You probably already know that one big area that children with Down syndrome struggle with is speech.
Arina is really struggling with speech, and its making me crazy! Its not making me crazy because she has down syndrome and so its a given that she's going to struggle. It almost seems like with her, that its just simply laziness! Even though I have a 7 year old with Down syndrome, I feel like a new DS mom with Arina.
And I have a lot of questions, and a lot of the same frustrations I've been seeing in other moms for 7 years now
The good thing is that we have no problems with communication. She signs so well that we always know what she wants. Although I love signing, I wish she would just use those words and talk! Her speech therapist says she will form her mouth into the first letter of the word, but she still uses nasal grunting and signing. That's exactly what she does at home as well. I'm not sure if I can say that she has even one word, because all of the words are beginnings, like ba or ma.
The other day we were sitting in the front room waiting for the bus. Arina picked up one of the boys books, it had a picture of a ghost on the front. She would scream, ahhhhh, throw the book, run to the corner of the room, and put her hands on her belly and move it in and out like she was panting. How she knew this kind of pretend play, I'm not sure. She is such a smart little cookie, why won't she talk?
Another thing we know about most DS kido's is they are stubborn as all get out! I know this is why Arina isn't talking. Nothing else is stopping her. She is just happy and content where she is, although she has gotten upset a few times when we can't figure out her sign and what she wants.
Her speech therapist and I will just keep on pushing this stubborn little thing, and I'm sure once she starts, she won't ever be quiet again! But that's ok with me!
Next discussion....discipline and the crazy preschooler! Ei Ei Ei!!
At least she signs! We can't get either out of Max. He mostly only signs when he's watching Signing Times - he knows them all! He just won't use them when the TV is off - ha!
ReplyDeleteI am right there with ya! Maddie is just as content as can be until she is not! Then all hell breaks loose! Speech is really the most frustrating part of Maddie...I know it is there...her receptive speech is there...it is the rest that is tough...Arina just knows she is so cute she can get anything! Smiles
ReplyDeleteI personally think Joy is going for most stubborn award! Some days are worse than others. To get her to start speaking, I just had to be more stubborn than she is. I would choose my battle (when I had lots of time) and tell her she couldn't have something until she used her words and asked for it. Any verbalization was accepted and immediately rewarded. Love that crazy girl of mine!
ReplyDeleteShe sounds so much like Cora. She tries to say probably 30 words, but doesn't enunciate any of them well. And they're not used consistently. Cora also signs so well (save for the fact that she's just 2 and is still learning good fine motor control), so that is indeed helpful. Her stubbornness is certainly keeping her from things too.
ReplyDeleteStubborn but darling. I think a good combination.
ReplyDeleteShe will talk. I know she will. in her own time.
My daughters speech picked up when I started her on the vitamins recommended for down syndrome.
ReplyDeleteDo you think the fact she came from Russia is making it hard for her to speak English? I have no idea; maybe the orphanage she was in spoke English as the primary language or another language. If that's the case, I know that English is the hardest language to learn; perhaps it's a language barrier and she's still trying to learn? Still, I really hope that she will start talking soon! I'm sure that you will hear her say that she loves you :)
ReplyDeleteStubborn!!! Yes, yes, yes, our kids are stubborn! People can say that's a stereotype all they want, but we know it's true... :-)
ReplyDeleteDang, she's adorable!!
Hi! I stumbled across your blog and had to comment, as I'm a speech therapist who's worked with kiddos with DS. You hate to generalize, but STUBBORN is definitely part of their world! Eventually, she will have too much to communicate and learn that words are most efficient. Keep up the good work, mama!
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