A Visit to Developmental Assessment Pedia

This afternoon we went to a developmental assessment pedia after due to what his other pedia advised us last week. She said that she noticed something of our son's behavior like "parrotting" and "not much eye contact" when being talked to. Though personally, I can say that Jaiden is okay to me. My husband says the same also. However, we decided to go for the assessment because this pedia stressed out that she would highly suggest that we have him assessed because there might be needed intervention before it might be too late. I think it is her strong statement that struck us and for our peace of mind, we decided to have an appointment.

The developmental-assessment-pedia talked to us, parents, firsts. I didn't realize that there would be much effort of getting our opinion or say on the situation. He said that my very first statements when I talked to him are so defensive that it seems that I was convincing him that there is nothing wrong with our son. So he told us that if we were convinced that there is nothing wrong then what's the reason of seeing him? Why would we mind other people's opinion? He said that we have to recognize first and identify what we see as wrong of our child otherwise he would not be seeing any problem. He further said, that it is not him who will identify the problem but us and that it is not like we bring our child to him and have him see for himself what is wrong. Gosh! in my mind I was saying to myself "unsa mani oi, ka-effort ba ani!" My husband and I were caught in a situation wherein we have to think of a proper convincing answer for him to go on with the assessment!

At least he guided us as by telling what does a normal three-year old child acts like - being not that oozy when being into a new place and other things an ideal three year old does which I am not so familiar because I actually don't know what are the ideal behavior. In my mind I was telling myself that every child is unique and that maybe he is just that. Anyway, we manage to finish our first part of the conversation then Jaiden and my mother was allowed to join the room.

Jaiden was then talked by the doctor. The doctor had all his paraphernalia inside his square suitcase.He got out all those things, one by one for Jaiden to follow and do and some for him to answer his questions. He got first his blocks and he created the blocks into an imaginary subway with the ten small blocks put side by side as the imaginary train. He showed Jaiden how to do it then later asked Jaiden to follow. Jaiden attempted all his might be he can't get the imaginary subway where the train will pass. He struggled. Then the doctor said that it is okay because the test is really for a six-year old child and that at least he got the intention of trying to follow it. The others where shape puzzles where in he was asked to put those in its proper places. He was able to do it all correctly except for those four different sizes of squares tests wherein he was stuck in two-square sizes. He really did his best and at times would say "don't know" and some garbled words where only  his"help" word is clear. He was actually trying to ask some help to the extent of getting my right hand and putting it on the toy. He was also asked to identify pictures, identify toys like cup, fork, knife, plate and identify animal toys like dogs, horse, et al. All these identification things activity, he managed very well with only one or two mistakes. He struggled only  when he was asked as to what does a plate for and what does a watch for. But he was able to say that a cup is for "drink" and that a spoon is for "eat" - these we were laughing because it lacks the "ing" for his "drinking" and "eating" words. He was also asked to write which I thought he would refuse. Good thing he did hold the pencil and trace the shapes but not really did the correct tracing of the figure since he was holding the pencil not the proper way. Overall. it was fun witnessing Jaiden perform in front of his first-meet-doctor. I really thought he would be shy.

The doctor said that Jaiden meets higher than what he expected. He generally said that he didn't see anything wrong to raise the red flag to which it is not much of a surprise to me. His "parrotting" is not actually what it is because the alarming thing is when he keeps on repeating words or phrases in just a few minutes after without understanding what he is saying but Jaiden only repeats the phrase in a long interval (1 or 2 days after) when he is in a similar situation or saw something he associates the word with. His no "eye-contact" is also okay, he only does it when the person is new to him but after a few minutes of being familiar he does eye-contact and it is even so emotional - it speaks or convey something. Sidenote: I wasn't worried that we would be engage in sessions of developmental activity which I believe is too costly because visiting him was just for his assessment and that deep inside I know that Jaiden is just really okay. Well, what a mother-instinct would have to be? Anyway, If I remember it correctly, I think he sort of said that we were right that he was just okay.  On the other hand, he said that he would do the math scoring and assess further with the data he gathered from us and will email us the formal result of assessment supposedly  tonight but right now I didn't receive it yet. Well, I will give him time until tomorrow afternoon and will email him if I still wouldn't receive any.

p/s the consultation was worth P2T, anything for our Jaiden then at least we have now a peace of mind, thank you Lord! =)

Jaiden's Buwan ng Wika

Nights before this morning, we were so excited to see our little boy's first-on-stage performance. He showed us his few steps of dance in front of us. He was so amusing to look at. Though in the past few days as they got serious in their practice, he would complained by saying "don't like to go to school?", meaning he was no longer excited to go to school which was a deviation from his normal mood every time he woke up. In fact yesterday after our daily tour of him (riding in our car) around the subdivision before we go to work, he had a few seconds of hide and seek when his yaya fetched him to have his bath because again he didn't want to take and bath because he didn't want to go to school.  We managed to ignore his pleas. Somehow he went through his school dry run practice yesterday without a problem.

However, this morning, when his papa and I arrived in his school he started whining and chanting "don't like?", just the same complain and he got this worried look in his face. At this moment, deep inside, I had a bad feeling of Jaiden's mood.

 We found his teacher Ivy and he took hold of him to let him join his classmates who were already forming their line, waiting for their turn to present. For about ten minutes Jaiden was out of my sight (by this time, the crowd is getting thicker). I searched his face in several line of boys' heads but I failed. Until I saw his teacher holding a boy's hand who seemed to also searched for somebody and then our eyes met. He was actually holding Jaiden's hand and I realized that she was actually looking for me. I then saw Jaiden's whining face. So I went to them. His teacher asked me to have Jaiden for a while to ease up his feelings and just get back when Jaiden would be okay.

In a few minutes, the program started with a doxology with student performers. The mic and the background sound were so loud. Then my dreaded anticipation happened. Jaiden started to cry slowly and then there it went, so loud. He literally cried so loud with his eyes closed. He was so helpless that my also helpless consolation gestures didn't work. I texted hubby to come over to us hoping he might help alleviate the situation. However, Jaiden got worse crying over his shoulder. During this time, still the loud sound of the program engulfed us. We felt the need to stay away from the place to calm him. 

We found the farthest classroom. We comforted him there and his cry gradually subsided in just a few minutes and stopped. It was right there and then that we realized that Jaiden would surely not perform. So I went to his teacher to inform which initially didn't accept the fact. She said to let him calm but I told her how hysterical Jaiden was. So I didn't give her any false hope.

Going back to our comfort zone, I just took what was left of us to do. It was too early for us to went home anyway. 

We have to have at least souvenir pics of Jaiden's attire which his papa bought from Kultura in SM.

In below pics, his papa played with him and from time to time lured him in going out of the classroom just in case he would feel comfortable of himself and would join his classmates that were still waiting to perform. But Jaiden was wised enough. He never went out of the classroom instead enjoyed himself running around inside.

However, when their folk dance tune was played, he at least showed us this..........

Realizing that he was dancing to their dance tune, we immediately recorded his performance. At least even if he wasn't on the stage, we still saw him dance somehow.

I think it was the unexpected or not used to thick crowd, the loudness of the mic of the emcees and the loudness of the performers' tune that cowed Jaiden to perform. I hope next time, he would do better. For the meantime, I gave him the excuse of still being a three-year-old child.

I love you my son! Your mama and papa will forever by your side to support you in all your endeavors. 'Till your next performance, my son!!!

Moving On

Once my friend told me, that according to her favorite actress, that "you have to be alarmed if you're already too comfortable in your zone because it means that you're no longer learning".  As I understood it, it's one of her reason why she decided to work here in Cebu in spite of her father's protest. The saying stayed in my mind.

It seems surreal that I'm almost two months of my new adventure. It has been such a goal and determination to be in it which I would admit that once I was in there, it was really hard, especially at the start. I was on the verge of entertaining the thought of giving up but then I realized that it was probably too early yet to surrender. Maybe because it had been such a long time that I forgot how was it being pressured. But then, I consoled myself by asking, "isn't this what I wanted?"Am I not living what I had been praying?

I believe it's a normal thing to want more in life. Although money is always the determining factor but in my case, it's not. I felt the need to be challenged, to be of self-worthy, to be needed, to achieve something daily, to spend more time with my family on weekends and  much more is to be there for my son when there's a call for it.

To achieve our want and being in there is to strive hard to cope up with the new challenges that comes with it. It's like jumping on another bridge and trying to calm down the movement you have created wherein possibilities of rejection is inevitable. You're balancing things and get to be acquainted with the new environment.

I don't think that everything in this world comes easy. You always have to work hard to get your want until again you reached the point of your comfort zone and then it goes on and on because LIFE is just simply ROUND.