Tuesday, May 26, 2009

psychological assessment (what does it mean?)











Emma's description of her first communion: "princess and church castle". Isn't she adorable?
It went so well. I was afraid Emma would refuse the Host but no, she did everything she was supposed to do. At home, when we were practicing, she would say Amen, and then Hmmm, popcorn!

After pondering over why reading Emma's assessment made me cry, I've reached a few conclusions.
Living with Emma is such a wonderful experience. I am always surprised, taken aback when people tell me "It must not be easy having a special need child." or "You and Carl are so special for the way you deal with things?" I never quite know what they mean. My answer usually sounds like, Oh, quite the contrary, Emma cheers us up each and every day of our lives.
I am always so proud of Emma, I always see her wits. Some little comments she makes show me she understands a hell of a lot more than people give her credit for.
To me, she is as "normal" as it gets. She is simply Emma, my little girl who is as sharp as a stiletto heel. Emma never misses much of what is going on around her. She is my little social butterfly, always super happy to see anyone who walks into our home, always greeting people wherever we go.
I am so busy celebrating her being that I forget what a regular 8 years old is supposed to be like.
That is why I guess I was a little bit shocked at reading this cold, systematic assessment of her cognitive development. It brought to the surface a reality that I tend to forget. I do not live in denial, but in complete acceptance of who Emma is, never comparing her to her peers.
My conclusion: I would never ever trade Emma for a paper that said my 8 years old girl acts, thinks and behaves like a regular 8 years old should.
The conclusion of her assessment said that she was still entitled to the services she was previously receiving. In other words, she still has Down syndrome, she is still mentally delayed.
No guidance for next steps, or paths to follow. So I guess we'll keep doing what we were doing: follow our instincts and keep on loving her to pieces.

1 comment:

  1. She was so beautiful on her First Communion! It brings tears to my eyes to see her with Father in that picture, because Father Maloney looks so much like my own dad did, and he would have so adored Emma.

    I am so in love with that little girl of yours (although she does look like she might be trying to steal Paige's boyfriend, Chayce, in one of those pictures, lol)

    Last week, in Cornwall, there were people from a church group on a corner broadcasting over a loudspeaker, inviting us to be saved, and to repent. Dakotah and I giggled, and said we wanted to roll the window down and yell out, "yeah, but your Jesus doesn't taste like popcorn!!"

    Emma makes my heart so, so happy - she is so full of love, so unassuming, so ready to be friends with everyone. The world would be a better place if there were more Paige and Emma's in it!

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