Esmé Blows Minds

I have casually followed Hillary Savoie's blog The Cute Syndrome for a while and, when I found out Esme could read, that blew my mind. Esmé cannot point, sign, or talk due to her limited motor skills. However, her mom (Hillary Savoie) discovered that she could read when Esmé was four. Since this is when Esme's ability was refined enough to see, Esme might have had the ability for longer. I started reading small phrases at the age of four without any instruction on how to read, but Esmé's story is truly groundbreaking. She even came up with a "language" of her own to get her points across. That alone is a profound indicator of intelligence; Esmé is gifted in language and has her own way of showing it.

Esmé is capable of forming her own opinions. She does not like mint ice cream, but she likes coconut ice cream. Though she tube feeds, she would like a taste of that coconut ice cream, just enough to bring the pleasing taste to her palette. Every time I read posts, I see Esmé's critical thinking and problem solving skills. She works around her disabilities to move, play, and do what four year olds do. Her affinity for Yo Gabba Gabba is ever present, but she would not like to be called a baby based on her disabilities.

This level of complexity indicates that oral speech alone cannot accurately determine someone's intelligence. From what I read, Esme is gifted in language and she needs a way to show it. I want her to have an eye gaze device so she can show her giftedness to others without her mom having to carry an Esme-English dictionary around with her. Though she is four years old, she deserves effective communication. She should have the freedom to endlessly ask questions, request (read: demand) tastes of ice cream, and reason with her mother about why she should get what she wants. If her giftedness is profound now, I want to see what she will do with the proper tools and as she grows and learns.