Another 4187

We are about to put in our second 4187-- Request to stay here in Killeen. Josh asked me to write it and it's going to be put into memo form; Here goes:

My son, Stephen, turns three this August 2009. Since I deployed in June of 2008, my wife has been seeking help for Stephen for issues that have risen since I have left for deployment. Stephen was just accepted this week into the Army’s EFMP. Stephen has always been a “daddy’s boy,” and this last year without his dad has been very tough on him through this deployment.

Stephen’s pediatrician referred him to ECI where he was tested and has been seeking treatment for a speech delay and developmental delay since November 2008. He has also been seen for behavioral concerns, but we were told they could not properly diagnose anything until Stephen becomes school-age. Stephen has also regressed in potty training and although he was nearly potty trained when I left for Afghanistan, he is now nearly three and refuses to potty train at all. Our pediatrician is also concerned about Stephen having autism or aspergers or both.

ECI comes to our home 5 times a month to work with Stephen; It took Stephen eight months to be willing to say Brandon’s name (one of the men who come to help him). It also took Stephen several months to even sit in the same room as them and to be willing to participate in any of their projects or testing. We fear that if we are forced to move that it will take months to get into another program and then it will take even longer for Stephen to be willing to participate or work with someone new and it will hinder progress he has been making.

In addition to services from ECI, Mrs. Cassandra with the Army’s MPAT program also comes out once a month to meet with Stephen and to access his needs. Her testing shows that Stephen has fine motor skills delays and he has recently taken another test which shows he has some problems, but the test was not designed to specify what those problems are.

All of the different testing done so far shows there is something that is not right, but many of these tests have rendered different results. June 15th, 2009 Stephen has his first appointment with a child psychologist, as recommended early this month by his pediatrician. We should have a more specific diagnosis by this date.

Besides ECI’s help and the MPAT program, Stephen is enrolled in a preschool that opens late August 2009, as well as in the Head Start Program. He is also signed up to receive KISD’s help for children with delays and concerns as of late August 2009, when Stephen turns three.

It has taken my wife many months to establish help here in Killeen. Stephen now has a network of people here to help him; EFMP, ECI, MPAT, a preschool, the Headstart program, his pediatrician Doctor Alvarado, Mrs. Amy Ligget who is doing his psychology testing, as well as KISD. It is my family’s concern per the many people who have been involved in helping meet Stephen’s needs that moving Stephen from his schedule, home, friends, the people who have been working with him who he finally recognizes, and moving to Kentucky, that it will set back progress or that he will possibly further regress. We believe that if our family is allowed to stay in Killeen and continue to utilize all of the above programs we are seeking assistance from that we will continue to see improvements. It has been hard for Stephen to not have me around and we all believe that with some more work and stability at home with both parents that Stephen will begin to get better.