Owen sigining 'up' (we're going up, we're going up, as high as we can go, were going down, we're going down, we're going way down low, up up up up up up and down down down down down SPLASH (goes the boat in the water)
Owen had his first speech evaluation last week and I think they were impressed with his signing, I haven't told them he has 30 signs and I haven't told them that he is also sight reading from the Your Baby Can Read DVD's http://www.yourbabycanread.com/ words like dog, cat, tiger, no, head, clap, wave, arms up, point, baby, swing, elephant. Its pretty wild and I feel like I would be looked at like an over involved parent but honestly he has learnt to read from just watching the dvds. And he has learnt most of the signs from singing songs and nursery rhymes (there is not much else to do when you can't creeep or crawl !
Since he was around 3 months old I have been using the Communicating Partners guidlelines http://jamesdmacdonald.org/ and Owen learnt from early on that his actions were valid communication just as much as using his voice we did lots and lots of turn taking -like he would bang on the highchair so I would bang the table back and forth back and forth always with big smiles on our faces. It has been a very natural progression into formal signing from there. He started signing at 12 months old - eat, milk and duck and since then there has been an EXPLOSION of sign and 8 weeks later he has 30 signs/natural gestures ! Most have been learnt through nursery rhymes singing and signing at the same time (like twinkle twinkle little star).
Two weeks ago he started making a making a new sound at the back of his throat it sounds like gccggrrrrrr, after a few days I wondered if we could turn it into a word - so every time he said ggcccrrrr I would say CAR to him and sign car or hand him a toy car or point to our real life car - he learnt VERY quickly, in a day I think, we take 3-4 turns and I am now trying "car, broom brooom" to extend him by 1. He also has "words" for cow (mmmmmvvv) and tiger (grrrrrr), mouse (eeehhh eehh), light (ite ite) and look (eeeeeeggrrk).
He used to babble alot until he was about 10 months old when he suddenly stopped, at first I was worried then he started making other sounds (not babbling) and I didn't worry about it anymore. But then he started signing and I noticed that he was signing "Duck" when I said truck, signing "Low" when I said Go, and would moo like a cow when I said Karl (a character from a tv show) it was obvious to me that something wasn't right. Outwardly I would say it was very hard to tell that there is anything wrong with Owens hearing, but through his signing I could see he was mishearing (a new benefit of signing - hearing assessment?).
Today we went to the ENT to follow up on some hearing tests from a fortnight ago and Owen has "moderate to moderate/severe loss" and he needs grommets except - the private hospital where the surgeon does his operating from, does not have insurance to operate on children younger than 18 months of age. So can you believe we have to wait for another 3 months ! But it might be just as well because Owens ear canals are SO TINY that he could not see the whole ear drum clearly and there is a risk that he may not be able to fit grommets to such a tiny ear drum - another 3 months of growth maybe just the thing.
I know that lots of typical kids have grommets but I did feel it is another "victory" to DS, its a funny thing to think I know. And I felt a bit teary that Owen has to have another operation it brought back all the nervous uncertainties and memories of his open heart surgery. ahhhh well , the count down is on for surgery - September 29th,- in the mean time we have to talk louder, and directly to him because he can hear us its just that it is like he is wearing a set of ear muffs (or a bubble hat perhaps?)
Since he was around 3 months old I have been using the Communicating Partners guidlelines http://jamesdmacdonald.org/ and Owen learnt from early on that his actions were valid communication just as much as using his voice we did lots and lots of turn taking -like he would bang on the highchair so I would bang the table back and forth back and forth always with big smiles on our faces. It has been a very natural progression into formal signing from there. He started signing at 12 months old - eat, milk and duck and since then there has been an EXPLOSION of sign and 8 weeks later he has 30 signs/natural gestures ! Most have been learnt through nursery rhymes singing and signing at the same time (like twinkle twinkle little star).
Two weeks ago he started making a making a new sound at the back of his throat it sounds like gccggrrrrrr, after a few days I wondered if we could turn it into a word - so every time he said ggcccrrrr I would say CAR to him and sign car or hand him a toy car or point to our real life car - he learnt VERY quickly, in a day I think, we take 3-4 turns and I am now trying "car, broom brooom" to extend him by 1. He also has "words" for cow (mmmmmvvv) and tiger (grrrrrr), mouse (eeehhh eehh), light (ite ite) and look (eeeeeeggrrk).
He used to babble alot until he was about 10 months old when he suddenly stopped, at first I was worried then he started making other sounds (not babbling) and I didn't worry about it anymore. But then he started signing and I noticed that he was signing "Duck" when I said truck, signing "Low" when I said Go, and would moo like a cow when I said Karl (a character from a tv show) it was obvious to me that something wasn't right. Outwardly I would say it was very hard to tell that there is anything wrong with Owens hearing, but through his signing I could see he was mishearing (a new benefit of signing - hearing assessment?).
Today we went to the ENT to follow up on some hearing tests from a fortnight ago and Owen has "moderate to moderate/severe loss" and he needs grommets except - the private hospital where the surgeon does his operating from, does not have insurance to operate on children younger than 18 months of age. So can you believe we have to wait for another 3 months ! But it might be just as well because Owens ear canals are SO TINY that he could not see the whole ear drum clearly and there is a risk that he may not be able to fit grommets to such a tiny ear drum - another 3 months of growth maybe just the thing.
I know that lots of typical kids have grommets but I did feel it is another "victory" to DS, its a funny thing to think I know. And I felt a bit teary that Owen has to have another operation it brought back all the nervous uncertainties and memories of his open heart surgery. ahhhh well , the count down is on for surgery - September 29th,- in the mean time we have to talk louder, and directly to him because he can hear us its just that it is like he is wearing a set of ear muffs (or a bubble hat perhaps?)
Lucas had to get tubes too, I am assuming they are the same as grommets? His hearing improved so much after and he is really trying to communicate with us. He knows a few signs not as many as Owen, wow. It bet you will see a dramatic difference after they are in, too bad you have to wait so long.
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