Rocking, no eye contact and almost 3

[mjol]

My sibling is in a blended family and at first we thought my dn (niece) was just struggling with change but I am worrying if her behaviour is more development then stress related and how would one approach with concerns?

Signs/symptoms:
-rocking when sitting or even being held
-no eye contact and if eye contact makes self very small
-no fluid sentence very happy to make babble motor noises
-she will be three in summer

I love her dearly but worry that if there is concerns with development that I would not want her to Not have the early intervention to help her or maybe it is all related to a change in her family dynamics

Anyone? She is just a beautiful girl and I worry (have for awhile about her "milestones") what would you do?

[Linda on the move]

I would gentle suggest to her parent(s) that she have an eval. Even if some of her delays are related to the changes in her life, speech therapy and such could still help.

[APToddlerMama]

This may seem off topic, but was she adopted? Has she experienced any sort of neglect? I agree that she also desperately needs to be evaluated.

[nayma]

i'm going to third the rec for an evaluation by a developmental pediatrician. how are her social skills, peer interaction, pointing, waving, etc?

[mjol]

she is not adopted but has recently had seperation from her one parent and has new siblings close in age with the parents new relationship.

She does point a lot. And will direct you to what she wants.

her family is very opposed to any type of medical care unless necessary so how should I ask them to seek medical care such as an evaluation with a pediatrician????

[MonP'titBoudain]

Maybe I have misunderstood (never having been through the process), but my understanding is that an evaluation needn't be by a doctor or even necessarily "medical". In the states I think you can contact the public school system and go from through them. Hopefully someone else can confirm or clarify this...

[Aridel]

Originally Posted by MonP'titBoudain

Maybe I have misunderstood (never having been through the process), but my understanding is that an evaluation needn't be by a doctor or even necessarily "medical". In the states I think you can contact the public school system and go from through them. Hopefully someone else can confirm or clarify this...

Depending on how close to three the little girl is, it may be easiest to go through EI, which works with children under three, or the school system, which works with children ages 3 to 21 or 22. However, assessments by developmental pediatricians or similar professionals are fairly common, more detailed than EI or school info, and very useful for many families. It sounds like a developmental pediatrician would be a great resource for this family if they are willing to go to one!

The school is not obligated to do anything until she is actually three, but starting on her third birthday they have to perform an assessment within 30 school days of the parent's written request.

OP, it can be very, very tricky to navigate these types of conversations, and I would keep it very positive and push only as far as the parents seem comfortable.

[Linda on the move]

It looks like the OP is in Canada. Does any one know how the system works for evals in Canada?

Stress can be a factor in all this stuff. My DD seems much more austic when she is stressed.

[OvenSeeksBun]

I live in Manitoba and work in a daycare. We have referred many children for evaluations, and the evaluation is done by the "Child Development Clinic". They send a person to observe the child in the daycare setting, and then later in a private setting. They sit down and talk with the parents and with the daycare director (who gathers information/observations from the staff)

Does your niece attend a childcare facility? If she does, her parents could approach the staff or director to see if they have any concerns regarding her development. There is a long wait for getting evaluated, and my understanding is that is goes much more quickly when a daycare is involved (we've had children enrolled specifically for this purpose)

[Aridel]

Originally Posted by Linda on the move

It looks like the OP is in Canada. Does any one know how the system works for evals in Canada?

Stress can be a factor in all this stuff. My DD seems much more austic when she is stressed.

Thanks for pointing that out! I usually try to check location since i know it varies so much by country, and completely forgot this time!

[mjol]

no daycare for her but i will ask if she would allow her to be taken to public health and perhaps a resource referral and see where it goes fromt here. My sister plans on homeschooling so I think my best option is perhaps the public health or child development centre

Thanks everyone!