Kevin's FHC Revisit (April 16 & 17)

We have returned from our fifth visit with the Family Hope Center in Philadelphia.  We have now been with FHC for two years. 

I had some difficulty as I was preparing for our visit while filling out Kevin’s revisit report.  The report covers everything that has happened to Kevin and everything that he has done in the last six months.  My challenge was finding the good things that have happened to Kevin since our last visit.  I was stuck in “negativeville”…which can be very disturbing place to visit.  I was feeling disappointed because it felt like another six months of no progress regarding his digestion.  I was discouraged because I felt I was not receiving support for the new GAPS diet I was trying to implement.  After preparing myself as best I could for this diet, I still felt confused and unsure how to proceed with the diet when he began having negative symptoms and not able to complete all the steps.  And I was also feeling disheartened that his left foot began turning in again about two weeks ago.  I was so focused on these ongoing problems of digestion and his left foot and how it ultimately holds him back in so many other areas that I was stuck and needed help getting out.  Thankfully, my brother and sister came to the rescue by giving me several positive points to help get me started and out of “negativeville” because that is not going to help anyone.  After Kevin’s evaluation, the FHC team also had some encouragement regarding Kevin’s digestion and foot problems to give me as well.

Although it’s a bit more difficult to measure, but the greatest change in Kevin (as my brother and sister pointed out) is in his emotional and social development.  Kevin is definitely more cooperative, aware, and happy than ever before.  He is showing a preference, in regards to having favorite shows to watch (Thomas the Train, Little Einsteins, Sesame Street, and his old standard Wheel of Fortune), favorite songs to listen to (“I Wanna Be Like You” from Jungle Book and Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep”), favorite characters (Thomas, Elmo, Cookie Monster, Buzz), favorite people to be with, even favorite food.  Also he has been more accepting of change in routine recently.  He is less interested in flipping light switches and running sink water.  Kevin even has chores and responsibilities around the house that he enjoys doing and doesn’t need to be told to do them.  Jon has felt an even closer bond with Kevin in the last six months.  And we both agree that we have a good balance to our family life...because we all have our work to do but we also have time with each other and for ourselves. 

When we first started with IAHP (The Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential) during the first four years of Kevin’s program he made such tremendous progress by going through the developmental stages of belly crawling, to creeping on hands and knees, to the miracle of walking, and of course reading.  So after being with FHC for the last two years, it’s hard not to feel some frustration when his numbers aren’t really changing on the Integrative and Developmental Progression Chart that is used for his evaluation.  Overall, we are very happy with FHC, especially when I think back to our first visit two years ago and the fits and hitting and biting that Kevin used to do…I am so thankful…we have come a long way since then.  So there is improvement, it’s just not showing up in the numbers yet.  The FHC Developmental and Progression Chart is much more detailed than the one we used at IAHP and so we have had to go back and tweak some areas in Kevin’s development.  Kevin did make 2 chart changes and 5 quality changes on the chart during this evaluation.  After Kevin’s evaluation, the team met and came up with a few ideas to help refocus some of our efforts and keep us on track.

If you would like to read more about our visit that includes Kevin’s New Program for Spring/Summer 2012 where I also include some of the highlights from our visit like the encouragement from the Nutritionist regarding Kevin’s constipation, an interesting new auditory program, some positive points regarding Kevin’s left foot, and a brand new laser reflex treatment that Kevin received during our visit, check out the blog.  And you can also find recent photos of Kevin there too.  Be sure to look through the Blog Archive listed on the side panel to find past posts or scroll down to the bottom of the blog and click on Older Posts to find all the recent additions to the blog. 

And last but not least I have finally joined Facebook World.  I realize now that it is a great way to connect with all of the wonderful people that have helped us in one way or another over the last six years on Kevin’s program, as volunteers, patterners, and those that keep Kevin in their prayers.  Facebook is one way that you can receive updates on Kevin and read as much or as little as you want and another way for me to keep in touch and up to date with our friends and family.  I am also hoping that through you, Facebook will be another way to connect with families that have kids with special needs.  Many parents with a special needs child feel frustration and begin to lose hope.  If you know someone like this please let them know that there are other options for helping their special special child.  Our goal at FHC is to simply let parents of special needs kids know that this is an option for them.  One of the most frustrating things after finding out about FHC or IAHP is wishing you had known sooner because parents of FHC or IAHP will find answers to help their child improve their quality of life.  As always, you are free to share my contact information with anyone that may be interested. 

www.familyhopecenter.org