Several weeks ago, a friend of ours stopped by our house and delivered a much delayed Christmas present to Hannah. Last night Hannah came downstairs from her school room and brought me a piece of paper. She had been at her desk writing a thank-you note for the gift she received. An 8-year old writing an unprompted thank-you note is probably amazing enough, but for this mom, this note brought me joy for so many reasons. Here's the note:
Those who have been reading this blog for awhile, know that my daughter was diagnosed with a severe mixed expressive/receptive language disorder shortly before the age of 3. In layman's terms, this means that she has challenges both in spoken language and in comprehending language. I have worked intently with her language since she was 18 months old, and she was evaluated by the best practitioner in the country. Much of our first two years of homeschooling centered almost exclusively on language, especially in the comprehension challenges.
Dr. Camarata told us when we took Hannah to see him in 2004 that her disorder was severe, but not insurmountable. He also said that it would likely be about 5th grade before she reached a point where most people would not notice her language difficulties. That timeline appears to be right on target.
So, back to the thank-you note. I hope you clicked on the image and were able to read the note. Yes, the penmanship isn't perfect, and the sentences may seem simplistic to some, but to me this note shows me the following about Hannah:
o She has a firm grasp on the need to acknowledge the kindness of others.
o She took initiative to express her gratitude for a gift.
o She was able to say more than "thanks" - she was specific and thoughtful in her note.
o Her words were appropriate and relevant, and expressed them on paper so beautifully.
o Her words display a complex level of comprehension, and that amazing progress is being made.
* This mom is very proud and also very encouraged with this wonderful reassurance that all the time and work and prayer is truly carrying Hannah along the path she needs to grow and develop to the fullest.
Thank-You God!
OneMom
Those who have been reading this blog for awhile, know that my daughter was diagnosed with a severe mixed expressive/receptive language disorder shortly before the age of 3. In layman's terms, this means that she has challenges both in spoken language and in comprehending language. I have worked intently with her language since she was 18 months old, and she was evaluated by the best practitioner in the country. Much of our first two years of homeschooling centered almost exclusively on language, especially in the comprehension challenges.
Dr. Camarata told us when we took Hannah to see him in 2004 that her disorder was severe, but not insurmountable. He also said that it would likely be about 5th grade before she reached a point where most people would not notice her language difficulties. That timeline appears to be right on target.
So, back to the thank-you note. I hope you clicked on the image and were able to read the note. Yes, the penmanship isn't perfect, and the sentences may seem simplistic to some, but to me this note shows me the following about Hannah:
o She has a firm grasp on the need to acknowledge the kindness of others.
o She took initiative to express her gratitude for a gift.
o She was able to say more than "thanks" - she was specific and thoughtful in her note.
o Her words were appropriate and relevant, and expressed them on paper so beautifully.
o Her words display a complex level of comprehension, and that amazing progress is being made.
* This mom is very proud and also very encouraged with this wonderful reassurance that all the time and work and prayer is truly carrying Hannah along the path she needs to grow and develop to the fullest.
Thank-You God!
OneMom
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