Its New Year already?

2014 wrapped up quite early I think. It was only a while back that I was calculating like a mad scientist the right dosage of therapies for Avani. Which therapist to approach, who is not benefiting enough, what line of treatment to consider...

After eight months of continuous intervention, I thought the results were not matching my expectations. I wanted to see what else can we do to push Avu's limits further.

I was not satisfied with the Early Intervention Program Avani was enrolled in. I had a strong feeling that my child's potential was not fully explored. I wanted additional hours of OT, a new special educator and above all a speech therapist. Her OT at the time suggested we try Play Therapy as well.

Time to bug therapists with appointment requests then. I quickly lined up in long Que of parents for a renowned speech therapist in South Delhi, a highly recommended special educator in East Delhi and a young and hard working Occupational therapist for home sessions.

My 'experiments' with therapies and therapists are mostly based on the feedback from other parents. I try my best to keep review meetings and new appointments only when Yappy is with me. It just releases a lot of pressure and gives a sense that we are in it together. But circumstances may not always permit such luxury. It's usually me who decides when is the right time to start which therapy? Who is the right therapist for Avu and why? Hours in which therapy should be cut to increase the other etc. etc. Taking all these decisions is overwhelming at several levels. Is my child a thing to experiment with? Am I playing with her life? What if anything goes wrong or backfires? I will only have myself to blame.

By February, 2014 we were going for 6 sessions of OT (two at a centre and four at home), two sessions of play therapy, two sessions of speech and two sessions of special education. Phew!!! Can't even think of another three year old in my immediate family or friend circle going through such rigorous schedule.

Reflecting back, three out of those four decisions turned out quite well. We are happy with the way Avani has progressed with the new special educator, OT and speech therapist. Only play therapy resulted in a bit of waste of time, energy and money (oh yes!), else all is well :). By June 2014, Avani was attending group therapy sessions as well.

My goal for 2014 was to get Avani some kind of school exposure. The last she had it was when she was only about two and we enrolled her in a local play school near our house, hoping she would learn to talk amongst other toddlers. But it was a waste then, as all Avani gained from that experience was more hyper activity and zoning out in her own world. Thank God I tried it only for three months and got serious about her therapies.

So in all the meetings that I had with Avu's therapists, I kept on insisting on her preparation for a school set-up. Just get her school ready was my only plea. We went for a few school interviews as well by September. To our disappointment, our child was not yet ready for a big main stream school, but her special educator suggested that we can still try another small play school to train her better.

She advised us to meet the owner and Principal of a play school near our house. This lady I was told has worked on an ADHD child in the past and has shown great results. We found Ms Shalini at Beginners Valley school a very warm person. She is not a trained special educator, but she has deep understanding of psyche of children with special needs particularly in a school set up. Unlike, the 'big' schools, she didn't judge our child in what she was capable off as a pre-schooler, instead welcomed Avani to the set up and reassured us with a 'let's try' message.

Since October 2014, we are going to a play school four times a week while therapies continue alongside. I sometimes feel, am demanding too much from my little one. But it is also true, that she only has these initial few years that we can make the most of. I want the best for my child in every sense of the word and I just want her to know that she is not alone in the fight. Mummy is with her, every step of the way.

Life's been a mind boggling roller coaster the last few years. Avani is a lot better from where we started. There have been many ups and downs. Some days I felt wow! (like when she started talking somewhere by August, can count 1-10 in her own accent by now, can say mummy I Love You), some other days it was pure frustration (when she would still not respond to her name seven out of ten times, would run aimlessly, give me hard time in family functions), sometimes sadness (seeing electrodes pasted on her head during an EEG, or hearing her cries for a blood sample).

But all in all, I would rate 2014 as a year in which we covered a lot of ground and lost little.

The goals once again are set for the coming year. Avani's hyperactivity remains our biggest concern, her speech is still very minimal and then there are a  few behaviour issues as well. She needs to be ready for the 'big' schools this year at least. Wish us luck and like I always say please pray for my baby.

Happy New Year!