Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

SN children

Here are some suggested organisations that offer expert advice on special needs.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Some progress with her walking

31 replies

Thomcat · 19/05/2006 20:14

A while ago now physio gave us a walking frame for her. She took to it the same day and although still bum shuffles in the house she uses the frame every day and enjoys it. She tires and can't go for ever and it is obviously hard for her, you can see it, but she's doing so well with it.

Anyway, I've been trying to get her to walk with me, holding just one of my hands. A few weeks ago at the beach in Sherringham I managed to get her to take a few unsteady steps this way, so determined was she to carry a pebble and throw it into the sea. It was such a great moment. At last our first real preview of what it'll be like. The longer the non walking has gone on for the more that nagging feeling that it might never ever happen got worse.

Then this week she walked from the car, through gravel carpark, all the way round the side of the nursery building and into school holding just one of my hands

You can see from the way that she carries her legs it's hard for her but I could feel from how she was holding my hand she wasn't putting all her weight onto me to support her, I was there to balance her, not fully support her.

I know we have a way to go, but that's fine, I just needed to see some progress and I have and it feels great

Her SALT rang me this week to say how much progress she thought she had made in the 6 weeks she hasn't seen her for and was really pleased with her.

OP posts:

Saggarmakersbottomknocker · 19/05/2006 20:50

Hey that's brill TC And walking on sand and gravel are both pretty tough on little legs!

Are you back at work now? or ?

Original poster

Thomcat · 19/05/2006 20:53

I know bless her. Our patio area is all gravel and the man is coming tomorrow to get rid and lay a new sandstone patio with path so she can have the full run of the garden.

Back at work 6 june, feel sick at the thought of it, want to cry but hoping i'll end up feeling that i have the best of both worlds and will be all 's again. Only doing tues-thurs 10am-5pm.

OP posts:

Christie · 19/05/2006 21:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

eidsvold · 19/05/2006 22:49

I was hoping this was you - before you know it you will be chasing her and trying to stop her running away from you.

Great to hear how much progress she is making

I can remember how much I wanted dd1 to walk and she is getting better at holding our hands and walking with us BUT when she decides she is going in a different direction.... she can be so bloody fast.....

Original poster

Thomcat · 19/05/2006 22:57

Thanks Christie and thanks edisvold, bless you. I remember your post about your dd walking and how happy i was for you. How is that little monkey and when are you bringing her back to the uk so I can sede her??

Feel like lottie has never been such hard work. That is one strong willed, stubborn, difficult, argumantative little madam I have on my hands - she's great!

That's why this walking lark is taking so long. She will not be told, helped, shown etc. It has to be her idea, her way, in her time on her own. Great, i love it, but not the best personality traits to have when you have special needs and need a lot of help, support, etc!!!

OP posts:

eidsvold · 20/05/2006 08:28

tc - it is going to cost us almost 8000 dollars to fly back to the UK - luckily we don't have to pay for much accomodation but factor in car hire and well - we need to keep saving

I too have a little girl - well in fact two little girls who seem to have the attitude all in their own good time

anniebear · 20/05/2006 19:53

Oh Fantastic!!!!!

Clary · 21/05/2006 00:49

Oh TC I've just seen this and I am so pleased. I was wondering how it was going but that's fantastic progress, well done you and Lottie!

Blu · 21/05/2006 23:04

Oh, sweetheart, just seen this, and have tears in my eyes picturing Lottie clutching a pebble and determined to throw it in the sea. The little darling - it sounds as if her own will and determination to walk has been motivated - she was resisting before, wasn't she?

Isn't she great?

PinkKerPlink · 22/05/2006 08:03

lovely TC :)

what kind of pyshio input do you have atm? do you have any access to a conductive education centre? My dd has physical disabilities as well has having learning difficulties and she attended a physical disabled school when she was 3 that did conductive education as part of the school routine. It brought my dd on no end. the fact that it is all part of the structure helped her to realise it was actually a choice to make, it was fun and it helped her get more mobile. She had took her first steps before two years old, but at 3 was still wobbling. She is now 6 1/2 and walks quite steady but finds stairs are still a problem. Have you got a school place? (I remember your dd and my ds are the same age:)!)

heartinthecountry · 22/05/2006 12:26

That's great TC - I know only too well that little voice of doubt as to whether it will ever happen. It sounds like she is well on her way though now.

Actually this thread has really got me thinking about how I really need to address the fact that dd isn't walking yet - so thanks for the inspiration Lottie!

Original poster

Thomcat · 22/05/2006 20:37

Thanks everyone. And HITC - hope your little girl is up on those legs soon, good luck sweet.

Pinkkerplink - no idea what an conductive education centre is tbh. We have the usual physio through the nhs. She goes into nursery to see her and briefs the teachers on what to be doing next with her and a copy is snet to me at home. Lottie is going to the local mainstream catholic school and they also happen to be the leader for special needs as a mainstream school. She is statemented and we'll get 25 hours a week when she starts this september.

OP posts:

motherinferior · 22/05/2006 20:40

Fabulous!

I'm pretty sure once you're back in the working routine you will feel it's the best of all worlds; FWIW I really didn't want to go back as soon as I did after DD2 (if I didn't, I risked losing the major contracts which pay my bills) but once I did, it was fine.

Jimjamskeepingoffvaxthreads · 22/05/2006 20:41

How much does 25 hours a week translate to? 0.?????

Well done Lottie on the walking btw.

Original poster

Thomcat · 22/05/2006 22:37

Jimjams - she's at school for 6 hours a day and for 5 of those hours each day she'll have a one to one teacher with her. Does that not seem right to you then? I'd value your opinion.

OP posts:

Jimjamskeepingoffvaxthreads · 22/05/2006 22:46

I refused to accept anything less that full time 1:1 for ds1- including breaks and lunches, but he wouldn't have been safe without it as he needs full time supervision in an open environment like a mainstream school (he doesn't get that much 1:1 now, but a special school environment is much safer), Whether its right for Lottie or not will depend on how much help she needs in moving around and communicating.If she requires a constant available hand to hep her move safely for example than you would need (imo) to really refuse anything except 1.0 support, otherwise you'll end up with a situation where there's no one to help her to the toilet etc. I do also know 2 children with AS who get full time 1.0 in their statements - so I think if you ask you do often get iyswim.

milge · 22/05/2006 23:06

When I saw this, I was hoping it was you TC. So pleased to hear of Lottie's progress - WTG!

PinkKerPlink · 23/05/2006 09:30

Thomcat, do you feel being left for an hour a day is acceptable? I don't. I think it's awful, I know it is only one hour but she has mobility and learning problems, how can that be justified. Dont forget the TA has to help other children in the class aswell.

Conductive education is a ceratin type of physio (I will try and find a link for you). What are they doing about the physio in school, will it be incorporated into the daily routine?

batters · 23/05/2006 09:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

PinkKerPlink · 23/05/2006 09:45

\link{http://www.conductive-ed.org.uk/\conductive education}

\link{http://www.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&f=l&q=Peto+Andras+Centre+for+Conductive+Education+%28UK%29&near=Harrow&btnG=Search\this may be useful if you are interested}

the links do emphasise it is designed for children with cerebral palsy but in reality it helps any child with delays. My dd has a learning disability and it has helped her when she was less mobile. She is doing the MOVE program these days through school, which is basically making sure she is as mobile as possible.

Enid · 23/05/2006 09:46

geekgrrl · 23/05/2006 09:54

only just spotted this Thomcat - I'm so pleased for you! As others have said, she'll be running off before you know it (probably when the other little kitten starts running off, too! and then you'll have your hands full).

Do sort out Lottie's provision at school - how would she cope with going to the toilet for example in that hour without support?
Are you sure there isn't another section for midday support? In my dd's statement the teaching support and midday support were in different sections but added up to full-time support.

Anyway, well done on the walking and good luck with the statement. :)

Marina · 23/05/2006 09:55

How lovely for Lottie and you that she got to throw a pebble in the sea in Sheringham.

I really hope this doesn't sound poncey TC , but what with the wide-openness of the N Norfolk beaches, the picture you painted of her determination and focus, I could not help thinking of what Isaac Newton said about his great lifetime achievements:

"I do not know what I may appear to the world, but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the sea-shore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me."

What Lottie did with your help is a massive achievement for her too and getting mobile means that she's standing on her own two feet on the edge of her ocean of discovery too. I'm so happy for her and you. XXX

PinkKerPlink · 23/05/2006 09:58

oh Marina, you are fantastic you know:) not at all poncey

Jimjamskeepingoffvaxthreads · 23/05/2006 11:01

Usually if they remove an hour a day ity means the child has no support during lunchtimes and break times which is ridiculous. How is she at feeding herself/opening yoghurts/going to the toilet etc because unless she can do that independently thwn I would push for it.

DS1's statement was originally for 0.8, I pointed out why it wasn't safe, they said "but we never fund 1.0". I said "oh funny that because XXXXX has 1.0 on his statement" they said "we don't discuss individual cases" I said "I'm not asking you to discuss it, I'm telling you that you do fund 1.0". Anyway point being XXX is waaaaaayyyyy higher functioning than ds1 and many other children I know in ms on more limited statements- now I'm sure that he benefits from 1.0, but he wouldn't have got it based on need alone- he has a stroppy mother who believed he needed 1:1 full time. It is worth questioning their findings if you don't agree with them. As to how much help Lottie needs just think how much she can do without help or instruction, if you help her with everything then she needs full 1:1. I would say she would need it if she finds it difficult to express herself as well- how much speech does she have?

Flip

1 2