Does anyone have any suggestions for my daughter’s accessibility?

Parent Cafe
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I have just had a list of problems but I’m trying to gather ideas for resolution. I’m sorry for how long this is (adding this after the fact)

Clara is six years old, but she has dwarfism and comes in at 1‘5“ and 17 pounds. If this is asking too much of you, you don’t have to respond if you don’t want to.

Just like any child, she is wanting her independence. Normally this isn’t an issue at this age, but she is about an 14-16 month old in terms of physical development and smaller than a newborn in terms of height. other than that, everything else is normal. But we are facing a few challenges.

Do you have some ideas on our I can help Clara be able to reach the restroom and the kitchen sink so she can wash her hands by herself? We have tried various combinations of stepstool’s and faucet extenders with no luck. It would also be great if she could see above the countertops, or even reach them. We have also tried a child sized toilet but it is too tall for her, and too big for her to sit on.

As far as the restroom goes, everything is way too big for her and we pretty much just have to help clear out with everything in there. We did think about remodeling the bathroom and switching all the fixtures out to child sized, these would last her a long time And wouldn’t need to be replaced probably until she reaches her full height, and even then it might be the perfect height for her still. But we would be remodeling one of our main guest restrooms, so if we did that would adults still be able to use everything in there just fine?

She also struggles climbing up/down the stairs. given her age she wants to do it independently instead of me having to carry her. She can do it by herself, but it’s done ittle kid style and it takes a while, plus it takes a lot out of her. (I don’t even know if there is a solution but anything helps) right now it is just a huge task for her, it takes a lot of effort for her just to climb up one step. The handrail is way too high for her to reach, even if she could reach it it is way too big for her to wrap her hand around, and we also have to watch out that she doesn’t fall through the banisters.

Also do you have any suggestions to help her be able to turn on and off the lights? Right now we are having to do it for her because she isn’t tall enough to reach the switch.

Also when she is sitting at our kitchen table, we can barely see the very top of her hair when we are sitting across from her. Our table is a normal sized one, but relative to her it is huge. . Ideally we would like to get her sitting up high enough to see over the table and be able to rest are arms on it and eat with us comfortably, All the while being able to get in and out of the chair by herself. She honestly needs a highchair in order to be at the right height, but she is six years old, I think she’s a little too old to be in a high chair.

What should we do about this when we go to restaurants? Usually when we sit at a booth or a chair, we can’t even tell she is there. And we have tried using the boosters they provide but that just raises are high enough to barely be able to see the top of her hair.

When we go out, this could be to the store, on a trip, etc. At 1’5", Clara quickly gets worn out trying to keep up with us if she is walking, even when we slow down for her. Normally we just put her in a baby carrier,or put her in a stroller. But she has started to complain about it because she is six years old and wants to be independent, she doesn’t want to be carried around or placed in a stroller, so what should we start doing when she gets worn out when she’s out with us?

Also at our house, the furniture is regular sized, but for Clara it is like oversized furniture. We would like some thing for her to be able to get up onto the couch. Right now she has to really struggle just to climb up. And when she finally does get up on the couch she doesn’t really fit because it’s way too big. Is there something that could get her up sitting high enough to be level with us and also fit a little more securely? Kind of like a booster seat except One that is a little more couch and comfortable like. And preferably all of this she can get up into her self.

And when she is walking around, especially in public. People aren’t expecting a tiny little toddler sized six year old at times. Is there something she could have/where/hold to be more noticeable, a few time is it she has gotten bumped into out in public because she wasn’t seen.

And lastly, any ideas on how she can be able to reach the door knobs and
open/close them by yourself? The handles on the doors are too high for her, plus she isn’t strong enough to open or close them.

I’m so sorry for how long this is and I think you very much for taking the time to read it all. Do you have advice on all of these issues?

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I’ll give some ideas, but this is a college forum. Perhaps there is an online forum for dwarfism? You might get better suggestions there.

Are there any organizations that deal with your daughter’s issues? Have you spoken to your pedicatrician about this?

Perhaps an occupational therapist might have some adaptive ideas for the door knobs. And seating.

Can she sit on the chairs or couch with her legs crossed? Or with a foot rest? Our kids were both very small, and sat on the regular couch as toddlers but with crossed legs. That was fine with us. We also had pillows on the couch if needed.

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I agree with @thumper1 – I would expect there to be a group of people with similar issues from which you could get good advice. I hope so, anyway.

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What you describe is the absolute wheelhouse of what an Occupational Therapist does - helps with everyday loving skills. Has she been seen by an OT before? I’m surprised if she hasn’t. Do you have a medical home? :100: this is something your medical provider should help you secure.

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Just adding. This 6 year old should be in school. Is she? The occupational therapy staff at school should be able to be helpful. The school would also need adaptive seating, etc for this young student. Perhaps inquire there. They should be able to help you, and give you some outside resources.

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I concur with others about working with an occupational therapist and also agree that the pediatrician should be able to provide a referral. The time I was seen by an occupational therapist it was covered by insurance and there was minimal copay. OTs are trained to help people adapt when they’d physical condition is somehow outside the norm.

The OT may also be aware of a dwarfism support group where you can share challenges, ideas and solutions.

Here’s ONE resource. I’m sure the public school should be able to provide additional resources and support.

Here is a listing of more resources.

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Closing thread for reason listed in user profile

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