Art & Sight words

Yesterday we sat in the floor and colored on coffee filters with markers. No rules, just being creative and watching how the marker ink soaks into the filters. Taking off and putting on the marker lids is also good fine motor practice (as well as writing and drawing), though it is a difficult task as Emma's tremors progress and Alex's hands and fingers draw up more and more.

As I was helping Alex put a lid back on a marker, Emma took it upon herself to paint her fingernails with her marker.


Here were our finished products.


We also spent some time yesterday making flash cards. Instead of taking the typical approach to sight words (learning basics like 'it' 'the' etc), I decided that familiar objects would be more functional knowledge for them. As I said before, they can identify 'Alex', 'Emma', 'Mommy', 'Daddy', 'Harris'. So, we made cards with the names of family and a few basic things they like.
We were supposed to have a play date this morning, but had to reschedule for Friday, so instead we did more school work. I used the chalkboard on the playroom wall to display the names and we cut out pictures of (almost) everybody and put them above each card. That way they can see the object or person and the word together. We will just keep going over these things dad after day in the hopes that some of them will stick. As I have learned (and the developmental psychologist confirmed last year), repetition is the key for our girls. She explained that due to the nature of things we may go over and over something and one of three things will happen... one, they will get it and keep it... two, they will get it and lose it... three, they will never really get it. Because learning is so difficult, it is important for us to focus on things that will be most useful and functional for the girls, now and in the future.

One last thing. Yesterday I went to speech therapy with Alex and we met with a therapist that specializes in augmentative devices. That is, devices that will speak for her when she is no longer able (or even now when it isn't always clear what she is saying). After trying several things, we settled on a device that looks something like a cross between an iPad and a laptop. It has a touch screen and can be programmed (and reprogrammed) to the needs of the child... however basic or advanced is needed/desired. The possibilities with this device are really unlimited and it should last as long as the girls need it, since we can modify as needed. We will get a special attachment for the wheel chair so that Alex can easily access it, but it can be removed and held in her lap or on a table if so needed. She just touches the emblem she desires and the computer will say it for her. Really, very cool.
In all of this work (that they have been doing all summer) we have also decided to go ahead with the process for Emma also. She seems to be running only about 6 months behind Alex in the progression of many things, so we want to be prepared. It is a lot like the process of getting a wheel chair, with lots of paper work and red tape for insurance to approve it, all before it can be ordered. We expect they will get them around Christmas time.