OUR FRIEND INTRODUCES US TO MINDFUL CDC

We were concerned when there was delay in the development of speech  in our 23 months' old grandchild 

Our friend introduced us to Mindful CDC

We wrote to the friend.

Grateful to you for sparing your precious time.

The conversation was invigorating.

It helped in assessing us from the eyes of another person who is in  no way associated with us or knows us.

As for us this is the fifth child who is growing up in front of us. Two were our own sons, three, our grandchildren.

Rearing children is a tough proposition. We look at it first from how we had been brought up. Those were difficult days - of poverty and insufficiency. Yet we have reached this far.

One thing I am certain. The experiences were never alike.

I know very well there is nothing wrong with the young child. A well known and a very senior Paediatrician had assured us there was nothing wrong with the child and we dont't have to worry till he crosses the 36th month.

But when someone, especially the mother raises concern we cannot afford to ignore it.

That makes us go along.

Thank you once again. Will get back to you for your opinion on this issue when we are at a four cross junction. 

We need to be certain the track doesn't lead us on a wild goose chase.

I reverted to my friend today:

"We kept the appointment today

The child, his mother and the grandmother:.

They said everything was good there at Mindful CDC. And they saw at least 20 children coming there. The youngest was our child.

The consultant said, the child needs immediate treatment or therapy.  And a few sessions alone would help them diagnose the extent of disability that they said was due to excessive screen time.

While they were insistent on scheduling the next appointment, the grandmother told them, they would revert after thinking over it at home.

While they revealed  the opinion of the senior Paediatrician that Consultation with CDC - he had said the CDC at SAT was very good - was required only after the child turned 3 years in age, the reply from the consultant was,"It is a misconception."

We are at a loss to assess who is right.

The Senior is at least 60 and he must have attended to a very large number of children. When both the children had severe cough related issues, the local Paediatrician at Lords with MD was treating them. But the symptoms worsned. We were at our wit's end. Suddenly,a thought crossed my mind. "Take them to the Senior doctor who had looked after our eldest grandson." I can only say God had put that into my mind because we had never thought of him for the past several years.

Sum and substance is, the children were back to normal with his treatment

When we go there we observe the presence of many children as patients.

I was reminding the people here, my friend had told me, we should start worrying after a few more months only.

Any case, I am leaving the future course of action to the parents of the child."

The friend talked to us through voice message late in the night, yesterday 

It is the sanest opinion we have ever received.

We are reminded, the child is not yet 2 years in age. Taking him for therapy is the worst thing we could do to him. Give him more room. Talk to him. Play with him. Attend to his antics. Cut the screen time to the minimum. 

They have a child like this, far elder to our child. His development of speech too was slow. They did take him for therapy when he turned three. A few sessions afterwards, they discontinued it. They are sending him to school now. The teachers tell them he is slowly picking up.

Please obtain a third or even a fourth opinion from experts before settling on therapy, she suggested.

Placing here my response today

Grateful indeed for your message. It was the most sensible message I have received ever in my life.

Sharing and brainstorming always gives you answers for the cascades of tormenting issues. You have exactly done that.

Though life has taught me so much I am still learning.

The greatest lesson I have learned is I am a nobody when I compare myself with others.

Three days ago, Tom, my cousin's husband at our native place had phoned me. He had a message to convey.

Then we went chitchatting. He enquired how the children were doing. Something we all invariably do.

But he was aware of the minor health issues that occasionally had plagued the children.

I replied they were ok now and added that the younger one is falling behind in speech development.

Though this is already long, please let me  quote his response.

Tom tells me, his younger son had started speaking only after 3 and a half years.

He says though he began speech at that age whatever he conveyed lacked clarity.

Clarity came after he turned eight 

The boy finished his engineering later as he grew up.

He's now employed at Dubai

To conclude, I can only say we - I mean us - normally worry over nothing as we wrongly think  we have  nothing to worry about. I can't ever generalise on that. It is because events always threaten to overtake us or they just dawn on us out of the blue.

The friend writes again

Thanks a lot for your kind words. It is good to share the experience we get with someone. Moreover 2 yrs is a very young age. My opinion is that more time should be given to them. All kids might not be same . As long as they are active I think nothing should be worried . Anyway thanks a lot once again for sharing your experiences too. We’ll hope for the best.