A Force To Be Reckoned With

One of my favorite baby pictures of our sweet #3 popped up yesterday morning when I couldn’t focus, and I started getting anxious about our feedback appointment we were going to yesterday. It was definitely a day where I doused myself with oils and felt an episode coming on multiple times. But I made it. We made it. And we have answers. And best of all…it ALL makes sense! And this Mama Bear agrees with the diagnosis. 110%. It’s going to be a journey and I’m so excited to learn and go through it with him. And be his biggest cheerleader and advocate for him.

This kid right here? He actually had a fever of 104.5 in this picture. This little dude doesn’t let anything stop him. Nothing. We started a 6 month treatment plan this week, and because it’s realigning and balancing out his body the way it’s supposed to be working, some things may get worse before they get better. And apparently getting sick is one of them. As miserable as he was for a couple hours, tossing and turning, he refused to just lay on the couch when I grabbed the boys from the bus stop. So miraculously, he’s “not sick anymore.”

Here he still has a high fever. But he decided to wait for Auntie to get to our house instead of coming with me to grab lunch quick. So he put a jacket on (with no shirt on underneath), and flip flops on, because Spring? And waved goodbye. No matter how sick he is, he won’t miss a thing. And I truly believe he was made to be the most persistent, stubborn little guy ever, to prove he’s a force to be reckoned with.

I think most people have heard of a Speech Delay. They always ask at those 12, 15, and 18 month appointments how many words they can say. Honestly, I’ve been a terrible Mother in this regard and never sat and counted how exactly many words they can say. If they say a few words, awesome. If not, they’ll learn…right? Our #3 has been average in all of those early developmental stages, so when school gave him the broad diagnosis of ‘developmentally delayed,’ it was a bit puzzling. I knew things were ‘off.’ I didn’t know what or how, but we’ve always known there was something. He maybe didn’t have the 15 words by 18 months, but he had words, and nothing too alarming was making us wonder about speech. But it all makes sense.

He has a Language Disorder. NOT a speech delay. Language Disorders occur in 7% of children.

When a person has trouble understanding others (receptive language), or sharing thoughts, ideas, and feelings completely (Expressive language), then he or she has a language disorder. ~ASHA

Below is one of the reports from his evaluation:

Kylan was shown a picture about 2 children baking cookies for school, and then he was asked to retell the story as best as he could remember. Kylan’s recall was, “the sink went and then the oven said the oven had white on, yeah, through here and then and then from up.”

Wow.

We knew he seemed to not comprehend things when being talked to much of the time, but we didn’t realize the extent of the information he is completely missing.

The Dr. also pointed out that when he had to do an exercise where she was like a mime and not talking at all, he scored average. He was confused at first and asked, “why you not talk??” But he got it! The minute language was brought into the picture, he scored extremely low.

So of course behavior ‘issues’ will also be a thing. And it’s all based around his lack of language. Besides being a 4 year old boy, of course. Give a Language Disorder to a 3 and 4 year old and you pretty much have a tornado on your hands. Ha!

Our next appointment will be to see a Special Audiologist to rule out…or learn, if he has something going on with his hearing. But I am so thankful to have some answers to help this sweet boy of ours.

They also diagnosed him with Social Anxiety. He has a hard time transitioning with new people and just freezes. This diagnosis does not surprise me. On Tuesday he asked questions over and over again about if it was going to be a man or a girl who he sees. If they’ll have a beard, etc. He did NOT want to go to his appointment. When it was time to leave, he started collecting the garbages from the bathrooms to take them out. As if that would get us to stay home. Lol! So he most definitely does have anxieties with new people and new places. However, after texting with my cousin, who’s a Speech Pathologist, it makes sense. If we had a language disorder, I think I’d cling to my safe space and people I knew as well. I’m hoping that with his therapies, he’ll gain confidence in himself. He LOVES people and he loves being with those he knows love him. But I want everyone to see what an amazing little boy he is!

On a Side Note: My #2 also seemed to have Social Anxiety and would cry just looking at a new person…or even someone he knows well! He went off to Kindergarten and has gained so much confidence! So I’m not disregarding this diagnosis, but I do hope and pray that with time and getting him the help he needs, Kylan will gain confidence in himself to experience and show others how awesome he is.

He may not ever be the smartest kid in the classroom, and he may have some hard struggles ahead of him. But the number of people that say how he’s just the sweetest thing, fills my Mama heart up more then I can describe. Because that right there is my biggest wish. To raise kind adults, who work hard no matter their struggles, and who love their Lord. Because He is who will carry them through.

~XOXO