Walking

[Guest guest]

~Sigh~ Grandma addicted to norms here....

When could a child with DS expected to walk, more or less, given the abilities

described below?

Abbie is a week shy of 12 months old. For a couple months, she has been able to

stand with support, e.g. at the coffee table playing with toys. She will let go

of the table with one hand and turn around to look at someone coming into the

room. She will even let go with both hands and bang her toys together, still

leaning against the table with her belly, but not holding on. She pulls herself

to standing if she holds your hands, but doesn't do it on furniture. If you hold

her hands while she stands, she likes it a lot but has no clue about moving her

legs. She can stand that way even if you hold her hands only very lightly, like

she's using them just for a little balance, not support.

~Sigh again~ It's a good thing I'm her grandma and not her mom because if I were

with her all the time I'd probably be always pushing, pushing, pushing... or

maybe not pushing, but urging, urging, urging....

Her Early Intervention therapist has set as one of her goals in the next 6

months, walking sideways holding onto furniture. That means, I guess, that she

doesn't expect that Abbie might walk alone by 18 months. I don't know what the

expectation is for independent steps. Her dad (our son) walked at 11 months, his

2 sisters at 9 and 10 months. Her cousin (dad's sister's daughter), non-DS,

didn't walk till 15 months (she's 5 now and runs, roller-skates, etc., and it

doesn't matter a bit when she walked). 12-15 months is considered " average " for

the " average " child, but as we know, Abbie is not " average. "

OTOH, what child is?

Ellie in Western land

" If I am at these vines picking these berries,

I can't be at those vines picking those. Who

cares, if the bucket is full? "