Thank you Ben Tobin for your column regarding early intervention [“Spotting disabilities early vital,” Feb. 23] but trouble begins from the day a child exits the hospital with a required car seat encouraging parents to immobilize them in this device with one view of the back of the seat for as long as it takes to meet the family needs. The device is even brought into the home where the child can sit supported before developing the fundamental sensory integration for head control. Such a device and many other pieces of equipment that give the caregiver some relief also disrupt the normal sequence of movement development, in which rolling over precedes belly crawling, knee crawling, sitting up and supported standing. For this all that is need is a variety of hard floor surfaces and a responsive environment.
Learning disabilities are rooted in the first two years of life. Beware of today’s expensive ‘safety’ equipment, find a pram and later a hard-seated push chair with straps and a rail to hold on to and facing the pusher for visual and auditory stimulation to add to the physical adaptions to movement. Early sensory integration is the key to preventing later learning difficulties.
Melissa Perot
South Deerfield