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Week #4 - Anton update

This week's update is pretty much just on Anton as he and I spent all week together.

 Anton had his adenoids removed and his tonsils shortened on Tuesday.  The doctors do not recommend removing the tonsils completely because they help to stop some infections and with his history of bronchitis, he will likely be sick a bit too much for our taste.  Thankfully, he is doing pretty good with the help of our friends ibuprofen.  The surgery was super quick - about 30 minutes max as was overall experience - checked in at 7:30, released by 10.  Then spend another 15 minutes looking for Chris who went to the actual hospital instead of the outpatient part. 
 I wasn't planning on taking a picture but wanted to see if Anton fell asleep.
Anton got accepted into a school which we hoped he would be but there is always a chance that something might go wrong.  So here is the update since the last time I wrote about his and his school options.  After spending 2 days in testing and talking to the people at the school for kids with hearing issues, we were told that he has an auditory processing disorder.  The best way to explain it is that he has no problems hearing but his brain does not process the words.  I am still trying to figure out how that works.  Anyway, the school is equipped to deal with children like Anton - they use a lot more visual clues and they teach reading in a different way because let's be honest if you can't hear too good, then reading will really not make any sense.  He will continue his speech therapy and will probably get ergotherapy as well but we are hoping that starting next year both therapies will be done at school.  The school is in Frankfurt and he will have a school bus (no details yet, not a fan of this - would much rather have him walk) and it provides free aftercare with homework help.  They follow the exact curriculum as the regular public schools so that Anton will be able to switch into regular school without too many problems if we decided to change it up.  As a side note - not clear on the whole sign language.  We know they use it, but haven't figured out if kids who come in not knowing learn it.  And of course German sign language and American sign language have very little in common.  Now that he is officially accepted, we are going to go in for an orientation day later in the year and try to get some more answers.


A bit more on auditory processing disorder (not that I know all that much so take it all with a grain (or really a teaspoon) of salt) - there is no cure, but there are ways that kids are taught to live with it and adapt which is why having therapies is important.  Again, Anton will be taught in a different way that will hopefully work with his brain.  And yes, his brain works differently than the majority of people and life is not always easy but that's what makes him so amazing at a lot of things - he loves to built things out of paper, Lego, magnetic tiles, wood, etc, he loves to be read to, he LOVES his big brothers, he loves, loves, loves :)  In States, the disorder is not listed the Holy Bible of Medicine that is DSM-5 therefore the support in schools as well as by some health insurance providers is not required.

I finished A2 level in German (for the second time) and will start B1 in about 2 weeks.  From what I hear it's significantly harder but I'd like to get to a more decent level of German by the beginning of next school year. 
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