I was able to attend Madison’s very first “Parent-Teacher Conference”.  This was not a crazy IEP meeting with, like, 20 people trying to tell me about my girl.  This was just the teacher and me talking about Madison.  It was SO refreshing.  I was able to see on paper, on a typical little report card how Madison is doing.  I can’t tell you how amazing it felt to see:

Madison knows all of her shapes.

Madison knows all of her colors.

Madison knows all of her letters.

Madison knows all of her numbers up to 10.

We knew all of this, but so did somebody else!  And it wasn’t a specialist, it wasn’t a psychologist - it was “just” a teacher.  Just a regular, wonderful Kindergarten teacher.

 

Which brings me to Mrs. Robertson.  Mrs. Robertson is the best Kindergarten teacher you could ever imagine.  She’s incredibly organized and is just beautiful with the children.  She has embraced Madison, and Madison LOVES going to school.  This is the same wonderful K teacher Savannah had, and it is so helpful to have this past experience with the same teacher.  She has her hands-full; the budget has increased her student count and decreased her resources.  But, she is still able to reach and teach Madison. 

 

Here’s a rundown of Madison’s specialist.  (This is incredible; read on...)

 

Cheri is Madison’s Inclusion Specialist.  She comes to school about once a week to see how Madison is doing.  She works with Maddie’s aide and teacher, and gives them ideas on how to help her.  She helps to adapt Madison’s curriculum, and is kind of like Madison’s overseer.  She is an amazing resource and a very special person.  I have learned so much from her, and hope to continue to be able to work with her in the years to come.

 

Wendy is Madison’s Adaptive PE Teacher.  She works with Madison once a week with another little girl named Annabelle who is in first grade.  (Annabelle and Madison went to preschool together for a year.)  She does fun activities with the girls and works on Madison’s physical goals such as throwing and catching a ball.  Savannah and her friend Emily help during this time, which is the most wonderful thing I could have ever imagined.

 

Susan is Madison’s Technology Specialist.  I haven’t written much about this yet, but Madison DID receive a communication device over the summer.  Susan comes in once a week to work with Madison, the aide, and teacher on how to include the device into the school day.  Susan was instrumental in helping us get this device (named “Dyna”) - more on that later...

Miriam is Madison’s School Occupational Therapist.  She works with Madison once a week on school-related fine motor skills.

 

Carly is Madison’s School Speech Therapist.  Madison works with her at least twice a week.   Once with a small group of children and once individually.  Madison LOVES going to see Carly.

 

Judy is Madison’s Physical Therapist.  Madison doesn’t see her at school, she sees her once a week at the CCS Clinic we’ve been going to since Madison was one year old.  Amy’s regular PT, Amy, is out on maternity leave (with twins!) and we miss her dearly!!!  However, Judy has been a special blessing to Madison and Madison work incredibly well with her. 

 

Sharlyn is Madison’s “other” Occupational Therapist, also at CCS.  Madison has known Sharlyn almost all of her life.  Sharlyn works on non-school-based fine motor skills, such as putting on/taking off clothing and bathroom issues.  Sharlyn recently helped us get a special adapted toilet seat for Madison to use at home.  We haven’t received it yet, but we are hoping it will help Madison become more independent in the bathroom.

 

Jamie is Madison’s private speech therapist.  Jamie has been working with Madison for almost two years now.  Long story, but Madison met Jamie as the school therapist in preschool.  However, Divine Intervention has brought Jamie to our home twice a week now.   She works with Madison on just about EVERYTHING. 

 

Alice is Madison’s Neuromuscular Re-Education Practioner.  (Say that 5 times fast!)  We were seeing Alice once a week, starting about a year ago.  However, we realized that Madison gets the most out of this therapy when she has lots of sessions close together.  So now, we see Alice about every other month for 3-4 sessions at a time.  I wrote a lot about this in my last update.  Can’t quite put my finger on exactly HOW Alice helps Madison - you would just have to see her work to truly understand.

 

Kim is Madison’s horse therapist.  That sounds odd doesn’t it?  I haven’t written about this in a while, but Madison has been receiving “hippotherapy” since she was two years old.  Madison has made incredible strides in her skills on top of that horse this year!  This is another thing I can’t really explain; all I know is that seeing Madison on top of that horse is incredible.  She does things I could never imagined.  For example: she now puts her feet in the stirrups, stands up all on her own on top of that darn horse  while we count to 100.  Yes, 100.  And so much more...

 

OKAY - no wonder I’m exhausted!!!  It is crazy to put all of Madison’s “people” in writing.  I didn’t actually realize she had so many people working with her on a regular basis. 

 

 

Teeth (yes, teeth again...)

Sadly, this kid even requires an update about her teeth...  Fortunately, since our last update there have been no more cavities due to her missing tooth enamel.  (YAY, US!)  However...  Madison had a little spell where she was falling A LOT and HARD for a month.  During the month of September:

-Madison fell at school and split her tooth in half.  This required a trip to the dentist and then the oral surgeon who had to extract all of the parts of this tooth while under sedation.

-Then, while we were getting ready to go to her post-surgery checkup at the oral surgeon a week later, Madison fell off of the toilet and knocked another tooth loose.  Since we were on our way anyway, I through bloody-mouthed Maddie in the car and the oral surgeon took that tooth out as well.

-About a week later, Madison fell AGAIN (this time at home, we think - the kid falls A LOT so we kinda lose track) and chipped her front tooth.  Again, I jaunted her over to the dentist and fortunately this was quick fix.  They dabbed a little something-something on her tooth, smoothed it out and it is fine...

 

Seriously.  This all happened within a month.