Let me start off by saying Sarah's OT has done a great job with her. She's made a lot of progress and is down to eating baby food about 75% of the time, instead of 100%. Her fine motor skills are improving as well.

The problem? The OT is late every time. Her standing appointment is 8:30 am on Mondays where she eats breakfast so the OT can work on her feeding skills. I can't remember the last time the OT got here before 9. This morning she got here at 9:07. It's closer and closer to 9:15 every time. Sometimes she calls and says she's running late, but not always. A lot of time rain and such will clog traffic between her house and ours, but that doesn't explain her being 35 minutes late! It's only about a 35-minute drive to her area in normal traffic. This morning there was no rain and traffic reports said the main route between our two homes was moving along nicely around 8:15 am.

The other problem is that because of this lateness, she isn't staying for the full 45 minutes. So Sarah's losing out.

I've started to just feed Sarah if the OT isn't there by 8:40 or so, but then Sarah still loses out. The main thing the OT is working on is the feeding issues. I'd hold off on feeding Sarah, but she's hungry and it's not fair to make her wait so long for the OT.

Sarah has an appointment with her teacher tomorrow who is our service coordinator (meaning our go-to person regarding any therapy issues or changes). I'd like to talk to her about this situation, but I'm not sure what to say. I don't want to get the OT in trouble or change to another OT. I just want this lateness to stop and Sarah to get her full sessions.

I haven't said anything to the OT about it at all. I'm generally non-confrontational, and I really don't know what to say anyway. I'm okay with it if she's 15 minutes or so late because traffic and weather can cause trouble and I understand that, but that's as much as I can handle.

Sorry if this is long and I'm rambling a bit. I hope you guys can help.

I would bring it up with the OT first. Just tell her what you told us, that Sarah really needs to eat by a certain time because of the lateness she is missing out on her therapy. If it doesn't resolve itself then I'd go to the coordinator.

I agree with Erica :nod: I don't think reminding her that Sarah needs to eat by a certain time is a bad thing. It probably would be a little embarrassing to her & in all honesty is likely the reminder that she needs to arrive on time. I'm guessing that she has gotten comfortable with you & probably thinks that you just don't mind. I'm thinking that it would be harder on her to hear it from a service coordinator than directly from you.

15 minutes is a reasonable time to wait but not every week either. If rain or crappy weather is the norm then she should be leaving her earlier to get to you.

I may be the only one who feels this way but...

I don't think 15 minutes late is reasonable at all since it is impacting her breakfast time. If eating skills wasn't one of her goals, then it wouldn't matter as much. You need someone who will be there on time for her meals.

Thanks, everyone. I actually saw the service coordinator today and she suggested I see if the OT will do lunchtime instead. The actual time she eats lunch is a bit more flexible since she's already had a meal. She also is a bit more cooperative during lunch, at least in general.

The service coordinator said she'd talk to her, but I told her I'd talk to her myself. It helped me to talk to her about figuring out what to do.

She said the OT is probably late because she has to make sure her kids get on the bus to school in the morning, etc. But I countered that the OT shouldn't make the appointment at that time if she can't keep it. And she agreed.

So I think lunchtime (11ish, she'd work on fine motor skills and then she'd eat lunch) is probably what will work best.

Glad you have a bit of resolution. Hope things go better with scheduling!

But I countered that the OT shouldn't make the appointment at that time if she can't keep it.

Exactly! Hopefully things work out better for you guys!

I would bring it up with the OT first. Just tell her what you told us, that Sarah really needs to eat by a certain time because of the lateness she is missing out on her therapy. If it doesn't resolve itself then I'd go to the coordinator.

:nod:

Our DT is always late too! But, she is coming from another appointment before ours. Sometimes, she has to go home because she has to change her clothes (yeah - that's sad) before she comes to our house. She usually does stay the whole time though. I would be irritated as well if we were the first appointment and she just couldn't get there. I hope it works out for her schedule to change it to lunch time.

30 minutes late today, but stayed 30 minutes afterwards, so I can't complain too much!

Today she was late but we basically got our 45 minutes, maybe a shade less. We're going to do the morning again next week and after the holidays we're switching to lunchtime.

Just thought I'd mention she was 45 minutes late on Monday. :rolleyes: It looks like we'll be doing Mondays at 11 after the holidays. We haven't set it up for sure just yet, but I think that's the plan. We'll do some fine motor work and then lunch. I'll just have to make sure I feed her ASAP when she gets up those days or she won't eat her lunch when the OT is here.

I also should mention that in spite of basically not getting OT, she's doing better with feeding. She is chewing meatballs nicely. Canned pasta is still basically the only table food she'll eat. At least we're keeping Chef Boyardee in business.

Hey, it's something! Caid gets feeding therapy, but he gets it at school...he's been sick this week so he's missed ot all week and you can definitely notice the difference, but it is hard to decide if it is a difference because he is sick or because of a lack of ot...

Did she set up the morning appointments before school actually started this year? Just wondering cause one of Caid's classmates mom's is really upset cause the bus is supposed to come at 7:30 which leaves her room to still get to work, but sometimes it is there at 8:00 or 8:15 which makes her late, it just isn't consistent at all, perhaps your therapist is dealing with the same/similar issues. It doesn't excuse not calling though!

The OT appointments have been going on at this time since April. Although last year her youngest was in elementary school and she had a sitter get him on the bus. I'm sure the issues are her getting her children to the bus on time and such, but this is ridiculous.

I know the area where she lives is a half hour away. And middle school in her county starts at 8:15 am. I figure the bus comes at 7:45ish, 8 at the latest. It's a 35-minute ride from her area to ours, traffic might add 10 minutes. That still works out to her arriving around 8:45 am, not 9:15. And none of it excuses her not at least calling me. And, the school year's been going on since the end of August. She's been late consistently for months. If she's been having trouble with her kids' school bus, she hasn't told me.

Is there an option for getting a new OT?

I could get a new OT, and I will consider it if the appointment time change doesn't solve the problem. She does do a great job with Sarah, but that's if she gets here while Sarah's still eating and she stays for the whole session time. That's why I'm reluctant to change. Sarah's also skeeved by strangers these days, so I'm afraid of upsetting her and setting back her therapy.

Off-topic, but your ticker cracks me up Jillian! :lol: "my brain is growing fast & I already have more brain cells than Paris Hilton!" :rotflmao: