Newly home and DD delayed--UPDATE

[rebeccajohn]

We are home now 1.5 weeks with our DD (china) who is 2 and is delayed in most areas...I believe from lack of stimulation and perhaps lack of good nutrition and maybe more but we haven't gotten all the medical referrals completed yet..waiting for appts. We are having our birth to 3 program out early next week for an evaluation--PT, OT, Speech. It is my first time using these services but I do know some of the staff as our DS went to PreK in the same bldg.

Any advice or questions I need to be asking of this group? I've gotten great feedback from other families in the area that they feel our progam is a "good" one so I don't have too much fear in that just a newbie at using intervention services and want to make sure I do the best I can for our DD.


Thank you for the info. We had the meeting w/specialists and the school dist. DD is delayed greatly in all areas--we are not surprised by the results. But we know how far she has come in just 2 months being home--moving more freely crawling, more vocal--a few words and a few signs. The specialists even commented..wow look that is new thing she is doing. We will have people in our home 3-4 times a week for at least 6 months then another round of testing.


Thanks.
Rebecca
dh
dd
ds home July 2007
dd home Sept 2011

[JaM]

Make a list of whatever questions you may have. I always ask to be given stuff to work on at home especially if they have an area that they want me to focus on until the next session. And since you're newly home I would ask for services in my home, which they should be able to provide. Once you feel that DD is comfortable enough you can transition to their location if that works well for you.

[Joanne]

I would ask what their eligibility criteria are (in writing preferably) if they feel she might not be eligible. Each county is given their own decision making (at least in CA)--- some it's a 50% delay in a single areal, 25% in 2 or more, some are stricter, some are more lenient.
Also make sure it's the licensed specialties doing the evals (not an OT doing a speech screening, etc.)

[Cheryl in Iowa]

My first thought is that I would wonder if these delays could be spotted through X-rays etc. I would also
1. Keep a log of your child's delays with examples for each delay. Better yet film it. Often it is difficult for the testers to understand exactly what you are talking about unless you "show" them. We have always found that for our kids see them in action makes all the difference in the world and it usually gets us the services we feel we need.
2. I would also try to jot down things you remember about how your child was behaving in China. What did you notice there? Are the same things going on? Are they getting better or worse?
3. Make a list of all the services you believe your child needs now. I would guess that it is likely your child has sensory issues because it could very well be the case that they were sensory deprived. Ask the people who see you what that looks like and learn about it. There are things you can do that will help.
4. Have friends or family that have been around your child jot down things that they have seen. Often we are so wrapped up in the moment we don't see all that is going on and input from others can be invaluable!

Good luck!
Cheryl

[rebeccajohn]

Thank you. Fortunately for us our DD is making huge strides since we met in China. SHe wants to do things now and is trying alot of new things too. Plus my big kids are great examples for her (most of the time). We had the initial meeting and have more testing to be done. Probably more testing of my own patience than anything. Last night DD rode her push bike all around the kitchen...did my heart good to see it.

Thanks for the imput.

Rebecca
dh
dd
ds home July 2007
dd home Sept 2011

[mom2boys2girls]

Thank you. Fortunately for us our DD is making huge strides since we met in China. SHe wants to do things now and is trying alot of new things too. Plus my big kids are great examples for her (most of the time). We had the initial meeting and have more testing to be done. Probably more testing of my own patience than anything. Last night DD rode her push bike all around the kitchen...did my heart good to see it.

Thanks for the imput.

Rebecca
dh
dd
ds home July 2007
dd home Sept 2011

My youngest DD was in an orphanage for a while in Korea. She is also visually impaired and was a micro-premie so a lot of her delays are because of those two things. But just wanted to encourage you that Emily has been home since March and has had OT, PT, and DI once a week for a little over 3 months. She has made huge strides in all areas and I am so thankful for these services. But I believe she is making HUGE strides just from being in our family and the love she is receiving. Most people can't believe how much she has progressed in such a small time frame and I attribute the services AND our family. You are doing a great job in searching out services and having a loving family for her!!

[rebeccajohn]

bump for update
rebecca

[Joanne]

so glad for your update. It's such a good sign that she's already making progress. How exciting!