Just when I am appreciating what my buddy can do and all that he has accomplished, the Birth to 3 Annual Evaluation comes in the mail. I was there for the evaluation and it was fun to see which goals he reached. He performed like a trooper and monkey bear managed to play happily. My buddy is making strides every day and it feels like a time of explosive growth.
But then I see it in black and white. There are many areas where his development is “age-appropriate” and I silently cheer and dream of his college graduation and subsequent honors and achievements. Then there are those areas where his skills are “of concern” or “delayed”. The dream changes to - maybe he’ll be able to live independently some day.
Oh, and there is the dreaded chart. He gets a percentile rank - social skills at 42% (the highest of them all) with most below10%. His age range equivalent (at 12 months old) range from 7 - 10 months. I know that the gap now is the closest it will ever be. He will continue to broaden the gap between himself and his peers until it is so large they no longer feel the need to measure it.
Every day it gets easier not to compare and measure my buddy. Every day he does something he couldn’t do the day before. Unfortunately, evaluations will be with him for a few years more. And I will just have to face the reality every once in a while and then put my rose colored glasses on and enjoy the snuggles.
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