
My office was having an all-day training on the assessment tool that we're required to use for EI services. It is not the greatest assessment tool ever and people tend to be trained poorly on it, so it was a good idea. At my agency, I'm pretty much the go-to expert on the tool because there was a TON of training at my last job and because the directors were real sticklers about following the tool exactly (so we learned the "right" way).
I volunteered Punk to be a guinea pig because they needed someone around her age (they also had a 6 week old, a 20 month old, and a 30 month old). Hey, it's always good to see how your kid is doing, right?
I am proud to say that she totally rocked the house. I sat her in the chair with the tray because she is too eager to move around, and I thought she would HATE it. But she didn't, she sat there and played with all of the toys. I was pretty much stunned. She also was consistently doing items in the 16-19 month range in all areas of development except gross motor, of course. Which I knew. Because she doesn't stand or walk or whatever. Eh. (The assessment tool basically caters to the lowest common denominator so a typically-developing child tends to score ahead.)
She really impressed me in the fine motor section, even though I know that's her big strength. She put a peg in the pegboard. She stacked two blocks (which I knew). And she even put the circle shape in the shape board which I was NOT expecting. And she actually scribbled with a crayon instead of just eating it! She really was in rare form today. She hugged a baby doll which was the cutest thing ever, so I think I will have to get her a baby doll. I could have died of cute. And she busted out two words during the assessment - baby and bye-bye. (She said 'duck' (da) for the first time today, too!)
She didn't take a morning nap and was STILL in a good mood. Seriously, I was so impressed. Then she fell asleep in the car on the way to day care (10 minute car nap), stayed up for lunch at day care, and then only took a 50 minute nap at day care from like 12-1pm. She fell asleep like a big log at 6:45 tonight... but has been really whiny and fussy on and off in the night. *sigh* Last night was a terrible night and I don't have high hopes for tonight, either.
She is the awesomest ever but she would be MORE AWESOMER if she would sleep. Srsly.