alive and kickin'

Has it really been T.H.A.T. long since I last posted?

I thought I should come up for air!

and write a quick post.

We have been waiting to hear back from Jackson's visit with the craniofacial team 2 weeks ago to find out why he is not talking like he should be able to at this point.

We are hoping to have the final report tomorrow.

The first information we received from the Speech Language Clinician was that we needed to be tougher on him.

It broke my heart.

He's stubborn.

Not to mention S.T.R.O.N.G.   W.I.L.L.E.D.!

But oh so loveable and snuggleble  (is that a word?)

The last thing the pediatrician told us before we left was that the SLP was thinking that he might have Neurological Apraxia.  Which I guess is also call Childhood Apraxia of Speech.

This isn't anything that we've been told as a definite thing.

Apraxia, from what we've read, is when someone knows exactly what they want to say, but the neurological processes that must occur to make it happen don't occur.  This could be because of low muscle tone, motor coordination, synapses not firing, etc.

Jackson DEFINITELY knows what he wants to say!

and boy, he has ALOT to say!

but it just.doesn't.come.out (so that we can understand it)

Our SLP at school and his other teachers are thinking that it is more along the lines of Velopharyngeal Insufficiency.  Which is determined through scoping and other methods. (with Apraxia as secondary)

Our purpose in going to see the craniofacial team was so that this could be completed.

It wasn't!

We mentioned it to each doctor that came into the room.

Doctors can be frustrating.

We are hoping to be able to update the blog tomorrow with a definite prognosis and a plan!

But on the brighter side...

These are the words and phrases that we can understand when Jackson says them:

Mama
Daddy
Sydney
Jadon
Jackson (sometimes)
Maggie
eat
please
drink
more
thank you
bye bye
yes
no (sometimes)
water
Sorry Mama
Please Mama
Thank you Mama
I love you Mama (finally spontaneously in the middle of Sam's Club) Melt my heart!!!!!
I see?
What's that?
Where's _______?

Would you be able to understand him?

Probably not!

Everything is a vowel sound, except the occassional "m".

But I guess all of our kids started in this manner!

He does have a larger sign vocabulary and is beginning to string 3 signs together. 

He told Sydney yesterday in response to her telling him to listen...
"NO! YOU LISTEN!"



We were able to get a few good pictures of him on Chinese New Year!  I can't believe how big he's grown!

Will try to get those on soon!