Parenting a kid like Solly has taught me more than I could have imagined. I mean, I could probably write a book simply listing everything I’ve learned, from medical terms to therapy movements to assistive technology and more.

My biggest takeaway so far is this: it’s ok to disagree with a doctor, specialist, therapist and find someone who is a good fit for your child.

Growing up, we always heeded our doctor’s advice: when I dislocated my shoulder, we took an X-ray and I went to physical therapy; when my adult teeth started growing crooked, it was three years of braces for me. Simple and straightforward. However, what I’ve found over the past (almost) four years is that medicine, particularly when you’re dealing with a unique organ like the brain, is often times more an art than a science. There’s no one correct way to rehab that unique organ.

Miss Laura teaching us how to handle Solly so we can encourage proper body positioning

It took me over two years before I realized that not all doctors and therapists are created equal, especially not for a medically complex kiddo like Solly. Part of the delay in learning this is because we were insanely fortunate to be paired with the perfect physical therapist less than one month after Solly was discharged from the NICU. Her name is Miss Laura, and she still keeps tabs on Solly’s progress even though we haven’t seen her since we moved away from Washington, DC. What I’ve found in physical therapy is that many institutions approach rehabilitation by setting goals for gross motor skills and then moving a child towards those goals even if they aren’t ready for them. And what I mean by this is a common goal for Solly in the early days was sitting, holding quad position, walking, etc. But, often times, he wasn’t ready for those goals and would grow frustrated with therapy sessions because the therapist was essentially forcing him into and holding a position that he wasn’t physically ready to do. Continue reading →