Self-Determination

Emilia is very petite for her age.  At 10 years old, she weighs 52 pounds and is about 50 inches tall.  She also has a severe speech impairment that makes verbal expressions challenging.  People look at her and see a much younger child.  Many assume that she does not understand our world.  Yet, this girl is one of the most observant and contemplative children I know and she never misses even the tiniest details in her surroundings.  She commits her experiences into a deep, rich store of memories which she processes and from which she draws continuously.

In recent months, we have been happy to see Emilia gather the confidence to express more about who she is as a preteen.  In April, she let us know that she was ready to grow out her bangs and about two weeks ago she decided she wanted to cut her hair much shorter.  She insisted until we finally made her an appointment with our trusted and wonderful Miss Kelly.

She's obviously filled with joy by her choice and new look...

Even though I loved her long hair and her bangs, self-determination is an important next step for our daughter and we want support it whenever possible.