Speech Updates

Today was our last day of toddler group at the LISD. Maddie has one more speech class on Wednesday and then all of the kids are done until the week of September 14th. The kids have made AMAZING progress in just a few short weeks, as we started these services the second week of June. Here's an update on each of the kids.

Aiden is talking in sentences now on a regular basis where he was just using phrases and a couple of words before. Although he has not technically been getting services, going to toddler group does offer him interactions with others, both kids and adults. He is using "I want..." sentences all the time now and is completely able to tell us what he wants, needs, etc. He is also singing songs all the time. I'm not talking about creating his own and humming...I'm talking REALLY singing like we, as adults, do. He does this with or without the song playing at the time. He is also getting better about his separation anxieties as well as those anxieties about strangers. He is fully able to interact with the adults and kids present during toddler group.

Madelynn is doing so much talking. She doesn't stutter or make the "t-t-t-t" sounds like she used to when trying to talk. She is interested in knowing the words for everything and when she learns the words she gets excited about it and repeats them a lot. For example...one night at dinner we had a can of peas and a can of corn. She kept repeating loudly, "mom, corn and peas....corn and peas....corn and peas mom." It was really funny! She also loves naming colors and knows a lot of the basic colors. She also is starting to ask questions by changing the tone of her voice. She's saying people's names and referencing them as well. Madelynn will be re-evaluated the first or second week after we return for services in September. They suspect she'll be done with speech, but they want to make sure that she continues to hold steady and/or make improvements over the long break. I can totally respect that because I don't want her dismissed too early. Madelynn continues to amaze both her teachers with how quickly she has progressed. It's like she learned how to get the words out and now she's right on track.

Malachi...where do I start??? He is a completely different kid. He is talking a ton of new words on a regular basis. He's starting to use "I want..."sentences. He names things, has learned some of his colors, and his eye contact has come a long way. He'll actually look at us when we're talking to him now! Also he is singing along to songs now and sometimes singing them on his own without the music. There is nothing better than hearing him sing "hot potato" by the Wiggles. He is asking for 'more' at the table and also consistanly saying some words for foods and snacks. He's listening more and understanding our requests. He helps to clean up more often. He interacts with his siblings on a regular basis, although he still enjoys his own time to play sometimes. And today, on the last day of toddler group, he blew bubbles! Malachi has been trying for months to figure out the actual way of blowing air out of his mouth, rather than sucking and licking. Every day at the end of toddler group the kids say good bye and get to blow bubbles...today he succeeded! It's the little things to me that seem so BIG. I'm so proud of my baby boy!