EI Assessment

[judecorp]

Punk had her EI assessment this morning. Even though she is getting at least one (probably two) top teeth and has a cold, she was very charming with the strangers. (I was impressed.) The PT agrees that she has really high tone (duh) and said she doesn't want Punk doing any standing aside from her trying to pull up on her own. No standing?!??! Oh, this is going to be torture. I don't really put Punk in any gadgets (because she hates being restrained) but I do occasionally enjoy a little doorway jumper action so I can make some dinner. PT says I should put her in the Pack N Play instead.

I told the PT I'd gladly put her in the PnP to scream when she came over. ;) Seriously, Punk thinks the PnP is the devil. (Along with the car seat, high chair, etc.)

She also recommended seeing a neurologist. I am totally up for that as long as they don't want to give Punk an MRI. I don't really want to sedate her. So I will talk to the pedi about it at the 9 month.

Otherwise they said she would probably grow out of it and it's probably no big deal, but it's definitely the reason why she doesn't sit. They are really casual with the assessment tool, MUCH more casual than we were at my old program, so that was a little interesting to see. They told me she was "right at 8 months" in all areas of development but I know that development tool and I know it kind of caters to the lowest common denominator so it's pretty meaningless. But I didn't see them actually doing a lot of the items and they also asked Jen a lot of "can she do this?" questions which in our program was a huge no-no. They also asked me if I was looking for a job.

Punk gets to go to a swim therapy group. Whee! Swim therapy! Fun for mama and Punker alike! Free time in the pool! Good times.

Comments

[cappucinogrrl.livejournal.com]

For those of us with little baby experience, could you explain why standing is a no-no? And this tone stuff? What's the reason she doesn't sit/why should Punk see a neurologist?

Why yes, yes I am clueless.

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Oh sure. :)

Basically, she has more muscle tone in her legs than is really helpful. Meaning her legs are often stiff, and it is harder for her to bend them and rotate them and whatever. She has a kind of limited range of motion in her legs. When she gets stressed out, she tightens her legs up even more. And when she is standing, she is putting a lot of effort into keeping her legs straight and she overcompensates, standing on her tiptoes and keeping everything really tight. It's not terribly conducive to actually learning how to stand, although I'm sure once she starts doing it she will chill a little and go down on her flat feet. Basically she doesn't want her to stand a lot so she doesn't spend too much time on her toes with her legs super straight.

The reason for the neurologist is that there is probably some kind of neurological reason why the muscles in her legs are so stiff. It is probably not anything severe (although some major neurological events can cause muscle problems, like strokes or whatever) but there is obviously some kind of neuromuscular reason why her legs are so tight.

They're not SO tight that they don't move or move spastically (like would be the case with cerebral palsy and such) but they are tight enough that certain things, like sitting (where you need to stretch your hamstrings), opening her legs (where you need to open your hips), etc. are very hard for her and she just doesn't do them.

[aminahfiddler.livejournal.com]

So is the theory that the swimming will strength the right muscles w/out causing her stress?

yes, I'm clueless too but just want her to be 100% perfect.

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

More that the warm water would help her relax her muscles and then maybe she can get them stretched better. Because right now she is SUPER resistant to anything like stretching.

[cappucinogrrl.livejournal.com]

Thanks. That makes things much clearer.

Are you sure Punk is worth all this trouble? ;)

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

It's not like I can just send her back! :)

[childlight.livejournal.com]

Is this something she might outgrow?

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Hopefully yes! I'm hoping that as she staets walking/squatting/etc. she will stretch herself out. :)

[(Anonymous)]

will the swim therapy classes teach you things you can do at home in your own bathtub? Baby aqua-yoga?

I, too, am clueless. I was so glad someone else had asked the tone question...

chicory

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

I asked about baths and she said that sitting in the tub doesn't have the same "oomph" as being immersed in warm water. But perhaps I can work it out.

[mayna.livejournal.com]

Vivi is quite happy on the floor now that she is mobile. Of course she gets every little thing in her mouth and you turn your back for a second and she's got one choking hazard or another in there (and it's a screaming fit to try to fish it out). Sometimes I think she just pretends to have something in her mouth just to annoy me. I think she would be QUITE unhappy if I tried to stick her in the PnP because there are no crayons or paper bits in there. I'm not really sure how parents used to use playpens all the time and have the kids actually be happy in there.

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Punk will scream if you try to fish something out of her mouth too. WHY OH WHY would you WANT to have balls of cat fur in your mouth? GROSS.

Punk is actually sometimes okay in the PnP if I have to go to the basement to switch laundry or something. But if she can see me or hear me and she is in the baby jail? Forget it!

[mayna.livejournal.com]

Vivi FREAKS OUT if she can't see me, but only if she didn't get there on her own devices. It's ok if she crawls into the kitchen if I'm not in the kitchen, but if she's on the floor of the bathroom and I want to take a shower, I'm listening to crying baby the whole time I'm in there. Who becomes smily when I get out of the shower. Then screams again when I go into the closet to get clothes. I guess that object permanence hasn't hit home for her yet.

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

A used to scream when I got into the shower, but then after a while she kind of let it go. I keep her in the bouncy seat and she likes to pull the toys off the toy bar and suck on the velcro... it keeps her for my 5 minute shower. Although she is starting to try to get out of the bouncy chair and I don't DARE just leave her on the floor because she will clunk her head on something for sure. She is a total daredevil and now that she is trying to pull up, I am afraid she will fall while I am indisposed.

I suppose I could shower while she naps, but I really like to savor her naptimes. :)

[yip95.livejournal.com]

That's great that you get swim therapy! I wish that had been an option for S., that would have been so much fun!

I totally see how that impedes her sitting. We were FOREVER trying to get S to "bend in the middle!"

Hopefully the swimming will help and she'll just grow out of it. If we'd kept Shaya, we would have continued yoga with her throughout her childhood, just to keep her limber. Cuz, at least in her case, she's definitely going to be highish-tone for a good long time.

Sorry you lost your doorway jumper. Would she like to play on the floor with a bunch of plastic containers?

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I am psyched about it. Except for the part where I have to get into a bathing suit with strangers. Ugh. And the swim therapy group ends at the end of May, sad sad.

I'm pretty sure that Punk will be a high-tone kid for a long while, but my hope is that as she starts doing more weight-bearing stuff, she will stretch herself out enough to be functional. Right now she is only doing toe-standing, but I'm hoping that when she starts wanting to walk places, she will get on those feet and then just the act of putting her weight on her feet will stretch her out. I hope.

She would LOVE to play on the floor in the kitchen! But not with containers. She would prefer the cat water dish or maybe the rolling pin. She loves to bang that thing around... especially into the cat water dish. (Notice a pattern?)