Development Issues

[melco]

Hi me again!

This is my third thread tonight :eek:

Basically I took on an a 16month old girl in May, when her parents brought her round for a visit I could see she had development problems. They explained to me that she wears glasses and wasn't walking yet but they said they were told that was to do with her sight. They were happy with me to have her and I gave them a form to fill in and there was a question with regards to special needs. When they gave me the form back it said "she has none" but I can clearly see there are some development issues but obviously not my place to say to parents.

Every person that meets her asks me what is wrong with her and are quite shocked when I tell them nothing. I had Ofsted come in July on a day that I had her and they praised me for the work I had done with her and they also said that they can see there are some issues but told me that I should not say anything to the parents and just give her as much help as I can.

The lo does not talk, she crawls but only a little, she is now 18months and she has not taken any steps. The parents say she has taken a few steps but I would call them falling steps as she only takes steps falling towards me. Its like she has no muscle in her legs to be able to support her. Sometimes when I try walking with her she gets upset. I have also noticed that her head looks a different shape where one side sticks out compared to the other side.

She is getting better but the parents have been told to take her to paediatrician and have brain scan etc and then have asked me what I think. I did what Ofsted said and did not tell them that I feel there are some development issues but I explained that my daughter had to have a brain scan when she was 4 and could remember it, but if they did it sooner rather than later then she would not remember it and that may be best for her.

Anyway I was just after a bit of advice and to see if anyone else have been in the same situation. At the moment they have asked the doctors to give her another 2 months to get her walking and talking but I think they are trying her walking for long periods and thats why she gets upset when I try with her.

Also if they are in denial and don't see that there are any problems as like her dad said "she has been like this since birth so we don't see that there is anything wrong" how will I be able to do 2yr check without having to tell them.

Sorry its a long one but any advice would be very helpful

Thanks

melco

[sarah707]

I find your Ofsted inspector's comment very strange.

The EYFS is full of references to 'early intervention' being the key to children making good progress.

A huge part of the 2 year progress check is to make sure children do not slip through the net and problems are picked up early.

I would be flagging up concerns and making sure parents were aware of my worries ...

Hopefully they will get some targeted support soon xx

[melco]

I also did find it a bit strange.

I didn't want to tell parents and upset them, especially when she had just started. I have just been doing whatever they ask me to do with heloing her walk and talk and like I said I have seen some improvement. She does go to a nursery 1 day a week and me 1 day a week. She has been going to a nursery a lot longer than she has been coming to me so I don't understand why they have not picked up on any problems either or a health visitor as you can clearly see something is wrong.

[nic t]

I have been in a very similar situation.

I knew that something wasn't right with LO and very gently to begin with broached the subject with the parents suggesting that they went to the GP/Health Visitor for advice.

It isn't our place to make a diagnosis but it is our place to discuss concerns with parents and point them in the right direction for advice.

Understandably parents weren't too keen to take the concerns on board initially but they did come round and now at the age of four LO is under the care of a paediatrician, physiotherapist, salt, ed psychologist, eye specialist (can't remember the proper name) and a few more agencies that I can't think of.

Due to early intervention LO has been given a statement already and when she starts full time mainstream school next week will benefit from 1-1 care 100% of the time.

As tricky as it was I am glad that I stuck to my guns and had those awkward conversations with the parents.

[VeggieSausage]

Yes I wonder if Ofsted inspector meant that it wasn't for you to give things a name and say there was something wrong rather than just say you have a few concerns and signpost them to a doctor or health visitor. Its so difficult with situations like this and I imagine you are worrying about how best to deal with it all and the parents. I have had one set of parents recently who took on board what I had to say really positively and took child and got referred and help with their physical issues and another family who don't want to hear they should maybe ask a health visitor for advice.....each family works differently and I suppose they will come round to it in the end. If your family have been advised to have a brain scan etc, I think I would take the stance of you think its a really good idea to get things investigated to rule out any serious conditions as you do have
concerns over their development. I am about to do a 2 year progress check on the child I have concerns over and the parents won't like it that I am going to signpost them to a health visitor but what else can you do, its for the best interests of the child and not the parents after all....

What about doing a weeks worth of obs and then comparing to Early years ages and stages and then you have evidence for them to back up your concerns...

[loocyloo]

do you permission to share info with the nursery?

would it be worth contacting LO keyworker there and asking what they think/have said. and maybe coming together with a plan to help?

i had a LO who had a definate issue when walking, whose parents told me it wasn't any concern of mine :eek: ( i 'only' had LO 4 whole days a week :rolleyes: ) ( nothing was ever said/put on any forms and these were parents who told me the minutist detail about everything, so i did think it was odd! ) LO had started preschool, and i mentioned it to them, they had noticed, they asked parents who told them everyone was making too much fuss about nothing but did then explain about a difficultpregnancy/birth etc and that LO saw peadiatrician every 3 months :eek: i'd had child for 18mths by this point ... NEVER mentioned! :eek: preschool asked what i had said/what was i doing regards physio etc and they told preschool that i didn't need to know and preschool suggested it would be in LO best interests to tell me ... they NEVER did! (LOl they also told preschool i had never asked ... which preschool knew was not correct!) i think they just wanted somewhere where their LO was 'normal' IFYKWIM!

[melco]

Thanks for the advice. I only have her on a Wednesday for 5 hours and I have not been told what Nursery she goes to and I don't know why they haven't told me.

She has asked me before about her talking and I have said she does babble but only when in the buggy and I have said before about her walking and am doing all I can to help.

I write in her diary what I do with her and what happens, like yesterday I tried her walking and she would just panic and launch herself at me. This i put in the diary.

Also like someone else said about telling them to go for the scan. I told them if it was me I would do it and explained that she would not remember it so would do it sooner rather than later and then also you would at least know for sure whether there was anything. She then said that her niece did not walk until she was 2 1/2yrs so they are not worried.

I think next wednesday when she comes I will ask what she has decided to do about brain scan etc.

[loocyloo]

;)
tell parents that under EYFS 2012 you must work with other professionals in the care of LOs and you need to know for your records which nursery she attends and who LO keyworker is.

actually, i'm pretty sure that there is something in revised EYFS that mentions about showing how you work with other settings etc ( but can't remember where, sorry. think sarah mentions it in one of her lists ) so you can ask all your parents, even if you really only need the information from one parent.

good luck xxx