Progress Update, May 2007
Rosie builds a tower out of bricks
In March this year, we went back to America for Rosie's second year of treatment with the Growing Minds team. We were also lucky enough to take her swimming with dolphins, which was amazing, for us and her. Click here to see Rosie and some dolphins..
At the Growing Minds facility, it was such a different experience this time. After one year on the program, Rosie was sitting at the table and responding to requests. I reflected on our previous trip, when the first miracle occurred: she requested some avocado by sliding a picture card or PEC ('Picture Exchange Communication' system) across the table. It was such a breakthrough for her.
This year she could say 'avocado' as well as many other words she has learned in last year. She can also request a desired item using PECs, build towers out of wooden blocks, match objects and respond to instructions.
She can now sit at the table with a huge smile on her face, clap at her own achievements and say 'I did it!'.
Rosie, thoughtful
Since returning from America, Rosie has begun to demonstrate the ability to read through identification. If I present her with two cards, one saying 'Rosie' and the other saying 'Grandad', and I ask her to touch the one which says 'Rosie' - she will. What an amazing discovery! One day, she ran to the door and picked up a card that said 'open it'. She read the card out loud, and said 'I'm reading'.
As we go through the term, Rosie is developing her fine motor skills, and can now put pegs in the peg board, and play Connect 4. She is getting more organised and responsive all the time.