Ava had her second playdate with Sara yesterday morning. Illnesses, a variety of other commitments, and some travel conspired to disrupt every attempt we made at setting up a second playdate. It took us two months, but we finally managed to get together again.
The weather was perfect. It was about 70 degrees and sunny. We spent about an hour playing in the backyard. Sara was shy at first, but then realized that we had fun things like chalk and bubbles and squirt bottles. They played in the sand table, climbed in the playhouse, and went down the slide. The girls are still at an age where they mostly just play in the same space rather than really playing together. They were usually doing the same things though, and it was nice to see the two small bodies side by side playing together.
If we can manage to get together regularly it will look so different a year from now. Michael and his friend are now talking to each other and I can hear sounds of preschool conversation drifting towards me from a bedroom or playroom when they get together. I hope that I will hear that from Ava and Sara in time.
A Speech Pathologist Mother and Her Daughter Diagnosed with Childhood Apraxia of Speech
Monday, April 18, 2011
Better Late than Never
Sunday, April 17, 2011
NutriiVeda and Apraxia: Two Week Update
We've been using NutriiVeda for about two weeks now. I'd say, on average, Ava has been getting about one scoop per day rather than the two scoops that are recommended. I find that she won't finish the yogurt if I mix in more than about 1/2 to 2/3 scoop into the four ounces of yogurt and we have yogurt 1-2 times per day. Since Ava is a pretty picky eater, I haven't found many other opportunities on a daily basis to sneak it in.
So, we've been using a NutriiVeda "dosage" of about one scoop per day with our two year old daughter for about two weeks now. My opinion is that I am seeing a difference in her speech. She is talking a lot more. She talks all the time. She's also trying to sing. She's never really done that before. Before, she would sing a single word if I paused while singing a song, but now she is trying to sing herself. She's trying to follow along with all the words. She has even tried to sing a song entirely by herself once or twice. Another thing Ava is doing that is new is self-correcting. As she was talking to herself, I heard the word "water" which she said as "wa wa." A moment later I heard her pause and correct it to "wa ter." I was amazed. She corrected the word entirely on her own showing that she's listening to her own speech more and can tell when she says a word correctly and when she doesn't.
None of this is proof of course. Perhaps she would have made all this progress without the NutriiVeda. However, until someone conducts a rigorous scientific study, we can't know for sure. All we can do is talk to parents who have tried it and ask them if they feel they saw improvement after starting to use NutriiVeda with their children with Childhood Apraxia of Speech. I'm saying that I think I'm seeing improvement. Use that information as you will.
So, we've been using a NutriiVeda "dosage" of about one scoop per day with our two year old daughter for about two weeks now. My opinion is that I am seeing a difference in her speech. She is talking a lot more. She talks all the time. She's also trying to sing. She's never really done that before. Before, she would sing a single word if I paused while singing a song, but now she is trying to sing herself. She's trying to follow along with all the words. She has even tried to sing a song entirely by herself once or twice. Another thing Ava is doing that is new is self-correcting. As she was talking to herself, I heard the word "water" which she said as "wa wa." A moment later I heard her pause and correct it to "wa ter." I was amazed. She corrected the word entirely on her own showing that she's listening to her own speech more and can tell when she says a word correctly and when she doesn't.
None of this is proof of course. Perhaps she would have made all this progress without the NutriiVeda. However, until someone conducts a rigorous scientific study, we can't know for sure. All we can do is talk to parents who have tried it and ask them if they feel they saw improvement after starting to use NutriiVeda with their children with Childhood Apraxia of Speech. I'm saying that I think I'm seeing improvement. Use that information as you will.
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Saturday, April 16, 2011
How much contrary is normal?
Ok. I need some reassurance here. How much contrariness is normal for 25 months of age? My firstborn never really went through a huge "No!" and temper tantrum stage, so this is pretty new to me.
Ava seems to refuse to cooperate as her default response lately. Time to get dressed? Nope. It's a struggle. Time to eat something that isn't bread or fruit? Nope, absolute refusal. Time to go outside. Nope, she wants to stay in. Time to play? Nope, she'd rather watch television. These things I can mostly deal with. Mostly.
It's the next level of contrariness that really gets to me. If she accidentally bumps her brother and I ask her to say sorry she absolutely refuses. She runs away from us pouting and whining and would rather spend an incredibly long amount of time in time-out than just say "Sorry." If she's having trouble with something and you attempt to help, she'll throw down the offending item and refuse to play with it any more rather than accept assistance. If she wanted to go first and has to go second she will refuse to continue to participate in the activity. If asked to share something, or give back something she has taken she simply refuses.
And then there's her absolute refusal to let her Daddy do anything for her. If she wants milk I have to get it. If she wants down from her booster seat she'd rather stay in than let her father help her. If she has to go to the bathroom she'd rather wait an hour than let Daddy help. We were walking together tonight and she wouldn't even hold his hand. I do believe it's starting to hurt his feelings. And it isn't that she doesn't like him. She loves seeing him come home. She loves to tickle and wrestle with him. I think it is just another way for her to insist on getting her way rather than ours.
Someone please tell me that this is within normal limits for the age. And if it is normal, how long does this last? And could you possibly share some strategies for dealing with it?
Ava seems to refuse to cooperate as her default response lately. Time to get dressed? Nope. It's a struggle. Time to eat something that isn't bread or fruit? Nope, absolute refusal. Time to go outside. Nope, she wants to stay in. Time to play? Nope, she'd rather watch television. These things I can mostly deal with. Mostly.
It's the next level of contrariness that really gets to me. If she accidentally bumps her brother and I ask her to say sorry she absolutely refuses. She runs away from us pouting and whining and would rather spend an incredibly long amount of time in time-out than just say "Sorry." If she's having trouble with something and you attempt to help, she'll throw down the offending item and refuse to play with it any more rather than accept assistance. If she wanted to go first and has to go second she will refuse to continue to participate in the activity. If asked to share something, or give back something she has taken she simply refuses.
And then there's her absolute refusal to let her Daddy do anything for her. If she wants milk I have to get it. If she wants down from her booster seat she'd rather stay in than let her father help her. If she has to go to the bathroom she'd rather wait an hour than let Daddy help. We were walking together tonight and she wouldn't even hold his hand. I do believe it's starting to hurt his feelings. And it isn't that she doesn't like him. She loves seeing him come home. She loves to tickle and wrestle with him. I think it is just another way for her to insist on getting her way rather than ours.
Someone please tell me that this is within normal limits for the age. And if it is normal, how long does this last? And could you possibly share some strategies for dealing with it?
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