for PipinJo.....
I can't scan or email the excercise sheets. (no scanner) but I could photocopy them. You could email me your details privately, i think I ticked the box for that. I'm not much good at this it lark...

vicky Are they Piedro boots?

my ds has low muscle tone and has been having phyiso and has special boots to help him walk it has really made a big differance and he is now alot more able to do things

Heh, I get that too anon. DS1 is quite willowy but very strong in some ways.

It's hard to say on size with ds1 as he is an August birthday so the youngest and one of the smallest in his class. I really need to compare him to kids in the class before. But he is wearing the appropriate sized clothes so I guess height and weight is about average.

My ds2 is the ltallest in his class too, he's 6 & in age 7-8 clothes, he's quite stocky too.
People don't believe me when I say he was premature.

jabber Oddly my son is huge too, he's over a metre tall at 3 and has been in 3-4 year old clothes since 2. It's tricky as he's the youngest and tallest at nursery and people forget he's so young!

On the other hand DS2 is the size of a 7 month old at 18w so maybe it's just genes?

Ds1 initially potty trained well, then regressed after ds2 was born. Cue another year and a half to potty train with the constipation and fecal impactions He was really bad to do a poo and then deny it even as the smell permeated the whole room. A friend who is a therapist said some kids with sensory issues rather like the warm, squishy feel of it and therefore it makes training that much more difficult.

troutpout ds also had chronically bad reflux as a baby and I wonder now if this was linked in some way. He became very sensitive and cautious about food and was sick at the drop of a hat. Even now, he is sick very easily. We went to a wedding last weekend and he was sick at the table (!) - I caught it discretely in a napkin fortunately - just because of a bit of coughing . People were amazed but there was I with spare clothes at the ready taking it in my stride. It's weird what you become used to expecting!

Also, DS was late with toilet 'training' and had 'accidents' at school in reception years (poos - sorry if tmi!!). I always got the impression that he just didn't 'feel' the sensations like others.

Anyway, babbling on here, but it is interesting to see if and how all these things are related! I shall be asking lots of questions as I go

very weird, pipin!

As far as facial muscles and swallowing goes, has anyone done the straw and applesauce exercise? Basically you just pour some applesauce on a plate and they have to suck it up through the straw. Ds1 thinks it is hilarious and doesn't realize it's good for him I also have some of those "silly straws" so that he has to use a stronger suction.