Light at the end of the tunnel

Having discussed Emily' progress - or lack of - with Helen yesterday, Sue then found some rather upsetting information on the internet about toddler who walk on their tippy toes.

The red flag worry bits included:

If your child is always tiptoeing, it's possible that she has a physical problem such as a short Achilles tendon that actually prevents her from standing flat-footed and limits her range of motion in the ankle. But consistent toe walking is more likely a sign of a motor disorder — most commonly, mild cerebral palsy. 

Of course, a little knowledge is a very dangerous thing, so we're not relying on this as a diagnosis.

The light at the end of the tunnel, however, is we finally have an appointment to get Emily's speech assessed. We're seeing a specialist next Wednesday, 22 September. Hopefully from this encounter we can get some other assessments sorted out - whether there is an issue as highlighted above, why Emily seems to live in her own world and not respond to her name, and whether there's anything else going on.

Every journey starts with the first step. It just feels this first step has taken FAR too long.