 |
||||||||||||
12 Month Reports
13th November 2003 - Visiting Daji at home with both his parents and his older sister - Yanmei, compiled by the Social Services Daji has just turned 4 and seems to be a active and happy boy. He weights 16kg and is 103cm tall. He's had a cold since we last met, but has otherwise been well. Daji still eats whatever is served and has a good appetite. He's is still most hungry at breakfast and lunch. He has a very sweet tooth. He is toilet trained, but still needs to be reminded to go to the toilet. He hasn't used a nappy during the day for the last 2 or 3 months, but still uses one during the night. Daji enjoys looking at picture books, but usually he is too tired to have stories read for him when he goes to bed - he sleeps the instant his head touches the pillow. He sleeps from 20:00 until 7:00. He does not sleep soundly at night, but usually sleeps all night. If he does wake up during the night, it is often a day where there has been some type of conflict - either at home or in the kindergarten. Daji's motor skills are well advanced and he is very athletic - he is in constant motion, although he isn't as enduring as he was earlier - he certainly doesn't want to go as long trips as he did before. Daji still needs to be prompted to start on things, e.g. playing with his toys; but once he gets going, he can keep himself occupied. Mostly he likes playing with boys things, and especially things that can be used as a gun. He has started to build things with his Duplo (Lego) and seems to be technically minded. He likes books, especially Bob the Builder and Richard Scarry's books. The applicants feel that Daji understands most of the things that they say to him. He also says many things, but he still has great problems pronouncing different words - which at times is frustrating, both for Daji himself and the rest of the family. Yanmei is probably the person that best understands his different sounds. Daji has a cleft gum, which hasn't been operated yet, and a cleft lip which was operated in China, when he was 20 months old. In June he was tested at the Speech Institute where they concluded that he spoke like a child a cleft palate, and warned the applicants that he may have a hidden cleft in the soft part of the palate. They concluded that he wasn't ready for teaching just now and would be tested again later in the year. A speech therapist is currently conducting tests and so far the conclusion is that in his understanding of Danish, Daji is 1 year behind other children of his age and he is further behind in speaking Danish. The problems associated to speaking are almost certainly due to his cleft lip and gum. The applicants have already decided that he won't start school until the year he is 7 years old - giving him a better chance to learn to pronounce words correctly, prior to starting. The applicants feel that Daji is more open in his relationship to them. He is very interested and open towards people that visit the applicants home, but more critical when he meets people outside the home. He has developed a close and natural relationship to applicants, and accepts physical contact. He will sit on the applicants lap, but doesn't sit still for a long time and quickly gets down to play again. He is generally a happy and very inquisitive child who wants to know about everything that is happening around him and fiddles with everything. He needs to have clearly communicated boundaries, and sometimes it is necessary for the applicants to talk with very "large letters" to get him to understand. On the other hand, as soon as he understands, he does what he is told. This is a completely new situation for the applicants, as it was more or less always enough to explain the reasons for (not) doing something, to their other children. Daji's understanding of danger is not well developed. If Daji falls and hurts himself, he will not cry or seek comfort; but he can cry hysterically if he feels that he has been cheated or doesn't get his own way. Daji is very, very happy at kindergarten. There are only 18 children and Yanmei goes to the same kindergarten - which has made it easier for Daji to integrate and be accepted. His limited capabilities to express himself does not stop him in contacting and playing with the other children. He participates in all the activities in the kindergarten and does not seem to be involved in particularly many conflicts. He loves playing with the older boys, and they are also willing to let him join in. He also plays with the girls and of course a lot with Yanmei when they are home. Daji is well integrated into his new home and seems to have settled in and developed a good relationship to the applicants. He has also settled into life at the kindergarten and is very happy there. He is a happy and very inquisitive child, seems content and is developing well, but still has speech problems. There aren't as many conflicts with him as in the beginning, but he still thrives best with clear and well communicated boundaries. Things we remember: Daji loves his big sister and follows her everywhere. However he has difficulty understanding that she doesn't always want to play with him. He copies many of the things that she does. His sense of humour has developed further. The other day when Steven told him to hurry up and put his shoes on, he responded - "take it easy Daddy". He loves old fashioned slapstick comedy - especially the old Disney and Tom and Jerry cartoons. From some of the things he does, we get the impression that he was the orphanage 'clown'. He can count to 12 and is extremely quick completing jigsaw puzzles. He wants to be first and makes himself 'wide' when running making it difficult for Yanmei to get past. If she beats him at something he sulks and often cries. He loved being the centre of attention at his Christening - although he didn't want to have the water on his head - "I've already been washed!"
|
||||||||||||
