Talking....

This year has been a year of many firsts for Faith. I have discussed many of them in previous posts, so I won't bore you all with all of them. But this year has been our YEAR for TALKING. Faith was always quiet, she would make sounds but very few attempts to make words. Then she started signing, last year. Now in the last 5 months, she has begun to try to talk. Today was Speech therapy- we have a wonderful ST, Karen, for about the last 3 1/2 yrs. She is smart and no nonsense with Faith. She doesn't let her get away with anything! LOL! I love her so much! Anyway, Karen has been working with Faith on speaking, of course, but also mixing in some food things (candy) too. So today, she had candy canes and books. She was working on -ing words, Faith's favorite things to mimic and getting her to say candy cane and Karen and Faith. We have been trying to get her to say her name for such a long time with little success. Today we got candy cane, Karen and -aith! She tried them all at therapy and then for Daddy, at home! Of course, they are far from perfect but they are all perfect to me! She was so proud of herself and so were we all! This is such a milestone because, to me, it was something that I had just come to accept-that she wasn't going to talk. Not that I was thrilled about it, but I had just learned to live with it and we had developed our own way of communicating that seems to work. Lately, I have been hearing her trying to say Christmas, when she hears it on the radio or tv! BIG, people! She is trying so hard but there are still lots of people pushing for Aud. Com. devices. I have mixed feelings about them. I can see their benefits but they all seem so awkward. One of our therapists said that a lot of kids like her do end up being able to say SOME words and using signs, too but still need Aud. Com for communicating in the outside world. I can see that, really I can. But I am beginning to have hope that she will talk after all.