Early Intervention Personal Perceptions

I am not one the parents with children who have extra needs who dislikes Early Interventions (EI).  In fact, anything that may help Cameran I am all for.  I am at a place where I neither feel jilted nor jaded by the EI system.  In fact, reading other blog posts has actually made me aware that we have it pretty stinkin' good in Pennsylvania.  One hundred percent is covered, AND therapists come to our house.  It is a win-win.  I have posted before that I think Cameran being our first child has helped because we have no basis of comparison.

And it's true.  The amount of evenings we dedicate to EIs and appointments is our "norm".  Even though it is sometimes annoying to need to rush out of work to get home in time to beat Cameran's therapists to the front door, it still is for the betterment of my daughter, and I couldn't live with myself thinking that I didn't do everything possible for her.  She is at daycare during the day, and they are wonderfully accomodating of all of her special needs and therapies.  In fact one way accomodate our schedule to fit in her therapies consisting of a Special Instructor (SI) similar to a play therapist, Occupational Therapist (OT), and Physical Therapist (PT) is to have them go to daycare one week, and to our home on the alternating week.  We have done this a variety of ways.  For a while, at home we had entire weeks off and Cameran was seen at daycare three times.  Now, for example, we have PT and SI at the house the same week that OT goes to daycare, and the next week it is just OT at the house and PT and SI go to daycare.  It really varies, and everyone is quite flexible.  I know it is also not that easy for everyone.  Our experiences have been exceptionally positive.  All three therapists are punctual, and if they do get stuck in traffic, always call or send a text message.  When sessions are missed due to unforseen circumstances on either end, we are quick to communicate, and make-up sessions always follow.

That stated, I also have not jumped on every bandwagon/homeopathic treatment available.  There is a lot to be said for NutriVene and other supplements being able to enhance individuals with Ds and their potential, however, because of Cameran's involvement with Western medicines due to her infantile spasm seizures, GERD, etc., I do not feel putting more foreign substances into her little body is of benefit now.  In the future, who knows?!

Basically I have found families fall into one of several camps when it comes to EI:
-those who are all for it, and if it helps, great, and if it doesn't, then at least it is one more person positively interacting with said child (This is my crew if you couldn't tell.  Would Cameran have been sitting up at X month without intervention? Who knows, but she did, she can, and EI surely did not hurt her.)
-skeptics who try and later bail, whether for financial reasons, personal reasons, or scheduling reasons
-larger families who have enough family members to keep the LO with special needs movin' and groovin' without the need of therapists
-those who think EI is bogus/waste of time either because they had bad experiences or just plain found it inconvenient
-those who are all about vitamins/supplements/alterna-therapies

I am sure there are more, but these seem to be the main sets of feelings regarding EI.  One is not more correct than the other.  I am sure if I had a family of six, and stayed at home I might feel differently about the value of someone coming into my home x times a week/month,etc.  In fact, the social interactions of a larger family alone are reason enough to rationally justify not needing a SI.  However, hubs and myself like to do parent-ish (I know, I know, English teacher using a non-word) things with Cami, and not always worry whether or not we are interacting in a way that is engaging her gross-motor skills, etc.  Sometimes it is nice to know that we can snuggle and kiss and hug her all evening long, and the PT will be out tomorrow to work on x,y, and z skill sets. 

Am I articulating well?  I am not sure. 

Bottom line: EI works for us.  It isn't for everyone.  I am not a judgemental person by nature, so to each his own.  Ryan and I have forged relationships with each of Cami's therapists, and respect them as teachers/therapists/sounding-boards-confidants/friends.  They have provided us with excellent connections and resources in the Ds community that we would not have known about otherwise. 

Cameran loves them.

AND THEY LOVE CAMERAN.  (Who doesn't want people doting on their child, expecting the best for him/her?)

Pumpkins and Ghosts and Singing, Oh My!

Today we went to our second Play Pals meeting. Last month we met at the park to play, sing, and eat and we met some nice families who also happen to have a child enhanced with a little something extra. I won't lie, afterward my husband and I were discussing the younger children regarding what they were (already) doing versus Cami. Big no-no. Ryan and I don't discuss much regarding the "can't do yets" of Peanut.

We have grown accustomed to celebrating inchstones instead of milestones. Cameran forces us to be grateful for every accomplishment, no matter how small or taken for granted in a typical child. We know names of moves that come naturally to other babies. For instance, if you are a mom if typical children then you probably never worried or heard of terms like "crossing midline" and "crouching in a 4-point stance".

We know 'em and we celebrate the pants off of them.
Me- "Honey--guess what Cameran did today?"
Hubby (lovingly sarcastic soul that he is)-"I don't know, did a backflip?"
Me- "No!! She got in the 4-point stance by herself AND rocked back and forth!"
Hubby-"that's awesome, way to go NutterButter!"

One day, whether sooner or later. We will have the same conversation, but this time we will celebrate crawling, and in time, walking too.

Cameran has given me patience, which I sorely lacked before. If I didn't have Cami I know I would be a slave to the Week-by-Week developmental manuals, driving myself crazy if my child did not "hold rattle and shake with purpose" at 14.5 weeks.

To get back to playgroup today, Cami and I went (albeit 10 minutes late) and walked into a loving, inclusive environment where there was, once again, a rainbow of other little Cami's. Cami sat and smiled. She watched two adorable blondies playing kitchen on the floor (they included her too)!!! She fingerpainted pumpkins and laughed while we sat in a circle singing songs. There was love and acceptance in the room, and although I didn't know anyone (yet) besides Cameran's SpecialInstructor, I felt comfortable and was glad we came.

Happy Ds Awareness Month, Cameran. We love each and every one of your chromosomes.

The Climb

Darn that Miley Cyrus girl. Every time I hear "The Climb" I think about little Peanut and how she is always going to have another mountain to climb. I guess that is all of us though, right? Each and every one of us has our own mountain to climb; some are just tougher than others.

Today was P's first session with the Physical Therapist. Suffice it to say she was pooped. I have never seen her sit up straighter and more proud looking than she did today, all while on one of those exercise stability balls. Needless to say, when she was finished she was zonked! I have never seen her fall asleep so fast! Tomorrow when she wakes up she is gonna be hurtin (although we were teasing her saying it was early penance for all of the shoveling we did over the weekend during the snowstorm).




Here are the words that get me every time (although I wish it was by someone cooler than Miley, no offense ;)

The Climb

I can almost see it

That dream I am dreaming

But there's a voice inside my head saying

"You'll never reach it"

Every step I'm taking

Every move I'm make feels

Lost with no direction

My faith is shaking

But I gotta keep trying

Gotta keep my head held high

There's always gonna be another mountain

I'm always gonna wanna make it move

Always gonna be an uphill battle

Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there

Ain't about what's waiting on the other side

It's the climb

The struggles I'm facing

The chances I'm taking

Sometimes might knock me down

But no, I'm not breaking

I may not know it

But these are the moments that

I'm gonna remember most, yeah

Just gotta keep going

And I, I got to be strong

Just keep pushing on

"Cause there's always gonna be another mountain

I'm always gonna wanna make it move

Always gonna be an uphill battle

Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there

Ain't about what's waiting on the other side

It's the climb, yeah!

Repeat Chorus

Keep on moving, keep climbing

Keep the faith, baby

It's all about, it's all about the climb

Keep the faith, keep your faith...