I didn't really think that much about it. Go to school, see how Nickolas is doing. No big deal.
Except that I kinda feel like I was punched in the gut.
Nickolas is in Senior Kindergarten, getting ready for grade one next year.
He is learning his letters and counting, even some basic addition. Reading his book at home and recognizing his sight words. I thought he was doing good.
His teacher showed me a video. In it he was talking to another boy about what they learned about an apple. The different parts.
On the video he wasn't able to do it.
This was something that they had learned, and he wasn't able to talk about it.
We talked about his letter recognition. She said that he lost some of his letters and sight words over the summer. I will admit that we didn't work on them. Instead we went to camp, had surgery and recovered. Should we have worked on letters? I guess so
There are still letters that he doesn't recognize, specifically "G, H, b, g, h, p, q, u, y"
He doesn't draw. He still prefers to scribble instead of actually making shapes. I have this picture he drew a month ago. But it is one picture, the rest of his pictures are scribbles.
I came out the interview discouraged.
How far back is he?
What can I do to help him? Is this part of it? Is this part of spina bifida?
The difficulty learning? Is he showing a learning disability?The ones they talk about at conferences, related to spina bifida/hydrocephalus. They talk about IQ and standard deviations below average. Is he showing that?
But he isn't. He is smart. He loves to read, he has some difficulty but he will still try (with encouragement). He counts, and he sings. He writes his name, he will tell me sounds and numbers.
When we got home, I pulled out an apple for him. He did tell me about the apple and some of the parts.
I talked with his OT about the writing and letters. She said that he works so hard on making the moves for writing when he has so many thoughts he wants to get out. We talked about a laptop as an educational aid. So he can show off his knowledge about letters and numbers separate from the skill he is still working on to write.
Nick got his report card as well. Personal and Social development, he got 2 out of 10 marked as an expected level, the rest developing. Nothing under science and technology, half of the arts, for language, another 2 out of 10 items.
Kyle told me that developing is what he is supposed to be doing. That it is too early to start worrying and getting upset. And it gives us areas for improvement
But I still have this heaviness in my heart when I hear about the limited progress he is making in school activities. With the physical, the mobility and the bathroom issues does he really need to add intellect to this list of things Nick has to work extra hard.
Can something come easy to him? Easy like it is to everyone else?
