Update on Jackson: Speech Therapy

Since so many of you have been asking about Jackson’s speech therapy I thought I would write a quick post about it. On Tuesday we had the last private speech therapy that we will have for a while. She said Jackson has progressed a good bit just in the last three weeks with her. He says bubbles all the time, pop, blow, yucky, oh boy, golf, etc. He could not or would not say these words a couple weeks ago. We went to the private speech therapist for three sessions, and yesterday was our last visit until we see if the insurance will cover it (I have to file it myself). Also, yesterday we finally got our speech therapist from Babynet. Major Praise! She will be coming to the house weekly until he is three years old (he will have a big evaluation again at two and half to see if he still needs the speech therapy and then when Jackson turns three the school district that we are in takes over if he still needs therapy)

Resources if your child is having speech issues:

• Main book recommended by my private therapist is: The Language of Toys Schwatzer, Miler (she says this is the like the Bible book for speech therapist working with kids Jackson’s age). It explains what is going on, and give you exercises to do with your little one and places to write when they accomplish certain speech tasks
• Superduperinc.com (private speech therapist gave me tons of handouts and this website has some free handouts)
• One of the best resources I have seen that my Babynet therapist recommends was the dvd serious Signing Time. Charlie went and got this dvd yesterday at the library and it teaches them “more, mama, etc” plus hand motions. This week we are working on “m” words that are not just descriptive words. We are really working on “more” (with the sign language) and making him ask for more when he wants more. We have also ordered Baby Signing Time off Amazon for a really good price. I really wish I had known about this resource when Jackson was a year old. It is the best teaching tool I have seen for speech issues! Jackson tells us all day long what he wants and what he has done through hand motions so this dvd is really helping him communicate. Once he sees the power in telling us what he wants through words, he will want to use his words. That is why it is good for Jackson to be in the two year old room at church and see other kids using words to get what they want. This dvd has kids doing the signing motions and Jackson likes it. We have learned that Jackson definitely does the best in the morning when he alert. Here is their website but Amazon has the best prices on dvd. I will definitely be using these dvds on Abigail. I would use these dvds for learning even if your child does not have speech delay. http://www.signingtime.com/?gclid=CKDutZXrl5YCFQpjnAod7BZ96A
• I am just so thankful that we have resources now and a speech therapist from Babynet. Again, I started this process at the beginning of August and next week will be the first real speech session we will have from Babynet. I have seen improvements in Jackson and I am just very thankful (he is about 6 months behind in speaking which we knew already). I am learning so much and some days I feel like I am getting a degree in speech therapy with notes and homework assignments. This is a good thing because I really do not know how to teach preschool age children and I know I feel like I really am starting to get a grasp on teaching little ones. God is teaching me so much…especially with patience!
• Today the Babynet coordinator (different from speech therapist she comes once a week as well to work on preschool goals) got him to ask for more with sign language and saying “mm” all by himself. This is a major deal for Jackson….he has come so far already!

Ps-when Jackson’s diaper gets full he rips it off…no we are not ready to potty train probably will not try till he is 2 and half or so (we want to potty train him when he is ready not just when we want him to).

Do yall recommend anymore resources for speech development?

Like Grandfather, Like Grandson: Update on Jackson

Somedays, Jackson really favors my father in looks and actions. This particular day (shown in the picture above) was certainly one of them. I came home from the grocery store last week and Charlie had put this great Polo hat that Sandi got for him on him. I think my dad has the exact same outfit so it was really hilarious.

Things are progressing with Bright Star. Yesterday, the speech therapist had to do her own evaluation (how many evaluations does he have to have?) and she was great! She said that he has a good amount of words that he can say but the only problem is that they are descriptive words and he will not use words to tell me what he wants. Another problem is that he should be putting two words together by now. She is coming Thursday to set more goals and then another speech therapist (we cannot work it out with our schedules to have her...sad) will start working with him hopefully the next week but it might even be the next...ah! This is a long process that is definitely trying my patience. It has taken two whole months to get a speech therapist! Since this is taking so long, we have gone to see a personal speech therapist twice and today we made a ton of progress and she gave me many things to work on. I just finished typing up my notes from the session. We will probably only go to the private therapist 3-5 times and then I will file the insurance myself and pray they cover some of it. If they do cover some of it, we will go back to her as well before the baby comes. I just really want to have and learn about as many resources as I can for Jackson before Abigail comes. The good news is he is progressing, but it is hard work on my part and takes tons of repetition! If you are interested in the homework exercises they have assigned me let me know and I will post them...I probably will post them anyway when he accomplishes them in another post.

Here is some video from last week... enjoy!

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

28 Week Doctor Visit...Now in My Third Trimester! Plus An Update on Jackson

Wow, this week has been so busy! I had my 28 week doctor visit to finally find out that I do not have gestational diabetes. My sugar levels were perfect! I really did not think I had it since I failed the first test by 8 points, and many doctors offices would have not made me take the terrible 3 hour test. I really think working at doing exercise classes at Gold's Gym has made a big difference in being a lot more healthier this pregnancy. I have gained 22 fun filled pounds. The strange thing is that I am measuring more than 29 weeks and I am only 28 weeks, but she said that is normal. Even with as big as I got with Jackson, I never measured more than what week I was actually on. Please remind me that I went 40 weeks with Jackson and was dilated for like 4 weeks...haha. She told me not to get my hopes up. However, every time I eat I feel like my stomach is going to expand out to the moon. She moves around all the time, but I am not complaining. With Jackson, I had an anterior placenta and I could hardly ever feel him move which would always make me nervous Do yall think Abigail will come early?

Today, my Bright Star coordinator, Jackie, came over (she will be coming over every week until he is 3 years old I think). She is wonderful! She is so patient with Jackson. She brought over bubbles and got him to point to the right colors of objects and eat an entire thing of applesauce by using these bubbles. He has never eaten an entire thing of applesauce...I was able to feed half of it to him. The key is to offer the healthy food first, and then I let him have the grill cheese. The entire time he was screaming "bubbles." He said it so clearly! We have finally gotten a speech therapist and will hopefully be meeting with her next week (I started this early intervention process in the beginning of August so it has been a long process). Jackie will work on goals that we have for him, such as doing preschool tasks (tasks that would be asked of him in Preschool) and any goals that I want her to work on with him. What a blessing!

We go for his 2 year old well visit tomorrow. He has to get the flu shot this year because he was one of the first confirmed cases of the flu last year. I think we have to schedule that somewhere other than his doctor's office. We go to Palmetto Pediatrics and see Dr. Greenhouse...we love it there! I should have an update on his visit by the end of the week.

PS-We are officially done with bottles for 11 weeks until Abigail comes. Jackson did very well...I had to keep postponing getting rid of it because he kept on getting sick.