So What Do The CDC Changes Really Mean For Me As A PT???

Hopefully my own grown children don't follow my blog because I'm about to talk about them.

.I tell this story to almost all my families at some point. My son's first tooth grew in behind the baby tooth and did not knock it out. I think they call it Shark tooth?? Because sharks have rows of teeth?? So we went to the dentist and he had to have it pulled. It wasn't pretty as he had some doctor anxiety. I asked myself, "Why do other people get this for free and I have to put my child through something traumatic AND pay money for it?" This is what I tell families who want to know why they have to have PT for their baby. Maybe their friend's child or a family member's child is walking or crawling without intervention and they feel angst because their child needs some help.

I'll also tell you that I held both my children back in school. I am an August birthday and my mom, a teacher, thought about giving me extra time but didn't. I knew both my late-in-the-school-year children needed some extra time to learn the basics.

So maybe I should be a bit more understanding of the CDC's decision to move back milestones... Here's the thing. It's not going to change how I treat my patients. I'm not a "cook booker". (That's a person who follows the same recipe for all my treatments.) I have an education. I have experience. I have creativity and the need to experiment or change or adapt to situations. As a PT, I evaluate each child. I don't just take what is sent to me at face value. I look at what you, the parent, have to say about your child and what your child can do and I set goals that are specific for your child. Each session I work towards those goals and I progress WITH your child. When opportunities present themselves and your child shows me he is ready, I go with it. IF your child is not ready we adjust and go at their pace.

The CDC can change guidelines but I will still look at your child as an individual. I will use all my bag of tricks and more to help your child progress. No checklist is an absolute and no child meets every milestone on the dot. As a parent we want you to know there are resources if you have concerns. As I have said in other blogs I would really like to see a system where parents can receive wellness visits that focus on education and help screen for the need for early intervention.

Its a lot to think about. Thank you for following along and allowing me to work with your children.