On the Monday after that, someone from the Early Steps program at UF will be coming to meet us. Everyone sounds so positive and enthusiastic. I'm excited to find out what we can do to help Buddy the most.
I would like to say at this point that I am extremely grateful for all of the help that has been made available to us, and this post is not meant to be disrespectful to these people in any way, but the next part just struck me as so funny that I had to write about it--plus, you can hear more about Buddy.
I think the questionnaire they sent us to fill out before the visit is rather humorous. It was very obviously intended for a much older child. I'm glad for the fact that we found out early, so that Buddy can get as much help as possible. Just for fun, here's the list of questions:
Favorite and least favorite:
- Activities and games
- Toys and objects
- Foods and eating
- People and playmates
When is your child most/least cooperative?
What frightens/calms your child?
How does your child assist/participate in the following daily routines?
- Feeding
- Dressing
- Toileting
- Bathing
What do you do to help your child learn?
What concerns do you have for your child?
I suppose these questions are reasonable, but they just don't really apply to Buddy.
So, um, he likes having soft things rubbed on his face, and his favorite toy/object is a burp cloth. This is also part of the answer to what calms him. If rubbing something soft on his face doesn't work, he likes listening to "Crazy Train," or really anything featuring Ozzie. I know. I'm disturbed by this, too.
If he doesn't like something, he cries. If he does like something, he smiles. Nothing really frightens him, and he's always cooperative unless he's hungry. He likes everyone he's met, and he doesn't help with daily routines unless you count swallowing milk placed in his mouth for him or kicking his feet and sucking on his fingers/forearms while you try to dress him. You know, typical baby behavior. Obviously, our concern is that he will not be able to see well enough to participate in daily activities, or the activities that my husband and I enjoy so much.
So, because I am a cooperative person, and because I think these questions are so humorously inappropriate for Buddy's age, I will fill out the questionnaire. The woman I spoke with on the phone suggested that he had "cognitive developmental delays due to visual impairment." It was at this point that I told her that he was only 3 months old and I wasn't really sure how his cognition was delayed, so I know that they are aware of his age. I guess many children are not diagnosed with visual impairment until they are much older, which makes me glad that we can start getting help early.
I'll let you know what we learn Monday night. Thanks for reading!
No comments:
Post a Comment