A Little Song for You

Oh, how I waited for Tommy to talk. He babbled some and said a few words but it took a long time for him to really begin speaking. I was worried it would never happen. But then occasionally he would come up with a phrase to two to keep me hanging on.

Music has always been a big motivator for Tommy, and while he can sing entire songs he can't really have a complex conversation with us yet.

Maybe I shouldn't say can't. He gets his point across and moves on. He doesn't seem interested in long, drawn out conversations just yet. He is a busy little man with things to do.

Here is Tommy singing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."

They sing this as part of circle time every morning at school. I got to observe circle time on Friday when I went to the Parent Open House at his school. I loved being able to watch the kids and their teachers and aides in action. They do so much and incorporate so many skills into seemingly simple lessons.

They say the Pledge of Allegiance, sing "It's A Grand Old Flag," observe the weather, talk about the day of the week and the date, and so much more. They also use tactile and symbolic objects to reinforce concepts and make learning more interesting for the kids. I saw them using a combination of techniques for the children who have some sight and others for kids like Tommy with no usable vision.

Besides being completely adorable, every visit or event at Tommy's school reassures me that he is in exactly the right learning environment. That is a wonderful feeling for a parent!

Blindness is so foreign to most medical and therapeutic professionals. There really aren't that many blind children around these days. Most of the therapists I have met over the years had never worked with a completely blind child before. I love seeing how comfortable Tommy's teachers/ aides and therapists are with him. I really see the benefit of their years of experience teaching blind children. It sure doesn't hurt that Tom loves to go to school in the morning and comes home happy every day.