The Next Day

Thanks so much, everyone! I really appreciate all the input. I never knew either, that when you have a preemie you subtract the time the baby was early. I think, even with that in mind, that this baby still seems delayed. Of course I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on tv.

The point that stands out most strongly to me, is that it is always better to get on these things as soon as possible. The earlier therapies can start, the better chance the child has. Ultimately, I would rather be wrong and look like a ninney, than leave this little girl with no intervention for the next six or twelve months if she could use it.

However, with all that bravado, I am going to push this unpleasant task on to my mother. She is closest to the mom, and if she brings up a question, they will tell her. Likewise if she brings up a suggestion, they will rely on her judgement. I worry that if I try to call them and talk about it, they will be immediately offended and dismiss everything I might say.

My instinct is that the parents do not know anything is up. I think, to about 90% certainty, that my mom would know if the babies' doctor had said something. Probably within a half hour after the appointment. I am certain this child has a great pediatrician, but I worry they dont know what to bring up. It is also early to be commiting to a "Delayed" stamp on a child. I know some doctors won't even suggest it until the child is 2 or even older. The whole day I saw them, I heard the parents talking about how much faster she has caught on to things over their older son. The things they brought up were the things like crawling, sitting, etc. The gross motor things. I know he was babbling by one year, and I remember he had a strong gaze. There is such a huge range of what is considered normal development. Then factor in the prematurity, I just don't know.

So that is my plan. Like I said, I hope I am wrong. If it were me, I would want it brought to my attention. Just in case.



So speaking of children, I came across this website developed by a girl who is 17 and has a brother with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The idea of her site is to consolidate the good information and collect the things in one place that kids use regularly. I bring it up, because my daughter with her issues benefits hugely from some of the strategies used with ASD such as structure and visuals as well as "social stories" which are written stories dedicated to one small subject that a child might have problems with. It tells them exactly what to do, how, where and why. So, here it is.

http://www.freewebs.com/kidscandream/main.htm

Pretty cool huh!