2 Years 8 Months
Hello!
Today we were walking through the snack/cereal aisle at the grocery store, and Belle had spotted something so she ran ahead. She quickly grabbed a box of the shelf and came running back with it, exclaiming with all her excitement, “Daddy fruit chews!” Three words. Clear as day. No question about it. Needless to say, we couldn’t say no and happily added the box to our cart. There isn’t a day that goes by that she doesn’t amaze me in some way. To date, Belle has more than 120 words and is continuing to express several two-word combinations.
I can honestly say that there would be no way that Belle would be at her current level in communication skills if it wasn’t for our work with TalkTools. When Belle was only a few months old, a friend and Down syndrome expert, Julia Kinder, told me that of all the programs out there, the one that we absolutely could not do without is TalkTools. So, we entered this program with Whitney Pimentel when Belle was just 5 months old. What a blessing it has been! I am so grateful that Belle has the verbal ability to communicate many of her thoughts and requests. What a gift.
2 Years 9 Months
Sometimes in a quick video clip or picture, it may appear that things are easy, full of joy, and stress free all the time. Even though we all know this is not true, it is so tempting to compare ourselves to our neighbors, coworkers, and friends on social media when we view these snippets of someone else’s life through a photo or video. The truth is that every day is full of ups and downs, especially with young children. Belle has a full range of emotions, even though I typically only video her when she is in an agreeable mood. What motivates Belle one day is not interesting to her the next. Honestly, we have days when she puts up a pretty good fight to avoid doing her oral motor exercises. I have to pick and choose carefully to approach her about her tasks. Even though Belle is doing the “work” in our TalkTools program, I have to put forth an equal amount (or more) of effort on most occasions. This is not to say that it isn’t worth it. It totally is! I am so excited about her progress, which makes it all worth it for me. I am thrilled for her and thrilled for me!
Belle’s verbalizations are pretty constant. Her brother and sister even “shush” her a few times every day when they are trying to watch a television show, etc. Belle is also making some progress on answering questions appropriately. For a long time, she would just repeat the last option you offered her. For example, if you ask her if she would like milk or water, she would say water. If you then followed up by asking if she would like water or milk, she would respond “milk.” She still does this quite frequently but is having some success in processing the question and responding with the correct answer.
Belle will make an attempt to say almost anything you ask of her. She sings, pretends to read books, and chatters endlessly. So… now our goals have shifted toward articulation, articulation and articulation. Even though she talks a lot, it is pretty hard to understand most of what she is saying (unless you have an idea of the subject matter).
Whitney has tailored our efforts to move towards clearer speech, the next phase of communication for Belle. Since our summer schedule is not as structured, Whitney has also helped us focus on what is most important if we can’t work through our full program each day. I love summer but look forward to getting back on the “full track” this fall.
-Lanie Beetsma
Annabelle has Down Syndrome and has been using TalkTools Therapy since she was born. Her story is a great inspiration for parents seeking help for a child with Down Syndrome. Follow Miss Annabelle’s journey from the beginning here.