Heather is just starting DT once a week and OT once a month. She does not like to be on her tummy or use her arms to push up. Actually, she is getting much better, but still is behind where she should be. She's now 10 months, but is a couple months behind. She pushes up on her arms, but doesn't get her belly up - is no where near crawling. She just started babbling about a month ago. She is making good progress (at least as far as I'm concerned).

Heather had OT today. We worked on getting her up from her side to sitting. I'm frustrated though - I can't seem to really do it right and the OT doesn't come again for a month. I will see the DT on Friday though so maybe she can help a bit. We also worked on getting her from sitting to leaning over to one side and eventually getting her on her hands and knees.

This all just seems way harder for me to get her to do these things. She just doesn't want to work for me. I'm worried that only one time a week (or a month) isn't going to cut it. I just feel so incompetent - does anyone else feel like this?

Anyone else in Therapy? How are you doing?

We are still waiting for Kincaid's evaluation, after being refferred by his neurologist, then an online self refferal by me, then a phone referal by me, then being reffered by our normal ped we finally got a letter back (about 8 weeks after starting this) basically saying they can't get him in till September...

Austin is in OT.... just tested our of ST (speech therapy). He still has some learning disabilities that require Special Ed classes while in school. But he's come really far in the last year. We've been in all kinds of therapy since he was 6 months old and he's 8 1/2 now.

Courtney had OT from birth for drinking issues.... b/c of her palate, she could not suck, and we did that in the NICU, at home and then out patient until early this year, after she had had her surgery... it was very frustrating because she hated going to therapy and she never really did much as far as independent drinking until AFTER we finished therapy. But, eventually she caught on and did great... we have had a few Speech Therapy visits with the Early Intervention program and that will start up again every other week starting in September...

Back when we did OT, I got very frustrated because she just never got it, but she did eventually get it, when she was ready... so, just try to keep that in mind when you are working with her... they have their own timetable and you can only do so much... I'm sure you are doing the best you can. Courtney didn't crawl on all 4s until she was 12 months, and she still refuses to walk, but she did have one PT eval where they said there is no physical reason she is not walking... she'll do it when she is ready... that is a real pain to hear because I am ready for her to do it NOW!! Hang in there though, because I'm sure you are doing a great job, and so is Heather.

Joe's getting OT and we're pretty bad about working with him between the sessions - a lot of times he just doesn't want to do stuff and we don't push it. But we can still see the progress he's making and so can the therapist. So I wouldn't worry too much if you have a hard time working with her.

Dennis

Brandi, I know how you feel. As Dennis mentioned we don't always work that much with Joe between sessions. But, when we do try to really work on things he gets upset, won't do it, won't try, starts to cry, etc. I feel like a failure because I can't help him get better and I can't do it for him. For me, I think part of that frustration and guilt comes from the fact that I feel guilty that he is behind, even though I had no control over that. But, aside from that, he is making progress, sometimes very quickly and sometimes very slowly. Heather will too, it just takes time.

Mary

Thanks guys - your encouragement means a lot!

Guess what - the therapist showed us how to help Heather go from lying down to sitting up all on her own. Well, we did it with her several times over the last few days and today, she did it on her own. I let her roll around on the floor for a while and when I came back in the room, she was sitting - so I know she did it, but I didn't see it. At therapy today, she layed on her tummy and played with the therapist for something like 15 minutes - which was great. She just doesn't like her tummy that much.

Wow, that's great, Brandi!! I'm glad that OT is helping Heather. Progress usually is slow, but it makes it that much sweeter when they finally "get it"!

Kayleigh is in speech therapy, occupational therapy, behavioral therapy, and is being evaluated for physical therapy. Her therapy has worked miracles. She's a totally different kid than a year ago (when we began the therapies). She still has a long, long road ahead of her, and it's been slow-going, believe me, but without all the therapy, she'd still be locked in her own little world. She's now starting to say words and understand what we say, and the behavioral therapy is helping her to follow simple directions.

I get easily frustrated, because a lot of the time, the progress is very slow and even after a year of intensive therapy, Kayleigh is still quite "autistic" in her behaviors. We have to deal with a lot of stims and frustrations (on both sides) because of her lack of communication. She's going to turn 3 in November and we'll be transferring into the school district, which scares me to death that her therapies will be cut. I'm hoping that she still gets an adequate amount, but I've heard some horror stories.

Oh, and Ken and I are actually contemplating separating just to get better therapy for her (I'll have to "move" to our neighboring county to keep Kayleigh at her current school and with her current therapists). It's so ridiculous. I hate bureaucracy!

Jillsers - so she is autistic? I can't believe that you would have to separate from your husband? Why is that? Are you just wanting to move to another town? Your dh couldn't be with you? I'm so confused. It's great that she has improved so much in one year.

Dylan is supposed to start OT sometime in the fall. I don't know when really. There is a 6 month waiting list that we have been on for what seems like forever.
I think what Jill is saying is that as a single mom she may get more therapy than as a married mom.
:woo: for Heather.

Cameron is in speech and physical therapy, plus 4 days of integrated preschool each week. He also is in the extended school year, so he has 6 weeks this summer (like summer camp with therapy).

Today I got a great compliment from a fellow OUALer (kim). She said that Cameron seemed like a completely different child than when she saw him before.

He will have two more years of preschool before going into kindergarden, where I am hoping he will no longer need therapy.

As for doing exercises at home, we are not the best, but we try. I bought some blue mats at ToysRUs for his streaching and I have been learning sign language to help wiht his speech thearpy.

Brandi, Kayleigh is autistic. Right now she's in EI, but she's about to transfer into the school system (so instead of the state paying for it, the county will pay for it). Her current school is in one county and we live right over the line in another county. Our county will NOT pay for her to go to school in the different county, so we have to transfer her to another school (so she'll lose her therapists and her teachers) and have to start all over again from scratch.

We don't want to have to move just to keep her at this school for the next 2 years, but we don't want to have to change schools, either. So we're thinking about telling the county that Ken and I have separated and that I will be living with Kayleigh at my friend's house in the county that her school is in, so that she can stay in her current school. We won't REALLY be separating, but we'll tell them that, kwim? :awink:

So stupid that we have to go through this just to get the best chance for our child!