Back in March, when we had Samantha evaluated for speech therapy, they asked me to set some goals for what I would like to see happen after 6 months. Talking over some norms with the speech experts, I set a goal that Samantha would have 30 words by August. I also hoped that she would begin to play along side peers and not be so scared of social interactions.
I have been extremely impressed with the program that Samantha is in. I mentioned how wonderful Samantha's speech therapist Janine is. She has shown us some very helpful strategies to encourage Samantha to talk. Simple things like when we are reading books or singing songs that Samantha is familiar with, we will stop and let her fill in the word. I was amazed that Samantha could do it for many rhymes, books and songs. In doing that we also learned that she can identify many letters in the alphabet. We also do exercises with mimicking and making fun noises. Working with Janine for just over a month, Samantha now has over 20 words. I admit the term "talking" is a stretch, but we are getting there!
The other incredible piece of the program which has been great for us is their community calendar of events. Through the Dayspring program, they have activities at Gymboree, gymnastics centers, farms, museums, etc. Each week there are about 3-5 structured classes for the kids in the program led by occupational therapists. These have really helped Samantha feel comfortable around other kids in a safe environment and they are fun! This week, my mom was out of town visiting family in Oklahoma. I have loved taking Samantha to the activities and watching how far she has come, it is amazing.
I don't expect that she will ever be the most chatty kid around but I love seeing her break out of her shell, express herself and have a good time doing it.
1 comment:
Sammy is a very intelligent baby. And she is blessed to have such wonderful parents and grandparents.
I still can't wait until she gets into trouble at school for TALKING!:)
Post a Comment