Delayed Motor Skills

my 1st reaction is-what are you complaining about? I'd be thrilled not to have to baby proof. But, yes, you probably should address the delay. You should be able to do PT via a pediatrician's recommendation. Good luck

Hi J.,
I am a former early intervention specialist and I would recommend that you get an eval from an early intervention center. The services are free. They can also guide to other pediatric specialists if that is need.
Good luck and God bless.
Victoria

Hi I'm a pediatric physical thaerapist. Sounds like he is stubborn about moving. Here are some ideas: place toys farther away from him so he can start scooting or rolling to get toys, give him a big space to move in and sit slightly out of view so he' ll be motivated to move to you to see you. Try and get some tummy time in by having him lie on your chest and interact with you as it is important for upper body strength. The my gym classes are a good idea. Good luck. Go to my website and email me for more help if you need it. www.totalrunningperformance.com

Children develop differently, and from what I hear, boys can be rather stubborn and slow about becoming mobile. It's good to have him evaluated, but I wouldn't be overly concerned. It sounds like he's where he needs to be as far as everything else. Also, children with developmental problems usually struggle with fine motor skills. Good luck with the doctor, and I hope everything turns out great for you, but it is my hunch that he's on his own time and will start moving around we he's good and ready.

Getting him evaluated is the best start and see where that goes.
You can get him evalueated through a referal from your pediatrician for an Occupational Therapist (OT) or go through your states (if they have one-ask your pediatrician) Early Intervention program which is usually reduced or no fees till age three.
You can probably enroll him in some "mommy and me" classes that will encourage movement and he will see others his age moving. Try your local park district or Gymboree, what ever is in your area.
At home I had my kids playing in large totes of peas and split peas - not mixed, two different totes, different textures. It was great to get them moving and for tactile senses.They can be found in large bags at ethnic food stores. We also played on a mini trapoline-he can sit and bounce and later stand. Push toys with handles also help.
It is important for your to encourage and model the behaviour for him.

Being concerned is normal and a part of being a mom! Glad to hear you are getting him checked out.

My daughter was the same way with everything you described. She didn't crawl until 12 mos. and didn't walk until 16.5 months. Now at 2.5 she is does well enough with everything. She isn't much of climber but can get up on something if she really wants to. She also has amazing fine motor skills (from all that time sitting in one place picking at the carpet when the toys were out of reach! LOL) and she is also above average with her verbal skills and academics.

Each kid is different and most even out with their peers at age 2. Get him checked out (I did!), but my guess is that your doctor is going to say he is just fine and he'll develop his skills soon enough or give you some activities to do with him to help get him going.

Hope this helps,
J.

Some babies just don't have the motivation to go from place to place because they are satisfied and entertained right where they are. My son was a little late too and never really crawled. He went strait from couch potato to freight train in about a month! For what ever reason some kids will skip that middle step. having him evaluated is great for your peace of mind and educating you about what your concerns should be.

Hi,
We had a similar issue with our son, excpet it was much worse - no playing with toys, no fine motor skills, and gross motor skills were non-exisitent. We had him evaluated by the Regional Center. At age 11 mos. he was scoring at a 3-month old level. Turns out he had sustained a brain injury sometime before, during or after his birth (he was in NICU for several weeks) that went undiagnosed. Long story short despite what the pediatrician told us, he was way behind and we ended up getting physical and occupational therapy for him through the Regional Center. He is now almost caught up (16 months and still not crawling but doing everyting else) and his quality of life is so much better. I know it is concerning, but these people know what they are doing and they will get him moving in no time.
Good Luck, K.

Hello J.! This is funny, but I'm a pediatric physical therapist also. My practice is in California. If you weren't going already, I would have strongly recommended a physical therapy evaluation. Physical therapists primarily work with gross motor skills while occupational therapists work with fine motor skills and activities of daily living.
I completely agree with Andrea. Tummy time is going to be key. But if he doesn't want to remain on his stomach, don't despair. A lot of children HATE tummy time and surprisingly, don't crawl. They walk first! (funny, huh?) The important thing is that he develops his core strength (the muscles in his stomach, back, thighs, buttocks and hips) so that he can crawl and walk. Placing him on his knees in front of the couch is an excellent position to place him in if he doesn't tolerate tummy time. Just make sure he is supported in front and that he is reaching upwards to play with something on top of the couch.
My Gym is an OUTSTANDING facility to help develop his gross motor skills. I refer my patients there all the time after therapy is completed. However, the classes aren't run by medically-licensed professionals and what they do cannot take the place of a skilled physical therapist's treatment.
Feel free to e-mail me also. Our website is: www.raphapt.com. Good luck and I wish you the best!