1. Hahgoot’s progress report
September 2012 Updates:
Hahgoot’s progress report

2. Hahgoot is now officially 6 and a half!
Barak celebrated the occasion by giving her a “6.5 birthday card”

3. Hahgoot lost two teeth!
The poor fairy has been going broke – she paid 5$ as the teeth fell out in a couple of nights.
Well, they don’t really fall out, I have to extract each one myself as Hahgoot refuses to touch them because the sensation annoys her. Each time she screams as if I am taking a limb off with no anaesthetic, poor thing...

4. As part of the preparations for our big flight in December we got Hahgoot cool noise cancelling earphones, to help her cope with the plane and toilet’s noises. They are already useful in calming her down.

5. We keep using the OT methods every day,
especially in the period of transitioning between school and home in the afternoon.
We use the vest, wrestling and jumping on the trampoline regularly.

6. Here is a photo from our last session.
Sadly, we had to stop our OT sessions with Carly, for a variety of reasons.
Here is a photo from our last session.
Carly has stayed in contact and is still a great source of support.
Here is a picture Hahgoot drew of a “OT fun house” where everyone is busy doing something that “keeps them calm” (Hahgoot, for example, is about to jump into a bath of balls on the top floor).

7. After our last OT session we sat at one of Concord’s good Italian restaurants. The waiter was amused with Alma...

8. Barak got a massive Tiramisu dessert (bottom left).
Alma ordered the dessert by herself (she moved her tongue in and out at the waiter and he got the hint!)
Barak got a massive Tiramisu dessert (bottom left).
Alma kept herself busy unbuttoning her jumper all the way home and now is very good at this skill (right).

9. Early in September we travelled by train to Stanmore to see a special paediatrician, to get Hahgoot officially assessed for Asperger’s syndrome.
It probably won’t come as a surprise, if you have been following the books I was reading in the last few months.
This diagnosis opens new financial and supportive doors for us to get assistance and advice regarding Hahgoot throughout her life.
Asperger’s syndrome means that her brain processes information and stimulus differently than the majority of the population. As this is a condition related to autism, she has issues with areas of communication, social skills, processing feelings and stimuli from within or from outside, while being exceptionally sharp in other areas like memory, attention to detail, and structure, which makes her very good with academics.
It is not life threatening, not contagious and not a bad thing, just complex. I’ll be very happy to answer any questions on the subject.

10. At home Hahgoot has been busy enjoying complex construction, and Alma was happy to join in too.

11. Hahgoot asked to learn how to do cartwheels so I took out an elastic and tried to teach her.
It worked for about 5 minutes and then she decided it wasn’t her cup of tea.
Alma was happy, though.

12. but I guess we’ll have to try again when Alma is a bit bigger.
I also tried to teach the girls how to play elastics like I did when I was a little girl,
but I guess we’ll have to try again when Alma is a bit bigger.

13. In our next presentation: Hahgoot’s creative works