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Quinn’s Story: The Mother of a Special Needs Child Speaks Out Winter thaw brings cracks and potholes to our roads. But for those of us who have a child with developmental delays or disabilities, the furrows and pits are felt all year long. But so are the joys of seeing your child accomplish a task, however small. This is the road my family has traveled over the last four years. We began to questions Quinn’s development when he was just six months old. He had trouble holding his head up during “tummy time” and only seemed to look in one direction when he was upright. My pediatrician did not immediately share my concerns, but could see that I was not going to let the situation be. He wrote me out a prescription for an evaluation for physical therapy and had the nurse press a phone number into my hand as I left the office. Therapy? What was he talking about? My older children never needed therapy. In fact, they were always ahead on the development charts. Feelings of guilt, anxiety, and frustration filtered in and out of our lives over the next few weeks, for it was several weeks before the earliest appointment was available with the group that would evaluate Quinn. I walked out of Quinn’s evaluation knowing only one thing, that this group, while professional, was not the place for us. What now? Armed with only a prescription from my pediatrician and a large bill from the group practice evaluation, I was determined to find a therapist that better suited my family’s schedule, and more importantly, my son’s needs. Well, I did find someone. She was flexible in her scheduling to work around Quinn’s naps and her gentle nature brought solace to our lives. I was grateful to and for her in many ways. Other areas of concern over Quinn’s development cropped up in the ensuing months. Quinn’s physical therapy was winding down and I felt I had no outlet for my ongoing concerns. I longed to speak to someone about them. It wasn’t just that Quinn had missed the markers on the developmental charts. I found I needed support and that the rest of my family needed support as well. I needed a place to vent, to gain resources, and to meet peers who had been or who are going through the same things as I was going throught. Just as importantly, I wanted to let others know, by telling my family’s story--Quinn’s story--that they are not alone. It is with this in mind that I approached the Winnetka Alliance for Early Childhood this fall. I told them my family’s struggle and they listened. The Alliance is putting together a roundtable for parents of children with special needs. Professional moderators will be on hand. Topics of discussion in the first or future sessions may include: • Missing developmental milestones: Do I need to be concerned? It will also be a place where parents can come to vent, to gain resources, and to meet peers. If you are interested in coming to the Winnetka Alliance for Early Childhood Roundtable for Families of Children with Special Needs, please contact the Winnetka Alliance for Early Childhood at 847-441-9001 or email director@winnetkaalliance.org.
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