When Polly’s daughter was 6-months-old, she was concerned. Elena was not doing the activities her four older siblings had done at that age. At 9 months she was not crawling but was able to sit up with help. Polly shared her concerns with her pediatrician and was referred to Rainbows’ Infant/Toddler Services in Sumner County.
“It was a huge relief,” said Polly. “I was glad to have some advice getting Elena to crawl and be more mobile.” A Rainbows’ early intervention therapist came to her home and did an evaluation. “The therapist was so friendly and put me at ease right away,” said Polly. “I was impressed with how she interacted with Elena as well as my other children who were home that day.”
A Wellington hometown girl, Polly had never heard of Rainbows United. “People need to know about Rainbows’ services for their family,” she said. “They are so friendly and really know what they are doing. I trust them.”
Rebecca Borg, Early Childhood Special Education Teacher, visits Elena at home twice a month. She works with Elena on crawling and provides ideas for Polly to work with her daughter daily. “The suggestions Rebecca gave me really work. My daughter is catching up, she’s crawling and I’m sure will be walking soon.”
To encourage Elena’s gross motor development, Allison Bruntz, Occupational Therapist joined Rebecca on one of her visits with the family. Allison suggested several exercises to help Elena become accustomed to various positions in order to get her crawling, sitting up correctly and playing in the kneeling position.
The ideas Rebecca and Allison gave Polly helped her use the toys and resources in the family home to get Elena motivated to learn to crawl. “By placing her in the crawling position and putting her favorite toys out in front of her, she learned to scoot forward then army crawl,” said Rebecca. “Polly and the older kids are such great encouragers.” By coaching parents on strategies for improvement, children make quick progress because their biggest fans are always there, helping them grow.
“My daughter made quick success once we knew what she needed,” said Polly. “I’m so glad we got help from Rainbows.”
