Learn Something New Every Day

August 6, 2015
Learn Something New Every Day

Glenn IV eating a fruit cup on his own.

Glenn IV is just over 3 years old.  He started a new preschool program at BCIU in July. He goes to school three days a week - Tuesday through Thursday.  While he is there, Glenn gets theraputic services for speech, occupational and physical therapy through a specialized classroom setting.  Glenn is developmentally delayed globally.  Although he babbles, he generally is not verbal.  Even words that he can say (Balloon), he often will not say on comman or on sight.  He does know a fair amount of sign language.  He is very happy and extremely energetic.  Glenn is more on target for a 12 month old than a 3 year old, espeically in emotional and social development.  He doesn't understand how to play well or have any concept of manners or spacial awareness. If he becomes frustrated, he simply moves on to the next thing instead of throwing a tantrum or pushing himself to continue to try a task.  Glenn is also very small for his age.  He wears a size 24 month clothing.   He's short but he's growing.  For almost three years, he was diagnosed with failure to thrive.  He's had acid reflux which caused significant vomiting throughout his first three years of life.  Despite that, Glenn has always been a happy little guy and a true joy for us to be around.  Glenn has a diabolical opposition to wearing shoes and socks.  He also has an odd habit of putting his socks in his mouth and chewing on them at every opportunity.  

Today I dropped him off at his preschool.  He's in a classroom of three to five year old students.  They are lightyears ahead of him in development.  Every morning I get my Mama Bear neck hair all afluff when the "mean" little children don't like Glenn or have negative things to say about him.  Today, however, I was determined to change my mindset.  They aren't mean.  They are children.  They simply don't know and understand. Glenn looks like a normal toddler - a baby to them - so they don't grasp why he's in their classroom.  As I was putting his shoes on him in the classroom this morning, the typical crowd of 3-4 children drew around us.  They scatter to clean up their puzzles when they see Glenn coming knowing he will trample right over them.  They lift the lego bin out of his reach when he gets there, all too aware that he will spill the bin and put legos in his mouth.  They know he is a destructo-boy once I let him loose and everything and anything is fair game.   As they are putting away the floor puzzle, mean girl 1 asks me once again "Why does he put everything in his mouth?" as she does many mornings. I respond that he's smaller than they are and he's still getting some of his teeth so he chews on things to help his teeth feel better.  She was satisfied.  For the moment.   "Why can't you put his shoes on him at home?" she asks with a disapproving tone in her voice.  I explain that Glenn doesn't like wearing his shoes so he takes them off as soon as I buckle him in his car seat.  Then he stuffs his socks in his mouth and chews on them.  She thought that was gross and then immediately expressed concern that he could choke.  Mean child 2 then asked "Why doesn't he talk to us?".  I responded that Glenn can't talk with words but that he does know some sign language.  Mean girl 1 is intrigued and wants to know what that it.  I explained that he uses his hands (and sometimes his feet) to make signals for what he wants.  She signed eat to me and said "You mean when he does this?"  I told her that was exactly what I meant and told her that when Glenn did that he wanted food or drink. I showed her signs for "More" and "Please" and she practiced them.  Her attitude and demeanor changed.  She was softer and more accepting.  She went on to giggle and said "Glenn makes a big mess when he feeds himself!".   Yes, yes he does.  I said he's still learning.  And I thought to myself, aren't we all.  I learned that these children don't want to be mean.  They don't know.  They don't understand.  It is different and different isn't always easy.  I left as Glenn stuck his hand in someone's rice crispy cereal with a smile on my face.  

Hopefully he and his classmates have a great day today.