Alayna started cruising at 13 months, could get into standing without holding onto anything at 19 months, and took her first baby steps at 20 months. Over the summer she has continued to take 5-8 steps at a time but, we haven't progressed much further than that.
She has a mild pronation (her ankles turn inward and her arch collapses) causing her to use more energy each time she gets up into standing and tries to walk than a child who does not pronate. She isn't able to build up her endurance for walking because she is using up all her energy to maintain her balance.
Her PT and we were hoping that the pronation would correct itself with her spending more time up on her feet but, giving it the summer to test that out it really hasn't so we have moved on to needing & wanting orthotics to give her a little extra support.
Today, Alayna was measured (yeah NO casting) for Sure Steps a small orthotic (created especially for children with down syndrome) that will go around her foot, inside her shoe that will help keep her ankles aligned. These Sure Steps will allow her to gain stability while allowing normal movement and function.
Sorry, I didn't get any pictures of her getting measured. She looked like such a big girl sitting in a cube chair on top of the exam table.
She has an appointment on November 16th to pick them up! We will let you know how she progresses.
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8 comments:
Let me know how it goes...we are currently petitioning our insurance company to pay for them and I think we are almost there. Emily has some major pronation issues so I am anxious to see how Alayna does in them since she is already walking...I hope they make a huge difference for her!
Lucas has sure steps too. We don't put him in them enough to know if he does better or not. We are having a difficult time finding shoes that work well.
I hope they work well for Alayna! I am very interested to see if she progresses a lot faster with them!
I threw in the towel on Sure Steps because I thought they were slowing Eon down. Now that he walks independently almost all the time at home and about 50% in public (but falls down a lot), we had him refitted and our orthotist made him a new pair (for FREE!). He just got them, yesterday. So far, he is very awkward in them, as expected, but is willing to keep trying, which is fantastic! The pronation seems much less in them, so I hope it helps long-term.
We just got WW shoes at Payless...velcro tennis shoes which work great.
I'm making mental notes every time I read your blog..I cannot even picture Lily walking before she is two- she is so tiny (only 12 pounds) at 9 months, and not even crawling yet. Did you think that when Alayna was little too?
Oh they didn't have to cast her, nice for her!!
We got Sure Steps for my son Wesley and they have made a HUGE difference for him. They have improved his balance significantly and have helped him to not fall as much as he used to. His pronation is much improved too when he is wearing them. I found shoes for him at a Stride Rite outlet and took the insole out to help them fit better. I hope the orthotics work well for Alayna as well!
Zoey has Sure Steps and we have been really pleased with them.Never have left marks on her and she has never seemed to be bothered by them when she has worn them for long periods of time.I went in,preparing to have her casted and was so happy that wasn't the case.
Zoey has the butterfly pattern with pink straps.How about Alayna?And did you know that they were developed by a dad who has a daughter with Down syndrome?Thought that was pretty cool.
Wow, looks like I made my way back to blogland just in time!! We have had the same concerns with Landon and are in the process of getting an appointment to see if he needs them too! Landon progressed fairly quickly from standing to cruising (while holding on and now cruising with his walker without any help). This post has great timing!!
Please keep me posted on how Alayna does with the Sure Steps. I'll be taking notes=) I've seen many different stories on whether or not insurance will cover them.......any thoughts?
And yes Rochelle, we are still alive and kicking....lol!! With state budget cuts here in MA, Scott's Juvenile Center that he manages closed and he is now the manager of an Adult Center in a neighboring town (a little further away). We are all trying to get adjusted to our new schedule! Promise not to stay away so long in the future!!
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