poorly mobile 18mo - suggestions?

[mugOfCoffee]

DS is just on 18 months and is very tall with a huge head (height and head are off the top of the charts, weight is 90th centile). He was walking independently at 12 months (walking with a hand held much earlier - 9 months?), but he has never crawled or bum-shuffled and he has no core strength, so he can't get up from sitting down, or sit from lying down. He also can't really climb because of the lack of strength.

He is getting very much left behind at playgroup because all the other kids his age (and considerably younger) are so much more mobile than he is.

I've been trying to work on getting him to climb the stairs at home (as in holding the stair above where the foot is going), and climbing on things at the local playground. But generally the playground stuff is too hard for him, and he refuses to do the stairs a lot of the time. We go for walks on uneven grass in the park. CAn't get him to climb on stuff like chairs; can't get him climbing out of the swimming pool without manhandling him into position, as he can't sit up by himself.

Anyone got any suggestions for what to do? Unfortunately there's no toddler gymnastics or dance within a long way of where we live. I think all is probably normal, he's just hit the jackpot in terms of being the height of a 2.5 year old and having missed out on all the developmental stages that might have given him enough strength to carry his weight around.

I could have written your post a year ago! My DD was just the same - not quite as big for her age, but low muscle tone and didn't have the coordination to pull up to stand, or to sit up from lying down.

I took her to my health visitor to raise concerns and she referred me to an infant physiotherapist who assessed her and started a 12 week plan. Also referred up to the paediatrician who ran some tests to rule out any underlying conditions. Diagnosis is basically hypermobile joints, low muscle tone and being slower to develop than others but still on the spectrum of normal. I think in some areas HVs can't make a referral so it might be worth a phone conversation with them first to see if you should go via your GP instead.

We were lucky to be seen by the physio very quickly but in the meantime they suggested some things to help with core strength etc:

• put sofa cushions on the floor and encourage stepping/ clambering up
• playing on tummy/ on knees as much as possible
• sit them up between your knees and put toys on one side so they have to stretch round to reach them; you can then gently start to guide them onto their knees
• lots of modelling of how to stand up from sitting (I realised that I never do this myself in the 'classic' way, i.e. Get onto your knees, then step one foot up, then the other foot up, so had to practise myself!!)
• get some big boxes or crates and help them practise stepping in and out
• swimming is great so carry on with that

I also realised that I was praising her lots for speaking/ fine motor skills etc but not for physical things, because I was watching her anxiously every time she did them! So started praising her lots for e.g. tackling stairs.

Hope this is helpful and that you get some help via your HV or GP.

Lovely post Fizzy I agree that the GP should be your first point of call OP

Thankyou! Sorry to disappear : DS has been ill and PIL visiting so no Mn time til now. Will talk to GP.

Sounds like you’ve had a busy time! Let us know what the GP says

My DD was similar. We were referred to physiotherapy which she hated but was useful.

Talk to GP or HV about a physio referral - my smaller twin was under them and she gave me lots of things I could do to help him along. Unfortunately he seems to be having some kind of regression so we are being referred back again.