A little more research

E. with his whiney face (too bad you can't hear what he sounds like too!)

I've been doing some more online reading about sensory disorders (if that is what E. has... he's not been diagnosed or evaluated).  Here are some interesting facts I have found.  E.  had kwashiorkor around 6-8 months of age.

E. at a young age at the orphanage

This was taken from here (click for the link):

There is some suggestion that extremely malnourished children under 6 months of age have a poorer prognosis than those who experience severe malnutrition at an older age.  

Kwashiorkor and marasmus seem to have similar negative effects on mental development. Most studies have looked at global IQ measures.  Specific effects on reasoning and perceptual-spatial function have been found consistently, but effects on other cognitive skills remain to be determined.  Motor skills seem to be affected, with clumsiness, motor delay, and sensory integration problems notice in different studies.  Behavior problems seem to be characterized by poor attention, more distractibility and less emotional control.

This article was interesting:

Toxins, illness, malnutrition, and premature birth can all interrupt critical brain development. Other factors that may increase risk to sensory disorders include vaccines given to pregnant women, extended bed rest during pregnancy, and the stressors associated with giving up children for adoption.

I will keep observing and learning about this little guy, while giving him all the love I can.  He truly is a miracle in my eyes, overcoming more than you can believe. We will be contacting the pediatrician soon and I called the school district last week. They scheduled a screening for the developmental preschool in October.  We will see if he qualifies and go from there, but I want to see if the doctor might recommend therapy before then.  Right now he is sitting next to me looking at a book, singing "Oh the blood of Jesus" in his own words.  

E. laughing at Mama