Karina's Speech Evaluation, part 2

Yesterday Karina and I went to have her second speech evaluation, this one to determine which services she qualifies for, developmental or speech.  They had already determined that she would get something, but this was to decide what and how often she'd be getting it.  When we got there, we had to wait in the lobby because we were early (as usual), and we were sitting on a couch reading when people started arriving.  I only recognized our case worker, Robin.  There were two other people there, Lisa for speech and Keith for developmental.  (Okay I have to pause here because I swear I've posted this already.  I must have sent an email to someone or something, because I can't find evidence of a post.  But it is the strangest feeling.).  When we were called in to the room, which was largely empty except for couches all the way around the edge of the room and a little coffee table in one spot, Lisa was on the floor with a bag, Robin was on one couch with a computer to take notes and fill out the forms, and Keith was walking in with me.  Karina made a beeline to Lisa and sat right down next to her.  We'd never met her or Keith even once before.  Karina acted like she'd known her forever!  She started playing with her right away, doing all the little tasks she had to do.  Of course Karina just thought she was playing, but they were actually evaluating her.  Keith asked me a lot of questions about what she does at home, and Lisa asked me some social as well as speech questions.  In the end, they shared what they had found and determined.  Aside from the expressive speech (talking) her lowest score was one of the physical categories (I don't remember which one) where she scored 21 months (she just turned 20) and her highest was 33 months!  But then, her expressive speech score was 12 months.  That's  like a year behind!  Not surprising though.  Robin was really great and very positive.  She said she feels like Karina is really bright and will probably pick it up really fast.  The document (kind of like an IEP but for little kids) expires in a year, and her long-term goal is for 6 months.  Her goal is to use words to express her needs to others.  It was so strange being on the parent side of this kind of meeting.  As a teacher, I have always welcomed the special education students into my classroom and really enjoy working with them and teaching them.  I also actually enjoyed the process of determining eligibility, setting goals, and so forth.  So I have sat in quite a few of these meetings, as the teacher of course.  It was so bizarre to be in a similar meeting as the parent.  Even though I know that Karina's problem is not serious in the grand scheme of things, and is definitely fixable, it is still not the best feeling to know your child has something--anything--going on that is outside the expected development.  Then again, I'm so grateful that we're going to be able to work with her and help her in this area.  I can't imagine sitting in meetings like this every year because my child has a learning disability that they will be living with permanently.  As much empathy as I thought I had for those parents all those years I was teaching, I now realize I still had not the first clue how they were feeling.  When I go back to teaching someday, I know that this experience will definitely help me to better understand how those parents are feeling in those meetings.

I know this got long, but I have one more thing to share, that's cute.  This afternoon, I was sitting in Karina's room with her while she played, and I was putting away her laundry.  She brought me a book to read to her, and signed for me to read to her.  I asked her if she wanted to read the book to me, and she did....in her way.  She turned all the pages, pointed to the pictures and babbled for each page!  The book was by Eric Carle and is called "A House for Hermit Crab".  Karina's Uncle David and Erin gave it to her.  It's about a hermit crab who goes through the months of the year decorating his new shell until he outgrows it.  Karina pointed to all the things on Hermit Crab's shell, like the sea anemones and the coral (which he used to decorate his shell) and some fish that were swimming nearby.  It was the best book ever because she read it to me!

Have a good Labor Day weekend everyone!