Tishia’s Thoughts

I thought that I would share about Wigglebutt’s delays; more specifically, his physical development. I still am waiting on the results of what kind of delays he has in speech, occupational, fine motor skills, and cognitive areas. He will have a different therapist for each of these, in addition to the evaluations for him to be fitted with leg braces. I will share more as I get his results in the other areas. He already has physical, cognitive, and in-home occupational therapists established and we call them “his special friends” that he gets to play with.

For now, I will share what I have discovered about his physical ability. He is 30 months old and he is physically like a 15 month old. Here is the broken down list that the physical therapist provided me with.

Locomotion skills:

• 15 month level: Creep down three steps backwards without support – Fail
• 15 month level: Walk up four steps without support – Fail
• 16 month level: Walk 10 feet quickly – Pass, with limitations for it wasn’t in a straight line
• 16 month level: Walk backwards 5 steps while pulling something – Fail
• 17 month level: With support only from adult’s finger, walk down four steps – Fail
• 17 month level: Walk backward 5 steps without support – Fail
• 18 month level: Run forward 10 feet – Fail
• 18 month level: Stand on curb with one foot in front of other – Fail
• 19 month level: Walk sideways for 10 feet, leading with same foot – Fail
• 20 month level: Jump at least 2 inches off the ground and both feet leaving ground together – Fail
• 21 month level: Jump forward 4 inches without falling – Fail
• 22 month level: Jump down off step without assistance – Fail
• 24 month level: Walk up 4 steps without touching rails or walls – N/A Knew he couldn’t
• 25 month level: walk down 4 steps without touching rails or walls – N/A Knew he couldn’t
• 26 month level: Walk backward 10 feet- N/A (this is a goal we want to reach)
• 27 month level: Jumps up while reaching to touch toy 2 inches above standing reach – this is a goal we want to reach.
• 27 month level: Walk up 4 steps while placing one foot on each step (we’ll worry about this later)
• 28 month level: Jump down from object 16 inches high without assistance (later)
• 29 month level: With hands on hips and without heels touching floor at all, walk on tiptoes for 5 feet (Later)
• 30 months old: Runs 30 feet (Later)

Reflexes and Manipulating Skills:

• 15 months level: Throws tennis or other 3 inch ball by extending arm at shoulder or elbow – Fail
• 16 months level: Lifts foot to make contact with a soccer or other 8 inch ball – Fail
• 17 month level: Maintaining balance: throw tennis or other 3 inch ball ball by extending arm – Fail
• 18 month level: Kick ball forward 3 feet – Fail
• 19 month level: Throw small ball overhead 3 feet before it touches floor – Fail
• 20 month level: Throw small ball underhand 3 feet forward before it touches floor – Fail
• 21 month level: Extending arms directly in front, palms facing upward or each other, attempts to catch ball – Fail
• 22 month level: Initiates overhand throw by moving arm upward and back; small ball travels 7 feet before touching floor – Fail
• 23 month level: Using opposing arm an leg movements and initiating kick by extending leg back with bent knee, kicks ball forward 6 feet – Fail
• 24 month level: Catch ball with arms extended – Fail
• 25-30 month level: Using an underhand toss, hits target with small ball – Fail
• 25-30 month level: With arms bent and palms facing each other, catches ball with hands – Fail

Wow, it’s sobering to see how he should be able to move at his age. There’s a lot of work to do and that is the sort of thing they work on in his physical therapy sessions and they tell me to work on it at home too. For example, to get Wigglebutt to do the side to side steps, take his hands and tell him we’re dancing! They said it would take a little bit for him to catch on and it could take longer if it turns out he needs leg braces to correct the way he moves his legs as he walks. We (my husband and I) will work harder on making games with balls seem more fun for him to improve his seemingly nonexistent reflexes. This is the kid who does not flinch when a ball is thrown at him! He even failed the 8 month old level reflex tests, where they had him sit down and they came up behind him and shoved him to see if he would fling his arms up in front of him to plant on the floor. He didn’t. The other 8 month old level test was the same in reverse- they shoved him from the front to see if he would fling his extended arms backwards to plant on the floor. He didn’t… but his sister did! I took the chart home with me and did all the same tests on Snicklebritches. She comes out to the 13 month old level, which is a little over 2 months ahead and makes the two of them very close in ability. For now. I hope with therapy, Wigglebutt will shoot off the charts and go way ahead of her, where he should be.