[jeavesmom]

We have an 18 month little boy and we know the bio mom did drugs while pregnant ,she did crystal meth and others .He is not speaking and just seems slow at things ,in my heart I know something is wrong .How do we go about getting help and finding out that the drug use is at fault?

[bulrusmama]

Well, I started with his pediatrician which got me nowhere. With our insurance I didn't need a referral so I contacted a developmental ped. He said I needed to contact a geneticist. The geneticist did the trick, but i knew I was dealing with alcohol. I don't know if it would be different for other drugs.
bulrusmama

[blessedbybug]

Originally Posted by jeavesmom

We have an 18 month little boy and we know the bio mom did drugs while pregnant ,she did crystal meth and others .He is not speaking and just seems slow at things ,in my heart I know something is wrong .How do we go about getting help and finding out that the drug use is at fault?

I would contact the health unit (here, that is where we get immunizations) in your county regarding any early childhood intervention program they might have. Many public schools have this information in their offices in the kindergarten/elementary schools. I would try contacting your pediatrician or family doctor for a possible appointment.

[xxsurroundedbyxy]

My son was/is developmentally delayed even after compensating for the 6 weeks he was early. We have been taking him to see a pediatric neurologist on a regular basis since around 9mo. He is capable of diagnosing and setting up physical/speech therapy if necessary.

Kim

[greenrobin]

And don't forget the Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) folks. They provide all kinds of support--in home therapy for speech/OT/PT, play therapy, transportation to some doctor visits, and sometimes assistance with nursing care in special cases. Plus they are WONDERFUL to talk to and very supportive of families.

[mommytoEli]

Originally Posted by jeavesmom

We have an 18 month little boy and we know the bio mom did drugs while pregnant ,she did crystal meth and others .He is not speaking and just seems slow at things ,in my heart I know something is wrong .How do we go about getting help and finding out that the drug use is at fault?

this is when all of our drug related issues really heated up bc our son's delays became more noticeable. he had an MRI...which showed whole sections of his brain with underdeveloped and incomplete connections. (however no one really knows how this will play out...except he does in fact have adhd, which they guessed from the beginning would happen. he is VERY smart, but they say he may have trouble learning).

it was also at this time he went to speech therapy. he was also not speaking. he actually did not really speak until about a month before his second birthday. however, now at 4, he has more than made up for that and i can not get him to be quiet. he is a very mature speaker with lots of vocabulary....it just took him a while to get there.

we started at our regular peds...who referred us to lots of things. we got alot of answers...but as far as what caused what...is kind of a guessing game. we assume many of his issues came from the drug exposure. but i guess we'll never really know. however, the reassurances we received from doctors was priceless.

[jeavesmom]

Thank you so much for all the responds. His ped. did recommend Early Intervention , and we have spoke with them so hopefully we will get some where

[devildogwife]

EI should be really helpful. My DS qualifies due to his heart defect and I am looking forward to starting!