Brain Power with Dr. Eko

EP. 30 | The Cost of Late Intervention

• Dr. Hokehe Eko • Season 1 • Episode 30

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Could you be missing crucial developmental milestones for your child simply because intervention came too late? Join us in today's heartfelt episode where we share an emotionally charged story of a mother's six-year struggle to get her child evaluated for developmental delays. We underscore the profound impact of early intervention during the critical period from birth to age five, and why timely access to speech, occupational, or physical therapy can make all the difference. Listen as we stress the importance of proactive parental advocacy during pediatric visits and highlight the emotional costs for children who do not receive the support they need in time.

In our second half, we tackle the real-world challenges parents face in accessing essential therapies for their children. We introduce an innovative program that bridges the gap by connecting parents with experts remotely, enabling them to apply effective strategies at home while waiting for in-person appointments. You'll learn about the mission of Glow Pediatrics, which is dedicated to providing virtual evaluations and support to families more efficiently. Remember, as a parent, your role is vital—reach out for support and know that you are not alone on this journey. Leave your questions in the comments, and let's navigate this together.

Find the full episode on your favorite podcast platform and check out the video version on our YouTube channel!

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Dr. Hokehe Eko:

Hello everyone, how are you today? So I talked to a mom a few days ago and she had a child that's about nine years old and she's been waiting for an evaluation since the child, or she's been asking for an evaluation since the child was about three years old. That's a long time. So she feels that her child possibly has autism. Her child has been struggling in school. Her child is being moved to the next grade even though she's not doing well in school. She is not getting the help she needs because she hasn't gotten an evaluation. And it made me really, really sad, because here's this child, no fault of her own, who simply just needs additional support in school, but she's unable to get the additional support in school until she gets a medical diagnosis, and so on. So many levels. It hurts, it's not right and we can do things better. And so that's what I wanted to talk to you today about the cost of late intervention in our children's lives. And so, before we talk about late, I mean the story I just told is an example of a late intervention. This child has been waiting since she was three for an evaluation and has not gotten one. But what's early intervention, right? Early intervention you hear pediatricians talking about it. It's the time between when the child is born until the age of five thereabouts, because that's a time of really rapid brain growth. And so if you're going to make changes, be it in terms of speech, in terms of physical, if your child has difficulty with their motor skills or movement, that's the time to make changes. If your child has difficulty with pine shoe laces, for example, or even using utensils to eat, that's a good time to get your child in occupational therapy. If your child is not saying the appropriate amount of words or speaking and articulating in such a way that a stranger can understand, for example by age four, then your child needs speech therapy, and I mean even before. Then, when you go for your 18-month and 24-month visits, it's important to tell your pediatrician really what's happening, and I know often you may go into the pediatrician's office and they feel rushed or there's not enough time. But I advise parents keep a list of the things that bother you, of the questions that you have, so when you go into the office you can articulate those to the pediatrician, because nobody else knows your child better than you do.

Dr. Hokehe Eko:

You're your child's first advocate. You're the most important advocate knows your child better than you do. You're your child's first advocate, you're the most important advocate for your child, you're your child's first teacher, and so it's important to keep track of the concerns you have and bring it all, because if your pediatrician does not necessarily ask you, maybe they will say how's your child doing? And if you say fine, they're going to think everything is well with your child, right. So it's really up to us as parents to articulate the concerns we have for our children. And you know, if you have that gut feeling in your tummy and you feel like something is just not right, something most probably is not right and it's important for you to bring it up, or at least let's, let's make sure, let's see your pediatrician check and make sure there's nothing, and so then it's fine. But it's better to not ignore that gut feeling that you have. And so that's why we talk about the importance of early intervention between the ages of zero to five, so that your child can get the best support, best help that they need to make changes in whatever is going on with your child, especially in terms of if you're thinking your child may possibly have autism. Important to ask for help first, early, because it definitely makes changes.

Dr. Hokehe Eko:

So, like the story I was telling you when I first started talking, this child is definitely not doing well in school and unfortunately she keeps getting moved up to next grade even though she's not doing well. And can you imagine the amount of emotional, what she feels? Emotionally, because children know more than you think they do they have. They're intelligent. They know more than you think they do they have. They're intelligent, they know more than you, they understand how people may perceive them, they can see the stares, they can hear the talking, they understand right. And so the best thing you can do for your child is is find a way to get the help your child needs and not have to wait six years, because it's definitely going to be detrimental to the growth of your child in every way emotionally, physically and all of that.

Dr. Hokehe Eko:

And I'm sure, as a parent too, it doesn't make you feel good that your child is struggling and there's really nothing you can do to help your child. So, but you can. It's not true that you don't have any resources, because it's important to keep asking. If you've talked to your doctor about your concerns and your doctor is not addressing your concerns, please do not feel bad, go and get a second opinion and keep asking for help until you get the help your child needs. And that's really why I started Glow Pediatrics, because I found out in my state of Oklahoma there was a two-year wait list and I knew that was completely unacceptable, because it's so critical to get help for your child early. And so that's why I started Glow Pediatrics, so I could be of service to parents and to children, especially to help get them the start that they need in life. And so that's why we also have expanded to other states Maryland, georgia, minnesota we're in Oklahoma, of course, and just providing the help that children need.

Dr. Hokehe Eko:

We're doing virtual evaluations, meaning you can sit in the comfort of your home and get the answers that you need, so that you can go to your school district and get the help that your child needs. And even beyond that, I love to talk to parents who maybe you see your child and your child is having trouble sleeping and your child is not eating well and your child spends so long in the bathroom and they're hurting. And have you noticed that if they are constipated, that their behavior worsens? Look out for that the next time, because if your child has been diagnosed with autism and you see them rubbing their tummies against a piece of furniture or against a chair or a hard surface, that's a big indication that they're in pain. They may not be able to tell you, but their behavior will indicate to you that they're in pain, and so not be able to tell you, but their behavior will indicate to you that they're in pain, and so you do need to get help for your child that's chronically constipated or child that's chronically has diarrhea, because it could be the other way right, and so that too is not typical.

Dr. Hokehe Eko:

Having chronic diarrhea definitely want to get your child the help that they need, and so we're here to help. We're here to answer your questions. If you have any concerns, questions, you're seeking an evaluation for your child, even if we're not in the states where you are, reach out to us, and we are actively adding more state licenses. And so reach out to us and let us know, and we will give and speak to you at no cost, and just figure out where we can help you or figure out who in your states we can point you to to give you the help that you need for your child. And so how do you contact us? Great question. Our phone number is 405-871-5807.

Dr. Hokehe Eko:

We are found on the website. We have a website, www. glowpediatrics. com, and so if you're looking for compassionate, excellent care for your child, look no further. Contact us and please share this with your friends and families who may need help with their children. And even if you're just saying I just need to learn more, right, we're starting a program called Ask the Experts, where we're going to gather the experts like speech therapists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, aba therapists, nutritionists the whole nine years. We're going to gather them and you have access to ask them questions and to learn from them what you can do at home while you wait for the evaluations, while you wait to get into speech therapy, because unfortunately, depending on your state, there could be a wait right After you get the evaluation.

Dr. Hokehe Eko:

Now there's a wait to get into speech. There's a wait to get into speech. There's a way to get into occupational therapy, and I'm trying my very best to address those areas of need and concern. And so that's a program we are starting come next week where we can put you in front of the experts before you can physically go see them for yourself, so you can start learning what to do with your children at home, and so if you have any questions, please leave us a comment and we'll be sure to answer, and I hope this was helpful. Again, I always remind parents remember, you're the best parent for your child and you're not alone. We are here to walk this journey with you, so please reach out and have an amazing day.