An Update on Junior...Summer 2014

We've been continuing twice a week speech therapy with auditory verbal therapy with Junior this summer, but have taken a break from occupational therapy until the Fall, and may begin physical therapy when we resume as well. The few OT sessions we've had have already helped his balance and his sensory issues, and his speech is really improving!

He's 25 months, but has been implanted for 16 months, so his speech capabilities are expected to be around that of a typically developing 16 month old. At his last assessment, he understands over a hundred words and phrases, and can say 50 words, including a couple of sentences! "Daddy" is still his favorite word, and "Hi Daddy" is his sentence of choice. Occasionally he'll mix it up and say "Hi doggy" or "Hi Gramma" when he sees a familiar face, but Daddy is his best buddy.

Some new words he's started saying recently:
-Apple...this one is super obvious. A stranger could hear it and know he's saying apple!
-Stuck..."uh oh. Stuck." is the phrase he uses when he can't reach a toy or when he can't get my hidden chocolate stash out of it's hiding place =)
-Owie...every time someone or something gets hurt, he runs up and gives it a kiss while saying "owie". I love seeing his caring personality emerging.
-Stink...this comes out sounding like "ning", but he's beginning to tell us when he needs a diaper change. I'm thinking potty training may be in the near future!
-Drawing...Junior loves to draw (occasionally on my walls), and proudly announces that he's daww-eeee" (drawing).

The next step in Junior's progress will be continuing to strengthen his vocabulary. There are two types of vocabulary we're aiming to increase...receptive and expressive. Receptive vocabulary are the words and phrases he understands, and it comes along quicker than expressive language which are the words and phrases he can actually associate with something and say out loud. We're hoping his expressive language hits a major growth spurt soon, and that he starts stringing lots of words together to make sentences.

Besides his therapies, Junior has been enjoying a lot of time in the water this summer. We opted for a waterproof cochlear implant so he can hear while he's swimming, and he's definitely a water baby. He never wants to leave the pool, and yells "bahhhhh" when we're driving by the beach.

Stinker adores her little brother, and is very protective of him. They like to snuggle up on the couch and watch Frozen together. It's so heartwarming, and I'm so grateful to be at the point where I wouldn't change anything about Junior's challenges, since he's so perfect just the way God made him.

Have you read Junior's story?

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