Today we brought Amor Chiquito to an early intervention play group where the kids get dropped off. No parents. I wanted to try it because I figured it might help with the transition in the fall. Also, Amor Chiquito is becoming more and more interested in hanging out with peers.
I was uncertain as to how Amor Chiquito would feel about getting dropped off, but I was hopeful. She is cautious and a bit on the shy side but feels more at ease around strangers.
We decided that we would stick around for a while, until it seemed that Amor Chiquito felt comfortable. We stayed for half an hour. I feel very strongly about not leaving until she is ready. Anyone who insists on me doing otherwise is simply showing me that their location is not the right place for us.
After half an hour, we told Amor Chiquito that we would be going home and that we would come back later. We did hugs and kisses. She walked away. Said bye from far away. No crying. She felt fine.
My baby is growing up! This felt like a big first! I have left her for hours many times, but she has been with my mother. That does not really count!
Showing posts with label early intervention. Show all posts
Showing posts with label early intervention. Show all posts
Friday, July 9, 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
Language Development Update
I feel like we have been witnessing a language explosion lately. It’s kind of cool!
Amor Chiquito is saying three and four-word sentences now. She has so many words. Amor Chiquito is trying to say words that are hard for her to say, whereas, before, she simply would not try as often.
Several people have told me that they understand her words so much better now. They understand most of her words.
She had a wipe. She said: “I clean wall.”
Daddy was talking to his mother and Amor Chiquito said: “I talk Nana please.”
Her c’s and k’s come out as t’s.
Her l’s come out as y’s. For example, she says “yight” for light and “yot” for locked.
She is making progress with the r. R’s are always a hard one for kids, one of the last ones they master.
Amor Chiquito is most definitely not re-qualifying for early intervention services in May. She will be 32 months old and she needs a 30% delay. She would need to be at 22 months. She was at 21 months last November, so there is no way. We do believe that she still has a delay. We will be getting suggestions from the early intervention team and we will be on our own after that.
I do not know if this was the right decision, but I recently decided to mostly speak English to her for the time being. My thought is that she will need English if/when she goes to preschool. She can learn more Spanish later, when she is older and able to differentiate between the two languages.
I have discussed the research on bilingual homes and language development with the early intervention team and they tell me that there is no definite answer on what the best way to deal with language at a bilingual home is. Hopefully I did and am doing the right thing. We’ll see. For what it is worth, her language is really taking off lately. Coincidence? No clue.
Someone, please, make her understand that there is simply no way she is having ice cream for breakfast!
Amor Chiquito is saying three and four-word sentences now. She has so many words. Amor Chiquito is trying to say words that are hard for her to say, whereas, before, she simply would not try as often.
Several people have told me that they understand her words so much better now. They understand most of her words.
She had a wipe. She said: “I clean wall.”
Daddy was talking to his mother and Amor Chiquito said: “I talk Nana please.”
Her c’s and k’s come out as t’s.
Her l’s come out as y’s. For example, she says “yight” for light and “yot” for locked.
She is making progress with the r. R’s are always a hard one for kids, one of the last ones they master.
Amor Chiquito is most definitely not re-qualifying for early intervention services in May. She will be 32 months old and she needs a 30% delay. She would need to be at 22 months. She was at 21 months last November, so there is no way. We do believe that she still has a delay. We will be getting suggestions from the early intervention team and we will be on our own after that.
I do not know if this was the right decision, but I recently decided to mostly speak English to her for the time being. My thought is that she will need English if/when she goes to preschool. She can learn more Spanish later, when she is older and able to differentiate between the two languages.
I have discussed the research on bilingual homes and language development with the early intervention team and they tell me that there is no definite answer on what the best way to deal with language at a bilingual home is. Hopefully I did and am doing the right thing. We’ll see. For what it is worth, her language is really taking off lately. Coincidence? No clue.
Someone, please, make her understand that there is simply no way she is having ice cream for breakfast!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Early Intervention Update
Wow, I neglected my blog again… I just realized I had not posted in over three weeks. I hope to make up for it in the next week!
Here is the early intervention evaluation update.
The re-evaluation took place yesterday. Three people came out: the woman who comes every week, a speech pathologist, and an occupational therapist.
Amor Chiquito did very well. She was not extremely shy at the beginning, as she typically is. I am guessing this might have been because she knows one of the three people well.
We are continuing services because of a delay in receptive and expressive language. Amor Chiquito has many words and says two-word phrases. However, at this point, she should be saying three or four-word phrases. She is able to answer some questions, like “what is that?” But she is not able to answer questions like “who is that for?”
Another thing we will be working on is motor planning. Basically, Amor Chiquito knows what she wants to say, but the words either do not make it out of her mouth or, if they do, they are hard to understand. Also, she has a hard time repeating unfamiliar sounds.
We will be getting a hearing test to find out if there is a hearing issue. Hearing loss could affect language development.
Amor Chiquito has a strong personality. In other words, she is one stubborn kid! So, if she does not feel like doing something because she wants to do something else, she just won’t! For example, she was asked to hug her stuffed animal. We know she understands “hug” and “kiss.” But she did not feel like it, so it did not happen! She lost some points, so to speak, due to her stubbornness! To be honest, I cannot throw stones!
Amor Chiquito did well in the other areas. Here is the quick version:
Receptive and expressive language: 21 months
Cognitive: 23 months
Social and gross motor: 26 months
Fine motor: 31 months
Self care (average of toileting, bathing and feeding): 34 months
We will be seeing the woman we have been seeing next week. I will get some tips from her on how to help Amor Chiquito with cognition. The speech pathologist will give us yet more tips on how we can help Amor Chiquito.
Apparently, early intervention shares our info with our town’s school system and a spot at preschool is held for Amor Chiquito in case she still needs services after she turns three.
I must go on a rant about how difficult it is for a child to qualify for services, but I will do that at another time. My mother just had surgery and I want to make her a chicken soup before Amor Chiquito wakes up.
Here is the early intervention evaluation update.
The re-evaluation took place yesterday. Three people came out: the woman who comes every week, a speech pathologist, and an occupational therapist.
Amor Chiquito did very well. She was not extremely shy at the beginning, as she typically is. I am guessing this might have been because she knows one of the three people well.
We are continuing services because of a delay in receptive and expressive language. Amor Chiquito has many words and says two-word phrases. However, at this point, she should be saying three or four-word phrases. She is able to answer some questions, like “what is that?” But she is not able to answer questions like “who is that for?”
Another thing we will be working on is motor planning. Basically, Amor Chiquito knows what she wants to say, but the words either do not make it out of her mouth or, if they do, they are hard to understand. Also, she has a hard time repeating unfamiliar sounds.
We will be getting a hearing test to find out if there is a hearing issue. Hearing loss could affect language development.
Amor Chiquito has a strong personality. In other words, she is one stubborn kid! So, if she does not feel like doing something because she wants to do something else, she just won’t! For example, she was asked to hug her stuffed animal. We know she understands “hug” and “kiss.” But she did not feel like it, so it did not happen! She lost some points, so to speak, due to her stubbornness! To be honest, I cannot throw stones!
Amor Chiquito did well in the other areas. Here is the quick version:
Receptive and expressive language: 21 months
Cognitive: 23 months
Social and gross motor: 26 months
Fine motor: 31 months
Self care (average of toileting, bathing and feeding): 34 months
We will be seeing the woman we have been seeing next week. I will get some tips from her on how to help Amor Chiquito with cognition. The speech pathologist will give us yet more tips on how we can help Amor Chiquito.
Apparently, early intervention shares our info with our town’s school system and a spot at preschool is held for Amor Chiquito in case she still needs services after she turns three.
I must go on a rant about how difficult it is for a child to qualify for services, but I will do that at another time. My mother just had surgery and I want to make her a chicken soup before Amor Chiquito wakes up.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Today I am parenting a sweet, happy, funny horse!
Amor Chiquito slept mostly ok last night.
She went down for her nap very easily and napped for 2 hours.
Amor Chiquito ate like a horse today! I cannot believe the amount of food that is in that child’s tummy right now!
She was very pleasant most of the time. No sleep deprivation-induced cranckiness.
Lastly, Ari did very well during the early intervention visit. The therapist thinks Amor Chiquito is probably at 21 months as far as language. She is 22 months. So, if Amor Chiquito was evaluated today, she would not qualify for early intervention. How she went from scoring 14 to 21 months in two months is beyond me, but I will not complain!
Thank you God for a great day! These are the days when I think I want another baby!
She went down for her nap very easily and napped for 2 hours.
Amor Chiquito ate like a horse today! I cannot believe the amount of food that is in that child’s tummy right now!
She was very pleasant most of the time. No sleep deprivation-induced cranckiness.
Lastly, Ari did very well during the early intervention visit. The therapist thinks Amor Chiquito is probably at 21 months as far as language. She is 22 months. So, if Amor Chiquito was evaluated today, she would not qualify for early intervention. How she went from scoring 14 to 21 months in two months is beyond me, but I will not complain!
Thank you God for a great day! These are the days when I think I want another baby!
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Early Intervention Update
The early intervention therapist has been coming over once a week. We are seeing lots of progress, so much so that she thinks Amor Chiquito won’t qualify for early intervention after her next evaluation. In November, Amor Chiquito will be evaluated again, after six months of service.
Amor Chiquito has between 40 and 45 words right now.
In theory, we will begin to hear phrases sometime between 50 and 75 words, in other words, in the next few weeks.
The advice we have received recently is to use short phrases, as opposed to one word. For example, we should say “more bread” instead of “bread.”
The other thing that the therapist has emphasized is to do lots of narration, to tell Amor Chiquito what she is doing.
We started play group last Friday. We will be going in every Friday morning for 12 weeks. I bring her in for 2.5 hours. There are about 10 kids and their parents.
Amor Chiquito does not do well with crowds. She is afraid of strangers, including little ones her age. She either sat on my lap or played by herself. Being cautious of strangers is healthy, but her current response is not healthy either. The goal/hope is that in a few weeks she will feel more comfortable interacting with her peers. Let's see how it goes this Friday.
Amor Chiquito has between 40 and 45 words right now.
In theory, we will begin to hear phrases sometime between 50 and 75 words, in other words, in the next few weeks.
The advice we have received recently is to use short phrases, as opposed to one word. For example, we should say “more bread” instead of “bread.”
The other thing that the therapist has emphasized is to do lots of narration, to tell Amor Chiquito what she is doing.
We started play group last Friday. We will be going in every Friday morning for 12 weeks. I bring her in for 2.5 hours. There are about 10 kids and their parents.
Amor Chiquito does not do well with crowds. She is afraid of strangers, including little ones her age. She either sat on my lap or played by herself. Being cautious of strangers is healthy, but her current response is not healthy either. The goal/hope is that in a few weeks she will feel more comfortable interacting with her peers. Let's see how it goes this Friday.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
The Adventures of Amor Chiquito (6/14/09)
Nothing big to write about. My memory is pathetic; I can't remember anything these days!
There are some new words, but I am still trying to figure out what they mean. Amor Chiquito is doing lots of "substitution." In the language world, this refers to when a child makes up her/his own word because she/he is unable to pronounce the real word. If a sound is being used consistently, it counts as a word, even though it is not a real word for us grownups.
When we come home, almost always, Amor Chiquito wants to walk around the neighborhood to look at the "doggies"!
Amor Chiquito is exposed to lots of things at Abuela's house that she does not see here, mainly girly stuff. I'm just not into lotions, makeup, or hair products. Just the basics for me! A few days back, she went in Abuela's room, grabbed the body spray and sprayed herself. She then put lipstick on herself. Lastly, she asked for "tata" (lotion). Makes Abuela very proud!
Something new: she is drinking more milk (cow milk, that is). That does not mean she is weaning, though. To her, they are two separate things. And, frankly, I'm in agreement. I'm much better than a cow, thank you very much! I know what I put into my body and my milk gives her immune system a boost. When she is sick, she can still drink mommy milk, whereas that is not true about cow milk.
Oops, did not mean for that to turn into a little rant. I just get frustrated when people say things like "why haven't you weaned her already? She should be drinking more milk. She won't eat good until you wean her." They imply that cow milk is somehow healthier than the milk my boobs make. What kind of crap is that?
K, off my soapbox.
Amor Chiquito has learned to take the cap off her sippy cups. Consequently, she drinks her milk with a straw now.
Everything at Abuela's is cooler than the stuff at home! That includes the disposable diapers that my nephew wears. When we say diaper time, she runs and grabs a disposable diaper. Guess what? She is incredibly alergic to them. In 5 minutes, she is itching badly, crying, etc. Unfortunately, she has not connected the dots.
We used disposable diapers for 10 months, always Pampers. We never had a rash. So I wonder if there are different chemicals in the different brands? The diapers at Abuela's are not Pampers.
Back to the weekly update, we met with the early intervention therapist last Friday. Nothing new, really. This time Geeky Entrepreneur was able to join us, so he got to hear the suggestions directly from her, which was helpful. Basically, the boildown is that we should use brief phrases, lots of repetition, and lots of narrating what she is doing. Some time between 50 and 75 words, she will start saying phrases. We have about 30 words right now, so hopefully we'll be hearing some phrases soon.
I guess that was it for this week. On to get ready to start another crazy week.
There are some new words, but I am still trying to figure out what they mean. Amor Chiquito is doing lots of "substitution." In the language world, this refers to when a child makes up her/his own word because she/he is unable to pronounce the real word. If a sound is being used consistently, it counts as a word, even though it is not a real word for us grownups.
When we come home, almost always, Amor Chiquito wants to walk around the neighborhood to look at the "doggies"!
Amor Chiquito is exposed to lots of things at Abuela's house that she does not see here, mainly girly stuff. I'm just not into lotions, makeup, or hair products. Just the basics for me! A few days back, she went in Abuela's room, grabbed the body spray and sprayed herself. She then put lipstick on herself. Lastly, she asked for "tata" (lotion). Makes Abuela very proud!
Something new: she is drinking more milk (cow milk, that is). That does not mean she is weaning, though. To her, they are two separate things. And, frankly, I'm in agreement. I'm much better than a cow, thank you very much! I know what I put into my body and my milk gives her immune system a boost. When she is sick, she can still drink mommy milk, whereas that is not true about cow milk.
Oops, did not mean for that to turn into a little rant. I just get frustrated when people say things like "why haven't you weaned her already? She should be drinking more milk. She won't eat good until you wean her." They imply that cow milk is somehow healthier than the milk my boobs make. What kind of crap is that?
K, off my soapbox.
Amor Chiquito has learned to take the cap off her sippy cups. Consequently, she drinks her milk with a straw now.
Everything at Abuela's is cooler than the stuff at home! That includes the disposable diapers that my nephew wears. When we say diaper time, she runs and grabs a disposable diaper. Guess what? She is incredibly alergic to them. In 5 minutes, she is itching badly, crying, etc. Unfortunately, she has not connected the dots.
We used disposable diapers for 10 months, always Pampers. We never had a rash. So I wonder if there are different chemicals in the different brands? The diapers at Abuela's are not Pampers.
Back to the weekly update, we met with the early intervention therapist last Friday. Nothing new, really. This time Geeky Entrepreneur was able to join us, so he got to hear the suggestions directly from her, which was helpful. Basically, the boildown is that we should use brief phrases, lots of repetition, and lots of narrating what she is doing. Some time between 50 and 75 words, she will start saying phrases. We have about 30 words right now, so hopefully we'll be hearing some phrases soon.
I guess that was it for this week. On to get ready to start another crazy week.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Early Intervention Update
Some of my readers have children Amor Chiquito's age or a little older. So I decided to share what I am learning from our early intervention sessions. Maybe/hopefully it will be helpful to someone out there.
This morning, before the hospital craziness began, we had our first official early intervention meeting.
The therapist brought bubbles, so Amor Chiquito was thrilled!
The big takeaways from today:
lots of repetition
narrate what you are/she is doing
speak in as few words as possible for now
Kids at this stage tend to hear/understand the first and last words of your sentences. That is why small phrases are better right now.
Amor Chiquito has about 25 words right now. We are making progress!
This morning, before the hospital craziness began, we had our first official early intervention meeting.
The therapist brought bubbles, so Amor Chiquito was thrilled!
The big takeaways from today:
lots of repetition
narrate what you are/she is doing
speak in as few words as possible for now
Kids at this stage tend to hear/understand the first and last words of your sentences. That is why small phrases are better right now.
Amor Chiquito has about 25 words right now. We are making progress!
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Early Intervention Update
The quick version on the early intervention evaluation: Amor Chiquito gets help for any area she is at least 5 months behind on. She is getting help for expressive language.
Longer version:
We’ll be getting the full report in a few weeks. This is what I remember.
Fine motor skills (hand/eye coordination): 17 months
Gross motor (using big muscles, walking, climbing, etc.): 19 months
Cognitive (problem solving, etc.): 18 months
Social: 21 months
Self care (spoon feeding herself, putting shoes on, undressing, etc.): 23 months
Language: 14 months
They said she shows signs of secure attachment. She played, explored, kept an eye on Abuela and myself, but felt comfortable with playing away from us, despite the fact there were strangers here. She observed the therapists for the first 10 minutes or so. Good sign. Better to be cautious. Eventually, she realized they were ok and so she interacted and played with them.
Overall, Amor Chiquito did well, but she could use some help with language. She has about 20 words. But she did not do some of the things that were asked of her, like naming a familiar object or identifying abstract pictures. Mind you, there were several things she did not do but she does do. For example, if you ask her “where is your ear, eye, mouth, etc.?” she does do it. But she did not do it when they were here.
These people told me research indicates that the fact we are a bilingual family should not affect her language development in the long run. I am uncertain about whether or not it affects her now, but, either way, I am confident that she will be fine in a few months. I have been seeing progress during the last month or so. I am sure we will see more progress once Geeky Entrepreneur and I learn what we can do better/differently.
One of the therapists who came last Tuesday will come see her once a week. I learned that, at this stage, it’s more about giving us, the parents, tips on how to stimulate her development, rather than about working with the child.
If we would like, we can bring her to playgroups where we can interact with other parents and she can interact with children her age.
I asked about their thoughts on preschool. The sooner the better, so she might be starting preschool September 2010. I was glad to hear that around here there are great preschools where you pay on average $200/month. Much better than daycare!
Thus far, I am pleased with how things are going. Having studied psychology, I knew a fair bit about the tests the therapists were performing, but I don’t know everything, of course. For example, I did not know much about what to look for as far as language. So, this will be a learning experience for me and I am looking forward to it because it will teach me how I can better help my child with language development.
Lastly, things are going well in the sleep department. Every night this week, except last night, she got up once. She got up twice last night. That works for us.
I know there is more, several stories about little Ms. Mischief, but I can't remember a thing right now. Bed time for me...
I'll leave you with this: I'm officially going crazy! I am starting to wonder if I want to do this again, if we want to try for #2! I say I'm going crazy because I just started sleeping better. Heck, we don't sleep great yet. My lovely husband, if you are voting no, stop showing me those adorable videos of when she was so tiny!
Longer version:
We’ll be getting the full report in a few weeks. This is what I remember.
Fine motor skills (hand/eye coordination): 17 months
Gross motor (using big muscles, walking, climbing, etc.): 19 months
Cognitive (problem solving, etc.): 18 months
Social: 21 months
Self care (spoon feeding herself, putting shoes on, undressing, etc.): 23 months
Language: 14 months
They said she shows signs of secure attachment. She played, explored, kept an eye on Abuela and myself, but felt comfortable with playing away from us, despite the fact there were strangers here. She observed the therapists for the first 10 minutes or so. Good sign. Better to be cautious. Eventually, she realized they were ok and so she interacted and played with them.
Overall, Amor Chiquito did well, but she could use some help with language. She has about 20 words. But she did not do some of the things that were asked of her, like naming a familiar object or identifying abstract pictures. Mind you, there were several things she did not do but she does do. For example, if you ask her “where is your ear, eye, mouth, etc.?” she does do it. But she did not do it when they were here.
These people told me research indicates that the fact we are a bilingual family should not affect her language development in the long run. I am uncertain about whether or not it affects her now, but, either way, I am confident that she will be fine in a few months. I have been seeing progress during the last month or so. I am sure we will see more progress once Geeky Entrepreneur and I learn what we can do better/differently.
One of the therapists who came last Tuesday will come see her once a week. I learned that, at this stage, it’s more about giving us, the parents, tips on how to stimulate her development, rather than about working with the child.
If we would like, we can bring her to playgroups where we can interact with other parents and she can interact with children her age.
I asked about their thoughts on preschool. The sooner the better, so she might be starting preschool September 2010. I was glad to hear that around here there are great preschools where you pay on average $200/month. Much better than daycare!
Thus far, I am pleased with how things are going. Having studied psychology, I knew a fair bit about the tests the therapists were performing, but I don’t know everything, of course. For example, I did not know much about what to look for as far as language. So, this will be a learning experience for me and I am looking forward to it because it will teach me how I can better help my child with language development.
Lastly, things are going well in the sleep department. Every night this week, except last night, she got up once. She got up twice last night. That works for us.
I know there is more, several stories about little Ms. Mischief, but I can't remember a thing right now. Bed time for me...
I'll leave you with this: I'm officially going crazy! I am starting to wonder if I want to do this again, if we want to try for #2! I say I'm going crazy because I just started sleeping better. Heck, we don't sleep great yet. My lovely husband, if you are voting no, stop showing me those adorable videos of when she was so tiny!
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