I will never forget the day when the doctors came into the room and told us that my grandson had been diagnosed with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS), a rare congenital birth defect. We were not sure how much that would affect his long-term educational needs, since we were more concerned with his overall quality of life and survival. I remember how Catholic Charities kindly told us that we might as well forget an adoption plan, since the family that had been selected would probably not be amenable to taking him home, now that his future was in doubt. So, after spending 4 months by his bedside, we realized that our family had indeed formed an inviolable bond, and that he would be coming home with us.

We did not know at the time that we would not only be making his medical decisions, but also taking on the responsibility for his educational and emotional needs too. Since we were already a homeschooling family, we took on the educational dimension as well. As we soon discovered, doctors very often only attend to the physical needs of their patients; but, it really takes a pediatric neuropsychologist like Dr. Jackie Klaver to point out how a kid’s learning strengths and weaknesses are affected by their birth circumstances. In particular, we learned that the varying levels of oxygen available to a child’s brain influences what parts of their brains are strong, and which parts are weak. As part of our Kid S.M.A.R.T. evaluation, we also learned that, in particular, the frontal lobes, which develop last and control decision-making are the part that often suffers most from a lack of oxygen. This explains why oxygen-deprived kids may exhibit poor planning, are easily distracted, and struggle to stay focused. (How well we knew!) We always knew that my grandson learned differently; as the neuropsychological testing revealed, we learned that my grandson definitely learns best through what he hears! We soon gave up the workbooks with their lovely graphics and teeny tiny lines to fill in with busy words because he also has issues with writing due to dysgraphia, and we charted a path that was a lot less structured, but a lot more fun!

Rather than concentrating on his weaknesses, we now capitalize on his strengths. This is what neuropsychological testing can do: It can provide you with a road map that shows you where you have been, what roads you need to avoid, and which roads hold the most promise, all while traveling down that scary road with the final destination: ADULTHOOD. We look forward to utilizing the road map and resources recommended to us by Kid S.M.A.R.T., using their neuropsychological assessment to map a clearer and more confident future for our grandson, one that started out on very shaky ground indeed.

Kid S.M.A.R.T. made it possible for us to get answers that were out of our reach and not provided by doctors caring for his physical needs. There are so many others who need this same specialized assessment and treatment.

Thank you for investing in Kid S.M.A.R.T.! Your gift truly changes lives.

– Wanda, grandmother of a Kid S.M.A.R.T. scholarship recipient