Patterns of Progress

Jackson's preschool conference was today and I am pleased to share that the overall report was good. Very good, actually. We all know that there are some very definite challenges preventing Jackson from completely engaging in every activity, but he is making progress on all of his goals and is learning what he should be learning during this transitional year just before Kindergarten.

Two things stood out for me:

Most kids his age can cut this curvy line within 1/8" without difficulty and Jackson is no different. I love this example of his work though because it shows a unique discrepancy in his fine motor skills: while he still struggles with pencil grasp (tripod), he can cut on lines normally. It's a completely different type of grasp to use scissors versus a pencil, of course, but it's fine motor and he's got it.

I also like it because he is so obviously bored with cutting due to his occupational therapy assessments and other tests of his skills. The last time someone asked him to cut something on a line (when I was present, at least), he blew out air and said in the most disgusted 16yo boy voice, "I already know how to cut." I don't love the attitude, but I love the mastery and "can we move on already?" ambition on his part.

(The tripod grasp is coming along nicely too, though Be Damned! the person who attempts to help or even happens to be in the room when Mr. I Don't Want Anyone Watching Me And I Want To Do It Perfectly The First Time Or Not At All is writing something...)

I love this next one even more though because it shows his brain power:

This was a pattern project and the kids were supposed to demonstrate an "A-B" pattern (pink, yellow, pink, yellow, etc.). Most preschoolers can do the A-B, but the A-B-C pattern starts to stump them. Jackson blew by these patterns and demonstrated an A-B-B pattern on his own. That's beyond where he's "supposed" to be, and yet another example of the strength of his mental abilities.

As his mom, I am not the least bit surprised at his patterning skills because I've seen him do patterns since age 3 or so. And it makes sense given that he is a boy who craves routine so much that he has been known to breakdown when the routine changes. Routine = pattern. It's how he thinks.

I think he's pretty neat.