We had Cooper's two year wellness check yesterday morning. I went into this appointment thinking I'm a pro at this and it should be easy, it's not like he has to get shots. This was all until we first got called back for weight and height. The boy went BA-NA-NAS! I've have never seen such. First he wouldn't stand on the scale so we had to use the baby scale. I stripped him down, tried to lay him down and that is when he lost it. He screaming and clinging to me, had is arms and legs wrapped around me so tight that I wasn't even holding on. The assistant finally just did the best she could, not for sure how accurate it all was. It came up 23 lb 13 oz for weight ; 5th %, 33 1/2 inches for height; 15th % and the 65th % for head.
Next up was a finger prick for a CBC and to check for lead. To my amazement he did very well with this, he wasn't bleeding a lot so she really had to squeeze his finger to get the blood out, he was crying but wasn't fighting her.
Finally, we met with the doctor and it was smooth sailing from then on out. He didn't cry when she looked in his ears and sat like a good little boy on my lap the whole time. I expressed some of my concerns regarding his speech so she did put in a referral to First Steps. My biggest concern is not having another well check for a year and the possibility of him falling further behind and having a hard time catching up. I got the call from First Steps yesterday afternoon and we are having our initial meeting next week. I will keep you posted once we have evaluation. Most people tell me I'm crazy, he's just a shy little boy, but I would rather be safe than sorry. Either he qualifies and we get back on track, or he doesn't qualify and he's perfectly normal. Of course I think he is perfect anyway :)
6 comments:
They (first steps) will tell you he qualifies. He talks more that Pierce did at that age, MUCH MORE!!!! Isn't it funny what sets off kids, you just never know ;)
Steve seems to think he will be denied. Since it's a state funded program they won't want to pay for it.
Go with what your gut is telling you. Mother's know best! Everyone told me that Lilly was just fine and she would talk when ready,but in my heart I knew something did not seem right. I knew cognitively she was right on target, but she was lacking in speech. We went in with the attitude of if she qualifies great if not great.... she is on target. Either way we looked at it as a win win situation. She qualified for first steps b/c I stressed to them my concerns about her lack of speech and how I felt early intervention was key for success. Don't hesitate to voice your concerns and why you feel Cooper might need services. Lilly has improved so much over the last 6 month she is almost right on target. I am so thankful that we went with our gut feeling.
I understand your concern. Our office gets referrals from the kids at First Steps once they turn 3. I almost had Levi referred @ 18 months, but decided to wait until 2 years. About 25 months, he started talking and hasn't stopped!! You'll know what is right and go with your gut!! I'm sure he will be talking your ear off before you know it! :)
First Steps is a wonderful program and I have worked with many a kid that has been successful because they went through it. As I'm sure you know, they have a set of standardized criteria a child must meet to qualify. If I were in your shoes, I'd probably do the same thing. It's definitely not going to hurt to get him evaluated. And if everything is fine, you'll be reassured. You're the ultimate expert on your child. Hope everything goes well. :-)
sam was in first steps for speech. it was his expressive speech. he had the vocabulary (cognitive) part. he was just a late talker. first steps was an awesome program!! early intervention is the key! we had a great therapist. her name is elizabeth becht. we just loved her!!! you should see if she has openings. sam is fine now. i believe he would have been fine without the help but i wanted to get it if i could. i think sam's speech was just the last thing he was worried about. he was so advanced in fine and gross motors skills. anyways, it's a great program!! good luck!
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