It's so often we hear "Don't judge a book by it's cover", yet most often it's the adults who say this I find judging my son. Wondering why he does act as old as he looks, looking at me funny when hearing his lisp, or when he gets over-frustrated and cries. I admit it, it's hard not to do..but it's something we've been trying to gently remind people of since he was born and now since we've found out about his blindness AND auditory issues we have even more cause.
Let me just say right here right now, my boy is HUGE. Not in a chubs sort of way, although his tree trunk legs do make finding pants that fit a challenge. :) He's actually rather skinny, in a-built on firm foundation sort of way-, but when he was 1 year old he wore a 2T, when he was 2 it was 4-5 and so on. We've been told by two different pediatricians that he is going to be about 6'6 260 lbs as an adult and I think "Well, if people make fun of him for his challenges he can just beat the crap outa them". Ahem, no not really...ok I HAVE thought that, but only a few time when people are especially ridiculous in their expectations...bad Momma bad.
Errrr back to the point.
So, where were we? Pounding ppl? NO...judging...ah yes.
Anywayssss...
As he grew older we knew he had a speech impediment. I even took him for evaluation at 3 years old because I knew something wasn't quite what most call "normal"...and who's normal anyway? What IS normal? Is it this "village" I hear about that wants to raise my child and turn him into God-hating-being ok with his sin-just as he is-type of person because if it is..then really, we're quite ok with abnormal thank you very much.
Wow, what IS it with my tangents today? I blame Graves Rage. Yes, that must be it.
Again, like a good mommy I took him in and they told me there's nothing they can really do till he's 5. And at 5 he was labeled as just not wanting to do the work and not being interested, not QUITE ADHD but close. Which is not at all close to what he has.
At 6 I took him to an audiologist and they told me he has a good chance of having his APD. Ahhh, answers. Now that he's 8 and has APD, ALONG with Visual disorder the child has issues. But you know what? HE doesn't let those issues slow him down or stop him so why should I?! And for that matter, why should any stranger on the street judge my son?! So what if he cries a lil more easy than your obnoxious 8 year old who's NOTHING like my son??? He's tenderhearted, and he get's frustrated and doesn't quite know how to hold it all in..but he's working on it and I must say he's much better at it than I was at his age. I didn't know how to control my own emotions till I was....errr....30.
To take a child who's strong-willed, visually impaired, AND has audio problems and know he controls himself over 80% of the time...that's pretty darn good in my book. I think we've worked well with him and I'm proud of him.
Now, the lisp (speech thing). He works on this too. He can actually SAY L instead of "yell" now is a BIG accomplishment of him.
Don't be so quick to judge others, especially children when they look, act, or sound differently than yours. You have no clue what they have been or are going through.
Children don't need a village to raise them, they need strong, loving, and caring parents who are involved with them. And they need the village to be understanding that "normal" doesn't exist. We all have issues we have to overcome. Some just...start earlier than others.
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