After over a year of trying to get Rae to say "more," I am thrilled to share that it has finally happened! She can now ask for "more" during a meal and last night tears gathered in my eyes as she repeatedly tapped her talker, (
an iPad).
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| Rae's iPad, Fisher-Price case, and Apple case. |
I have to admit, I am a little surprised how easily she understands what we are asking of her and is responding appropriately (
I also feel like Pavlov with his dogs...tap the talker, get a bite)
. Rae is tapping the "more" button and then resting her hand to the side of her talker, not just laying her hand over the button. She takes pauses between bites allowing time to chew before tapping "more" again (except when Daddy was feeing her a Zinger, then he had to remove the talker to keep her from repeatedly banging "more"). In addition to tapping the "more" button on her talker, she also looks to the spoon or plate of food after hitting "more." This tells me that she is connecting the action (
tapping) with the result (
food). I don't think there are any words I can use to adequately express the relief I feel at knowing her cognitive skills are working (
I've been worried about that for a few months now). This is BIG (
encouraging) news in our home!
I made a quick video of Rae using her talker while Daddy was feeding her dinner:
This was all made possible by our friends and family. For Rae's birthday (
read about Rae's "Apple" party here), we asked them to consider a monetary gift in lieu of toys or clothes to help us purchase an iPad and an AAC (
Augmentative & Alternative Communication*) app. We are so thankful for the gifts Rae received and, as a result of their generosity, Rae can now ask us for "more."
We are looking forward to teaching her more words so she can have a voice of her own...a truly priceless gift.
Thank you all so, So, SO MUCH!
*We are currently using the So Much 2 Say app because it allows us the option of using just one card at a time and we can make cards specific to her everyday surroundings & items. As her ability with the talker continues to progress, we will be able to offer more cards.
Leah your blog above made my day! God bless all those that helped you acquire this technology for Rae. It did my heart good to read about Rae hitting that "more" button..lol.. Absolutely AWESOME. Rae is a beautiful little girl and you and dad are remarkable parents and human beings. Thanks for much for sharing your life, family and story. I look forward to reading about Rae's future accomplishments with her new voice! It sounds like a whole new world is opening up for her and you! If you ever want to connect with other special needs parents, please consider visiting us @ Cerebral Palsy Family Network. We would be honored for you to be a quest blogger and share your experiences with our families. Also if you're ever in search of resources/information, we have a Survival Guide containing over 10,000 State specific resources. Thanks again for making my day. Keep writing and keep smiling. My thougts and prayers will be with you, Rae and family.
ReplyDeleteLee, I would love to be a guest blogger for your site. Thank you for the words of encouragement and for the helpful links. I'll check them out and add it to my Hypotonic Links page.
DeleteTHANK Y0U! THANK YOU! I can't wait! You could possibly do a piece for us on how Rae is progressing with her new iPad and ACC or anything you want! Please send via email to: cpfamilyblog@gmail.com .. I'm so looking forward to it :o)
ReplyDeleteHope all is going well.. Big HUGS..