August 28, 2023 "Second Grade"

This year Rayden is in a Self-Contained Class for Exceptional Children. There are only 8 students in the class. His teachers are Mrs. Lea Bennett and Mrs. Ellen Blackmon. I pray Rayden will be able to get the one-on-one attention he needs to grow academically. Of course, he has an IEP with many accommodations in place. He will continue to receive Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Vision Therapy at school as well as private OT, VT, and Karate. I work with him nightly on sight words, basic phonics, handwriting, comprehension, and mathematics. Rayden is super bright. He has more common sense than some adults I know, and a better vocabulary than most kids his age. I just pray he has reached a point where academics start making sense and he is able to retain information. I have no doubt that Rayden will grasp reading. He just needs a little more time. Rayden is fearfully and wonderfully made and God has big plans for him. 

August 11, 2023 "New AFOs"

 

Rayden's Orthodist, Bob, decided to change his set up to some Custom Floor Reaction AFO's with side elements instead of the carbon fiber ones. The twister cable is no longer attached to his shoes. It is attached to the AFO allowing him to wear store bought shoes. Originally, he was going to get black, but when Bob found out they had camo he knew Rayden would love that. He also says these are so sturdy that Rayden will not be able break them. We shall see! 

Rayden was thrilled to choose his own shoes at the mall. He chose a pair of Sketchers that look like a Nintendo Switch and another pair that light up with green lights when he walks. It's amazing how well they slide right over the AFOs. 

It actually took Rayden several days to get the hang of walking in them. Everything was different; the way his foot planted, the weight of the AFOs and new shoes, and the pressure points on his legs. One thing we noticed right off the bat was how long he could stand in one spot without swaying back and forth to maintain his balance. His knees were actually straight instead of slightly bent as well.