[Fwd: Helene re: polymicrogyria/microcephaly]

[Guest guest]

----------------------- Helene re: polymicrogyria/microcephaly

From: janet.m.martingell@...

Date: Wed, February 15, 2006 2:48 pm

To: polymicrogyria

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

My daughter Helene was born 4 weeks early, I noticed things were not right

when I got her home, she was very floppy and when she looked at you she

looked straight through you, at five months old she had a fit, at the

hospital she had a ct scan and they picked up that her brain was small,

from there she has a number of tests. Helene was like a robot nothing came

natural she had to be taught everything e.g to pick up a cup and to drink.

She started walking at 3yrs and went to special school at 3yrs 6months.

Helene has a number of problems, epilepsy {which is controlled by

medication}learning difficulties, partial hearing, deaf in her left ear

some loss in right ear, she wears a hearing aid, behaviour problems, and

polymicrogyria which was discovered july 2005. Helene is very complex you

cant put her in one catergory, she is 16yrs but academic is 8yrs, she is

very vunrable easily led, and is very literal, Helene left school july

2005 and started special college september 2005, she is doing well on the

education side but on the social side finding it difficult, she gets on a

lot better with students who are older and with young children but has

problems with students her own age. Helene is very good at art her

drawings are very detailed, she loves drama, animals and playing with

young children. When Helene was younger she lived more in a fantasy world

than reality, but that has improved as she has got older. I am not sure

how she will be when she leaves college but they are teaching her

independant skills, I am hoping she will be able to retain as much as

possible.

kind regards

Janet & Helene