Friday, May 1, 2009

A LOT of Repetition!!!


That is one common thing I hear from many other parents who have a child with Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum...they need A LOT of repetition to learn a new skill. That is true for my own child with ACC, Matthew.

When Matthew was still a baby I had taken him to see his Neurologist. I was told something back then by his Neurologist that I will not forget. He said that it is not understood why or how but that when a child is missing the corpus callosum (the major communication connection between the right and left hemispheres of the brain) other pathways can sometimes be made with the help of therapies. Matthew has been in physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy since he was a small baby and I believe that those therapies and A LOT of repetition helped him create other pathways and learn so many skills.

Whatever you do, do NOT give up or lose hope that your child won't do something that you have been working on for a long time. I have been in that place several times with my own child...almost ready to give up and then that sweet little boy surprises me everytime and he learns the very thing that we worked and worked on for months and months and sometimes a year or more. One day (usually when you think it won't happen and are close to giving up) something clicks for them, all that work, practice and continual repetition to learn to sit up, to crawl, to take a step happens right before your eyes when you pick them up from school and watch your 7 year old boy let go of your hand for the first time and take steps all by himself!! Matthew walked at 7 years old and I stood watching in amazement at my little boy taking his very first steps.

Nope...don't ever give up. Don't ever lose hope, don't ever think that all that therapy and hard work for months or even years isn't doing any good because it IS and you will see all that hard work pay off and be amazed and thrilled at what you are seeing your child do...right before your very joyful, tear-filled eyes.

2 comments:

  1. Our son just turned 3 (C-ACC) and he suprises me all the time with by doing things I thought he was not even paying attention to when I was working with him. The brain is amazing, I don't think any doctor truley knows what our kids are capable of. Keep up the bloging!

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  2. Thank you for sharing your wonderful and very well said comment. I agree with you completely. It's amazing...the brain...and so are our kids.

    A great BIG smile to you and your 3 year old son with C-ACC who is learning and doing new things and for all the new and exciting things he will continue to do. :)

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