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Ok...the other thread was getting long and things are changing, so I'm starting a new one.

I have Cassie in a "follow along program" here. I filled out her 4 month questionairre and sent it in last week (at 4.5 months). She failed 4/5 of the developmental milestones for this age (as in not doing ANY of the things on the checklist at this point in those areas). She makes no effort to hold her bottle. She does not connect the sight of her bottle with eating. She doesn't connect the sight of a person with being taken care of. The list goes on. I had noted on the questionairre that she had been shaken, and since it was 2 months ago I didn't know what could be done about it, if anything. Because of all this, social services got involved and we had a meeting the other day.

The social worker is someone I've worked with before on an IEIC committee and a few other childhood development things, so we knew each other some. We went over what had happened, how we found out, what stuff we didn't know. The nurse from the follow along program also came and wanted to verify the questionairre results. They were the same. She had also brought with a test called the Bradley, which I haven't worked with before. She said I'll get the results soon, but right off the top it was obvious there are some serious problems. She was honestly shocked that she was able to suck/swallow to eat with some of the results. She's not even showing newborn development in a lot of areas at this point. We are getting started with IEIC and physical therapy, which should start in the next couple weeks. Cassie is also going to be seen at least monthly by a home health nurse to weigh her and retest her development to see how she's doing.

Another problem is her weight. She was supposed to have doubled her birth weight at 2 months (I was taught 6) and she didn't until 4. We know this is due to her reflux, but because she's so small we're supposed to wait with foods a while yet (which we already knew).

As to charges... The person that did this is going to be questioned in the next few days, and arrested once medical records verify (both Cassie's and the twins'). Cassie has to get the MRI done after all to see how much damage there really is and what we need to do for her, and also as evidence to press charges. She will be going to prison over this, which is great. A big bonus in our favor is that I have evidence of providing training for infant care before she was left with any of the kids through several different programs, including a local day care, public health, the hospital. She has no defense.

I don't know how Cassie will do. She is such a happy baby, and always has been. She's never been sick. She is doing better than she was, but I guess it's a long way from where she should be. Now especially I can see that all these other babies on here are doing so much, and it's going to be a very long time before Cassie will even start. She should have been right along with all these other babies in development still, and now she isn't. They are starting the special ed services early (4 months) because we know what happened and that there was definate damage. That will help. Usually they can't do anything until 2 years here. Instead of going through my school district we are going through the one the boys are going to school at. The person working with her also happens to be Zach's teacher this year. We signed all the medical releases for the babies, and the twins' mother will be interviewed in the next few days as well by social services.

Just thought I'd update you all.

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