Update on Nick's Speech Therapy

We’ve made a little progress with Nick, but it’s slow going.  I was hoping he’d be saying a word or two by now, but nothing yet.  Nick uses the sign for “more” every day now, but he still doesn’t understand that just because he gives me the sign doesn’t automatically mean he’s going to get whatever snack he wants at the exact time he wants it (for example, cold pizza at bed time).  His vocalizations are getting better and he’s started pointing at some pictures inside books.  His speech therapist wants us to start using the signs for “eat” and “open”.  He’s done “open” a few times, but when we try to show him the sign for “eat”, he could care less because all he wants is whatever food is in front of him.  He won’t even look at my face to see the sign because he just stares at the food.  If I take the food to show him the sign, he thinks I’m taking it away from him and starts crying and screaming.  And then by that point, forget getting him to try and concentrate on making any kind of sign. 

Sometimes he gets bored or silly during his sessions and doesn’t want to participate, but on the good side, he is much more comfortable with his therapists and interacts with them without Del needing to be right there.

He’s also doing something that completely took me off guard — he’s potty training himself.  I’ve been taking him to the potty, but one day it must have clicked for him how to go to the bathroom.  He goes on his own, without anyone telling him to go.  He isn’t to the point where he goes to the potty every time, but at least half the time.  We can usually tell because then he walks around the house without a diaper or shorts on!  He’ll even throw his pull up in the trashcan by himself.  He hasn’t tried pooping on the potty, though, but will still take his diaper off when that happens — and then it’s the mad dash around the house to make sure he hasn’t sat on anything or left any remnants or souvenirs anywhere!