March 22, 2008

S was sitting in my lap while I was eating some applesauce. I asked her if she wanted some while I brought the spoon to her mouth and she answered, "NO!" This was the first time she answered a yes or no question. Normally, she would just push the spoon away. I still can't get her to answer anything else, but this is a huge breakthrough. The OT has noticed that she tries new things when she lets her guard down. He tries to distract her by doing something she loves and then introduces something new. I think we have known all along that there so much more she knows and can do, but is so hypervigilant that she just is afraid to show it. I really think she is enjoying talking to people now.

The other day, she was using 2 pencils to pound on her toybox like a drum. I asked her if she was playing her drum and she took my hand and led me over to the piano in the other room. She was able to relate playing the drum and playing the piano. She has always loved music, and she loves to play the guitar.

That's all that's new this week. I'm trying to get a word count of the words she uses consistently. She's supposed to have a 300 word vocabulary by this time and be speaking in 3-4 word sentences. We've gotten a few 3 word sentences like up, sit, lap and shoes, socks, on. I am not hung up on timelines, she'll catch up eventually. Right now, I'm enjoying every minute with her just the way she is.