my little genius

A few weeks ago I posted about how Maya was working with her speech therapist on matching pictures to a picture board.  This last week I decided to take out the See and Learn Language and Reading materials that I purchased a while back.  By the way this is all free to download from their website. How cool is that!

I could make up some excuse about how busy I am or how I thought Maya was not quite ready for this activity, but I really have no excuse except my laziness.  Maya has over 100 signs, she has been working with flash cards for a long time and she loves reading/looking at books.  I know these are all parts of the foundation in learning to read.

So on Friday I took out the 50 sight/picture cards from the first word pictures, packet.  A photo of an object is on one side and the word is on the other side (IE: spoon, apple, cup, brush...etc.).  As I handed the cards to her she started to sign the word without me even saying a thing.  She automatically told me what was on the card.  This is actually one of the first activities you can to do with the cards. It was as if she knew what was coming.

Next I took out the 15 picture boards from the packet.  Quickly I placed the first board on the floor.  I handed Maya the little picture card so she could match it to one of the four photos on the board.  I have to tell you that I was so freaking impressed with my daughter.  Wow!  First off she was matching the picture card with the boards faster than I could find the next card, she did all of them and only missed two, and she even signed the word to me as I handed them to her.  

In more ways than one, this exercise blew me away.  I was so proud of her work but at the same time it made me wonder, "Do I not give her enough credit?".  Because she isn't speaking maybe I forget that Maya knows so much more than she can communicate.  She CAN understand these kind of tasks.  Just because she isn't talking doesn't mean she can't put two and two together.  I tell her everyday how she is smart...and now I have to tell myself that too.  She is capable of learning just like everyone else, she just needs it to be shown to her in a different way than most.  

Now more than ever she seems thirsty to learn and ready to try anything new.  My job is to challenge her more so she can excel.  Next we will work on the second packet, first written words.  I can't wait to start and tell you all about it.

matching action images

moms and photographer giveaway....

here's a chance to win a free membership at chickinmoms, thanks bethany @ life with bubba, chicky and nika, for the opportunity and the info on the site...it seems like a wonderful community to join.

31 for 21, Day 26: vitamins

i found this site with the help of some other mothers on our ds network. i thought i would share it in case others are looking for similar vitamins. we started maya on the Nutrivene-D Advanced Antioxidant Daily Supplement formula and DHA liquid a few months ago. so far things seem to be going well.

there is more info at this site about other vitamins they

recommend including zinc, vitamin d and probiotics. i like the fact that they specialize in nutritional needs for children with special needs.

Nutrivene-d

http://nutrivene.com/

here's an interesting article from Dr. Leichtman where he discusses the use of particular supplements in people with down syndrome.

Targeted Nutritional Intervention (TNI)

31 for 21, Day 20: see and learn

i found a website that seems like a wonderful resource for teaching reading to children with down syndrome. one of our down syndrome groups here hosted a flash card making workshop several months back. in the session they mentioned the techniques taught here.

i don't have much experience with teaching reading to children in general so this website really seems like a gem. the see and learning webpage is associated to the down syndrome education organization (downsed). this nonprofit does amazing research to improve education for children with down syndrome.

from what i have learned, children with down syndrome (and many typical kids like myself) learn better through visual activities. the See and Learn Language and Reading website gives a step by step guide on how to play and teach using flash cards.

they even provide the flash cards free. you can download the entire document and print it up yourself at home or you can purchase the kit at their online store. i like the idea of making my own flash cards eventually but this seems like a good foundation to start with. i can't wait to get started!

31 for 21, Day 16: dance your dreams!

a friend of mine through facebook posted a link to this place a while ago. i wanted to write about it and share the info because it seems like a wonderful program. "Dance Your Dreams! is a dance program that provides dance education to children who cannot participate in mainstream dance education due to physical, mental or emotional disabilities."

maya loves dancing and music and i could totally imagine her participating in a class like this if it was offered here. i love the idea that there is a place where children with physical disabilities can go and be free to express themselves in their own way. as much as i believe that maya should be a part of the typical society and activities, i also believe that she should interact with her special needs peers. i think there is a balance to being in both worlds in a way. i'm new to this part of the journey since maya is not in school yet. the only experiences i have right now are in community center classes with only typical children. it would be wonderful if there was something like this offered in our community.

speech article from down syndrome online

i found this site while looking for articles on how learning a foreign language might effect a person with down syndrome.

Speech, language and communication for individuals with Down Syndrome - An overview

this site has tons of information including articles and mailing lists. it seems like a wonderful resource.