PT with Pat Winders

Claire has been getting OT through EI since she's been about 6 weeks old.  And while I like our OT as a person, I don't know that she's really been all that helpful.  I feel like she is working on things that Claire already knows how to do, like tummy time and playing with her feet, instead of trying to stay a step ahead of her.  There have been times that I've had to suggest working on different things, like supported sitting and using the exercise ball, because she just wasn't doing it.  One of the downfalls of living in a small town is the limited availability of services.  While we don't have to wait to see providers, there also isn't really an option who to use, unless we travel out of town.  Which we are now going to do...

On Tuesday, Claire saw Pat Winders at Children's and it was a great appointment.  We started out with the usual history information, then talked about where Claire was at developmentally and if I had any concerns.  Claire breezed through all the basic skills, and Pat said she should be working on supported sitting, kneeling, and side to side weight shifts, which confirmed what I thought.  While I've been reading Pat's book, it was so helpful to be shown EXACTLY how to hold Claire's back, or the correct position for kneeling. 

Clarie is a mover (seriously, she is never still!) and Pat said that some of the skills she's missing, like pushing through her arms, isn't for lack of strength, but because you can't play with your toys if you are leaning on both hands.  Pat said that lifting the chest off the ground may not be a skill she ever does consistently because it just doesn't fit with her personality. 

In all her years of seeing kids with Ds, Pat has found that there are certain skills that give an indication of when a child will master gross motor skills.  For example, she said that if a child can pull to sit from flat ground without any assistance by eight months, it indicates that the child will probably be on the early end of the range for sitting, standing, etc.  Claire is already doing this at 6 months, and at first I didn't think she was going to show off her skills for Pat, but she came through in the end.

So, we go back in two and a half months (that's how long it takes to get an appt) and then monthly after that.  This will mean extra expense and time (it's a 4 hour round trip drive), but since I don't feel confident in our OT right now this is worth it to me. I hope that once Claire is sitting and working on OT skills, that I will feel better about the services available locally. 

Next up is educating our SLP about Talk Tools (she's never heard of it), or finding services out of town for that too...

Sorry no pictures, I was too busy absorbing all the great info.  And Aimee, hopefully next time we are in town it will work to get together!