Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Vision therapy and new specialist

We have the pleasure (smirk) of adding another specialist to Randy's list; ENT (ear, nose, and throat). This referral came from his failed hearing exam. They want to find the cause of the supposed hearing loss. I am still not convinced there is hearing loss, but I'm not sure enough not to follow through with the referral. I do believe he has some fluid that may be building up behind his ear. This could account for the stuffiness that he has at times, and the breathlessness he presents when he is drinking his bottle.

The vision specialist came to work with him today. She says that she sees improvement in him since she assessed him last month. It's kind of cool that she works with him because she is also visually impaired. She puts toys to his face and different black and white photos. She says that these help strengthen his eyes. She made me feel good because she said she could tell that I was patching him faithfully. I'm not one that needs a cheerleader often, but I really needed to hear that. I have been feeling like I'm not doing enough to help him progress.

He seems to have hit a wall with his physical development. He is still sitting and rolling from belly to back, but not much else. He's been doing this for almost two months now. The vision therapy believes it is related to his vision. She is going to get a book for me that deals with movement in the visually impaired. She is also going to work with the physical therapist from early intervention.
Speaking of early intervention; I must say that they have been wonderful!!! My specialist is always on time, bring me lots of goodies to work with Randy, and listens and acts on all my concerns. They come out 2-3 times per month; I wish it was weekly.

The last thing they did with Randy was vestibular motion. This is supposed to help him with righting reactions and trunk control. He LOVED it. He smiled and laughed. He even fussed when she stopped. They talked about getting a bowl that I can keep at home so that I can give him this motion regularly.

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