April Said:

Counselors, Therapists, someone help?

We Answered:

A consistent schedule is important for good treatment. If the counselor is not maintaining a consistent schedule [with occasional exceptions for emergencies] then the therapist is not doing the job. Directly discuss this with the therapist and identify this as a problem you have with treatment. If the therapist is not willing to change the method of operation, switch counselors.

Ricardo Said:

I am exhausted is this normal?

We Answered:

It is exhausting just thinking about you doing that. Make sure that you get lots of rest and be kind and patient with yourself.

Tim Said:

Developmental delay disability?

We Answered:

It is likely that he could be eligible for SSI and other benefits. A good place to start is
http://www.easterseals.com/site/PageServ…
and also
http://www.thearc.org/netcommunity/

Take good notes whenever you speak with anyone about your child's issues,come with a list of questions and don't be afraid to ask.You are the best advocate for your son and you may have to fight for what he needs.

Warren Said:

My 27 month old daugher hand flaps: has speech delay and persistent toe walking?

We Answered:

i was reading on line about Jennie McCartney and her son. He was diagnosed with autism. one of the things that he did was flap his arms....try to find info about it on line...i tried to find the article that i read...it was really touching but i cant find it. but she wrote a book about it too.

Morris Said:

What is the process for obtaining a therapy cat for my child? NYS?

We Answered:

It sounds like you already have a cat, so what is the problem?

If you live in "no pets" housing, this really should have been ironed out before getting the cat, but here are the instructions for requesting an exception to the landlord's rules: http://www.servicedogcentral.org/content…

If you want her to attend your child's therapy sessions, that's something to work out with the therapists. You might have a problem with liability insurance though.

If you are wanting the cat to accompany your daughter to places where pets are not permitted, that isn't possible in this case. The cat would have to be a service animal, and that typically requires 18-24 months of intense training for a dog to be able to work safely, professionally, and reliably in public as well as training to perform specific tasks that mitigate her disability. Cats are a lot harder to train for service work than dogs and generally aren't suited for public access work because of their unreliability.

I love cats, and have trained them to do some amazing things (opening doors, pushing buttons, retrieving) but I wouldn't rely on one as a service animal. Cats work when they feel like it and blow you off when they don't. A dog, by genetics, is more of a team player and will generally work for the good of the pack, even when it is inconvenient, out of a sense of duty.

edited to add:

The term "therapy animal" generally means one that is trained, tested, and insured to visit nursing homes and hospitals to cheer up patients. That's not what is being discussed so most therapy animal resources are not going to apply correctly to this situation.

Unless the cat is trained to do something on command that mitigates the child's disability, then it would probably be considered an emotional support animal. So if you want to do some research, try using that term instead.