You are probably feeling overwhelmed, we've all been there! You need to find partners (therapists, teachers, doctors, support, and more) and information. Most of us start without a game plan. Instead, we just jump in and chip away at the challenges with whatever resources and tools we can find. Even if you do have a game plan/roadmap, please stay open to other interventions and ideas as you go! Most states have an Early Start program that is free and offers some therapy and respite hours. To access the Early Start programs in California, contact your local regional centerhttp://www.dds.cahwnet.gov/RC/RCInfo.cfm . A Regional Center Social Worker will come out to your home, ask questions and generally determine if your child is eligible. Then you will meet a developmental pediatrician at the Regional Center office and then the Social Work, The Dev Ped and you, the parent, will formulate a plan as to what services the RC will offer you (free). Keep in mind that the RC’s funds are limited so they will not be likely to offer you an optimal plan. To get more services from the RC, you will need evaluation reports from other professionals that outline the need for specific services and the number of hours per week. Then you can negotiate. It is ideal to go to RC first and then at 3 years of age have the RC refer you to the SD for an IEP. Because these are scheduled some time in advance the SD is fairly prompt about setting up the meetings. If you instead are calling in direct to the SD to request an IEP, you must have a professional report showing the need, or you must be very persistent. If you believe that your child needs certain services (ie Speech Therapy or ABA or Biomed DAN physician – which MOST kids benefit from) then call NOW to get on the waiting lists. There are many LONG waiting lists for services. See this very helpful checklists http://www.tacanow.com/new-parents/quickstart.htm Next step, your child's biochemistry needs help! Here are a few of the tests that a DAN! practitioner would probably recommend.. all three of these are super helpful for getting started, though you can definitely skip the tests and go straight to the diet, environment, and therapies... http://www.foodallergy.com/services/test.html igg test (food sensitivities test) http://www.metametrix.com/TestServ/default.asp?PageID=1 metametrix ion The next key is healthy food ...organic, fruits, veggies, etc. I would avoid soy, casein, gluten where possible - at least until you get the igg food sensitivity results back. The very yummy and very healthy burger patty recipe is here http://www.helpingdelayedkids.com/gfcf_tips.htm#Main_–_quick_and_healthy_burgers_and_fries and also the applegate hotdogs from whole foods are really good ( near the butcher/meat ). I feed the hot dogs and burgers above to my son nearly everyday. I just rotate the meat types and in the burgers I rotate the veggie types. I make the burgers 1 - 2 batches at a time, then i freeze and take one out and heat up on a grill (ie a Foreman grill or a cast iron grill press)...only takes a few minutes. Not all kids are the same, but I can tell you that I have not found a kid yet who won't eat the grilled patties or hot dogs above. On playdates I serve one of these (plain, cut up with catsup) along with cut up apples and water to drink. I also put these in his lunch box...along with the healthy muffins http://www.helpingdelayedkids.com/gfcf_tips.htm#Muffin If you like information overload - like me - you may enjoy listening to a few of the many free audio programs via the web. I download some of the prgrams to my mp3 player and listen while doing dishes, driving, etc. Please consider changing your child's diet and adding supplements (biomed approach)! This has made a world of difference to our son! You can read more on my biomed page and myGFCF page and at www.gfcfdiet.com and learn about the SCD diet at www.pecanbread.com . The rest of this page focuses on getting started with Floortime and sensory play... During the actual time that you call “floortime” set as a key goal that your child is nearly always having fun, laughing, smiling, happy. Whatever he says or gestures, respect! Where respect means that you listen and respond, but does not mean that you have to do 100% what he said. Be playful. For example if he saids “no, go to the kitchen ” or “go away” you can just respond by moving a little bit away and saying “is this enough? Can I be here?” Or you can go the the kitchen, but come back in 1 minute. Also, when you are doing something he requested, sometimes pretend to get stuck and ask him to help pull you out, or to go get someone to help. Remember slowing down the actions so that the child can be the leader. Give him enough time to tell you when and how he wants the play to continue. Use lots of expectant pauses so that he has to communicate with you about the "next step" in the play. Anything that he starts to play with a lot, you can put into a container (assuming he has motor planning issues) and then help him learn to open it. See the books, “child with special needs” (greenspan/weider) and “playful parenting” (kohen?) for more ideas. Getting started with floortime....ideas that worked for us at 2 and 3 years. To work on closing circles: Now, follow your child, and join him in whatever play he selects. See my earlier (yahoo groups Floortime) post on conversation ideas. During the actual time that you call “floortime” set as a key goal that he is nearly always having fun, laughing, smiling, happy. Whatever he says of gestures, respect! Now respect means that you listen and respond, but does not mean that you have to do 100% what he said. Be playful. For example if he saids “no, go to the kitchen ” or “go away” you can just respond by moving a little bit away and saying “is this enough? Can I be here?” Or you can go the the kitchen, but come back in 1 minute. Also, when you are doing something he requested, sometimes pretend to get stuck and ask him to help pull you out, or to go get someone to help. Remember slowing down the actions so that the child can be the leader. Give him enough time to tell you when and how he wants the play to continue. Use lots of expectant pauses so that he has to communicate with you about the "next step" in the play. Anything that he starts to play with a lot, you can put into a container (assuming he has motor planning issues) and then help him learn to open it. See the books, “child with special needs” (greenspan/weider) and “playful parenting” (kohen?) for more ideas. Sensory toys: exercise balls And if you can find a young teenager or other friendly person to help you....here are some ideas for coaching them: We have a 12 year old sitter that I just coached lightly. She is naturally high affect and really fun with kids. I just mostly asked her to play with him constantly, no TV or computer, and keep it fun. She plays with him for 2 hour blocks only. She has been a natural. And here are some ideas that keep me, the parent, inspired... Inspiration to keep me going: Set a time timer to 20 minutes when we floortime so that I am sure that the session is at least 20 minutes long. Tape record some of the sessions and listen to them in the car, ie 1x a week. Video record some of the sessions ie 1/month. Save FT ideas you like into a folder or a notebook. Review/skim the ideas 1x a month. parent energy www.timetimer.com
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