Trent's Neuropsych Evaluation Results

I've been pretty open sharing about Trent's therapy over the past few years. I like being able to talk about it because it's cathartic for me, but at the same time, I want to respect Trent and not share too much {yes, it's our family, but ultimately, this is his story}, so I haven't talked much about his therapy in about 6 months. We've had good weeks, we've had bad...overall, we've had some forward momentum but not as much as I would like/hope. We've done some different group therapies {at first in addition to his time with Ms. Lauren and then in replacement of her} and just continued to power through with our little guy.

The next step that we've been working towards for awhile was a neuropsych evaluation. It took some time to find the group we wanted to work with, it took some waiting before the appointments, and it took some time for the results. Well, we got the results about 2 weeks ago!!! It was interesting because the doctor {who has been doing this for over 20 years} said she felt bad because she didn't have a conclusive answer for us and still no formal diagnosis. Honestly, I wasn't surprised. And almost everything we talked about it is what we've been talking about with every other therapist/specialist we've seen over the past 2 1/2 years.

So what were his results?

1. He's gifted. In some areas, his IQ is off the charts. While that might sound like a good thing {which it is}, gifted children {and especially boys} historically have more behavior problems.
2. He's hyperactive. This might be a duh thought for ANY mom of a 5 year old boy. They are NUTS. But Trent's hyperactive enough to be considered ADHD although he doesn't seem to have the 'attention deficit' piece of the puzzle. 
3. He's anxious. This one I didn't really expect but it makes so much sense with some of his fits.
4. He has some spectrum behaviors. Again nothing new here. No one has ever said he has autism, but his sensory issues are all consistent with being on the spectrum. The problems with transitions, things being too loud/hot/etc., his food aversions...

So what does all this mean? 

It means we're going to consider doing Applied Behavioral Analysis therapy {ABA} which is a little bit more of a formal/structured type of therapy. I don't know a ton about it, but his behavioral therapist, Ms. Lauren, has thought it might come to this, so again, I'm not surprised. We're also trying karate because Trent has been saying for at least 6 months that he wants to do it, and all the therapists he's seen have thought it would be great - it is apparently great for focus, concentration, self-esteem...all things that would be beneficial for Trent.

Our karate champ!

We're also going to have a blood test done on Trent because a lot of his behaviors are consistent with a blood disorder called MTHFR. I have a friend with this condition who has done a lot of research on it and suggested it to me. When I brought it up to the therapists who did the neuropsych testing they jumped all over it having seen kids with it that reminded them a lot of Trent. So that's scheduled for June.

Interestingly enough, the past 2 weeks {ever since we moved} Trent has been off the charts good. Brent and I find ourselves looking at each other multiple times a day in awe of him. His teacher has commented on how great he's being in class, too! We're definitely enjoying it {grin}!

So we'll see what the next round of everything brings about... To be continued as usual!

Comparing Childhoods: Us vs. Them

After comparing my childhood to Brent's, I wanted to compare mine/Brent's to our kids... Obviously they are still kids, but I think it'll be fun!

Family dynamics:

I think the biggest difference for our kids compared to us is that Brent and I both grew up with same sex siblings. I have a sister, Brent has a brother. It's already so fascinating to watch Trent and Drew grow up as siblings, and I'm so excited to watch their relationship grow with them. So far we're a family of 4 {like Brent and I both grew up in}...but only time will tell if that stays a similarity or a difference! Our kids age span in also smack dab in the middle of how far apart my sister and I are {20 months} and Brent and his brother {4 years}. 

I forgot to think about this when comparing Brent and me, but I think our relationship with our grandparents is a big factor from our childhoods to consider. I had a pretty traditional situation with my grandparents - my mom's parents were still married and my dad's mom was a widow, so I grew up with 3 grandparents. My grandparents lived in the same town {of 1,000 people} about 45 minutes from our home, so we saw them very often and loved spending time with them. My grandparents were 'old' and all passed on by the time I was 23. {If they were alive today, they would be 103, 101, 99, and 98}. Brent still has both of his grandmothers living but lost both his grandfathers and a step-grandmother during our relationship. All of his grandparents lived in Austin when he was growing up, so he was very close with them as well. If you've been reading my blog for any length of time, you'll know that our kids are blessed to see all of their grandparents almost weekly, and I could cry anytime I think about the relationships that are forming. 

Brent and I are also high school sweethearts like both sets of our parents were. Not sure how much that matters to their childhood, but I know for Brent and me we both have had amazing examples of love and commitment from our parents which I know has shaped our views on marriage. My parents still hold hands and are very affectionate with each other, and Brent's parents are always going on dates and trips together. Amazing testament to the power of love {I think 42 years of marriage for Brent's parents and 40 next month for mine!} that I feel very confident our kids will have as well.

Religion:

Our kids go to the Catholic church with me and my parents, so I would say they are raised in a moderately religious family like Brent and I both were. The main difference {from my childhood} is that to-date Brent doesn't join us. As Brent's parents' participation in church has varied over the years, this is probably more in-line with his upbringing than mine. 

SAHM vs. Working Mom:

We're 3 for 3 on working moms! I'm very fortunate to have the flexible schedule that I do which allows me to get the kids early several days a week and spend more time with them than a traditional 9-5 job, but they've gone to school from very early onward. Trent began at 9 months and Drew at 6 months. My sister is the only SAHM in our immediate families {and she home schools to boot!}, so that would be the more interesting comparison. {grin}

Big city vs. small town living:

The kids are definitely getting more of a small town living than Brent did, but I wouldn't say either of them are growing up particularly 'country'. I did spend more time in the country visiting grandparents and other family while our kids don't see that side very often with most of their family living very nearby.

Schooling:

Here's the big difference comparing our kids to us. Brent and I both did public school the whole way through {and in the same school district}. Our kids are currently enrolled in private Montessori school. I foresee them being here for awhile, although our school only currently goes through 6th grade, so eventually we'll have to reassess... I could rave all night about the kids' school and how much I love Montessori, but I'll leave that for another day. It just really works well for our kids!

I love the similarities our kids have to us in our childhoods because I think Brent and I both have had pretty amazing lives so far. I look forward to seeing a lot more love, laughter, and adventures with my kids so that they will also look back fondly on their childhoods!

Would you say your kids have a similar childhood to yours? Do you want them to?