Late walkers/physical therapy

[marie3246]

At 1 year DD wasn't pulling up or cruising and was just scooting on her butt everywhere. Her pedi said he wasn't worried at that point, but a PT evaluation wouldn't be a bad idea. He referred us to one and started going, but our insurance didn't cover it and since it was at the hospital, it was more than double what it would cost to go somewhere else. We were then referred to an early intervention state program and went thru a series of evaluations and meetings that took about 2 months. DD qualified but then they didn't have any PT's available so it ended up being a waste of time. All during this time, DD has been getting closer and closer to walking and now is taking about 20 steps on her own. 

So I started going to PT about 2 months ago. I really liked our PT at first, but our last 4 sessions (1X a week) have been frustrating. We have made some changes (time, activities) and nothing seems to be getting any better. The last few weeks DD has been walking on her own (about 20 steps) is all over the place at home barely holding onto things. She is doing so much better than she ever has and each day she is gaining more confidence and taking a few more steps. Except when we go to PT. When we were in the waiting room this week, she was walking from wall to wall, not holding on, but then when the PT came in, she shut down and wouldn't stand up. The last few sessions have been like this and DD is awful during the sessions. There is a big long open space area that DD will walk in, but the PT always wants to take her back to her room where there are a ton of toys and DD just ends up sitting on the floor playing with the toys. The PT tries to take the toys from her and put them on higher things and DD just gets pissed and throws a fit. Over and over and over. This week the PT gave up and started cleaning up about 20 min early. 

Another PT in the practice tried and got DD to walk in the large area while our PT was cleaning up. At this point I am not sure what to do. It takes a while for DD to get comfortable somewhere and with new people so I am hesitant to change, but at $120 a session I am not feeling great about this. I'm not sure if DD just doesn't like this PT or what the deal is, but she turns into a different kid when we are there. To me, she is doing great, but the PT can't see that since DD just shuts down when we are there. I do really like this PT and she has been trying to work with us and our insurance to cover some of it, so I can't just up and leave right now, but I am feeling like each week is such a waste. WWYD?

[residentdj]

I'm just curious - is there a reason why you think your daughter is behind in this milestone aside from the pulling herself up and scooting? Like, was she born early or something? We were told that some babies are just late walkers, but if they don't start walking by 18 months, that's when you really need to be concerned. My daughter is 14 months and is not even close to walking. She was born early at 29 weeks though, so I'm not really expecting her to walk any time soon. She just recently started pulling herself up to standing, but is hardly cruising yet - will try to take a step or 2, but then sits herself down. The NICU doctors at her 1 year follow up visit actually told us that we should let her crawl for as long as possible because it will strengthen her core muscles, which is a common problem in preemies.

Anyway, I know it doesn't answer your question - and I don't want to tell you to not do the PT sessions anymore because only you know if your child really needs them still, but if she is taking steps on her own, that's good, no?

[VillainV]

C has gross motor delays and isn't yet walking at nearly 17 months. He did PT for a while, then we stopped when we moved, and are trying to get referrals and evals taken care of to get him started again (and of course there is a waiting list.

It takes him a LONG TIME to warm up to new people. At his first physical therapist it was probably a month before they did ANYTHING but play. He was a lot younger then (like 9 months). I suspect he would be the same way now though, maybe a little bit better.

I think your best bet is to talk frankly wit the PT you're currently seeing about what you see with your daughter at home vs. how she is with the therapist. Can you take videos at home to show her what your DD is like at home? We did this a few times with skills that C wouldn't demonstrate for the PT. You know your kid best, and obviously being taken into a room full of toys (then having the toys taken away!) is NOT working for you guys. Maybe if you suggest a different room, or the big open space, or a room with no toys, the therapist would be receptive to your suggestions. I would be VERY frustrated given what you're paying.

[dcn]

How old is she now? Sounds like she's made progress and is walking some independently. I would probably stop going if the pt isn't even going to attempt to work with her. What a waste of time and $$.

[imojoebunny]

My DS was a later walker, like almost 18 months. He was plenty strong, he is just a kid who likes to be good and ready before he does things. In the absence of other delays, I would be done.

[marie3246]

Aug 26, 2015 16:07:33 GMT -5 residentdj said:

I'm just curious - is there a reason why you think your daughter is behind in this milestone aside from the pulling herself up and scooting? Like, was she born early or something? We were told that some babies are just late walkers, but if they don't start walking by 18 months, that's when you really need to be concerned. My daughter is 14 months and is not even close to walking. She was born early at 29 weeks though, so I'm not really expecting her to walk any time soon. She just recently started pulling herself up to standing, but is hardly cruising yet - will try to take a step or 2, but then sits herself down. The NICU doctors at her 1 year follow up visit actually told us that we should let her crawl for as long as possible because it will strengthen her core muscles, which is a common problem in preemies.

Anyway, I know it doesn't answer your question - and I don't want to tell you to not do the PT sessions anymore because only you know if your child really needs them still, but if she is taking steps on her own, that's good, no?

Well the pedi suggested the PT evaluation to see if we should be concerned. She wouldn't put any weight on her legs at all, wouldn't stand, etc. She had hip Xrays as well and everything was clear there. She will be 18 months in a few days (my ticker is wrong) and while she has come a long way, she still isn't walking fully on her own. The PT and early intervention specialist said that children not walking at 15months is delayed gross motor. My PT said we would re evaluate at 18 month appt, which is in 2 weeks. 

Aug 26, 2015 16:08:58 GMT -5 VillainV said:

C has gross motor delays and isn't yet walking at nearly 17 months. He did PT for a while, then we stopped when we moved, and are trying to get referrals and evals taken care of to get him started again (and of course there is a waiting list.

It takes him a LONG TIME to warm up to new people. At his first physical therapist it was probably a month before they did ANYTHING but play. He was a lot younger then (like 9 months). I suspect he would be the same way now though, maybe a little bit better.

I think your best bet is to talk frankly wit the PT you're currently seeing about what you see with your daughter at home vs. how she is with the therapist. Can you take videos at home to show her what your DD is like at home? We did this a few times with skills that C wouldn't demonstrate for the PT. You know your kid best, and obviously being taken into a room full of toys (then having the toys taken away!) is NOT working for you guys. Maybe if you suggest a different room, or the big open space, or a room with no toys, the therapist would be receptive to your suggestions. I would be VERY frustrated given what you're paying.

    Taking a video is a great idea. I will try that next week. I guess I don't really know what will work, but what is happening isn't working and its frustrating to watch her sit and play with bubbles for an hour. I have tried making suggestions and the PT just says we will try again next week, blames it on DD's mood, or being tired. This week I could tell DD just wanted to leave. She went and got my purse, put it on and waved bye bye. Then she held my hand and walked out and then unassisted to the other PT. 

Aug 26, 2015 16:10:39 GMT -5 @viv said:

I would stop going. It doesn't sound like she has any other gross motor problems? Both my DD's were late walkers. DD 2 is only just now taking a few steps at 17 months old. Her pedi isn't worried and neither are we.

I honestly don't know if I should be worried or not. When she wasn't putting any weight on them at a year, I was more worried, now she has come so far I am less worried. However, we have a developmental specialist that comes once a week as well as the PT we see who both say that you don't want to get her close and quit. I don't disagree with that, but I do feel that she is progressing because I am making her walk everywhere, she is getting stronger and more confident. I truly think she is stubborn and it has to be her idea to want to walk. She isn't an easy going baby that you can just put in any situation and she will do it, so that makes PT hard. 

Aug 26, 2015 16:14:16 GMT -5 dcn said:

How old is she now? Sounds like she's made progress and is walking some independently. I would probably stop going if the pt isn't even going to attempt to work with her. What a waste of time and $$.

She will be 18 months in a few days. Ill have a talk with the PT this next week and go from there, this past week was the first one where I could tell both DD and the PT were very frustrated and it just was not working at all. 

Aug 26, 2015 16:29:07 GMT -5 imojoebunny said:

My DS was a later walker, like almost 18 months. He was plenty strong, he is just a kid who likes to be good and ready before he does things. In the absence of other delays, I would be done.



I think she will get there, but not by the exact day she is 18 months. She has the ability to do it and she is slowly, but it has to be her idea and her way. She is around kids who walk all the time and she doesn't care. She tends to walk where she is most comfortable, at home or around family or the playground we go to. But she hates the PT's office so much lately that she just shuts down. 

[VillainV]

Have you tried seeing about making her appointment at a different time of day? We tried first thing in the morning at first (like 8:30) because it worked best for our work schedules, but it was a miserable failure. Then we switched to 2pm (so just after nap and a snack) which worked much better for C. Not as convenient for us with work, but we made it work.

[marie3246]

Aug 26, 2015 16:59:18 GMT -5 VillainV said:

Have you tried seeing about making her appointment at a different time of day? We tried first thing in the morning at first (like 8:30) because it worked best for our work schedules, but it was a miserable failure. Then we switched to 2pm (so just after nap and a snack) which worked much better for C. Not as convenient for us with work, but we made it work.

yes, that is what we thought the problem was. Now we go at 9:30 which is the same time we do lots of other things during the week (story time, music class, playdates, etc) and its still been a fail. We were going at 3 after work and sometimes it was great, but then it got consistently bad so we switched. 

DH is now pressuring me to stop going because of the cost and he thinks she is fine, but I don't want to make any changes til I talk to the pedi. It is so hard because some professionals I talk to (PT, OT, DS) say she is delayed and not to stop and then other specialists (PT, OT) say she isn't really delayed until after 18 months. I also don't know what exactly is considered walking. She walked from the living room to the kitchen last night which is probably about 20 steps and every day she is walking more and more, but she is still scooting when she is tired. She also doesn't just stand to walk on her own, she has to hold something to help her get up. A lot of times its my finger and she is barely touching me, I think its more of a comfort thing. I have seen her stand up and walk without holding anything, but only 2 times so far. 

[kershnic]

If she's taking steps unassisted (not holding a person, toy, wall, furniture) then it counts as walking. My kids were average walkers (around 12 months), but it was almost 3 months later before they were able to get from the ground back to standing without a wall/person/furniture to pull up on.

Given that she is close to 18 months and you've gone through all of this to get services I wouldn't just quit without some conversations with the PT and your pedi. Definitely take video of her at home and be very open with the PT about your concerns that structuring the sessions in this way is not an accurate representation of her skills or a good use of your time or money. The PT should be able to work with you, whether that means trying without the toys first or trying in a different space, or SOMETHING other than excuses every week about why it's not working. I think you can nicely but firmly let her know that you can't afford to pay for so many sessions where nothing gets done because the stars didn't align and see what she can do to work with you.

[Deleted]

All 3 of my kids have hypotonia and were late walkers (16/17 mos). They have all been in pt (the girls still are). The girls walk now but won't walk all the time and are E is still unsteady.

Couple of questions:
Does DD have hypotonia or hypertonia? Some other diagnosed cause for the delayed GM skills?

Have you asked the PT about trying the larger room?

What about having the toys up on the higher areas before she walks into the room so she doesn't see them on the floor and start playing. Our PT beings toys and always puts them on the couch and a chair she grabs from the dining room right when she walks in. This way playing on the floor with the toys isn't an option.

Has the PT explained to you what she is trying to accomplish specifically? Beyond walking there is usually more to it than this. For example, my girls need to build strength that will help with their balance and ultimately help them be more steady when walking etc. Sometimes activities the PT does to build trunk strength don't look like they are helping without her having explained what she is doing and why. Like row row your boat to build core muscles by having them pull themselves up etc. So is it possible she is working with your daughter just not on walking specifically?

Overall, I wouldn't quit PT but I definitely would not if you have been given a reason for the delayed GM. If there is an underlying cause such as my kids hypotonia it will continue to be an issue so while she may be "caught up" now because she is walking she may fall behind again without working at it with PT.

I would speak with the PT about your concerns. Ask what her goals are for your DD. How does what they do help to reach the goals? Explain what's not working. Ask about the larger room. It does take time for kids to warm up to new therapists and PT is hard work making it unlikely kids will just want to jump right in with someone else. I'd try to work it out with this PT before trying a new one again. Good luck!

Eta: It is a delay to not be walking by 15 mos. However, 18 mos is used as the hard and fast line in that if not walking by 18 mos it usually means there is a larger underlying cause and not a general delay. So oftentimes if not walking by 18mos pedis will order some neurological testing etc. To rule out causes. What you describe is walking. But the fact that she isn't getting herself into standing suggests she is still delayed. By 15 mos kids should be able to not only walk but bend down, pick up a toy, stand up again and carry it while walking. All without holding onto anything. Can she climb structures?

[mlt]

DS2 got physical therapy for six months because he wasn't sitting up at 8 months and wasn't crawling at 11. We quit at 15 months when he was "so close" to walking. He's almost 18 months now and still not walking. Nor is he really that close. Because we quit, we have to go through the whole EI process again. Evaluation, referral, etc. I am kicking myself. I wish we had stuck with it until I was confident that he was hitting milestones. Just a thought. It sounds like she's making great strides but you may want to keep her there until you feel like she's really caught up.

[cinco]

My DD was similar to yours in that she only did the butt scoot at a year. We had her in EI and in private PT. The concern wasn't so much that she wasn't walking at a year or 15 months, but that she wasn't making any progress towards it. It turns out she was a little low tone. We did end up dropping her EI because she would cry the whole time. It was miserable. I think it is fine to acknowledge that it just isn't working out with a particular therapist. I'm sure DD's was great with other kids and she was really nice, but DD only got frustrated with her. She did great with her private PT, on the other hand. It felt more like playing and she did make progress with her. We stopped the private therapist fairly shortly after DD started walking at 20 months. Sure, she was still behind, but she was on her way and it wasn't necessary anymore. I worked with her on skills at home.

[gibbinator]

Ds1 wasn't doing any transitional movements at 15 months when we started pt - No rolling (except a couple flukes), no pulling up, no getting from laying to sitting or vice versa, no crawling, no climbing, would not ever bend his knees, .... He did walk though if stood on his feet.
He also wouldn't do anything but hug me or cry during pt sessions. We pretty much just went in for 20mins, I described what was new or what was still not working, she'd try to get him to demonstrate but if he wouldn't (95%) of the time she'd get me to demonstrate and then would use me as a prop to show me what she wanted me to try with him.
It was irritating but not much else could be done for it. Within 3 months though he was caught up to his peers and we stopped going.

Honestly it sounds to me like your dd has already made lots of improvement and 20 steps is pretty good anyway! Obviously she can walk, maybe she just doesn't prefer it yet? I might just keep practising it with her at home and quitting pt if there are no other delay.

[leonard131]

I would stop going. M was a late walker and had some gross motor delay. He wasn't really walking until 18 months. Our PT actually stopped with him after he was talking about 20 steps on his own because for walking there wasn't much more she could do. It just takes a little time for them to build confidence and feel steady on their feet.

[wilbs]

DS was taking steps at 14 months, but didn't start walking completely independently until 15.5 months. Even then he wasn't able to get into a standing position on his own and needed to pull up on something to walk. I think he was closer to 17 months before he could do that, and our pediatrician was never concerned. He also is in the 75th percentile for head, but 5-10th percentile for weight so I think balancing his disproportionate head played into it as well.

Also, FWIW, my nephew was a butt scooter and he didn't walk until 18 months. My SIL had him evaluated by EI around 15 months and they told her that it's normal for scooters to walk later.

If she's walking well around the house, I would stop going and discuss further with your pedi at her 18 month check up. So much can change in just a couple weeks.

[longtimenopost]

Our situation is different because DD actually has cerebral palsy, but if there's anything I've learned in our two and a half years of therapy, it's that the therapist relationship really does make a difference and the child really has to want to do things.

DD learn to sit up at 18 months and immediately started butt scooting. For the next year she had no interest in walking because she could get around just fine. We ignored the advice of some of our traditional therapists who wanted to start putting her in standers, walkers & bulky orthotics because we wanted to let her develop, find motivation, and gain confidence on her own timeline. Now, at two and a half, she is really interested in walking and eager to try.

In your case, it might be worth trying out a different Therapist, but if she's still not doing well I would encourage you not to feel guilty for stopping. She will be ready in her own time.

[dcrunnergirl52]

I wouldn't quit b/c like a PP said, you waited this long to get into the system, if she falls behind again, you'll regret dropping out. I would, however, talk to the PT and maybe find a new one if possible. DS2 has hypotonia, and our PT very much tried to do what he wanted to do but also made the environment so his choices were limited. I'd ask your PT to put away the floor toys or limit to just one or two less desirable ones, so your DD isn't distracted. And, I'd bluntly ask to the session in the larger open area b/c that seems to be what your DD favors.

DS2 didn't want until 18 months, and now at 2y2m, he's all caught up with what he should be doing for his age. But, we still have him in PT once/month just to stay in the system and to make sure he stays on track.

[oliviapope]

Did she crawl or just scoot? If she did not do the 4 point crawl with belly off the floor I would honestly focus on this just as much as walking.

I know a lot of people say babies are "stubborn" and will do things when they decide to do them. However, at this age they do not have the cognitive capacity to think like that-the brain development simply isn't there. If they are not hitting a milestone or not rolling, sitting, crawling, walking-it is because for some reason there is a delay in the brain/body neurologic connection. It doesn't mean that there is anything majorly wrong, but the baby isn't not hitting a milestone because they are choosing not to (they simply do not have the capacity to think this way yet).

This is why PT, OT, and ST are important-they work with the body to build this connection quicker. If she won't walk/work with your PT, then use the time to have the PT show you what to do at home to reinforce. Have the PT explain to you what to do and then you do it with her while PT observes. If she can take some independent steps, but cannot get up on her own to do them-then see what the PT can offer to help with in this way. It sounds like she has come so far with the actual steps, but she does need to be able to get up and walk on her own so I would focus on that.

[marie3246]

Aug 26, 2015 20:37:40 GMT -5 kershnic said:

If she's taking steps unassisted (not holding a person, toy, wall, furniture) then it counts as walking. My kids were average walkers (around 12 months), but it was almost 3 months later before they were able to get from the ground back to standing without a wall/person/furniture to pull up on.

Given that she is close to 18 months and you've gone through all of this to get services I wouldn't just quit without some conversations with the PT and your pedi. Definitely take video of her at home and be very open with the PT about your concerns that structuring the sessions in this way is not an accurate representation of her skills or a good use of your time or money. The PT should be able to work with you, whether that means trying without the toys first or trying in a different space, or SOMETHING other than excuses every week about why it's not working. I think you can nicely but firmly let her know that you can't afford to pay for so many sessions where nothing gets done because the stars didn't align and see what she can do to work with you.

She doesn't go from sitting to standing without pulling on something or holding my hand often, but I know she can physically do it and when she holds my hand, she is just barely touching it. I think it is more for comfort than anything. Each day I am able to let go a little more as she is gaining confidence. Thanks, I will talk to my PT and see if we can make some changes. A friend suggested making her sessions 30 min instead of 1 hr and hopefully that will help. 

Aug 27, 2015 7:14:03 GMT -5 @awinter said:

All 3 of my kids have hypotonia and were late walkers (16/17 mos). They have all been in pt (the girls still are). The girls walk now but won't walk all the time and are E is still unsteady.

Couple of questions:
Does DD have hypotonia or hypertonia? Some other diagnosed cause for the delayed GM skills?

Have you asked the PT about trying the larger room?

What about having the toys up on the higher areas before she walks into the room so she doesn't see them on the floor and start playing. Our PT beings toys and always puts them on the couch and a chair she grabs from the dining room right when she walks in. This way playing on the floor with the toys isn't an option.

Has the PT explained to you what she is trying to accomplish specifically? Beyond walking there is usually more to it than this. For example, my girls need to build strength that will help with their balance and ultimately help them be more steady when walking etc. Sometimes activities the PT does to build trunk strength don't look like they are helping without her having explained what she is doing and why. Like row row your boat to build core muscles by having them pull themselves up etc. So is it possible she is working with your daughter just not on walking specifically?

Overall, I wouldn't quit PT but I definitely would not if you have been given a reason for the delayed GM. If there is an underlying cause such as my kids hypotonia it will continue to be an issue so while she may be "caught up" now because she is walking she may fall behind again without working at it with PT.

I would speak with the PT about your concerns. Ask what her goals are for your DD. How does what they do help to reach the goals? Explain what's not working. Ask about the larger room. It does take time for kids to warm up to new therapists and PT is hard work making it unlikely kids will just want to jump right in with someone else. I'd try to work it out with this PT before trying a new one again. Good luck!

Eta: It is a delay to not be walking by 15 mos. However, 18 mos is used as the hard and fast line in that if not walking by 18 mos it usually means there is a larger underlying cause and not a general delay. So oftentimes if not walking by 18mos pedis will order some neurological testing etc. To rule out causes. What you describe is walking. But the fact that she isn't getting herself into standing suggests she is still delayed. By 15 mos kids should be able to not only walk but bend down, pick up a toy, stand up again and carry it while walking. All without holding onto anything. Can she climb structures?

Her doctor, the PT, and OT or the EI person who sees her have no mentioned hypotonia or hypertonia. They have mentioned looking for low tone and said she is fine. All the experts have basically said she is very strong willed and that there is nothing physically wrong with her that they see. She was also late to sit up 7.5 months. 

Her goal is get get DD walking. First it was crawling and that helped a lot. We try hard not to let her scoot anymore at all. She either walks or crawls if we can help it. I do think that our pedi mentioned neuro if she wasn't walking by 18 months. She climbs everything, up the stairs, the couch, etc. She also does bend down, picks up her cup and walks with it sometimes, but I can tell she doesn't feel stable enough to go from sitting to standing. 

Aug 27, 2015 7:48:16 GMT -5 mlt said:

DS2 got physical therapy for six months because he wasn't sitting up at 8 months and wasn't crawling at 11. We quit at 15 months when he was "so close" to walking. He's almost 18 months now and still not walking. Nor is he really that close. Because we quit, we have to go through the whole EI process again. Evaluation, referral, etc. I am kicking myself. I wish we had stuck with it until I was confident that he was hitting milestones. Just a thought. It sounds like she's making great strides but you may want to keep her there until you feel like she's really caught up.

This is what I am most worried about. The process was so long, I do not want to do that again. 

Aug 27, 2015 7:50:33 GMT -5 cinco said:

My DD was similar to yours in that she only did the butt scoot at a year. We had her in EI and in private PT. The concern wasn't so much that she wasn't walking at a year or 15 months, but that she wasn't making any progress towards it. It turns out she was a little low tone. We did end up dropping her EI because she would cry the whole time. It was miserable. I think it is fine to acknowledge that it just isn't working out with a particular therapist. I'm sure DD's was great with other kids and she was really nice, but DD only got frustrated with her. She did great with her private PT, on the other hand. It felt more like playing and she did make progress with her. We stopped the private therapist fairly shortly after DD started walking at 20 months. Sure, she was still behind, but she was on her way and it wasn't necessary anymore. I worked with her on skills at home.

This is so frustrating for me to watch and pay for. Each week she is progressing and doing something that she didn't do before. I do think a lot more is coming from me working with her at home rather from the PT sessions where she just cries the whole time unless she's doing what she wants to do (playing with a toy, sitting in my lap, etc.) The PT tried several times to get DD into a different situation, bouncing on a ball, or standing to another toy and DD wouldn't have any of it. Maybe she was tired or hungry, but we do lots of other things other days of the weeks at the same time and she is fine. She is even fine in the office, but for the last several weeks as soon as the PT comes in, she sits down and wants nothing to do with the PT. 

Aug 27, 2015 8:27:36 GMT -5 gibbinator said:

Ds1 wasn't doing any transitional movements at 15 months when we started pt - No rolling (except a couple flukes), no pulling up, no getting from laying to sitting or vice versa, no crawling, no climbing, would not ever bend his knees, .... He did walk though if stood on his feet.
He also wouldn't do anything but hug me or cry during pt sessions. We pretty much just went in for 20mins, I described what was new or what was still not working, she'd try to get him to demonstrate but if he wouldn't (95%) of the time she'd get me to demonstrate and then would use me as a prop to show me what she wanted me to try with him.
It was irritating but not much else could be done for it. Within 3 months though he was caught up to his peers and we stopped going.

Honestly it sounds to me like your dd has already made lots of improvement and 20 steps is pretty good anyway! Obviously she can walk, maybe she just doesn't prefer it yet? I might just keep practising it with her at home and quitting pt if there are no other delay.

She walked all over the place today. I took a video of her walking a longer distance and I just rewatched and counted at least 40 steps

Aug 27, 2015 8:35:44 GMT -5 leonard131 said:

I would stop going. M was a late walker and had some gross motor delay. He wasn't really walking until 18 months. Our PT actually stopped with him after he was talking about 20 steps on his own because for walking there wasn't much more she could do. It just takes a little time for them to build confidence and feel steady on their feet.

This is what DH says and wants me to stop going since its so expensive and doesn't seem to be helping. I'm worried if I stop and she doesn't progress then I will be kicking myself. 

Aug 27, 2015 8:44:20 GMT -5 wilbs said:

DS was taking steps at 14 months, but didn't start walking completely independently until 15.5 months. Even then he wasn't able to get into a standing position on his own and needed to pull up on something to walk. I think he was closer to 17 months before he could do that, and our pediatrician was never concerned. He also is in the 75th percentile for head, but 5-10th percentile for weight so I think balancing his disproportionate head played into it as well.

Also, FWIW, my nephew was a butt scooter and he didn't walk until 18 months. My SIL had him evaluated by EI around 15 months and they told her that it's normal for scooters to walk later.

If she's walking well around the house, I would stop going and discuss further with your pedi at her 18 month check up. So much can change in just a couple weeks.

I was told it was normal for scooters to walk later as well. However I wish the pedi wouldn't have told me scooting was fine and that she didn't need to crawl. She progressed the most once we started making her crawl.

Aug 27, 2015 8:47:32 GMT -5 longtimenopost said:

Our situation is different because DD actually has cerebral palsy, but if there's anything I've learned in our two and a half years of therapy, it's that the therapist relationship really does make a difference and the child really has to want to do things.

DD learn to sit up at 18 months and immediately started butt scooting. For the next year she had no interest in walking because she could get around just fine. We ignored the advice of some of our traditional therapists who wanted to start putting her in standers, walkers & bulky orthotics because we wanted to let her develop, find motivation, and gain confidence on her own timeline. Now, at two and a half, she is really interested in walking and eager to try.

In your case, it might be worth trying out a different Therapist, but if she's still not doing well I would encourage you not to feel guilty for stopping. She will be ready in her own time.

I think I am going to talk to my PT before next week, see how next week goes and go from there. 

Aug 27, 2015 8:58:33 GMT -5 dcrunnergirl52 said:

I wouldn't quit b/c like a PP said, you waited this long to get into the system, if she falls behind again, you'll regret dropping out. I would, however, talk to the PT and maybe find a new one if possible. DS2 has hypotonia, and our PT very much tried to do what he wanted to do but also made the environment so his choices were limited. I'd ask your PT to put away the floor toys or limit to just one or two less desirable ones, so your DD isn't distracted. And, I'd bluntly ask to the session in the larger open area b/c that seems to be what your DD favors.

DS2 didn't want until 18 months, and now at 2y2m, he's all caught up with what he should be doing for his age. But, we still have him in PT once/month just to stay in the system and to make sure he stays on track.

I am not currently seeing a provider through any system. She qualified for the state program, but I was told they didnt have any PTs over the summer so we had to go on our own and not thru the program. I do not think we would have to requalify. 

Aug 27, 2015 11:07:09 GMT -5 oliviapope said:

Did she crawl or just scoot? If she did not do the 4 point crawl with belly off the floor I would honestly focus on this just as much as walking.

I know a lot of people say babies are "stubborn" and will do things when they decide to do them. However, at this age they do not have the cognitive capacity to think like that-the brain development simply isn't there. If they are not hitting a milestone or not rolling, sitting, crawling, walking-it is because for some reason there is a delay in the brain/body neurologic connection. It doesn't mean that there is anything majorly wrong, but the baby isn't not hitting a milestone because they are choosing not to (they simply do not have the capacity to think this way yet).

This is why PT, OT, and ST are important-they work with the body to build this connection quicker. If she won't walk/work with your PT, then use the time to have the PT show you what to do at home to reinforce. Have the PT explain to you what to do and then you do it with her while PT observes. If she can take some independent steps, but cannot get up on her own to do them-then see what the PT can offer to help with in this way. It sounds like she has come so far with the actual steps, but she does need to be able to get up and walk on her own so I would focus on that.

She started with scooting. She could/can crawl, but never made the choice to do it early on. The pedi said no big deal at 9 months and 1 year, but the PT said crawling is necessary and wishes pedis didn't tell people it wasn't important. We started to make her crawl all the time and that helped a ton. Now she mostly crawls or walks. She will still scoot, but we can stay walk or crawl and she will change. 

Aug 27, 2015 11:23:52 GMT -5 @kar said:

Aug 27, 2015 8:47:32 GMT -5 longtimenopost said:

Our situation is different because DD actually has cerebral palsy, but if there's anything I've learned in our two and a half years of therapy, it's that the therapist relationship really does make a difference and the child really has to want to do things.

DD learn to sit up at 18 months and immediately started butt scooting. For the next year she had no interest in walking because she could get around just fine. We ignored the advice of some of our traditional therapists who wanted to start putting her in standers, walkers & bulky orthotics because we wanted to let her develop, find motivation, and gain confidence on her own timeline. Now, at two and a half, she is really interested in walking and eager to try.

In your case, it might be worth trying out a different Therapist, but if she's still not doing well I would encourage you not to feel guilty for stopping. She will be ready in her own time.

I cannot like this enough. I wouldn't ignore the delay, but it is really important for kids to go through the whole proccess of development. DS skipped a bunch of steps in PTs attempts to get him up and walking, and he does, but he's missing a bunch of connections to make it smooth and fluent. Crawling and transitioning are important things to watch for if you take a break. Self motivation is also really important.

Yes, she is a very early walker, she isn't smooth with her walking at all. However it is getting better and better each week.