Macie completed her first year of preschool this past Wednesday. She completed her first 8 months of school with perfect attendance too! She will be going to summer school starting on June 13th, but it's only Monday through Thursday from 8am to 10:45am. I have to admit, I am a bit nervous about her being home from school. She really thrives on routine, and having a week and a half off then going back to school with a new teacher, and new hours......could be scary for all of us!
I am so grateful that she was able to attend preschool early, and that she had some really amazing teachers' this year. We are not 100% sure she will have the same teachers' next year, and that definitely makes my anxiety peak. I know it's not a bad thing for her to be with new teachers', but the group of teachers' she had really got to know her so well. They know what makes her tick, and it took a long time for them to figure that out with her.
I am in the process of contacting some speech pathologists to get her some private speech therapy over the summer. Hopefully that will help fill some of the gaps that she will have with not being in school.
Here is a list of SOME of the wonderful things Macie has done/learned this year in school:
Drawing pictures instead of just scribbling
Communicating with pictures
Sign language
Matching pictures
Puzzles
Turn taking
Motions to songs
Reading along to books
Colors
Counting
Stacking appropriately according to size
Following simple instructions
More vocalizations
More affectionate
Meltdowns are pretty nonexistent unless she's exhausted
Pointing to objects
Her eye contact is AWESOME
Waving "Hi", and "Bye"
All of these things she learned are so bittersweet for us. They are things that come so easily for a "neuro typical" 3 year old, but we are so happy and proud of her. Macie works very hard to learn all these things. I hate seeing her struggle, but know that she's making progress and that makes us hopeful.
