The Other Shoe

After Cameron had MRSA, I always felt like there were going to be other things that came up with him. It was almost like I waited for them. Then he was diagnosed with the torticollis and low-tone. We made it through that but I still felt like something else would eventually pop up. I could never put my finger on it but I once told his doctor that I felt like I was just always waiting for the proverbial other shoe to drop. Don't get me wrong, I have made sure to enjoy him in my time of wait, but in the back of my mind I always wondered. Today, I no longer wonder.

About a month ago I took him for his 15-month well-check. I had some developmental concerns that I had noticed and I brought them up to the doctor. She was concerned as well and referred us to Early Intervention. EI is a federal program that is available to all children from Birth to 3 years. It has different names in every county but does, essentially, the same thing, which is to offer services to children with special needs at little or no cost to the family. Ours is called Early ACCESS. I was put in touch with a lovely woman there and we set up a time for her come to our house and evaluate him. ("They're going to valuate my baby brother?!?!" Owen asked me.) That's right, not only are their services free but they do everything in the most comfortable environment for the child, which is usually the home.

Jill came to our house today and, I'm happy to report, things went really well. Yes, there are still things to be concerned with, but overall I am very pleased with how it all went. She scored Cameron in different areas and said that she would have to calculate his score at her office and get back to me, but that she was pretty sure he would qualify for services. (You have to have a 25% delay in any area to qualify. Although, she said that being premature automatically qualifies him.) I asked her if we were just looking at a delay or if it could be something more serious, i.e. autism. She said he does have one red flag that could suggest autism (He used to say "uh-oh" but no longer says it. Loss of a skill or language is a red flag.) but that he is so young and has so many other promising things that she thinks it is more of a delay than anything else. She kind of feels like I do in that Cameron is just one of those kids that does things on his own time. His doctor and I have both said that about him. I mean, he came into this world on his own time (Lord knows I was not prepared for a baby on December 21st!) and that's the way he has been ever since. He just likes to do things when he is ready and he hates when you tell him otherwise! So, Jill said she would get back to me as far as where to go from here but it looks like we will be setting up some in-home therapies for him where they will also teach me different things that I can do with him.

I have been so worried/stressed out/concerned about this for the last month and today I can finally say that I am at peace with it all. The bottom line is that regardless of what is going on with him, it is a proven fact that early intervention can only help him. Not intervening when a problem exists, can definitely hurt him. So I am completely confident with the path that we have chosen for our sweet little guy. And no matter what happens, I will pick up that other shoe, put it on, and walk this journey with him proudly and happily, just as he has taught me to do over and over again for the last 16 months.