has a floppy body
w sits
grasps objects tightly/incorrectly
struggles to open a door knob
falls often
crawled late
is clumsy
in fact....his body is so loose and floppy that we can not get any services for his toe walking even. the orthopedic surgeon said he was one of the loosest kids she had ever met.
What type of services has he been denied for? Do you have private insurance? Has he had an OT and PT evaluation? We've had several different kinds of health insurance and all have been good about covering physical and occupational therapy for hypotonia and significant motor delays. Many companies balk at paying for sensory integration therapy because the evidence is so limited, but most will pay for therapy for significant motor skills delays.
As far as the suggestion of gymnastics, it is a very good one. Other good options for hypotonic/uncoordinated kids including: swimming, horseback riding, martial arts, and dance. While our child has been fortunate to get quite a lot of therapy, he has made equal or greater gains through these sorts of activities. I know it frustrated me when he was younger when we got these suggestions because it seemed sort of like saying it wasn't a serious problem if something like karate could make a difference, but really this suggestion is commonly made by neurologists and others because it often works wonders. Here it hasn't been necessarily that dramatic for the actual muscle tone/ floppiness problem, but it has been HUGE for increasing coordination and improving strength which is vital for a healthy life with hypotonia.
I would also encourage anyone with a child with these sorts of symptoms to look at hippotherapy or therapeutic riding programs. Sometimes they are actually less expensive and easier to qualify for than other therapies. I've seen several kids, including mine own, improve dramatically. It is particularly good for hypotonia.
Finally, for anyone with a child with these sorts of challenges to read about diet and supplementation. It can make a huge difference.
