11/1/2009
I remember that one of my first questions to our new speech therapist was whether Brett was going to be able to go to kindergarten with his friends. She was careful not to give me any false hope, but I prayed to God continually that he would be "normal." I think parents' only wish is for their child to be normal in every sense of the word - talking, laughing, playing, and happy.Brett really blossomed in his new speech therapy. Soon, he was saying more and more words. In July 2006, he was enrolled in an intensive speech-based class. He was only 3 years old, and I was apprehensive about him going to school full-time at such a young age, but he really took off! It became apparent that Brett also needed physical therapy and occupational therapy. During the school day, he received speech, occupational therapy and physical therapy. Brett learned to tie his shoes, brush his teeth and dress himself properly. He also learned how to write with the methods that the therapists teach. Brett continued to make tremendous progress over the next two years. He started saying five- and six-word sentences and telling me exactly what he wanted. He started learning to read and learning to do math. He could tell me if he was hurt. I think one of the most important things is to be able to tell me if he was hurt. He could do that! One piece of advice I would give someone in my shoes is to follow your "motherly instinct." I think God gave mothers a "sixth sense" to know when things are right for their children. Last year, Randy and I decided to mainstream Brett to kindergarten. It was a hard decision, but we all felt it was the right time. With lots of prayer and the help of the kindergarten teacher, Brett transitioned to Levy Christian Kindergarten for a semester and then moved to Central Arkansas Christian for kindergarten the rest of the year so he could be at the same school with his sister. The staff at Central Arkansas Christian was exceptional to us during this transition. A Full Life and Full Heart
Brett loves life itself! He is now in first grade at Central Arkansas Christian in Sherwood and he continues to receive outpatient speech therapy at ACCESS after school. He loves school. Math and reading are his favorite subjects. My heart is so full when I see him playing and talking with other children his age. He loves playing soccer and baseball. He is, of course, a big Razorback, St. Louis Cardinals and NASCAR fan. There are great things coming Brett's way, too. This past summer, our audiologist told us of studies being done on patients who receive a cochlear implant in a deaf ear while having a hearing aid in the other ear. We have decided to pursue this avenue. Through science, Brett may be able to hear in his deaf ear. How amazing is that! I love watching him play. I love hearing him read a book. I love hearing him belly laugh while playing with his sister. I love watching him do the things that make him happy. One of my favorite memories is when he headed for home plate at one of his first T-ball games. He ran so hard all the way and made it to home plate. I cried at that game because there was a time I wasn't sure if he would ever able to do those things. Now, I know he can.
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