Give me strength splints/orthotics

[thereonthestair]

Anyone got any ideas. I am at the end of my tether. My DS who is 2 has afos for both feet. we got new ones at the end of March. Within a week he could wriggle his left foot out of them. The strap stayed done up, and done up properly (he can do it after the physio has put the splint on) but his foot isn't in it.

No-one believed us, until the physio saw it. He has also done this several times in nursery.

We got referred back to Orthotics, (the appointment clashed with an OT appointment - clearly the nhs can't read the file on the same child and expect us to be in two places at once, my skills are many but that isn't one of them) and we were told to priotise the splints.

So we went back. The orthotist tells us what our DS does is not possible. And so won't do anything about this. They tell us to check every 30 minutes that the splint is still on properly. And to manage.

In the meantime DS has stopped even trying to walk with the new splint.

give me strenght, gin, and any ideas about what to do next. As I don't think I can do this anymore

hi there - does he wear shoes over the afos? Could you make a big deal of big boy shoes, doing up his own velcro etc so he wants to keep them on? My dd used to wriggle out of her afos when she was very small, by levering them against her carseat. Does your physio have any ideas how you could maybe velcro-strap them on while keeping his foot in correct alignment? Our situation is different to yours as we live in US, and all I need to do to go back to orthotist is phone them - perhaps in your situation I would get the person who is easiest to access and you see the most often to fix it.

will the physio talk to the orthotist to back you up? Do you have a camera on your phone you could video him doing it with? I have a good supply

Would more supportive boots keep him from wriggling free

Ask for over splint Piedro boots.. or ask for 'permission' (ie a note for physio) to buy them direct from Gilbert and Mellish. They are high lace up orthotic boots, and they do over AFO ones and they could NOT be wriggled out of with those on top:)

I must say I'm impressed he can wriggle out of them ..he IS wearing shoes/trainers over them at all times? Having said that my son managed to pronate over the sides of his afos... it's a talent:)