Last Wednesday, Josiah had his "6-month" assessment. The "6-months" delineates the time since the last eval (at one year). For this review, early intervention utilizes the "Michigan" evaluation tool. The test yields numerical results in each category. The numbers reflect the developmental age of your child, in each category.
Please note that Josiah is currently 18 months old.
Last week's test yielded the following results:
Adaptive: 10 months
Personal/Social: 14 months
Communication
Receptive: 8 months
Expressive: 7 months
Motor
Fine: 7 months
Gross: 8 months
Cognitive: 9 months
I had been looking forward to this evaluation. I couldn't wait to "see how far he's come." I mean, he only starting sitting in January. He began crawling in February. I couldn't wait until the numbers reflected his great progress. If he wasn't 18 months old, the numbers would've have seemed so discouraging.
It's hard to explain how a mother feels with something like this. I see Josiah every day. I know how much he "knows." I see how "smart" he is. He is an inspiration to me, every day. Then, I see the numbers. Cognitively, he's a nine month old. He certainly doesn't seem like a nine month old. He's 'so much smarter than that.' That's the Mom speaking. Josiah is just so much smarter than the numbers reflect.
Motor - 7 and 8 months. As much as the numbers are disappointing, I can also see the truth in them. Josiah's older brothers were sitting independently at 6 months. They crawled by 8 months. They were walking at 11 months. Conversely, Josiah was able to sit independently at 15 months. He isn't walking yet. He's almost 19 months old. I know this is common. I know this is not 'unusual' in the world of extra chromosomes. We were prepared for this. We know this, intellectually.
As parents, we just want it to be different. We do but we don't. We don't want to change a thing about Josiah. He is perfect just the way that he is. We just want things to be as easy for him as they have been for his brothers.
We want so much for him. We want so much for our boys.
In the end, I know Josiah will meet all of the developmental goals. I know he will accomplish amazing things. I just need to remember that it will all come in time, in his time, in His time.
Here's to perseverance, and patience.
"Patience is waiting. Not passively waiting. That is laziness.
But to keep going when the going is hard and slow -
that is patience."
Author unknown
You have a beautiful boy and to me it seems like his doing great.
ReplyDeleteAs you say, it is all numbers and really, does all kids with 46 chromosoms meet there milestones in time? They don´t. But nobody is measuring them. As his mother Im sure you know much better what he is able to do. Most important is what he is, not what he does. And I guess perfect is a good word for it :)
Thank you!!!!
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