Forever my baby…

Yesterday Hannah had her Early Intervention Insight team evaluation.  Basically, it was a chance to have Hannah evaluated by a vision therapist and an adaptive technologies therapist.  They spent about 90 minutes with Hannah (who was actually awake for most of it), and we learned quite a bit already by working with them just during that period.

They did their overall assessment of Hannah’s development.  You know, I really used to dread those evaluations, but now it doesn’t seem to phase me ‘as much’ anymore.  She tested at the 12-month age level for most everything with a couple of scattered 12-18 month areas, and one 1-4 month area (yes, that is not a typo!).  I will admit that 1-4 month age development level (I even forgot what it was in) took my by surprise.

But to me those are just numbers at this point.  As I keep telling everyone, my goal is to keep her happy, pain-free, and to learn as much as she can and is willing to.   I want to keep pushing her to try new things, to learn new skills, but if they take two weeks, two years, or never happen to come, that is okay too.  We just got to keep trying — and she doesn’t seem to mind it, so why not?

We found out that Hannah really gravitates towards the red and yellow items.  We always knew about the yellow, but the red was a surprise.  She also really likes lightweight shiny metallic objects!   The vision therapist brought out some metal bowls, mixer blades (or whatever they are called), measuring spoons, and some metallic colorful sponges we had bought for her sensory bin.  She LOVED it!

The AT (adaptive technology) therapist was VERY excited that we had the iPad for her.  A lot of the therapy she is going to recommend over the next year as well as when she transitions into school is apparently going to be based on using it, especially the communicative side of things.

She brought us a big red button.  We are going to work with Hannah so that if she wants something (we are thinking the iPad because she is loving it) that she has to hit the red button, which then lets out a prerecorded “iPad”, and we give it to her.  Basically, start this way of communicating.

She also wants us to find apps that will allow us to only have maybe 2 or 4 picture choices on the screen instead of the 12 or 16 that we have found so far.  Because of Hannah’s movement disorder, it is so hard for her to isolate her hand to get to the picture she wants when there are so many in that vicinity (she usually presses 2 or 3 at a time accidentally).

This is definitely the beginning of Hannah’s transitioning into the school district in July when she turns 3.  The goal is to get her IFSP (individualized family service plan – EI) solidified and ready to go for the IEP (individualized education plan – school district)  meeting next month.  We are also meeting with the speech/feeding EI therapist in a couple of weeks, so that will be added to her plan as well.

I love the fact her therapists are so gung-ho about getting Hannah these wonderful services and especially feeling motivated to really make Hannah’s IEP unique to her needs instead of just the template special needs child.

But in the meantime, Hannah will always be my baby — whether she is at the 12-month level, 4-month level (in that one area), or if she progresses to the 18-month level…forever my baby, forever in my heart, forever making me smile.  And THAT is all that really matters to me.