The Annual "Wow, I Didn't Know That!" Appointment

I'm always surprised what I learn at the Downs Clinic. Weird and random tend to be side effects of Down syndrome. Micah had his annual appointment there today and he spent an hour wowing us with his stellar left-footed kicking skills. He got a new Buzz and Woody ball at Target and was insistent that it come along to the doctor with us. I'm the kind of mom that complies with requests like that.

Thing That I Learned #1 would be that Micah is left footed. You'd think I would know this based on the fact that he also uses his left hand, but you'd be wrong. Mostly because he uses his left hand and his right hand almost equally. Yes, the kid is ambidextrous. But he's left-footed.

Thing That I Learned #2 would be that his teeth grinding is probably an oral stimulant, which a lot of kids with DS crave. This is good to know based on the fact that it's not pain oriented (I seriously was worried about cavities, or molars, or ear pain) but it probably also won't go away any time soon. Or maybe even at all. It's been 2 years of constant grinding and we have grown so accustomed to it that we don't even notice it any longer. For those of you who are just meeting him (let's pretend, okay?) I apologize in advance for the horrendous sound that accompanies my son. And for the fact that we won't do a thing about it because it doesn't even register with us any longer. It's shocking what you can desensitize yourself to.

Thing That I Learned #3 would be that some kids with DS never lose their baby teeth. Some grow a second row of adult teeth in a shark-like fashion and then have to have their baby teeth removed surgically (sounds like a fun day, no?) and some never get big teeth at all. Thankfully the majority of kids follow normal teething patterns and lose baby teeth to have them replaced with big teeth. But the doctor just wanted to make me aware of that weird abnormality because the boy is 7 and doesn't have a loose tooth yet. I appreciate someone giving me a heads-up on weird.

Thing That I Learned #4 is how IQ tests are scored. Because they take your score and compare it to the average population your age, Micah's scores will get lower and lower the older he gets. That is also good to know because I would have been seriously concerned knowing that the boy is growing and learning constantly, and yet scored half what he did when he was years younger.

Thing That I Learned #5 is not related to my visit at the Downs Clinic, but directly related to Thing That I Learned #4. Kids with a mental retardation diagnosis in the state of Pennsylvania are required to have an IQ test every 2 years. This irks me in ways that surprise me, but there it is, and there's little that I can do about it. Making a fuss with the school will only label me as One of Those Moms when they can't do anything about it either. I just think it's the height of insanity, but that's between you and me and anyone else who wants to know. The state, however, could care less. Obviously.