EK's progress in January

It seems like EK hasn't been talking for a LONG time now. Sometimes I wonder if she never did. You know when the memory grows fainter and fainter and you question whether the event really happened or if it was a dream? I just looked through some old posts to see about the time that she stopped talking and it was in October...over 3 months ago! I wish I knew why she isn't talking! I just don't understand why she did talk some (a lot of echolalia: repeating what we said, but I'd even take that now.) and now she doesn't. Does she still have the ability to talk? Does she just not want to talk? Such a mystery. I guess if we knew why, it'd be an easy fix.

So, for those who want to know specifically how to pray for us, please pray that the Lord would allow her to talk/communicate soon. It doesn't even have to be verbally. I'd take sign language right now. I hate to be impatient with the Lord. I know his timing is perfect, but as a mother, I just want to hear my baby tell me what she needs and wants.

EK has improved in other areas though and I need to remind myself to focus on those things. She's still working on fine motor tasks such as stringing beads, pegs in a pegboard, 3 piece puzzle, ring stacker, shape sorter, coins in a bank, etc. It used to be that we handed her each piece, but last week her ABA therapist tried to get her to pick the pieces off the floor or table (wherever she was working). That transition didn't go so well, so I made sure we worked on it this weekend. I'm hoping tomorrow's session has less protesting. ;)

Since Christmas break, she has been willing to hold crayons and markers to color. I'm not sure why this change occured, but it's a big praise! Lots of her papers come home now with an "I" to tell me that it was done independently. YEAH!

Her teacher also tells me that she's participating more and more at group time. Obviously she's not talking much, but she'd doing some gestures when singing songs and helping the teacher with calendar.

She really enjoys Fridays when her 4th grade buddy comes to visit her. Usually they read books together. So cute! :)

Most of you probably saw my recent posts about her beginning to say "hi" and "bye" with a wave. That has been a great improvement. In fact, this morning after church, we were greeting people as they left and she waved to several different people. (Some that she's never seen before.)

Here's a little story that gives me hope that she will talk someday (and that there's a lot going on in her brain).

Her teacher was getting the kids ready to go home on Thursday. She had EK's folder in her hand and EK told her "backpack". It surprised her teacher because it was out of the blue. EK knows that the folder goes in her backpack! :)