Can This Really Be April?

Can This Really Be April?

April 10, 2007, 9:45 am
Filed under: Life with. . .

 

This is a picture of Giovanna late this afternoon – trying to catch snowflakes on her tongue!  Can this really be April 10th?  It is really hard to believe that we could get up to 6 inches of snow tonight.  I am ready for Spring and so is Giovanna!

It was also a very interesting day in other ways as well.

Giovanna began Aqua Therapy again today.  As we walked into the rehab department, everyone commented on how much her gait has improved post surgery.  She was thrilled to be back in the water – not as happy to be hopping on both legs to strengthen them after surgery.  However once she was able to swim,  she was a fish!  Dasaith was with her in the pool and he seemed very happy to have her back in the pool with her! 

It was also time to meet with the team that works with her at School.  Since she has now turned seven, she no longer falls under the early childhood special ed category and it was time to change her category.  She is now falls under “Other Health Difficulties.”  We talked about the various options for her speech and language development, continued OT and academic helps.  It appears that with this new category, there will be some big changes in store for Giovanna – beginning this summer.

The thought of teaching one more child, espcially one with special needs to read, has become a daunting task.  We have started and stopped at least 3 times.  The thought of spending the summer teaching phonics with everything else that is going on was overwhelming. 

There is an opportunity for her to attend a 3 week session through the Public School system and work on her reading skills.  As Gary and I talked about it, it seems like it would be a good way for her to get a jump start on reading and give me a break from the teaching responsibilties for a short period of time.  The surgery in November knocked us off schedule and we have never gotten back on track.  We still need to do some more checking – but it seems like God has worked our summer schedule so that we are actually not traveling during that 3 week time.  Pray that this would be a good fit for her and us and that she would get a good start on the road to reading.

We are also looking at putting her into an ESL class at school in the fall.  This class would really work on her languge development in a group setting, as well as give her some eduational opportunties as well.   She has reached a spot where she is not progressing.  She is a very social little girl and I have been thinking about it for several months.  When it came up during the evaluation today – it seemed like God was confirming that it was the right thing.  There are still many details to work out with regard to this.  Pray that all would work out and that she would be able to move forward with her language development.  The arthogryposis is causing some difficulties with her speech, which is part of the problem.

This decsion has not been easy to make,  but as I talked with the team that works with her, it became clear that I was becoming overwhelmed.  The surgery and post surgical care has been exhausting and there is another surgery looming at the end of this year.  As I struggled to put words to all that I was feeling, Gary said it was time to get some outside help and God seems to be providing those for us through the school district.  

So while there are still many things to work out, it feels like the right thing.   Pray that Giovanna will adjust to the changes and make progress forward.  There was a sense of frustration on the part of some of those working with her and yet they all enjoy working with her.  I heard several times, “She is such a joy to work with.”  

Her greatest strengths, her strong will and determination, can also be her greatest weaknesses.  Pray that God will do the required work in her heart and use these for His glory, even at her young age.

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