Lina #53-2

 DOB: April 2007

Diagnosis: Dwarfism; Congenital cleft of the hard and soft palate – not corrected surgically

In December 2010, Lina was 25 inches tall. 
She sits, crawls, pulls to a stand and walks with assistance. Her movements are becoming more coordinated. She will crawl to get where she wants to go and to get to desired objects. She looks at her reflection in the mirror and has good head/eye coordination. When someone talks to her, she smiles and follows their movements with her eyes. She is pronouncing long combinations of sounds and laughs when she's able to make appropriate sounds. She is beginning to try to say short words. She does have an unrepaired cleft that could be impeading her speech. 
She receives therapy from a multi-disciplinary team for all aspects of her development. She also has a one-on-one volunteer that works with her on her development. She is very bonded to this person and cheers when she sees her favorite adults. She plays with blocks and rings and builds towers with them. She also likes to fill and empty containers.  She enjoys exporing her surroundings and establishes social connections. She sits at a table to eat and requires very little assistance with this task. She falls asleep easily and is very calm during bath time and changing. 

                                                                  Lina's report says:" The only way for the child to receive her full value is in a stable family environment where the love for the child will dominate." So very true!!!