Guest guest Posted January 6, 2008 Report Share Posted January 6, 2008 Hi Sharon, My son has sure steps. You can look on their website. I love them. They are designed for kids with low tone down syndrome and other etc. He recently took 4 steps so we are thrilled with them. Tami Orthotics Question Hi all, I feel kind of silly posting this, as the discussion on the board has been so technical, and so interesting lately! This seems kind of like asking a group of phd's what color the sky is... but, anyway... Tyson MAY need orthotics. His PT is waiting to reevaluate this month to see if he does. He VERY slightly pronates his feet. He is walking , but cannot stand up by himself from the middle of the room, so he crawls to a wall or piece of furniture to get back up. I'm not sure what to think. ty doesn't really have flat feet. he has a good arch. I think he is struggles with laxicity in his hips, so it is harder for him to engage all the right muscles to power up from the floor without support. Would orthotics help that? I am not really excited about getting them, to be honest. But, if he needs them, I'm wondering what would be better for him? I have looked at the Sure Step ones (www.surestep.net) and am quite interested in these. My PT is pretty set on getting custom made ones for him, though. I was wondering if anyone has any ideas/advice/experience? thanks for any input. sharon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 6, 2008 Report Share Posted January 6, 2008 Hi Sharon, A good question! Not all of us are "phd's" in the field of DS and neurogenics... but your question is one I can comment on. Here's our experience: does have flat feet (no arch) and moderate to severe pronation. He began walking alone at 23 mos. but was very unsteady. A couple weeks later, he got his Sure Steps. To be fitted for them required only a number of measurements to be done by the orthotist. No casting. They seemed to fit just right, and he didn't mind them at all. I think I tried about 10 pairs of sneakers on him at WalMart, before I found a pair that would go on easily, without being too much longer than his foot (which would cause him to trip), but I did find a pair of flexible sneakers with laces (velcro ones didn't work as there is a velcro enclosure on the Sure Steps and that made too much bulk). As soon as he started wearing them, we noticed he had improved stability. Soon, he was walking from room to room, pivoting and changing direction, etc. He has never had any problem with them chafing or anything. A friend of mine has a 2 year old daughter with DS who was cast for traditional orthotics, and she's had nothing but problems with her daughter's braces. They were squishing her toes, then they were rubbing and chafing her heels,... I don't remember what all... they took them back several times for adjustments, but then it would be something else... they finally started over with re-casting and made new orthodics, but those were still not right! Last I heard, the mom was disgusted and just wasn't going to use them. She said she walked better without them. Her daughter's problems are more with her hips; she wouldn't put weight on her legs for very long. I guess she is making progress anyway, without the braces, with lots of PT. I don't know that she is walking alone, yet, but I think she is at least cruising around furniture. After began walking alone, and after he got his Sure Steps, his PT started working on getting him to stand up by himself without support. He cried when she tried to make him do that. I guess it made him feel unstable, like he was going to fall. He cried and was uncooperative. At home, he just army crawled to furniture and pulled himself up to stand. He just wanted the security of something to hold on to. She probably tried for a couple months, and then she got on a different track and didn't work on "getting up to standing from plantigrade" for a couple weeks. Meanwhile, at home he had this empty first aide tape wheel that he loved to throw on the kitchen floor and watch it spin around. He started walking over to it and stooping down (knees bent) to pick it up and then standing up again to throw it again. We clapped and cheered for him. He was proud of himself and did it again and again. The next week, I took the tape wheel to PT and showed his therapist what he was doing. And in just another week or two, he was getting up to standing in the middle of the room by himself ! Go figure! They will do it when they are ready and want to! How old is Tyson? is now 28 mos. old. He likes to "dance" and prance around and tries to march (stiff legged, without bending his knees) and he can walk up steps with one hand held and the other holding on to a railing. We will be staying with the Sure Steps! Now if we can just build up his immune system and get a handle on his asthma/respiratory issues! Blessings! sharondcaswell <sharondcaswell@...> wrote: Hi all,I feel kind of silly posting this, as the discussion on the board has been so technical, and so interesting lately! This seems kind of like asking a group of phd's what color the sky is...:)but, anyway...Tyson MAY need orthotics. His PT is waiting to reevaluate thismonth to see if he does. He VERY slightly pronates his feet. He iswalking , but cannot stand up by himself from the middle of the room,so he crawls to a wall or piece of furniture to get back up.I'm not sure what to think. ty doesn't really have flat feet. hehas a good arch. I think he is struggles with laxicity in his hips,so it is harder for him to engage all the right muscles to power upfrom the floor without support. Would orthotics help that?I am not really excited about getting them, to be honest.But, if he needs them, I'm wondering what would be better for him?I have looked at the Sure Step ones (www.surestep.net) and am quiteinterested in these. My PT is pretty set on getting custom madeones for him, though.I was wondering if anyone has any ideas/advice/experience?thanks for any input.sharon (one and only wife to Fred; mom to Kari, Melody, Faith, Heidi, Isaac, Josiah, , Alana, and ! Yes, they're all ours!) Is. 40:31 "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." Never miss a thing. Make your homepage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 6, 2008 Report Share Posted January 6, 2008 When we first saw at PT and an ortho dr. I was told custom would be an expensive waste of our money. So we went with inserts and they are posted too because Hunter over pronates very badly. HTH, Patty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 6, 2008 Report Share Posted January 6, 2008 Hi, Don't know anything about them but I do know there are special shoes if you use them. My PT recommended them cause does not like shoes and these are wider and easier to put on. http://www.hatchbacksfootwear.com/index.htm Dawn Mom to angel , 1Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape in the new year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 7, 2008 Report Share Posted January 7, 2008 Tyson will be 2 years old on Thursday! He is walking around more than crawling now. Not a real smooth, heel toe walk yet, but doing well. Just can't get up once he falls unless he has support. We are working on getting him to pick things up that he drops, and he is willing...just needs help. I'm sure he'll get there. So, thanks for the talk about the differences between sure steps and custom. That is EXACTLY what I am thinking! I have never heard anything good about people with custom made. My nephew had orhtotics when he was young -- custom made ones, and they did not help him at all. My parents have had custom made othotics, and they didn't help -- the good feet store totally fixed my mom's plantar's faci...whatever. But custom made did nothing for her. So, I am not wanting the casted ones!!! And I think the sure steps look great. I will see what his pt (who is my aunt -- which is why I feel a little less forceful about my own opinion and all -- don't want to hurt her feelings!) says about how he is moving -- and if she says he needs support, I will say we are going to start with sure steps. Oh, how long do they last? How fast do the kids need a larger size? I so appreciate you guys! I hope that I will be able to help people out when Ty is older. I feel like I have little to contribute right now. Oh, and I am so with you on the immune boosting things!!! Tyson doesn't have asthma, but he does constantly get every cold my other kids carry home with them, and he STRUGGLES to get rid of them. Always leads to a cough, and it seems like he is sick all winter long. But, so far, not many ear infections, so knock on wood with that! thanks again, Sharon > Hi all, > > I feel kind of silly posting this, as the discussion on the board > has been so technical, and so interesting lately! This seems kind > of like asking a group of phd's what color the sky is... > > but, anyway... > > Tyson MAY need orthotics. His PT is waiting to reevaluate this > month to see if he does. He VERY slightly pronates his feet. He is > walking , but cannot stand up by himself from the middle of the room, > so he crawls to a wall or piece of furniture to get back up. > > I'm not sure what to think. ty doesn't really have flat feet. he > has a good arch. I think he is struggles with laxicity in his hips, > so it is harder for him to engage all the right muscles to power up > from the floor without support. Would orthotics help that? > > I am not really excited about getting them, to be honest. > > But, if he needs them, I'm wondering what would be better for him? > I have looked at the Sure Step ones (www.surestep.net) and am quite > interested in these. My PT is pretty set on getting custom made > ones for him, though. > > I was wondering if anyone has any ideas/advice/experience? > > thanks for any input. > > sharon > > > > > > > > (one and only wife to Fred; mom to Kari, Melody, Faith, Heidi, Isaac, Josiah, , Alana, and ! Yes, they're all ours!) > > Is. 40:31 " They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. " > > > --------------------------------- > Never miss a thing. Make your homepage. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.