Sunday, June 6, 2010

Sunday Snapshot {Sha Sha}


Did not have a specific event to post about today so I thought I would take the opportunity to share some unposted pics and info about our sweet Sha Sha!  She is full of spunk I tell you, the most strong willed little thing I have ever met.  She gives us a run for our money everyday!  I know she is that way for oh so many reasons....she had to overcome so many obstacles for 16 months on her own, one of which was eating.  And she needs that strong will to keep pressing on in her biggest obstacle-SPEECH. 



It is hard for CL/CP kids to make all the ordinary sounds.  I never analyzed our language and how we speak before Charlotte came home, but I do now.  Some sounds are almost impossible for our girl, but she tries over and over.  She does not get frustrated very often, she will just try again, or give you something else to help with the context of what she is saying.  Occasionally she goes back to a trusty hand sign if Mommy is just not getting it. 



We met to evaluate her IEP (individualized education plan) this week and she has come so far.  She is about to complete her second year in developmental Preschool and she has graduated from Occupational Therapy.  That is so huge...her motor skills have now exceeded her age, and she has met all of her eating goals and mobility goals for her lip.  She is also almost caught up in her language skills, only 2 months behind peers now.  So now her hard work will be concentrated on academics and articulation.  She will have speech 3 times a week, once one on one. 


It really is incredible when you think about the fact that when she came home, she was not walking, only drank from a bottle, had no sounds at all, and was very behind in most sensory areas.  In just 2 1/2 short years she has almost completely caught up.  And really her speech delay now is due to her cleft palate.  I am so proud of her hard work and perseverance.  See, God knew this little girl had to be strong willed to overcome so much.  Now if we can just convince her that she still has to do what Mommy and Daddy say the first time :)  It will come, or she will just be spending most of her summer in TIME OUT!!!  Just kidding, we are about to implement some new positive reinforcement techniques.  I will let you know what we do and how they work out.




Ni Hao Y'all

11 comments:

Stefanie said...

I am sure you ARE proud!! She has come so far!!
It never ceases to amaze me what love and attention can do for a child :)
Thanks for sharing more about Sha Sha today!

Tina Michelle said...

aww, I love that first pic of sisterly love!! Good job ShaSha, you sure have come a long way! I hear you about spending a while in timeout. It is that age. It is hard to find a good balance between discipline and positive reinforcement. I look forward to hearing what you are planning to implement and maybe getting some ideas from you!

Rachel said...

My daughter also has a cleft lip/palate and sounds a lot like yours. Speech therapy, IEP's - she works so hard to make one sound, let alone put them all together! It is inspiring to see her perseverance & tenacity. Blessings to you & your family!

Serving the King said...

That is amazing!! Wow! It has to be so incredible to watch that transformation day after day right before your eyes!

3 Countries 1 Love said...

Sha Sha is a precious little girl! My middle daughter was adopted at 33 months and she had been home for 7 months before we realized she had a bilateral moderate hearing loss. Explains why she wasn't talking!! She receives intensive speech therapy and is still so difficult for people to understand. She's a determined little girl, much like you describe your little one!!

beingzaraandzidan said...

sha sha is real cute n adorable. lovely shots!
I have joined in too
Plz do visit

Jennifer said...

She is an absolute doll!

Blessings,
Jennifer

3 Peanuts said...

It sounds like she is making huge improvements. I know all the therapy can be hard sometimes. We did A LOT of PT, OT and speech with our oldest but the progress they make is amazing:)

Julie said...

What a strong little girl. Thanks for sharing with us!!

Dardi said...

Her progress is awesome!!! And that strong will is serving her well...I have raised a strong-willed daughter, & that strong will has served her well over the years--once she was able to use it constructively, of course! ;o)

Susan said...

What a remarkable girl you have there! And she's a real cutie to boot!