Busy week... Speech IEP, OT evaluation and a diagnosis

We picked up Lillian's glasses last Saturday. The first couple of days were a little challenging but she has been doing much better. She will still take them off but, I simply clean them off and place them back on her face and usually don't even make a big deal about it. :D

This past Tuesday, we had an IEP meeting with her "home" school for the Speech Therapy that will start in September. I will have to drive her in twice a week for therapy. She was marked "to intelligent" for the Pre-school program through the Public schools. Oh, I'm not complaining that she is "too intelligent" but, what she is dealing with she could easily fall through the cracks... Well, if she had different parents. :D We'd NEVER allow that to occur. The meeting went well and we are looking forward to getting her started.

Today, Early Intervention returned for an OT consult. They mailed me a "sensory profile" a couple of weeks ago to fill out. They also recommended reading "The-Out-Of-Sync-Child." I was able to get a copy from our Library . Ken and I found it VERY insightful! We decided to order a copy of it along with "The out of sync child has fun" and "Raising a sensory smart child."

Back to the evaluation, we learned that Lillian has a Auditory Processing disorder (normal everyday sounds affect her. She cringes or acts fearful to normal noises while saying... I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.) She is classed in the "Over stimulation" category here. This is like there being "no filter" in noisy or busy places. We have always been watchful in how she responds to outside stimulus. She has ALWAYS "overstimulated." We do things in baby steps to help her adjust to situations. We have also been telling her (but not to wordy) what we are doing... ie: Our meeting at the school was at 7:20am. She typically wakes up around 7am. So, I knew that I would have to wake her up. In the past when I have gone in to wake her she has been a real "apple" (crab apple..lol) so, Monday night when I was putting her to bed, I simply said, "Mommy is going to wake you up tomorrow morning because we have to go bye-bye early." She did fabulous! I went in and she sat up and said "Momma wake me up." VERY smooth transition!

She has a Tactile Processing disorder. Under stimulation or sensory seeking. Tactile processing affects touch... so she will kick me when I am changing her, pull my hair, hit me, or she wants to kiss and hug and will ask to touch everything and everyone. While that is VERY sweet, other children are not overly perceptive to hugging a stranger... So, we are teaching her socially acceptable behaviors that will allow her to gain what she "craves." We are teaching her to give "five" to her peers... That way it's not perceived as "odd" behavior and she is able to gain the "touch" that she craves. We will be starting OT monthly. The OT that we met with today said that she was impressed that we have been so insightful to her and she is doing a very good job of getting what she needs and self regulation.

She is also "borderline" for a Visual Processing disorder.. we are going to watch this as she continues to wear her glasses and adjust to them.

Some children are overly sensitive, and others under sensitive and then there are the cases where they are a combination (which is the most difficult because no one knows how the child will be from one day to the next) She suffers from a combination.  We roll with it and allow her to "dictate" how and what we do for the day. Having said that.. that doesn't mean that she runs the house. It simply means that I follow her cues and adjust and alter when and where I need to. There have been times when  I have had to reschedule things b/c I knew that she would not be able to tolerate what we had planned.

Causes of SPD (sensory processing disorder) can be Inherited or Prenatal or Birth Complications have been implicated. We are so grateful that there is treatment and we are able to help Lillian. She will always have to live with this but her brain can be retrained to a degree  and she will be able to learn coping skills. 

"Spectacle's!"

We took Lillian to the Ophthalmologist this past Friday, and it turns out that she is far sighted and needs glasses. Her extreme caution when running, jumping, and maneuvering up and down stairs may be due to the fact that she is not seeing as she should! I'm not sure why I was a little surprised... you see, I have had to wear corrective lenses since I was three (3) years old. I too, am far sighted. Ironically, our prescriptions are just about identical. I have to be honest, I was a little saddened by hearing the news... not because I'm scared of how she is going to look or anything but because wearing "thick" (30 years ago) glasses was extremely difficult for me. I was the center for MANY jokes. Glasses paired with a unique name... most days were mere torture. I am so grateful that technology has made glasses lighter and thinner and that wearing glasses is highly fashionable these days.. Besides, only the most special children GET to wear glasses! :) Here is a photo of Lillian trying on her new frames. They will arrive next week.... Her Bear is also in desperate need for glasses soooo be on the look out for those photos!

  

Omigosh... I have been a terrible "blogger"

I have been wanting to get by here and write a post for awhile... but Life has been busy! On my last post I mentioned that Lillian is showing some delays in a few areas and we have confirmed sensory issues. That mean more assessments. We are so grateful to have early intervention and now the school system following her at such an early age so that we are able to accommodate and  assist her in all of her needs. It can be frustrating to though. She has only ever qualified for assessments and her evaluations. Don't get me wrong, this is FANTASTIC! But, we are learning of issues that if they are not "intervened" now then they will be delays later. So what do we do? Wait? Not this momma! I am trying to absorb as much information on motor planning and how to help Lillian. I am glad that I videoed her having that "tantrum" because, tantrums that extreme are not "normal." She was approved for speech therapy for the following school year. I am really praying that with the additional sensory processing issues going on that she will be able to attend public preschool. I want to badly to integrate her with other children but she over-stimulates and then when she is given an instruction; most of the time she is unable to follow through especially if she is uncomfortable and put on the spot... she will repeat the sentence back to you instead of answering the question. We will also be getting a OT evaluation through early intervention... she "may" qualify for monthly or bi-monthly visits. Which will be fine, I'd like for them to assist with  creating a "sensory diet" for her. One of my dear friends gave us a trampoline which will aide in helping her through some of her motor planning issues.

We were able to get her into see the optometrist before October...  We see him Friday. I am eager to see what he says. I have had to have corrective lenses (glasses) now contacts since I was 3 years old! I am very far-sighted... sometimes children out grow this and sometimes not.. like me. :) So, we have noticed her eyes turning in towards her nose on occasion and with my history... it's time to check. :)

We had a Beautiful Easter... Lillian looked adorable in her sweet little "chick" dress.