Grandparentin with Grace: When enough is enough

I believe I am an observant person, and when my grandchild continued to toe walk past 22 months I became concerned, when it stretched into 3 years I continually repeated to her doctor the need for sensory testing. I chose the clinic and we have been going since September of 2012.  Being we go weekly to an hour of PT and OT, you would think we would have plenty to do, but never have I been assigned activities to do over the week. I have just done on my own. I believe it is time to look else where for help. It seems strange to me that the PT didn't even realize the child walks on her toes 99% of the time. So why have we continued to go since last September? Good question,  time to move on. I think we will try Gillette Children's next since years of toe walking has  to affect the alignment of a growing child's skeletal and muscular system.

So I found this awesome site to go to for fantastic ideas to help me work on issues my grandchild has with SPD. http://sensoryprocessing.yolasite.com/ot-activities.php  I can usually come up with plenty, but here is a place to go when I cannot think. Many of our issues are caused by a lack of depth perception. Can you imagine seeing the world totally flat? Up in a tree you cannot judge the distance to the ground, so 2 feet up is no different than 25 feet up-looking down it all looks flat-add to that the fact that in your world the objects on the ground are moving (because your eyes don't work together and your brain switches between eyes without your consent).  Try this. Close your left eye and focus on an object with your right eye- now quick shut your right eye and open the left. Did the object seem to move? That is what happens in my grandchild's world, only the brain switches eyes without being told to (and without closing the eye, the brain just shuts the eye off, or the child sees double). This is a non recognized disability. She's not blind, she is cognitively smart as can be, she will struggle, people will judge her, and I will fight to have her understood. Life will be a challenge, but we will prevail.    

So many gains have already been made, but I cannot sit idly by and expect the "professionals" will do right by us. They do their best, gains are made, yet more needs to be addressed. It all falls back on my realizing when it is time to move on and finding the right path. Life is a journey and nothing is easy. I have realized it will not just happen-it takes effort and attention


http://www.childrensmn.org/Manuals/PFS/Condill/189188.pdf