It’s time for an update.
I have wanted to write this for a long time but have refrained because I just didn’t have the words. We are so blessed with four beautiful children. One that is grown and living in another state, and we really don’t get to see him much. One that is about to start his second year in college. Then we have our two girls. The two blessings we didn’t know we needed but are so incredibly thankful for. The two that make us feel old and keep us young all at the same time.
I want to start this off by saying that all of my children are fearfully and wonderfully made by a God who loves them and has big plans for them. They are made uniquely and exquisitely to glorify and serve an amazing God. Everyone is made with a purpose and a plan. Everyone is made differently. It is how we embrace those differences in ourselves and each other that makes us thrive in this life.
The oldest of my two girls is incredibly smart, artistic, a wonderful dancer, funny, and just a joy to be around. However, she learns differently from other kids. I am going to share our journey to where we are now, but this is really her story to tell when she is ready. I have several who have asked me about her so I want to share and provide encouragement for others who may have a similar journey but at the same time respect my daughter and her feelings.
We knew early on that our Princess had a speech problem. At age 3 we started her in speech therapy. At that time the focus was articulation, and she made some good improvements. At age 4 we changed therapists to one that was closer to where we lived because we had a new baby who was not a fan of the car seat. This speech therapist has been a key member in our speech journey, and we are so thankful for our Sera.
Sera caught on really quick that our Princess had more than just articulation problems; there was an underlying issue that we needed to solve. Sera consulted with her colleagues, and we did multiple tests that did not give us the answers we needed. She referred us to Children’s Hospital, and we got the diagnosis of Language Processing Disorder. (I do not like the word “disorder” and the connotation it portrays.) They gave us the diagnosis and basically said, “Good luck,” and sent us on our way.
Language processing disorder is where there is a breakdown in the brain; auditory processing disorder is a breakdown in the ear and can be corrected with a specialized hearing aid. There is no specialized device for language processing disorder. It is, however, a very rare condition and one that not many know about or even how to treat. So our journey for the past two years has been a trying one.
We have continued with speech therapy and even changed to one when we moved, which we were told had worked extensively with language processing disorder. I quickly found out that was not the case, and we switched back to our Sera as soon as we were able.
We are firm believers that God led us to where we are living now. We live in a small town that is kinda in the middle of nowhere. But we love it. One day my husband was talking to someone who shared that his grandson has a language processing disorder and their journey for answers. You know this was a God thing because this is a rare condition. They were able to get us in touch with the ones that have helped them, so now we are starting to get some much-needed help.
Language processing disorder is linked to other learning disabilities. Specifically, ADD and dyslexia, which our Princess also has. Her unique learning style is what has led us to homeschool her and her sister. The need for limited distractions, multiple breaks throughout the day, specialized reading help, and a multitactile curriculum have been key players in our homeschool journey.
We have been so blessed with the people that God has put in our path to help us, pray for us, and offer guidance when we need it. I am fortunate enough to have a sister-in-law who is a dyslexia specialist in Texas. She has been a great help in the beginning stages of this diagnosis. With her recommendation, I am currently working on being trained as a Barton Reading tutor, which is a dyslexia reading and spelling system.
We chose the homeschool curriculum by My Father’s World (referral link) because it is multisensory, fun, and Bible-based. It is an all-in-one curriculum that is easy for me to use as well as teaching a biblical foundation for our girls. I supplement in areas that our Princess needs to help her have a better understanding of the material. We move at her speed. If we need to slow down and spend more time on a subject, then we can. That is the beauty of homeschool.
We are still working on getting her more specialized therapies to help her and help us as we navigate her learning style. She is incredibly smart. She is very artistic. She blows my mind with some of the things she creates. She is beautiful inside and out, and I am so blessed and thankful to be her mom. Our prayer is that we find the right tools that we need to better understand how she sees the world and how we can help her navigate and communicate with others who see things differently.
Life on E Street 