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Hello, my friends, this is Tathiana. I hope that you are all healthy and strengthened in Christ. The time has come again where I felt led to share a bit about our family's life in general, and, especially, about Isaac.
Recently, we decided to visit an Occupational Therapy clinic with Isaac to address some ongoing issues that we have noticed could be getting more rigid (hypersensibility to water on his face, fear of learning to ride his bike, aversion to smells and noises, difficulty paying attention, among others). After 10 sessions of evaluation with a highly qualified professional, we have received some answers. He presents some characteristics of Asperger's Syndrome, of which we already were aware, and has clear signs of Sensory Processing Disorder.
In summary, Isaac processes sensory stimuli differently than others. This includes the commonly referred to “5 senses”, and also the Vestibular System (balance) and the Proprioceptive System (orientation of one's own body and members in space). Occupational Therapy seeks to help him mature his senses and how he processes them, which has been naturally difficult for him due to his Disorder. Below is an example, as seen in the chart. You can see how it is a challenge for him to collaborate sensory stimuli that are processed visually and converted into motor-skills. The Visual-Motor Integration (VMI) is low in relation to his age group (8 years), much like the development of his Fine Motor Skills (Motor). However, his visual perception is equal to that of a 16 year-old!
The Speech Therapy evaluation also revealed a particular challenge for Isaac in his verbal expression. In all honesty, we had observed this challenge over the years, but the report helped us understand how it happens. Also, we saw how Isaac has difficulty processing and organizing what he hears. However, what really weighed on our hearts was hearing the Speech Therapist say that Isaac must suffer by not being capable of expressing what he would like to say.
The result of all this, practically, is that Isaac will continue to have 2 x 1-hour Occupational Therapy sessions per week, and, also, begin to add 2 x 1-hour Speech Therapy sessions per week, also. The clinic is privately owned, so the sessions will be our financial responsibility - Isaac's Brazilian health insurance does not cover this out-of-network expense. This will be an unexpected and significant increase to our financial reality.
Our kids have been having 100% online school since March of 2020, and I honestly do not think in-person classes will be back this entire year of 2021. Because of Isaac's specific difficulties and challenges, online classes have been a very stressful and exhausting experience for him and for me (Tathiana). I would say that Isaac retains approximately 20% of the lessons he watches online, because when I help him with his homework, I realize that he knows a very small amount of the lesson that has already been covered multiple times by his teacher. This, and adding the fact that his reading level is falling behind, his vocabulary is limited and he has a harder than usual difficulty understanding and interpreting the meaning of texts in his lessons and homework.
I admire my friends who have taken on the challenge of homeschooling. Unfortunately this is not my reality, nor the reality that fits into our family nor our context. I, simply, cannot do it and I would dare to say that Isaac doesn't want me as his teacher! We are asking for your prayers to decide how to proceed with Isaac's education in the middle of a global pandemic. We are even considering removing him from school during the online reality and hiring a private tutor, but we must weigh the pros and cons of this decision. The uncertainty of it all really weighs on me.
We are in the worst moment of the pandemic here in Belo Horizonte, facing near lockdown, city-wide curfew, closed public spaces, hospitals close to collapsing and the daunting perspective of maintaining 100% online classes for the rest of 2021. I don't want this update to carry a tone of complaining, but, yes, of opening my heart to friends who care. Sometimes I think I'm going to go crazy; I cry, then I remember these two things: first, “'Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). Second, that we are healthy in the midst of so many who are not and who do not have hope beyond this life. Amen!
Thank you for giving us this opportunity to share 🙏.
Tathiana Elam
Prayer requests:
God to provide ways for the clinical and scholastic assistance to fit within our budget.
Mental and emotional health for us and the kids.
Physical health for us all.
Spiritual protection from invisible attacks of The enemy against our family.