Can DS4 borrow DS2's OT?

[elliejjtiny]

Today DS4's physio told me there is a chair currently in the equipment storage place that would be perfect for DS4 (10 months). It's this one. I agree that it would be really good for DS4 and was already imagining him being able to join in more with his brothers and see more of what's going on than he can from lying on the floor or in his tumbleform chair.

Problem is, DS4 needs a social care OT to get this chair which he hasn't got and the waiting list is 3-6 months for under 2's. And there's no guarantee this chair will be available when he gets an OT appointment. I think DS2 still has an OT who sorted out his seating for school and who I think is a better OT than the one DS4 has been referred to, who when she was DS2's OT, dithered around for months and kept offering us a bath seat which we didn't want. DS2's OT actually asked him what he wanted and tried to accommodate him when he said he didn't want a chair that looked like a highchair at school.

So can I ask DS2's OT to get DS4 this chair or do we have to wait and see the other OT. I really feel that time is not on our side with DS4 at the moment as I'm trying desperately to minimize his potential learning difficulties while his hydrocephalus gets worse and his physical development delay causes him to miss out on more things. Although I appreciate that the other parents on the waiting list must be frustrated too.

I would ask the ot to get the chair it sounds like your boy would really benefit from it

Thanks. Will dig out OT's number and ring her on Monday, after spending the weekend thinking of ways a chair for DS4 will benefit DS2. For a start, seeing DS4 benefitting from his new chair will encourage DS2 to use his wheelchair so we can actually go somewhere instead of being almost housebound because DS2 can't walk very far without it but won't use it because people make stupid comments, stare at him and patronise him. The annoying thing is that if the OT who keeps faffing around would just get on with it her waiting list would be so much shorter.

If your ds2 has an OT already, it would be far simpler and quicker (ie far cheaper for the service) for ds4 to be allocated to the same one.

You don't ask, you don't get. And if you're told no, ask the top person.

Thanks. I phoned DS2's OT and she said to phone somerset direct and get a referral direct to her. She's got 16 children ahead of DS4 on her waiting list but she said that as DS4's case is straight forward then it shouldn't be too long a wait. She asked how DS2 was and when he heard his name mentioned he took the opportunity to say that if DS4 is getting a chair, he'd like some grab rails for the toilet instead of hanging onto the towel rail! So now we are having a bathroom assessment on Monday and I'll be spending the next 6 days trying to turn our cluttered house into a show home while cursing DS2 under my breath .

Thanks, the OT laughed and said "DS2 seems to be as determined as ever". She was great when DS2 started school and got him a load of bits that someone else had already told the school that he didn't need .

Ah, that's brilliant

The OT has been. She told DS2 that he was managing fine without grab rails so he went off in a sulk. She measured DS4 up for his chair and is going to talk to the physio about what chair would be best although as I really like the one the physio recommended then that shouldn't be a problem. She is coming again next week with a selection of bath seats to try out for DS4 and hopefully she will have news about the chair too.

I don't think he does. I was in two minds about it when we talked about getting grab rails for the loo 2 years ago and I think he's got better at managing since then. I think it was the thought of his OT getting something for DS4 that upset him. He's quite possessive about some of the professionals who work with him. When he was at preschool his portage worker came in to go to a meeting about another child and he wasn't impressed at all! I've been asking his opinion on chairs for DS4 though which seems to have cheered him up as he likes to be considered an expert on things disability related.