3/30- 5/7

Monday, 3/30/09

At speech therapy today, Livie said “puda” for pudding several times, “mora” when she wanted to eat more and used her gravel voice to try to say “ I want”. She also signed bathroom when we first arrived and said very softly “bathrm” saying it with the sign for the first time.

Wednesday, 4/1/09

When I took her to the bathroom today I asked her if she was finished or if she needed more time to sit and she said “dn”. I took her off the toilet and said okay you’re all done.

Friday, 4/3/09

She had a very good speech therapy session. She used a lot of her gravel voice to try and say things that are more difficult for her. She seems to have more control when she uses this voice. In her gravel voice she said “I wa koookee”. She was really working hard to get the “k” today.

She was saying lots of Dadee when Bill was around and she wants attention from him.

Sunday, 4/5/09

She had an accident today, and I told her she was wet & under her breath she said “wet”. She has been practicing the “w” sound. She has been using the “w” sound mostly in the gravel voice. Lots of “wa wa wa wa”.

Tuesday, 4/7/09

At bedtime Livie was tired and I was getting her ready for bed. I asked her if she had to go to the bathroom and she said “noo noo”. I then said lets try just for a minute and she said “noo noo noo” again. She sat on the toilet for about 30 seconds later she urinated. I told her how proud I was of her and she looked at me and said “beeed” in a gravel voice. We went to her room and she got into bed. I said night, night and she responded “nigh, nigh”. When I left the room she was practicing with “w” saying “waa waa waa waa”. She has been following lots of directions without visual prompts. She really seems to know what’s going on around her. For example, she ran into the bathroom and shut the door. I yelled from another room to open that door and she did! In the past every direction I gave to her she had to be looking at me for her to understand. Now I give her directions all the time just as if she were a typical kid and for the most part she follows them.

Thursday, 4/9/09

She was very upset on our way to speech therapy today. She cried all the way there in the car. Surprisingly when she is upset like that she usually says the most words. She walked into the therapy room and looked straight ahead at the window and said “da window”. She yelled “all done” many times. Her voice was very strong and loud today with lots of B’s . She said “dink” for drink, “kookee” for cookie and said “more” many times. There was a time when the “p” sound came out for everything, but that has gotten much better lately. She is not using “p” all the time now.

Friday, 4/10/09

Livie wanted juice and I gave it to her. She finished it and I asked if she wanted more juice. She signed juice and said “more”.

She was playing with Bill in the living room after work and was very happy to see him. She was laughing and babbling at him and he was being very silly with her. She took her hand and placed it on his cheek while smiling and said “DaDa I lov oo” Now she said those words so fast it almost didn’t sound like a sentence, but both he and I were there and we looked at each other at the same time and couldn’t believe she said that. That whole time he was playing with her she was babbling in what sounded like sentences that only she could understand.

Na De Da – While playing with Day
DeDe – laughing
Daaa a yayaya De ah ya ya this sounded like a sentence that only she understood

Tuesday, 4/14/09

Livie was on vacation from school this week. We were getting ready for her bath and I said the water is too cold. She looked at me and said “cold”. In the evening she was playing with Mommy and having a great time. She looked at me and smiled and said “I luv oo”. This didn’t really surprise me because I tell her all the time that I love her. She also said “book” 2 times clearly while looking through her Dora book.

**I believe that she was embarrassed that she had an accident in her pants two times today. After the second accident, I took her into the bathroom and told her that she should know to use the toilet. I had her touch her underpants several times and say this is wet. She closed her eyes and covered her face with her arm and pouted with her lower lip. I made her look at me, and I asked her to try harder next time and that I knew she could do it. That night I told Bill that I wasn’t sure but I thought she was embarrassed and upset to have disappointed me.**

Wednesday, 4/15/09

Livie went 2 or 3 times today to the bathroom independently and was very proud of herself. This confirmed for me that she was upset yesterday by her accidents.

Thursday, 4/16/09

Livie was sitting on the toilet for about 2 minutes with nothing happening and I asked if she was done. She didn’t sign finished or attempt to move. I told her that I could wait longer if she needed more time. After about another minute she urinated and beamed with pride. Then she signed finished and said “done”.

4/17/09 – 5/7-09

Livie has continued to make great progress. She has been using all the sounds of the alphabet in her babble. She has been using her gravel voice to try and attempt to say more words. Since starting therapy with you she has gained only a few words, but her receptive language has taken off. She follows conversational speech now. I no longer have to slowly talk to her. As long as I have her attention she understands me. This has made such a difference for her. More people including myself are talking directly to her instead of just talking around her.

Livie has not had an accident in her pants since that night in April. However, when she is out she needs to have a way to let people know she has to use the bathroom. I have been telling her with verbal reminders and her sign for bathroom when we are out that she needs to let the person she is with know when she has to use the bathroom. Her teacher at school called me and told me that she was doing great except when she was on the playground. I asked her teacher if they tried to use verbal reminders before they go on the playground and they had not used them. I told her this is what I do when I am out with her and she agreed to try. She no longer has accidents on the playground now. I find myself now treating her more like a typical child. I will make her look at me and tell her if you continue to do whatever she is doing I will not let you play there anymore. It seems to be working!

I got a note home from her speech teacher at school last week that Livie has learned a new skill that they didn’t really think she would be able to do. They have 3 picture cards on the table and they ask her the function of an object. She needs to give them the card that fits and sign the correct answer. An example would be “what do you write with” and she would have to select the crayon or pencil and sign “write”. I am very pleased and surprised that she is doing this. Her awareness in herself and in language have jumped 10 fold. She is now looking at herself in the mirror and pointing to body parts. She is also looking at herself in different positions. She was never interested in the mirror before.

Olivia won an art contest nationally. Many schools submitted pictures and only about 20 to 25 children were chosen in the country. She will receive her award on 5/15/09 in CT.