Apraxia of Speech . Week 18

Ryder was seen by the private Speech Therapist this week.  He has really connected well with her since starting sessions in March.  So much so, that Patrick and I have made the decision to increase these private sessions to weekly.  Until the end of the school year, he will continue to be seen during school hours at the school itself.  Once school is over, we have been fortunate to make arrangements with a local library to allow for Ryder to receive the Speech Therapy there.  The Therapist is willing to go to the babysitters, but due to the environment (a home), it is better if we found an alternate location.  Patrick or I will now attend each of the sessions, but our involvement will be based on his participation.  Currently, since it is done at school, we are not involved in the session itself - depending on Ryder, that could change.  This Therapist will actually see Ryder through the summer, and will continue to see him weekly when school starts again - even though he will not be returning to his current school.

Her report for his Speech Therapy this week indicates he participated well.  Ryder has recently dropped the "s" sound from "please" (saying "dee", where he previously said "dease"), and from "eyes" (the child has become fascinated with eyes, constantly counting eyes on people/tv characters/toys).  Additionally, with becoming potty-trained, the need has arisen for him to communicate this to others.  Patrick and I are able to easily understand when he requests to go "potty", but it is not clear to most other people.  He pronounces it as "pahh-ee" usually, and will sometimes make a very subtle "d" sound - "pahh-dee".  The Therapist worked on these three words, and Ryder was able to be successful.  We have continued the practice at home.

I don't write a lot, week to week, about Ryder's actual progress.  That's because it is slow.  It is hard to see the gradual increases at times.  But, he is such a hard worker.  He definitely doesn't enjoy us pushing him to talk, or to pronounce sounds/words correctly, but he is a little sponge, and is soaking it in.  Ryder's expressive vocabulary is increasing constantly.  He is becoming able to correctly pronounce more words.  It is happening.  It is just slow.

One-step-at-a-time.

(to review previous weeks, click on "Apraxia of Speech" in the "LABELS" column on the right)