Our very first adventure took sail last Tuesday, Dec. 8. The Weisskopf Child Evaluation Center diagnosed Helana with an IQ of 67, placing her under the "mental retardation" label. Summed up, she is 6 years old but in many ways on the level of a 3-year-old.
We are not discouraged by this diagnosis. We've known for a long time that Helana was special. In fact, we are optimistic that with speech and occupational therapies, lots of support and encouragement, she will grow up to be a strong, independent lady. Her biggest challenges are verbal reception and execution. This can be overcome. She is perfectly capable in many ways. Such as, she can dress and feed herself and even prepare simple meals. She loves using a screwdriver and just about anything mechanical or technological. She also has an excellent memory.
My biggest challenge is adjusting my teaching style. Therefore, I must find a way to throw out my left-brained tendencies and become a right-brained teacher.
Mostly, I just want to have fun. That is the best way for Helana to learn. Let the adventure begin!
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