2008
School
Ishan celebrated his 7th birthday at a new school. He made so much progress during the last academic year that he was promoted to a higher functioning class. Which meant that he had to change schools once again as that class was not available at his previous school. The one good thing about his current school is that it is closer and he is not as tired at the end of the day.
Physical Changes
Ishan had a huge growth spurt this year. He put on 5 pounds over the summer and is a little more than 4 feet tall. He now can push his own walker for a few steps. With help he can walk using his walker for about 3/4 mile. It does take a lot to motivate him to walk. But the Suit Therapy, neoprene shorts (which helps keep his legs from crossing) along with a great Physical Therapist, really boosted his ability to walk. He also got a new wheelchair and has become quite adept at manuevering it.
Cognitive and Communication Changes
Ishan's cognitive and communication abilities thrived this year. We had a lot of family visiting us over the summer. Ishan being a people's person loved all the attention and made a significant effort to communicate with all of them. On the academic side too he made good progress. He can now count up to 7, he can identify the basic colors, he knows a few shapes, and the surprises just keep adding. But he is not very consistent and has a strong will. He also just got a Dynavox and is still learning to use it. We hope this will help him communicate. He continues to sign, but teaching him new signs has been an uphill battle.
Other Events
Ishan had many "firsts" this year. He attended a summer camp organized by a non-profit. It was a day camp for one week. He seemed to thoroughly enjoy himself and even was nick-named Romeo, as he was flirting with all the girls/women there.
He also attended a weekend camping trip. The place was amazing as it was completely handicap accessible. There were over 90 families-all with children with special needs. For the first time in a long time we as a family blended in. All in all it was an amazing experience not just for us as parents but for Ishan too.