head control took months, sitting went much faster but each baby is different. EI will help you set short and long term goals so you can see progress. They also give you a bunch of ideas so you can do the therapy when they aren't there. I can always tell a difference between the weeks I do lots of OT with her and the weeks I slack off some.
Our precious girl, born at 27 weeks.
She has severe reflux, so that obviously contributes to the slow weight gain. She still hasn't even doubled her weight gain. She also has issues when she eats--usually about half the bottle just drains out the side of her mouth. She doesn't suck correctly or something. If I use a slow flow nipple, she can't get anything out, but the faster flow nipples are too fast and she doesn't get good suction around her lips, so most of it spills out. Not sure how to correct that. Maybe the EI people can help with that?
The pediatrician said if she hasn't made any improvement by her next appt (in December), he is going to send her to a gastro and a neuro for further evaluation.
The funny thing is that she has always been so far ahead of Elizabeth socially. She smiled first (and far more often) and she interacts with people much better than Elizabeth. She is just lagging physically.
I would get a GI consult sooner rather than later. GIs often give more/stronger meds than pedis for reflux and that could make a big difference. We see a GI and it has helped keep Cora's reflux in check for sure. They can also do some exams and tests to make sure the reflux isn't hurting her esophagus which would make her avoid eating all together.
Also, talk to to the EI people about her trouble with sucking. OT can help a lot with that-they specialize in fine motor skills and do a lot of work with babies who have trouble eating. Speech Therapists also do some work in that area.
Isn't it funny how each baby develops differently? Cora is catching up great with motor skills (largely due to OT I think) but is still behind in language. Everyone assures me she will catch up though so I try and focus on that.
Our precious girl, born at 27 weeks.
This! I do services for kiddos with hearing impairments and have lots of overlap with OT/PT services. They are amazing and have such great ideas for easy things that will help her practice her motor skills. The tricky part with LOs is that if you left them "alone" (without services) they really might catch up at some point all by themselves, but the more she can stay on track the easier it will be for her in the long run. I know it's kind of scary, but just think of them as an experienced friend with good ideas.
Even if she doesn't qualify, ask them for suggestions on ways to help her progress. Don't worry too much, and good luck!!
I lost my angels 07/2010, 04/2017, 10/2017
Meimsx no more
Thanks ladies!!
The evaluation went really well! She did qualify for services, but she actually scored really well in most categories! She got a 97 (!!!) in cognitive, so that made me really happy. The only category she was behind in was gross motor, and she got a 66 in that. The EI specialist will start working with her soon, and they are also going to have PT come out to do a separate eval. They did mention a nutritionist, feeding specialist, and a developmental pedi as possibilities, but we are going to wait until her next pedi appt to make a decision. If she's gone up on the growth chart, we made not need all of that, so I figure it's better to wait. Overall, I was really pleased with the experience, and I hope that they will be able to help her catch up quickly.
Thanks again for all the words of wisdom. You guys rock!