Indigo: I think on the topic of his delays - I want to say we had issues with gross/fine motor, but now we've seen a drastic improvement in those areas. When he was very little, he was a bumblebutt - to put it nicely. Wound up with goose eggs a lot and stitches once from a nasty once. The days of tripping over his own feet/coordination have thankfully gone away. Now it is more of his fine motor skills. I've been debating the benefits of a home computer, to help him with the skill of typing/navigating a computer mouse. I see it mostly when writing - he defaults to a younger grip, but when prompted, will write properly. Fortunately, a lot of the coordination and balance have come from weekly gymnastics. He had no issues navigating learning to tie his shoes this week by himself (showed him once, and he was doing it on his own). So I think the handwriting may just be a more comfortable position, but thankfully his teacher is aware and will remind him with a verbal cue.
Regarding his self-taught nature, I absolutely agree! It's a hard mix of him wanting to do it on his own verses having momma help him. He doesn't seem to appear to be this way with teachers, though, from his pre-k reports.
While DS's teacher is trying to find busy work - she's limited currently by state law. Unfortunately, GT seems to be on the slow train, so she wanted to circumvent all of the procedures in getting him something he could work on in class if he were to finish the lessons. From what I've gathered, since we don't know where exactly he lies ability wise, she's borrowing books from older grades to see if he can do the work on his own - to help us when we formally plan for our IEP meeting. I definitely won't advocate for alone work - but with the situation we have now - I'll take anything I can get until the school tests him.
I think I have been in denial over his abilities for the longest time. I knew he was different, even before he was fully talking. Ironically, social media pointed me back to a video of him from 2013 (a few months before he was 2) counting to 20. Even though a few of the letters he couldn't pronounce, he'd keep repeating one he could until he could say the next one "13 14 15 15 15 18 19 20" - but at the same time he was butchering the pronunciation of 6 (see) and 7 (sah-aw).
I've signed consent papers to have him tested, and I've reviewed the requirements for admission - and I have full intent to apply once that comes in. It may be months before I know anything, with the rate that everything is done here. If I hear back before the new year, I will honestly be surprised.
Thank you so much for the roundup posts. I will read into these tonight!
Sanne: Thank you kindly for your personal experience. I greatly appreciate the insight you've provided for me regarding elem vs older grades and how they approach this. For this beginning semester, I think I'm in the waiting game pattern. If the experience was anything like DD's, he won't have anything in place until Feb of next year. I definitely plan to take it a semester at a time, it's just so daunting with the prospect of myself going back to work soon (once DD3 starts school herself). I hope that I can juggle everything moving forward - I'm mostly by myself since my husband travels for work (we're on opposite coasts).
Polar: Thank you for checking in as well about your DS! I mentioned at the top of my post about DS handwriting hand position. That's our only issue now (when I was first posting, he was severely lacking gross and fine motor skills). Gymnastics has helped tremendously, and no one is concerned with gross motor. It's the pencil holding that he still struggles with remembering to hold the right way (no issues holding it, just a default to an incorrect, immature hold). We were really working on it this summer, and I let his teacher know to just remind him and he'll flip his pencil correctly. At home it's been less and less of an issue - but every once and a while it sneaks back in.
You all are so kind in sharing your experiences and offering your positive vibes & advice. I cannot thank you enough! :-)
