Question:
I have always said Early Intervention was not to "teach" the child to
sit, rollover,talk, or whatever but to teach the parents or caregivers
how to break the many tasks we take for granted into smaller
components. I always enjoyed the sessions - it was reinforcement
that we were on the right track with Nathan. I am not a PT, OT, SLP,
or an educator - I respect their input and would never say it had
been a waste of time. I also think that EI services can boost
parent's self confidence - and may reinforce or even teach parents
advocacy skills.
We, at home, have never done "therapy sessions" we have always
incorporated what we brought from the EI services into our everyday
routines. I think that sometimes you have to get over the notion
that "I must do 30 minutes of therapy per day or (Nathan) will never
reach his fullest potential" - it can really be counter-productive
sometimes. You can get bogged down in the therapy aspect, and really
put too much pressure on yourself, always feeling like you're never
doing enough. Sound like I'm speaking from personal experience? I
am !!! : ) Being in medical research I am very tangible - not
abstract. "If you do this, then this will happen" - let's change
that to "If I do 30 minutes of therapy per day then something
measurable will happen". And I think we all know sometimes that just
doesn't happen.
Answer:
FWIW, when my regular pediatrician can't see my daughter, I offer to wait or
schedule another appointment.
My youngest, 22 months, doesn't say too many words yet. She calls my husband
and me both "mommy", and the dog and the cat both "doggie", but she does say
things like "where'd it go?" and "no way!" and will point to her nose, eyes,
etc. if asked.
When we saw the new pediatrician when my DD was sick, he asked questions like
"does she say mommy and daddy?" and "if you tell her to get her shoes, will
she do it?" Both of the answers were "no". (She knows what shoes are, but she
is too obstinate to go fetch them on command.) I didn't know what he was
driving at, but the nurse gave me a phone number for a child development
specialist. I didn't bother because I know she's fine, but it bothered me
enough not to go to the new doctor again.
