Can I invade your privacy?

[Connie]

Jessika,

Collin started signing at about 1 year. He would use please, more, drink, eat and thank you consistantly. But didn't really use anymore than that. I would say he was basically non-verbal up until the age of about 5.5 to 6 y.o. But, just because he was non-verbal didn't mean he could not communicate his wants or needs. He mostly spoke in 1-2 word phrases...not really verbal in my book.

But, now at age 8 he speaks in 6-8 words sentences and holds a conversation with you. He uses words that I have know idea how he learned...he's also been know to use words that are inappropriate. For example...we never use the word stupid or shut up....those are dirty words in our house and we get in big trouble for their use!!! But, Collin knows how to use them and uses them in the right context!!!

There are times when he is really hard to understand but he is getting better with his intelligibility. It is a work in process!!!

Ok...his favorite foods!!! Frozen waffles and chickie nuggets

Collin loves to play the Wii, play with GI Joes (or Ken dolls if Joe is not available ), Color, read books, climb, run...anything out doors, hummm....he's likes typical boy things!!

Driving...we will have to see about that one. We have two small four-wheelers and our goal is to get Collin on one this summer. I say I hope he will be able to drive but I'm not sure why?!?! I have no desire for my "TYPICAL" boys to drive...it just seems so dangerous and I have no control!!! But well see!!

Connie

[steffaroni]

k guys cross ur fingers cuz I forced Olivia LOL to do a short not really natural but hey had 3 minutes video of her speaking.I will send the link next post. Steff

never did this b4

[steffaroni]

alrighty here folks hope this works. this is just after Olivia woke up n b4 she was cleaned up. lol Hope you can see it and I did it right. (((HUGS))) Steff

www.youtube.com/user/steffarama

[Googsmom aka Jennifer]

She is so cute. You did it right. Me and Brook just watched it

[steffaroni]

oh good... btw she likes SPHERICAL MEAT...LOL IE from ICARLY..... We had Spherical meat the other day. lol Steff

[steffaroni]

Also I started from day one talking to Em like she was able to understand every single thing I said to her....

us too and I never shut up got so sick of ME talking...lolshe most likely talked so young to shut me up.

[Connie]

LOL....OH my GOSH!!!

She has gown up into a Young Lady!!! She talks so well and it is so clear!!! WTG LIV!!!

Connie

[Renee']

Lauren has a speech impediment only because she can't pronounce some words. However, she is NEVER quite. She tells me what she wants...and more than that she tells me what she doesn't want.
She is very verbal. She loves to sing and knows the words to several songs. I wish I could post her singing for you. She was in the school show last month and the music teacher said "this is the most difficult song the class had to learn" and there it was, my Lauren stepping down with several of the other children to sing and do hand gestures. I was SO proud.

She loves food. She will ask for a hamburger everyday. We took her off fries though.

She loves to play piano. She loves to play, ride bikes and dance. She is in a dance class right now with other children who have disabilities.

She is just amazing.

[Renee']

OMG Olivia is ADORABLE!!

[katiesmom]

Jessika, keep those questions coming!

Katie is 6 years old and she has pretty good speech. She has a HUGE vocabulary and she talks non-stop! Lol! I've noticed that almost all kids understand her speech, but occassionally an adult will have trouble with it. Like many of the other kids with Ds, she gets excited and starts to talk too quickly and loses her clarity. We are starting to cue her to slow down and that definitely helps. We started using sign-language with her from birth and she had about 200 signs before she started talking at 3 years old, and once she started talking she totally dropped the signing.

Katie most definitely starts conversations and asks questions about many things that intrigue her. We talk about our favorite books and favorite movies. We homeschool so we do a lot of introducing new subjects to her and then answering her questions about them and having her answer questions about books we've read or things we've discussed.

In the town next to us there is a young woman with Ds (she's in her early 20's) and she drives and OWNES her own car. She drives herself to her job in a busy city about 20 minutes away, to her karate classes, to church, to the hospital where she does some volunteer work, and to her friends and siblings houses.

As for the future, I do worry about it....but my Mom-in-law gave me some good advice....she told me that since there is really nothing I can do about it (other than establish Katie's special needs trust) that I should only allow myself 15 minuets per day to worry about it and then "put it away" and get on with life and living! It has helped me to put it in perspective.

Hmmmm, Katie's favorite foods? Vanilla Wafers, pickles, cheddar cheese, salad, steak, meatloaf, the perrenial kid's fave:P,B, & J! Pretzels, cranberry juice, ice-water, fish, sweet potates, ham, pancakes.

Favorite things to do? Make up elaborate stories for her dolls to act out or to have them reinact stories we've read, play dress-ups and pretend, play with her little kitchen and pots and pans, go to dance class, listen to someone read good stories, sing, run around in the yard, etc...

Hope this encourages you about little Noah's bright future!
Deane

[momofrussell]

Well, the fun questions first....

Fav foods for Russell would be PASTA PASTA PASTA.
He really doesn't have many foods he eats at all, but pasta and probably yogurt rate real high on his fav list of the 7 foods he does eat LOL

Fav thing to do? Watch Elmo movies LOL That and anything phsyical like swinging, jumping, rough housing. Russell is so sensory orientated that he really loves "rough" touch and "rough" play... ALL BOY I tell ya!

Ok... as for the speech, it's a tough and somewhat sad subject for me and I hesitate to post so you don't worry about the future. Russell and his issues aren't "common" if there is such a thing... Russell speech isn't just lacking, we have major deficits in the whole language department Russell will be 10 in a few days and NEVER has spoken a word....ever Communicating is primative and he doesn't initiate much. He JUST recently started doing a sign here or there appropriately and without prompting or showing him first. Russell got dealt a rough hand when it comes to this stuff so it's really hard for him.

But on the whole, speech is delayed in kids w/DS just like other things can be delayed. But to what extent is per child. Most (LOTS!) speak whether it's shoddy or really good... but most can speak and communicate... which is key... communication is a BIG important thing!

Russell can communicate his basic needs That's all that matters in his world.. he can bring me a can of pasta... a big ole bottle of juice.. his PJ's... or like his shoes even That's all that matters!

A.

[CC]

My Christopher is 15 and speech has always been his number one issue He has come very far and worked very hard and continues to still now even at 15. Although some of his speech is very hard to understand OMG the kid is non stop. You said "hearing my child drive me crazy with too much talking eventually" OMG if your son is anything like my Chris with the non stop yapping LOL

"Also does anyone with Ds ever learn to drive"

I have heard of a few but I do believe its pretty rare. Its a bit sad now that Chris is 15 cause he has the car picked out he wants and has consistently for over a year showed us this car and says "For Chris" My boy will not be driving I can tell you that.

"Also how tough has the reality been as your children get older?"

In all honestly in certain areas I do believe it gets harder as they get older or maybe just different, KWIM

"childs favorite food"

Pizza, eggs, sausage, French fires, ketchup, chicken nuggets, jelly sandwiches, yogurt, pudding and ice cream. Not a healthy eater as you can see LOL

"favortie thing to do"

Chris loves to do lots, he loves to ride his bike, swim, ski, play pool, ping pong, walk pulling his red wagon, shoot hoops, play his Nintendo, go to the movies OMG I could go on and on but his most favorite thing to do in the whole world is go to Disney ;D

BTW I haven't been posting much in the last month so in case I never got to say...

WELCOME TO UNO ;D

CC ~ from New Jersey

[meghans_mom]

Meghan has speech delays, and some articulation difficulties but she is in now 7 and pretty much everything that comes out of her mouth is understandable.

and YES she carries on and initiates conversations all of the time. she will tell me as soon as she gets off the bus what she did today (the GOOD and the BAD, lol)

asks tons of questions -- AND answers the phone now (much to my chagrin)
and she'll call me at work (with daddy's help) on the days I don't get her off the bus...and we speak for a good 10 minutes and she'll tell me about her day, etc
she also speaks to all her relatives on the phone and MY friends...

she will also ask strangers questions (what's your name, etc) and they all understand her just fine...she just is too quiet sometimes (voice wise...but that's just how she is!)



What is your childs favorite food?

several -- bagel w/ cream cheese for breakfast & spaghetti for dinner!! oh and "chicken and french fries"

What is their favortie thing to do?
another tough question!! She has just learned to read so that is a big favorite of hers...
when its nice out, she LOVES to ride her bicycle on the driveway...and swing on the swings (she can do this forever!)
she also loves to draw & write
and #1 on the list is playing with her brother!!

[faithhope]

Oh Gosh People, I just love you all. You have gone above and beyond in letting me get a peak into your lives, and though I am realizing that all of our kids our different, we also have a lot of similarities and it helps me to imagine his future in a way.
I would love to write to each of you and just Thank you for each of your great answers. Everyone's child no matter what the challenges sounds like most importantly a joyful and loving person to know. That is ALL that matters!!!!! I think that is one of the huge things that Noah is going to teach me. I think I have said this before and it is because Noah is the reason I am learning this, but I always thought that I would Love my child without conditions (like all parents are supposed to). Then with the diagnosis of Ds I was thrown for a loop and had to rethink my thoughts. I quickly realized that I was such a hypocrite or just ignorant because I was expecting all these "things" from my baby. I expected him to become smarter than I ever was, cuter, stronger, just all around "better". Now I realize how wrong I was, cause NONE of those things EVER makes ANYONE BETTER! No way, if anything our kids are the better person, because as someone else mentioned here before they do not worry or obsess about the things of this world, like we do. They care about what really matters. They Love completely.
OK I can just keep going can't I. I just got home, and excitedly started to read all these posts, and I still have to read all the other posts that others have posted! = 0 and I am so tired, it was a long busy day. So I will have to stop for now, and just go to bed. Till tomorrow my friends.
Take Care,
oh and Thanks Again Always,
Jessika

[Jackie]

Cute video Steff...Liv is just so much fun to watch...and she has always had great speech.

I think what all of us need to remember is that what we want is first of all 'communication'. We want our kids to be able to express themselves and communicate their feelings and emotions. We have to be careful not to supress this by too much attention to diction. Of course we want them to be understood and we all know that the easier it is to understand someone...the more people relate to them and the more speech they develop. But we don't want to inhibit our kids by making them afraid to open their mouths because it might not come out sounding right. That was a hard lesson for me to learn.

Thanks Steff for showing us what a great job Olivia is doing and how precious she is....

Jackie