"The Big Daddy"

I knew this question would come up sooner or later with Chance. And it happened the other day on the way to our AV(audio verbal) therapy session. Chance asked if his older brother was 7 when he was in first grade. I told him that his brother was7 in second grade. Then Chance commented that his little friend Cade across the street is 7 and in second grade. I agreed that this was indeed true.

I then explained to Chance that since he could not hear for a while when he was little, his brain needed some time to learn to hear once we got hearing aids. Then we talked about how the hearing aids didn't let Chance hear enough, so he got the implants. I told him that since he had had to learn to hear, he spent one more year with one of his teachers. It was not a repeat of a grade, but rather a needed time for Chance to work on his language and hearing . He learned what other kids his age were learning, with an emphasis on acquiring language that he needed. Then he mainstreamed into kindergarten the next year just going into a regular class. He would then stay and eat lunch and attend a class through the School for the Deaf in the afternoons. He figured out that all the other kids in his kindergarten class went home after half a day and wanted to know about that last year:)

It was the right decision for Chance as he really needed that opportunity to literally learn to hear again with an implant and do some more catch up. Chance is now at the top of his class and doing extremely well. He scores well on tests and flourishes.

Chance took this news well enough. He is just figuring things out and sorting through. He just kind of said "Oh." With a look of "Okay then!" on his face.

The funny thing is that while we were talking, I was telling him that there were other kids that were 7 in first grade too. A few of the deaf children his age for various reasons took the same path that Chance took. So I was naming some of the other kids that were 7 and I came to a boy named Peyton who is the oldest out of all the kids.

Chance laughed and said, "Ya, Peyton is the Big Daddy." I laughed and repeated "The big daddy?"

Chance said "Ya, that means he is the oldest."

I guess that 50's theme that they did for the Speech Fair last month really stuck in Chance's head.