We just gave her a basic rundown of what we were experiencing and she said we needed to find what motivated him. It seems Yarek wants to learn how to play the guitar. So, he made a deal with the therapist; he will go there every week and speak English to her and teach her Russian (she is of Russian descent); he will be able to talk about anything he wants to talk about (he is a little confused about that, but we're sure he'll get the idea quickly)
and
he will earn guitar lessons if he really concentrates on speaking English in public and at home.
We told him we do not want him to lose the ability to speak Russian; we also told him that was not likely because he has Nastia and her mother to speak Russian with him just a few blocks away, as well as the other kids from his internat that have been adopted here. He just needs to be able to communicate in English more often. He does not need to be perfect. We explained that Mama's Russian was not perfect in Ukraine, but she spoke it anyway, didn't she? "Yes." Therefore his English did not have to be perfect before he could speak it outside of school and home.
We think this therapist will do well with Y. She is used to dealing with traumatized kids and/or kids who have been in foster care. She has a small therapy dog and several musical instruments that Yarek can play as an immediate reward for speaking his mind in English.
And, she's free the first 8 sessions. The employee assistance program at work pays for it. Then we need to either use our insurance or pay for it out of pocket. Last time we used our insurance for a few extra sessions and only had to pay about $25/visit. I'm sure it'll be more this time. We have different insurance and there is a higher deductible.
Natalie
TX
2 comments:
That sounds promising! Hoping that this will be a very positive thing for all of you!!
My oldest son plays guitar and loves it! It is a great outlet!
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