Private Speech Therapy

Today was Landon's first official private speech therapy with Ms. Lori. I'm not sure if he was excited but I sure was. I am amazed at what she could get him to do with a little persistence. As you know, I was not overly thrilled with the speech he was/is getting at school. I don't think it is any fault of the therapist, just the way "things are" in the school system. I am very excited about the potential Landon showed today considering I don't feel that he progressed as much as he could have with a little more "push" during the school year. I have VERY high hopes for the months ahead. She has even agreed to allow me to video her sessions with Landon so that Travis and I can look back over it to help us better work with Landon at home.

The first thing we discussed was goals. Ms. Lori has written out a few goals for Landon to get him started. First let me show you the goals that were written in Landon's IEP for last year.

Area of Need: Expressive language
Annual Goal: By August 2010. Landon will increase expressive language skills to be able to communicate effectively , orally or by using signs, in 80% of opportunities in the school setting.

Area of Need: Articulation
Annual Goal: By August 2010, Landon will improve the intelligibility of speech production to be understood in 70% of opportunities presented daily.

These goals sound great and I agreed to them BUT looking back I have a few problems. First, no one really used signs with him. If his speech was not moving along they should have been working on signs in order to meet his expressive language goal. Second, there is no mention of how Landon was going to get from "point A" to "point B". I understand that they can't write all of the short term goals in his IEP but that is why I requested getting update every couple of weeks to let me know what they were working on. How many updates did I get last school year from speech? One, and that was after I wrote a letter requesting an update. Nothing there after. 

Now, compare the IEP goals with the ones that Ms. Lori wrote after meeting Landon only one time for his evaluation.

1. Landon will select activity when presented with a picture choice in a field of up to 6 pictures 100% of opportunities with given a verbal command.
2. Landon will imitate a variety of CV sounds on 9/10 trials with minimal cueing.
3. Landon will produce simple CVC words 9/10 trials in two consecutive sessions without cueing.
4. Landon will use a sign or picture card with verbal approximations 4/5 trials to request an object during two consecutive sessions without cueing.
5. Landon will spontaneously use 5 two word combinations in one session.

Ms. Lori told me that she thought Landon would master #1, #2, & #4 soon but that gave us something to start with. #3 & #5 were the two big goals that she wanted to work on and that she would add more as she met with Landon and sees more of what his need is. I can't wait to show you what she does with him during a session. After only one meeting, she has inspired me to create a "communication board" , which I'll write about a little later, to help give Landon choices and chances to talk and put words together that we know he can say.

Due to Ms. Lori going on vacation and Landon and I taking a trip to K'ville before school starts we will not have another session until the 18th. I can't wait!!

A lesson to learn

This is from Dave Hingsburger's blog.  I read this on a friend's blog and felt that it was a powerful lesson for me.  Something to really think about.

Down Syndrome, Off The Clock

They make, if not the best, a very serviceable eggplant parmigiana. We don't go there often, but when we do, we each always get lunch from the same vendors. As they are at the start of the food court, we grab a table right at the entrance. It's perfect for people watching, eavesdropping and is almost always the source for amusement. The parmigiana comes from the vendor right at the start of the court, Joe gets soup from the vendor next door but one. I grabbed a table just two in, with a chair removed, there is enough room for me to pull in and be out of the way.

We'd just sat down for lunch when we both heard that pronunciation of the word, 'Mother' that communicates so much. 'Muhhhhh-therrrrrr'. I glanced up and saw a frustrated and harried woman, carrying packages from the Bay and her son, a young man with Down Syndrome who was in his pre-teens.

Of course, I listened.

(Realize that I would have listened irregardless of the boy's Down Syndrome. I would have listened if it was a couple having a spat, if it was a businessman mumbling to himself, if it was someone having an animated conversation on a cell phone. That's what I do.)

So, aside, aside, I listened.

It seems that the mother wanted to go with him to get his food and then have him go with her to get her food, then they would eat together. Son, thought this was silly. Why doesn't she get hers, he get his, then they meet for lunch. She did an admirable job of keeping herself calm. I did an admirable job of just listening, not judging. Who knew what kind of experiences she'd had that led to this arrangement? They had been standing arguing and just before she moved again towards the court he said something that had a profound impact on me as a listener and she as a mother.

'Trouble is you think I have Down Syndrome all the time and I don't,' he said with real frustration.

She stopped again, 'What?'

'I only have Down Syndrome sometimes, when I'm learning something new or if the words are real hard. I don't have Down Syndrome the rest of the time when I'm doing what I know how to do.'

'And you don't have Down Syndrome now?' she asked.

'No, I know how to get my lunch, I buy my lunch at school all the time. I don't have someone with me all the time you know.' he was frustrated, he didn't even realize he'd said something of real importance, to me and to his mother.

'So,' she continued looking at him hard, 'you don't feel like you have Down Syndrome all the time.'

'No, most times I don't even think about it,' he said.

She said, her tiredness seemed to be gone, 'Go ahead, we'll find a table after we've got our food.'

They disappeared from view.

Joe and I looked at each other. I said to him, 'That kid should teach classes to parents of kids with Down Syndrome.'

On our way home, chatting about just stuff, I realized that at that moment I didn't feel disabled, it wasn't part of my consciousness. I knew that everyone saw me in my wheelchair but what they saw, what they thought, didn't impact what I felt. I'm only disabled sometimes, when things are out of my reach, when aisles are too narrow, when a curb blocks my way. The rest of the time I'm just - me.

Good nights sleep...What's that?

A good nights sleep...What's that?  At this point, I'm not really sure.  It seems like it has been forever since we have had a full nights sleep.

First, let me go ahead a say that Landon sleeps in  our bedroom.  Not in our bed, well OK, not most nights, but in our room.  His crib is set up next to our bed so that I can hear him if he has a seizure.  It's hard to describe but when he seizes he make some sort of strange sound, not loud just strange, that wakes me up.  Most people that hear this say, "why don't you just use a baby monitor in his room.?"  Well, my mind tells me the same thing but it just doesn't feel right.  I want him right there so that I can get to him.  I'm afraid that I will miss one and therefore I won't catch it as early, won't get the med. issue adjusted as early, and therefore will be the cause of any issues such as increased delay.  Most people will not understand and that's OK.  Travis and I both agree that this is where Landon needs to be so it works for us.

Now back to the full nights sleep.  He is still sleeping in the crib due to our concern for safety issues but that is about to change.  We bought a fire truck bed many months ago thinking he would just move into that when he was ready but now we have changed our minds.  Landon has been waking up EVERY night for the past several months and he have attributed that to an uncomfortable mattress.  When I went to Knoxville for a couple of weeks he slept in a "Big boy bed" and didn't wake up once.  When he does get into our bed in the middle of the night, he sleeps fine.  Now some will say that's just because he wants into our bed and normally I would say that's true but he doesn't really "wake up".  It more like he cries, or moans...really like he is just not sleeping well and uncomfortable.

Our solution?  New Big Boy Twin bed.  It is still going to be in our room so that we can keep an eye on him.  Travis is going tomorrow to order it and we are praying that this works.  I really don't know what else to do if it doesn't.

Preschool Prep Company

A blog that I read has found a really neat company that helps kids learn their numbers, colors, shapes, and high frequency words.  I had never really heard of this company before but it sounds really neat. the website is preschool prep company.   The lady who writes the blog has several children, two of which have Down syndrome.  The videos on this post, only1mom.com are really neat to watch.  I think I may have seen some of these video's at the used bookstore in Knoxville ( I think I may recognize the cover) ....which means I may have to check it out.  You know I am always on the look out for things to help us learn.  We have really gotten a lot of use out the books and video's from Love and Learning.  These were the first video's that Landon would watch and it is amazing what he learned from them.  He still loves watching them and I am surprised at how he still learns things.  I'll have to post about that later.

This post is really for all of those mom's out there looking for something a little different to use at home.  Hope this helps!

Cades Cove Picnic

Yesterday morning, bright and early, we took at trip to the Great Smokey Mountains.  A popular place to go is Cades Cove.  It's a great place to have a picnic, enjoy the great outdoors, and play in some VERY cold water.  When Travis and I were growing up our families often frequented this picnic area.  Even though we didn't know each other then,  both of our families enjoyed this same outing. I hate that Travis wasn't here with us to enjoy Landon in the creek but I took lots of pictures.

I knew that Landon would enjoy throwing rocks in the water and "stirring" the water with a stick but I had no idea exactly how much he would love the water.  The water is VERY cold because it is coming down from the mountains. but that didn't phase Landon.  Right in he went.  He played, and played, and played.  it was so much fun to watch him enjoy himself.

After lunch we jumped in the car and drove around the Loop.  The loop is just that, a loop that allows you to drive through "nature".  It is a one way road with little pull offs so you can stop.  You often see deer, bears, and wild turkeys.  It is a very popular activity for visitors alike.  Landon wasn't so much into this part of the trip but I really enjoyed the views.  It was a wonderful morning and I can't wait to do it again.

Ducks, Creek, and Pool

Landon has had so much fun during his first week at Granny and Papaw's.  In addition to going to VBS each morning, Landon has been doing lots of fun things in the afternoons.  Granny and Papaw have ducks down in their pond.  I'm not sure if he was trying to pet them or just enjoyed watching them waddle away but he chased them all over the place.

And who could pass up a chance to play in some water.  He found a stick and had to "stir" the water.  I hadn't gotten him any water shoes at this time so he couldn't get in so Granny had to hold him to make sure that's as far as he went. 

 The days have either been very hot and muggy or rainy.  Last year Granny bought a little pool for Landon so Papaw blew it up and it was perfect.  We sat under the trees and just let him play and play.  Of course Buzz and Woody made it to the "party".

VBS #1

This week I helped out at my mom's VBS at Roseberry Baptist Church in Mascot, TN. It was a great week but VERY busy. Landon had a great time in his class. He came home every afternoon ready for a nap but ready each morning to go back.  He enjoyed getting to listen to a Bible story, sing, make crafts, play in the gym,  eating. and playing in Granny's token store (the pic of Landon in the orange arm, head, and finger bands).  I'm glad he enjoyed him self because in another month he will be doing it again at our church.

Fell into the trap

I can't believe that it has been so long since I have written. So much has been going on and I have been trying to think of a way that I can use this wonderful tool to be more than just fun for my family and friends. Over that past several months I have come across many blogs that have been so helpful to me while I continue to figure out ways to help me be the best mommy for Landon that I can be. I have always felt that it is my duty to encourage and push Landon to do all that he can, to expose him to everything that every other 3 year old would see and do, and love him no matter what.

School was great for him this year and he loved going but I feel that I really let him down by not continuing to work with him as much as I use to. I think I fell into the trap of thinking that he was going to school therefore he was learning everything he needed. That is not to say that we didn't work with him, but I wasn't as consistent as I had been. When the school year was over and I looked back at where he was and where he is now, I saw things that made me happy and things that made me sad.

The things that made me happy: (1) Landon loved his teachers and I think they loved him too. (2) He worked hard on his physical, and occupational therapy goals. He really made some great progress in these area. (2) He made some friends. Each time I said something about school he would say, "Aidan", which was a little boy in his class. (3) He became more of a participant instead of a observer.
The things that made me sad: (1) Landon's speech did not go as I thought it should have. That is nothing against anyone, just that I think he needs more one-on-one. So....to fix this we are working on getting private speech for him. (2) His sight word's have not been worked on therefore he is starting to lose them and is not gaining any new ones. (3) He didn't really improve on math skills such as counting or identifying numbers (4) He still doesn't know his colors very well.

Now why am I saying all of this? It's not because I think the school didn't their job.....It's that I don't think I did mine. I shouldn't depend on the school to teach Landon what I know I can teach him, not at this point at least. When he gets into Kindergarten I will expect more but right now the schools main job, in my opinion, is to work on how to play with others, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy. The therapy time he gets at school is not enough so I do need the therapist to work with me on what to do at home so that he can continue to improve and for the most part most of them did well with keeping me up on what they were working on.

I have said all of that to say this....My lack of "teaching" is going to change. During the past couple of months I have been working on a list of goals that I want Landon and I to work on. I am in the process of creating my own "curriculum" , for a lack of a better word. I hope to use this blog to help other parents see what their child CAN do. I have found that if you make the right labels, when parents are looking for ideas blogs will come up on their search. We will see how this goes.

He are the goals I have written so far for Landon. These goals will and should change as we work. This list is just a start. As I do more research I will add to this list. He is already close to reaching some of the goals already such as putting his pants on. That goes to show you that with just a little work Landon can reach the stars!!

Landon's Goals 2010-2011

Math

• count 1-10
• identify numerals 1-10
• count groups of items 1-5
• identify shapes: circle, square, triangle, heart, star, rectangle, diamond
• identify colors: red, blue, green, yellow, orange, purple, pink, white, black, brown
• order shapes by size: large to small; small to large

Reading

• read number words 1-10
• read color words
• read shape words
• read basic word families (-at, -ar, -ig, etc.)
• read short simple sentences (3-4 words)
• capital/lowercase match

Language-Verbal

• yes
• no
• please
• out
• help
• on
• drink
• one-ten
• A-Z

• two word phrases
• repeat words
• attempt to say words when reading

Language-Receptive

• big/little
• on/under
• in front/behind
• on/off
• right/left
• first/middle/last
• sequencing

Fine Motor-clothing

• take pants off
• put pants on
• put shirt on
• take shirt off

• put socks on
• take off shoes
• put jacket on (flip method)
• button large buttons

Fine Motor

· snip paper

· lacing cards

· work large floor puzzles (with assistance)

· open jar lid

· turn key in lock

Fine Motor-Prewriting

• draw horizontal lines
• draw vertical lines
• draw "circle"
• trace lines

Home Life

• put bag in trash can and put can under sink (with supervision)
• put plates, cups, and silverware on table for dinner
• pick up toys
• pour liquid from pitcher to cup
• follow "schedule" chart

Snow, snow, and more snow

This was our first snow while home this year. The storm that hit just before Christmas we missed by leaving for Knoxville several days early to ensure that we could spend the holidays with our families.

This time we ended up with about a foot of snow and Travis worked very hard all day Saturday to clean off the front porch, sidewalk, and driveway. That afternoon was a great time to take Landon outside to try out the snow. He didn't care much for it last year so I was interested to see what he would think this year. As you can see in this picture he has a big smile on his face and it didn't go away, that's saying a lot considering what happened. More on that later.



When time came to get ready to go out we had to hunt down Landon's gloves and pile on the tons of clothes that mom thought he needed for his 15 mins out in the snow. Of course we had to take pictures of Travis and Landon and Beverly and Landon.

I must say that I was surprised at how much Landon liked the snow. He didn't want to get "in" the snow but he wanted to scoop it up and throw it and "splat" it on the sidewalk. Once he got a little too brave and as he was bending over to scoop up the snow his foot slipped and over he went. I was taking a picture just as he went into the snow. When I realized what had happened, I walked over and pulled him out of the snow, because he didn't move, and wiped the snow off his face. I thought for sure that was going to be the end of our snow fun but he never really quit smiling. He walked over to Travis and started playing again. That's my boy!

Landon turns 3

Can you believe that it has been three years since we were blessed with our little guy? It's hard to fathom that so much time has passed and yet it also seems as though we have had him forever. Travis and I can't image life without Landon. He has brought us so much joy during the past 3 years. Looking back we can see how God has had His hand in our lives and how much He has proven that He is in control.

Here are a few pictures from the day.

These two pictures are from his preschool on Thursday. This was his first school celebration. It was so much fun watching him and his classmates enjoy the cupcakes.
Thees pictures are from Friday which was his real birthday. It was kind of a rainy day outside so we had to do inside. We didn't have many choices so we just went to the mall to have a little Chick-fil-a and play at the "happy zone". When Travis got home we went out to eat and back home for cake and presents.


Then, when we got to Tennessee, we had another party to celebrate Landon and Spencer's Birthday. Spencer is Landon's cousin who also has a birthday on September 25. We had a great time with both my family and Travis'. I love being able to get together with all of our family's and celebrate. Everyone gets along and seems to have a great time. Travis and I are truly blessed in so many ways.