Apparently I am in the minority here, because I do think that WBV are important (and not just for my special needs son, but for my "typical" son, too). I am not a dr, there are things that I'm not trained to look for. I know the basics of child development, I know the basics of the common illnesses, I have common sense. But that isn't always enough.
For example, a coworker's baby was just at her 6 month WBV and the dr noted that her feet can bend up to touch her shins, which will likely delay her walking and she may need some braces. I would not have known to look for that, and if this mom had not done WBV, she would not have known until her daughter was actually delayed in walking, and would have missed key months for physical therapy and potential bracing.
A Pediatrician noticed my son's eye turning out, and I even specifically knew to be on the lookout for that because of a strong family history of lazy eye. But I hadn't noticed it. We were able to get him to an ophthalmologist quickly.
I can't see inside my childrens' ears, and there aren't always outward signs of issues.
A routine iron check at the 12 month WBV showed my oldest to be slightly anemic, so I knew to make an effort to give him more iron-rich foods. I would not have known that if we hadn't had it checked.
A pattern of growth and development is very helpful to have in the off chance that something does come up (an illness, an injury, loss of developmental milestones, etc) Establishing a base line for temperature and blood pressure could be helpful as well.
Both of my sons have sacral dimples, which could be signs of tethered cords. Since I also have a sacral dimple and it's never been an issue, I thought nothing of it. A Pediatrician noticed my son's and immediately sent us for an xray and ultrasound. It turns out my mom also had those tests done on me to rule out spinal issues, but I didn't know it. I just thought it was a dimple!
I don't see going to WBV a problem at all. If you choose not to vax (we don't) then a short simple "we're not choosing to vax at this appt, thank you" is often all that's needed (I heavily edited the vax refusal form and feel confident and comfortable just saying "no thank you" at each appt). I let the parenting advice roll right off me, unless I have a specific question or issue. I carefully guard my sons' foreskins. So aside from a co-pay, it's no skin off my back, and potentially very helpful for my children.
A small price to pay, in my opinion.
: I can't think of any reason not to go.
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