>My would-be toddler has CP, and he has a busy schedule of doctor's visits,
>PT, OT, and Infant Stim/ST.  My question is, how much is too much?  >

Dear Diane.
I have a son who is 4.5 yo with spastic Quad CP..  His first 3 years were
spent surviving...sometimes it felt like just barely.  We were with various
specialties several times a month from the time he was 11 mo till he was
almost 3.  These weren't optional if we wanted him to survive.  The past 18
months we've had the joy of watching him THRIVE and it is wonderful.  We
have been able to leave several of the specialists behind and finally
concentrate on him growing.  It also meant a lot of soul searching on my
part.
Just what did I want for Alex.  The answer was the same as I wanted for my
other kids...to be happy and productive.  I came to realize that not walking
wouldn't necessarily be a determent to his future happiness and fulfillment.
It doesn't mean we didn't search for how to make things better for him.  It
did mean realizing  that nothing I chose to do would cure him .  The soul
searching led to sdr surgery this summer.  It hasn't led to him walking.
The reduction in the spasticity in his legs has ,however,led him to have
much better balance when he sits.  He's not constantly falling over so he
can attend to whats going around him in his world and learn and process it.
He can now use both hands for something other the balance.  The PT/OT after
the surgery is very intense for a good year.  We looked at other options
like the BPump, Conductive Educ, HBO etc.  It's not to say I felt those
methods were wrong, just that they weren't right for Alex and our life
style.  Alex gets to rough house with his sibs, we are looking at a toddler
tumbling program, swimming classes etc.  It would provide "therapy" as well
as getting out in the community.  There have been some very vocal advocates
for alternative therapies on this list also.  Whether I agree with them or
not isn't important.  What is important is that they are out there working
those therapies routinely...in other words, just like any of us, our kids
can't afford to be couch potatoes.  They need to move and interact with
others.  This is what I keep in mind when I choose activities and therapies
for Alex
Joanne
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