It's been exactly 4 years since we met Samuel for the first time and tomorrow is the actual anniversary of when we were legally named his parents even though we still had to wait 10 days until his "Gotcha Day." In many ways, the time has just flow by. And Samuel has come so far and gone through so much. Before we adopted him, we went through classes and preparation for bringing home a child who had been institutionalized. We heard about all the issues we could face with him and all that. Frankly, it didn't bother us, because we were so sure of God's call to adopt. Yes it was scary to read and hear what kids who have been institutionalized can face and it's scary to know that we have no idea what he was exposed to in utero. But we knew God would lead and guide us to the child He wanted for us and we knew He would equip us to take care of the child He led us too. And we have remained confident of that in the past 4 years with each hurdle/challenge/issue that Samuel has faced in the 4 years he has been with us.
The immediate concern with Samuel in the beginning was always his heart and then it became his developmental delays.
And now, it is school. And possible ADD/ADHD.
4 months into the school year, Samuel is really beginning to struggle. He has been able to learn so much the last 18 months or so since starting Kindergarten and there are days I honestly can't believe all that he can do. However, he struggles to focus and follow directions, and finish his work. It's hard to tell if it's classic ADD/ADHD or the more unfamiliar effects of his Sensory Processing Disorder which many times can look like ADD. His teacher seems to think most of his issues are that he just can't focus and pay attention while there are still some lingering fine motor skill delays that also make it hard for him to finish his work because he gets tired. It's frustrating because he is meeting grade level requirements when they test him so he is unable to qualify for any type of special services.
So, what are we doing about it?
It's a bit overwhelming trying to figure out what the best approach is with Samuel and it's hard to see him struggling. But God has led us to an interesting treatment through a series of events that could only have been orchestrated by His sovereign hand. Right down the street from our house is a counseling clinic that has an office for
Virtual Therapies of Alabama. They offer a thing called Neurofeedback (click on Virtual Therapies above to go to their site that explains it)
that we are hoping and praying can help Samuel in tremendous ways. We even talked to a family in our Church who has done it and seen positive results. The only hard thing is it's really expensive and they don't take insurance. In everything we have done with Samuel, God has always provided so I know this will be no different. It's just going to be another faith journey!
So, a few weeks ago, he went and had a QEEG done (this was no small task for a very energetic boy who had to sit completely still for several different 5 minute intervals) on his brain. We are waiting to hear back and then we will start going 2 times a week for the nuerofeedback. Please please please pray that the Lord would use this to truly help Samuel. Also pray for our relationship with Samuel's teacher...that it would be an open and positive way of communication as we all work to help Samuel succeed. We are also pursuing occupational therapy at school and some natural remedies to help him calm down and focus at school. And of course, I'm beginning to do more research on his sensory stuff as well as ADD/ADHD.
