Fall is Here

Fall has begun! We have had a few changes since the last post, but everything is holding steady. To anyone that has ever implemented home programs, they can be a pain sometimes!!! It's so hard to keep therapist, maintain the schedule, and make sure everyone is on the same page across all areas of Dalton's life. We meet with his teacher and speech therapist a few weeks ago and created a new communcation log for us to pass back and forth so that we can remain consistent from school to home. His teacher and speech therapist are so wonderful and dedicated to him become a succesful child! We have hired a new therapist and are in the process of getting her trained in working with Dalton. Fortunately for us she comes with experience so were aren't having to teach all the basics!!! :-) We have started using a blank card procedure for prompting receptive commands and receptive identification of objects. So, when we tell Dalton to go get his shoes we use a picture card prompt- we eventually fade the need of the card to where he can focus on just our words. It can be so frustrating sometimes when you know that there is so much up there in Dalton's head and you just can't tap into it. PECS has really helped us communicate with him! We are focusing on trying to teach him to be more independent in his play and do activties that are NOT movies or jumping! :-) We've gotten some games that we think he enjoys, but the child still prefers the television. But, I guess which child wouldn't! :-) We are on hold with our PECS system until we can pair more vocalizations with the PECS. So, when he hands us the picture of the cereal, he has to say "cereal".

The team has decided to start working on some outings with Dalton. With the DHF doing so many fundraising events, dad being a football coach, and sister having an active social life- he has to be able to go out into the enviroment without mom having to hold him! He is getting bigger and bigger and one day he will be too big to hold! :-) Sorry mom! We are wanting him to learn to walk beside us without holding our hands and remain in an area when we have stopped to either look at something or chat.

Dalton is writing the "lton" of his name almost independetly. We are getting closer and closer! Tracing and utting simple lines is much improved. We are now working on blending two sounds together since he can imitate inital sounds. The speech therapists has provided us with oral motor activities and how to get him to produce the sounds we want him to say.

So far, so good with just under 7 weeks of school completed!