This is my handsome 5 year old. His birthday (Feb. 4th) came while we were in Utah and my siblings threw him a mini surprise party the night we went to my Grandpas to watch Tessa open her mission call. It was short but cute and he felt special!!! Wish i got pictures, DANG!!! but here is the boy I see every day :) Just when I think it is completely impossible to love him more....another day ...another smile....and boom it happens...more love!!! :) He loves to climb trees (as you can see) and play with his sister. He loves to pretend he's a super hero! His favorite movie is Peter Pan and he loves to eat.....must be a growth spurt but this kid is putting the food down lately!!!!It's a good thing, he is so so skinny...like you see every rib when he takes off his shirt! He is so caring and mindful of people's emotions. He is quite energetic (and when I say energetic...it's as if he has a motor...he has an extremely hard time sitting still which has made school and church a challenge).....he understands most of what you say...but struggles to communicate "Wh" questions....there has been other behavior for quite awhile that make us question if there are things going on...he was tested through the Florida school district last year and at 4 years old he was communicating at the capacity of a 2 1/2 year old. He qualified for the special needs pre school here in Mesa...and I have seen improvement...but not enough to make me comfortable. His pediatrician recommended him to the Melmed center to meet with a Pediatrician that specializes in mental and physical development....It took us 3 months to get in (finally got in in May) but it turns out he has ADHD which they believe is causing a Language Disorder (both receptive and expressive...MOSTLY expressive) There were quite a few signs consistent with Autism but believed not ENOUGH of those signs to warrant the label. They suggested Speech and Occupational Therapy out side of school (believing he wouldn't get the amount that he NEEDS at school)....Cohen starts Kindergarten in August and I was really on the fence on if it was the right time...Cohen struggled in a special needs environment with 12 kids to 4 teachers...It made me a little sick to think of 1 teacher to 25 kids....After his IEP meeting I decided I certainly didn't want to set him up to fail..he knows enough to be in Kindergarten (shapes, letters colors etc.) .So after much prayer, and a long meeting with his future Kindergarten teacher I registered him. I decided that I would exhaust the therapy options through the summer along with behavioral counseling, and a couple diet changes....give school 6 weeks ...get another teacher eval. ...have a followup at MELMED and decide if medicating is the right thing or not. The ADHD is not as much my concern as what it is causing. So here is to a new adventure :). He is my sweet boy and I thank god every day that God sent him to ME. 5 years old....man time flies.
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