Jake underwent some neuropsychological testing back at the end of July. It's a pretty thorough battery of tests that cover all kinds of things from spelling to working memory to reading comprehension to processing speed and many others. He had the same set of tests just six months after his aneurysm and this one was a follow-up. The intent of these tests is to give us an idea of what cognitive areas his aneurysm affected and suggestions for accommodations that can be made to help him both in everyday life and at school. Todd and I were finally able to meet with his doctor of Friday to get the results.
I don't think I'm ever going to get used to getting the results of tests and I always leave feeling emotionally drained. Instinctively, I already know what they're going to tell us. I see both his successes and challenges every day so nothing is ever really a huge surprise. We know these assessments are important so we can continue to support him and make modifications as needed. But it is still difficult to hear about the areas that your child continues to struggle with and see the actual numbers on paper that denote the skill level on both sides of a bell curve.
The interesting thing is, I'm sure many of us if given these tests would have some things we're good at and some we aren't. In fact, there were a few examples he showed us and Todd and I both looked at each other with a puzzled expression not knowing the answer. Unless a "need" is determined, most people never take these types of tests and have their deficiencies so blatantly pointed out to them.
We try really hard to focus on his progress and accomplishments and while we aren't blind to the areas that are more difficult, we don't dwell on them. Getting his test results makes me question if we're doing all the right things to help him be the most successful he can be. There are so many things that need to be addressed on a daily basis that at times it just gets to be almost overwhelming for all of us. We don't want his life to be overscheduled and over structured to fit everything in - OT exercises, PT exercises, stretching, neurofeedback, acupuncture, queuing him on his walking, doing "mental" exercises/games...the list goes on and on. He just needs time to be a regular kid.
I don't mean to infer it was a bad report, he's made progress in all areas and his doctor thinks he'll continue to improve. I have to admit there is just a little bit of sadness when you compare him to where he was prior to all this and look at all he has to deal with. When that passes, I return my focus on being truly grateful and blessed he's doing as well as he is.
