One of the questions we're asked the most is "Is Losh functioning?" That's a polite way, in our experience, of asking if he's mentally retarded. The short answer is no. Aloshua is a very intelligent little boy and functions quiet well with every day life. The longer answer is that Aloshua is developmentally delayed. There are things he can do with no problem, and other things he struggles with or that are completely outside of his abilities.
For instance, Aloshua can count, identify and add small numbers, but he can't write letters or numbers. He can't dress himself or undress himself, but he can tell you when he needs to be changed or when he doesn't like the clothes you've picked out for him. He can understand just about anything you tell him, but he has difficulty communicating with you. Now that he's learned to talk... he does it. A lot. But it can take him some time to get the words out. That, of course, is because of the trach. Most kids who have a trach like him require assistive devices for speech. Aloshua is stubborn and loves to prove the doctors wrong. When they say he won't be able to do something...he finds a way to do it.
This video, taken by his mom during a doctors appointment this summer, is what life with Aloshua is typically like. He talks, he eats (a lot), he makes farm animal noises, and he is always happy. Despite the therapy, visits, treatments, and equipment, he's a normal little boy. He just so happens to be a little bit different than other kids his age and require a lot of medical intervention to keep functioning like this. :)
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