Wordless Wednesday - My Bucket Heads

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"Da... ah!"

The other day, Isaiah came in here, handed me what he calls his magic fire truck shirt, and said "da...ah!" (that on).

January 9th, 2010, at age 3.5yo, Isaiah said his first unprompted 2-word sentence. ::happytears::

I haven't posted about his speech progress lately, because honestly there hasn't been a whole lot to report. Due to various reason, he's only had three 45m ST sessions in the past 2.5 months, so hopefully once we start having it regularly, that will help. At home, we've been doing lots of scripting (recently explained by Jen here: http://jenkrause.com/blog/2010/01/posting-an-old-post/ ). On his own, he just uses one word sentences. His vocabulary is increasing, but pronunciation is still poor for the most part- tends to use largely vowels and 1 syllable most of the time.

But I'm still SOOOO over the moon happy for "da... ah!". And while it might take a while to become regular, having said it once breaks that barrier and it'll be that much easier for future sentences to come through. I'm so proud of Isaiah. <3

Wordless Wednesday - Isaiah and his Bebe

We bought Isaiah a Baby Bottom Doll ("Bebe" as he calls it) for his first birthday, and I'm SO glad we did.

July 2006.

October 2007

July 2008

November 2009

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Happy Birthday, Isaiah!

If you ask Isaiah how old he is, he'll hold up three fingers (and a thumb, but apparently that doesn't count) and yell "dee!". He's actually been doing that for a few weeks now, but today, he's right!

Happy birthday, Boo. You show me that love is unconditional, and even when there are no words between us, we will always have a special bond.

We are having a campfire picnic with family to celebrate tomorrow, so look for lots more photos of both birthday boys soon!

Isaiah's Speech Update + list of words

Here is where Isaiah's at right now (a couple weeks shy of age 3), speech-wise.

* At his last evaluation (at 30m), his receptive skills were at the 28m level, and expressive skills at 12-15m.

* When he first started EI at 17m, he was evaluated to have a receptive skills at the 15m level, and the expressive skills at the 6m level, so we've definitely made some progress!

* He currently has 50-60 word approximations, although he only uses a handful of them on a regular basis.

* About 15 of those words are actually animal sounds or sound effects. To this day, he has never said "cat" or "dog" or "car", but always uses the appropriate sound effect instead.

* The majority of his words are pretty vague. I would say strangers would understand him less than 25% of the time. He uses mostly vowel sounds, even though he can say a large variety of consonant sounds on their own. Also, some inconsistencies in how he pronounces them from one time to another. (See list below)

* No 2 word sentences or phrases.

* He can be very vocal, especially in high-energy situations (such as when him and Abbie are running in circles around the kitchen table, bathtime) lots of non-specific yelling/sounds. Not always, but usually.

* During lower-energy situations (mealtimes, car rides, playing with trains), he is on the quieter side, using one-word sentences to request something he needs/wants, or maybe point out something (like a cat walking by the window). Not a lot of extraneous babble or chatter.

* Every few days, he'll get in a "no talking at ALL" mood, which lasts a few minutes to a few hours, where he doesn't make any sounds, and won't even respond to me, just very withdrawn. (I hate these)

* He NEVER imitated on command ("This is a X, can you say X?") up until a couple months ago. Even now, he *rarely* does it, and when he does, it's a very, very vague attempt (again, mostly vowels).

* He does request, although due to his limited vocabulary (and my limited comprehension of what he's saying), we still have LOTS of frustration, LOTS of tears, LOTS of meltdowns because he's not able to fully communicate his wants and needs.

A few weeks ago, out of curiosity, I wrote down every single word that he said that whole day, including how he said it (and if he said it multiple ways). This is what I came up with:

mama : mama
juice : ee-uu
butterfly : aw-aw
two : toooo / ooh
bacon : eh / deh
yellow : eh-woh
meow (word for cat) : meow
pee-pee : tee-tee
teeth : eeee
bubble (word for soap) : bu-bu
cartoons : tooos
Oswald : aw-aw
splash (?) : ta--sch
booboo : boo-boo
more : ma
ham : hey
hat : hai
strong : aww
eww : eww
eat : ee-um
cereal : ah-aw
light : iii
bye : bye
dada : dada
fish : eee
baby : bebe / meme / dede
wet : eh
off : aww
cheese : dee / nee
turtle : toe
shirt : ee-ur
brush : da
blanket : nee
broken : bu-bu
straw : taw

(It looks like a long list, but when you keep in mind that other than a handful of them, most were only said once. Spread it over a whole day, and he's still very quiet the majority of the time.)

His speech therapist has recently mentioned apraxia, which looking at the symptoms, it does seem to be a possibility. Unfortunately, this past week was our last session, so we'll be ST-less until next fall. Which sucks, because I felt like we may have been on to something. If anyone has any experience with apraxia, does the ^^ seem to resonant with what you know? I'd love to chat with others who are dealing with apraxia, especially in younger children.

Farewell to EI!

Tuesday was our last session with Early Intervention, as Isaiah turns 3 in a couple weeks. It doesn't seem that long ago, that Isaiah was just 17m, and we were just starting the program.

Unfortunately, there are still a lot of questions left unanswered. Our coordinator agreed that there are definitely concerns, not just with his speech, and said he needs a good OT. Unfortunately, it's doubtful that he'll qualify for any through the school at this time because they usually don't deal with "just" sensory issues.

I asked if we went to a developmental specialist and got an official diagnosis of some sort, perhaps SPD, if she thought it would help, and she said no. Some school districts do tend to be more generous with services when there are "medical" diagnosis involved (as I've had several of my blog friends with SN kids tell me had been their experience), but she said in her experience, ours is definitely not one of them.

She did say seeing a developmental specialist might still be a good idea, even if it didn't help with school services, but just to get another opinion on him as a whole. I'll have to think on this.

Other than that, just a wait and see. Wait until he's a bit older and closer to school-age for them to realize that his issues will affect his ability to learn (in a "school" sense, not learning in general, because he's already one smart cookie!). See if the small gaps that he does have increase as time goes by.

She kept apologizing that she wasn't able to do more for Isaiah, and that there probably won't be anything at least for the next 6-12 months, other than speech. I guess it's mostly my fault, though, for not pushing for regular OT sessions while we in the EI program and had the chance. :( We met with the OT back in October, but I suppose I thought that those issues would be more short-term, when they've remained the same/gotten worse.

Anyhoo, I'm remaining positive that things will work out. We'll figure something out, one way or another.

In the meantime, we'll definitely miss Carol and Debby, though!! I wish I could have got a better picture, but Isaiah was in a semi-grumpy mood and didn't want to sit for an actual picture. I just snapped this as he was saying goodbye.

Isaiah's transition meeting: the conclusion

Remember me posting about his initial "transition from Early Intervention to school-provided services" meeting way back in February? Well, in April we met again to discuss a plan. (Yes, I know that was a month ago, I just kept forgetting to blog about it *blush*).

On his official speech/language evaluation (taken at 32 months), for receptive communication, Isaiah performed solidly to the 32 month level, and for expressive communication, he's at the 18 month level.

So, he does qualify for home-based speech therapy, currently set at once a week. It will probably start some time in September, which is kinda stinky. He turns 3 the first week of July, so that's a couple months without any ST.

If I get the chance, I'll post more details about his speech progress and where he's at right now. I feel like we're at a plateau, and it'll be interesting to see if perhaps you guys have any suggestions.

Can you spot the difference?

Can you spot the difference between this photo...

and this one?

Isaiah could. Pretty cool, uh? I had placed that CD case up there after the kids went to bed the other night. The next morning, Isaiah walked into the living room, and instantly spotted it (from 2x as far away as I was when I took these photos). He had no reason to look up there in the first place- it's just the same junk that's always up there. It actually took me a minute to realize what he was pointing at since I had forgotten, and didn't see anything of significance at first.

He's always been very observant and perceptive. I remember a similar incident when he was no more than 18 months old. I had laid a small bottle of lotion on the super-cluttered dresser after he was asleep. The following morning, mere seconds after his little eyes opened, he was pointing and grunting at it.

He'll point out a tiny bug walking across the ceiling, cows seemingly miles away from the road as we speed past, a rogue balloon in the sky that I can barely make out.

Although, he doesn't always seem that observant. If there is a single toy in the middle of the room, he'll trip over it, multiple times. He constantly runs into the side of doorways, into walls- he might as well be running around the house with his eyes closed. He's very perceptive in the visual sense, but his proprioceptive sense (aka knowing where his body is in space, and in relation to his surroundings) seems to be lacking. I have several more examples, but baby is getting fussy... so I'll have to blog about them later.

Anyhoo, what I'm getting at, is the above issues aren't going away, and I'm starting to see them affecting his/our lives more and more. I'm not exactly sure what to do. We talked with an OT back in October, and have done some of the sensory diet ideas. Although, honestly, we've slacked off a whole lot for various reasons. Since this resurgence of issues, I've decided to start doing the therapeutic brushing and joint compressing religiously, as well as integrate some more high-input activities throughout the day (swinging on the swingset, pillow hugs, etc.) to see if it helps any.

He'll be receiving [home-based] speech therapy via the school starting in the fall (blogged about here). Should I push for occupational therapy as well, (even though Early Intervention didn't see the need for it, apparently)? Should we make an appointment with a developmental pediatrician and try to get an "official" diagnosis of Sensory Processing Disorder, and then pursue services?

I think being perceptive is an excellent trait, and it's one of the many qualities of Isaiah that proves that he's SO intelligent. I just need to figure out how to help him gain control over it, so he's only reaping the benefits, and not constantly stumbling over the drawbacks.

Wordless Wednesday - Genuine

Latest favorite picture of Isaiah:

Wordless Wednesday - Flashback to March 2007

These pictures were taken two years ago...

One of my all-time favorite pictures of Abbie (a couple weeks shy of age 2):

Love this one of Isaiah, as he was in such a good mood that day. Wasn't too many of those back then, unfortunately. (age 8 months)

And a bonus shot... mmmm, dandelions.

To read previous Wordless Wednesday posts on this blog, click here. Or to explore Wordless Wednesdays across the blogosphere, click here to visit the official WW site.

Isaiah's initial transition meeting...

As most of you know, Isaiah receives speech therapy through our local Early Intervention program. It only goes to age 3, so we are starting the process of transferring over to the school system, as he turns three the first part of July.

On Wednesday, we met with our EI service coordinator, the preschool special education director, and one of the school's speech therapist. The preschool director explained the transition procedure, complete with a nifty flowchart. We then chatted about Isaiah's strengths and weaknesses while the preschool director took notes. They'll make the decision, and we'll meet again the first of May to see if he is eligible. Our speech therapist says he most likely will be, as he's still only talking in one-word sentences and it's still very hard to understand the few words he does use regularly.

And while I did express concern about some of his behavioral issues, it seems the eligibility will only be based on his speech/language delay. She did jotted them down, so at least it's "on record", I think. I explained how rigid he is in his routine, how things have to be in a certain order, as well as the frequent complete emotional meltdowns when things don't go as planned, which happens countless times a day. I also mentioned his constantly putting things into his mouth, licking, chewing on, and eating everything, plus his newest thing of sniffing everything.

I guess we'll just wait and see what happens.

What did Isaiah think of this meeting? Well, it was right during his naptime, and I guess he found it less-than-exciting...

See Isaiah Run

Okay, first we need to hit the rewind button and go back a couple months, because I totally forgot to blog about this awesome milestone...

Isaiah hates shoes. Up until this past December, he absolutely refused to wear 'real' shoes. It was physically impossible to even put them on him, as he would arch his foot, curl his toes, and kick away. The few times we pretty much forced them on, he would drop to the floor, sobbing, refusing to even stand up. So, we got by with him wearing Robeez and (as of last summer,) Crocs. Not the best footwear for winter, though.

At the beginning of December, my dear friend Leia sent a box of hand-me-downs from her 3yo, including a pair of shoes. They were still in nice condition, yet were very well-loved and worn. We offered them to Isaiah, and like usual, he wouldn't have anything to do with them. One day, we suggested he wear his new shoes... and he allowed us to put them on!! He very gingerly walked around the house for a bit, getting used to them, but after that, seemed okay with them!

Unfortunately, they are starting to get a little tight now. I tried a few pairs of shoes on him at Walmart the other day, but he refused to walk in them. Then again, they were just cheap ones, and weren't very flexible at all. I figured I was going to have to save up and splurge on more expensive ones, or he could go back to wearing Crocs for the time being.

Weeeell, yesterday morning, I woke up to an email in my inbox from Sandier Pastures' blog. I had won her See Kai Run giveaway!! Honestly, I had forgotten that I even entered it, so it was such a surprise! I get to pick out any pair of See Kai Run shoes on their website. After a lot of pondering, I think I'm going to go with the Oliver style (and not just because of the name, *wink*).

Now we just have to see if Isaiah will wear them. >.< Sensory issues aside, he also has a hard time dealing with change. But, we'll introduce them to him slowly, and not push the issues, and hopefully he'll adjust to them. :)

Salmonella, schmalmonella!

Isaiah, completely unphased by the recent peanut butter recalls, showed no hesitation when he snuck into the pantry and helped himself to the entire jar. Okay, so he didn't eat the whole jar. It was half-empty to begin with. And I found myself scrubbing peanut butter off the couch. And the carpet. And window sill. And train table. But he still indulged quite a bit, I'm sure.

I think I need to store the peanut butter up on a higher shelf, seeing as how this isn't the first time it's happened.

My Little Chef

A few mornings ago, I was changing Oliver in the bedroom. Isaiah came up to me and asked for some juice ("eeeeuuuu!"), so I told him to get his cup out of the fridge. Moments later, I hear the refrigerator door open and shut, so I assumed that he found it. (He's constantly drinking, so I try to make sure I have a full sippy in the fridge, ready to go, for him to help himself. )

Not more than 5 minutes later, after getting Ollie dressed, I walked in the kitchen to find Isaiah trying to open the oven door. A brief look around, and I quickly realized what was going on. Apparently, he was hungry and didn't want to wait for me. He had taken a can of biscuits out of the fridge, somehow managed to open the can (there was a tiny plastic play knife on the table?), got a cookie sheet out of the cabinet, lined up all the biscuits in a row, and was going to cook them. o.O

I was stunned! I guess he had watched me make biscuits enough to have the routine memorized. When he noticed me, he very nonchalantly pointed up at the oven knobs, and said "iiiii" (for "light", associating the oven light with it being on).

This isn't the first time he's surprised me by his perceptiveness in the kitchen. Long before he was even 2, he would insist on handing me a cooking utensil from the drawer while I was cooking. And it was always the right one! If I had a pan on the stove, he would give me a spatula, and if I had a pot out, he'd thrust a spoon at me. Not once did I ever ask him for X utensil, or correct him. He just learned by watching me, making notes what I was doing, then started doing it himself.

So, yeah, cooking biscuits (albeit canned) at age 2.5. Not too shabby, uh? Maybe he'll be frying up eggs before his third birthday. ;-)

Christmas 2008 - part II

What's in the stocking?

Daddy helping Princess Abbie put on the crown and fleece cape

Yes, I'm one of *those* parents who put fruit leather in their kids' stockings. But doesn't look like he's complaining!

Thomas actually didn't mean to pick up the Dora version, but as you can see, Abbie was thrilled to open her Dora Play-doh thingie.

The kids playing with their new trainset, still wearing their capes.

We weren't planning on buying this, but glad we did. Abbie and Isaiah both have already spent hours playing in it.

Christmas 2008 - part I

Best picture I could get of all three of them

Isaiah and Grandaddy (Isaiah's trying to "steal" his glasses from his pocket)

Putting the angel on the tree... oh wait, that cherub is Oliver!

Decorating the tree

Just a cute shot of Abbie

Drinking applesauce!

Patty (from Pancakes Gone Awry) commented on my post about Isaiah's OT report with the suggestion of drinking applesauce through a straw as fun oral-motor sensory activity.

I finally remembered to get some applesauce and we gave it a try yesterday. It was a BIG hit with both Isaiah and Abbie. A bonus is that it makes much less of a mess, so less dribbles for me to clean up, and less chance of Isaiah flipping out over getting dirty.

(Yes, we use small mason jars for glasses, not just as an alternative to plastic storage containers. They are the perfect size for little hands, and we've yet to have one break!)

Wordless Wednesday - Three Sleeping Sprites

The kids were snuggled on the couch, watching the last few minutes of a movie a couple nights ago. I walked out of the room and when I came back, I guess bedtime had snuck up on them.

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Report from the OT

We got back the report from our occupational therapy evaluation.

"Isaiah demonstrates differences in his sensory registration (low), sensation seeking, sensory sensitivity, and sensation avoiding, more than other children his age. He also has a low threshold for some sensations. He also demonstrates differences in auditory, tactile, vestibular, and oral sensory processing. .... It is highly recommended that Isaiah receive regular, strong sensory input spread throughout his day to help reduce his seeking of some sensations and avoidance of others, as well as to help reduec his rigidity of daily activities."

We've been doing "brushing" every day since the OT showed us how, and he absolutely LOVES it. We do need to work on being more consistant with it, though, since that's a huge factor in its effectiveness. I need to find an online source for a couple more brushes, just so we aren't ever without one. I've found a couple, but they all seem to be come pre-packaged saturated in sugrical scrub solution. Not ideal for the kid who puts everything into his mouth.

There were quite a few other suggestions, both for providing deep sensory input and vestibular input, as well as for oral activities. Speaking of which, I ordered him another ChewyTube a couple weeks ago, and it's already lost. Grr. I guess I'll order another one and tie a ribbon to it.

For those of you who have little ones with SPD, I'd love to hear your ideas and suggestions! What are your favorite activites to do?

Isaiah's re-evaluation

On Thursday, we had Isaiah's re-evaluation for EI (early intervention) since it had been a year since he started the program. He had so much fun, playing with all the toys and games our coordinater had brought, as did Abbie.

He is doing AWESOME in almost all areas of development, even with quite a few skills above age level. (For example, she was floored at how well he is doing with using the potty, as well as his fine motor skills). He's 28 months old, and at the 12-15m level for communicative speech and 21-24m for receptive. And he's at the 20m level for adaptive skills, but only because he still puts everything into his mouth, as he does great with washing hands, getting undressed, etc.

He's going to continue receiving speech therapy 2x a month, and his behavioral "quirks" were also noted on his report (his need for having things a certain way, becoming overly-anxious if they aren't, etc).

We went over his goals from last year, and he's met almost all of them! *yay!* He makes 10+ exclamations/sound effects, he's making 10+ consonant/vowel combinations, he has 30+ word/word approximations, he's using single words to request things, he's labeling familiar objects in a book. That's amazing progress, considering this time last year, he wasn't using ANY words, and only made vowel sounds (oooh, aaah).

Our new goals include repeating non-familiar words, using more multi-syllable words, using 2 word phrases, using more using different sounds in multi-syllable words (all of his current multi-syllable words are the same sound, repeated), and a couple other smaller ones that I don't remember offhand. The main long-term goal is saying and using 50 words, with at least 75% of them understandable to a stranger. (He has close to 50 words now, but the majority of them are sooo vague, that I doubt anyone else could understand them... heck, I have trouble a lot of the time!)

We didn't make any official goals for the behavioral stuff, but I'm hoping that with the OT suggestions (which I'll write about next), and some changes around the house, we can curb some of those. I'm really excited and am very hopeful. She's going to send me a copy of the evaluation report, so if I left anything out, I'll update this, but I think that's about everything.