The Road to Power Mobility is Not Always Easy

History and Physical Tony was initially seen by his EI team when he was two years old. At this writing, he is six years old His muscle tone, then as now, fluctuated greatly in his extremities, though he is more consistently hypotonic (low tone) in his trunk. He is a very physically active, happy young man with a sense of humor. He smiles easily and often. He finds any way possible to move and keep up with his classmates (about 9 other children in the classroom, all ambulatory and verbal) -- demonstrating his personality traits of being very persistent and headstrong. His articulation is poor, but he has communication skills within the normal range for a child his age (receptive and expressive).

Social Support

Tony comes from a challenging social situation. He lives with his mother (currently 23 yrs. old; she was 16 when Tony was born) and his paternal grandmother at the grandmother’s home. His mother’s family made her leave their home at the time of Tony’s birth. It is unclear exactly why Mom was asked to leave. Tony’s father is minimally involved and does not live in the home.

Tony’s mother goes to school full time and his grandmother works full time. His mother gets him ready for school and is at home to pick up from the bus, while his grandmother does much of his other care. The adults in his life get him to all of his many appointments but his mother and grandmother have a tense relationship. Over the years, his mother has made multiple threats to leave the home and take Tony with her.