Results of the "big meeting"...

We had the "important meeting" about USDB a few days ago. They were discussing all the changes they intend to make, starting next year. There were good points, and bad, some affect Miss Kat, some don't, but I have opinions about every single one!

The followers of this blog know that USD's program has two paths. There is an "Auditory-Oral" program and an "ASL-English" choice. Beginning in Early Intervention , USD will be providing services that are "language based". That means that a parent must choose one of these languages and USD will provide the services that will help the child learn that language. My concern is for children like Miss Kat (and Cal, whose parents were also at the meeting and seemed as frustrated as I was!) We want our daughter to have fluency in BOTH spoken English AND ASL. We are having trouble figuring out HOW to get the services Miss Kat needs to meet that goal.

We were told that if we want (any) ASL our only choice is to go to the voice-off ASL bi-bi school. I do not believe that this environment is appropriate for a spoken language learner, especially a new cochlear implant recipient.

The only way to learn a language is through exposure and immersion. The only way to learn ASL is to be around people who use ASL, be exposed to it, and to USE it! The same is true, but to an even greater extent, for spoken language with deaf children. A child who is learning to use a CI needs constant auditory input. They need to hear the language, internalize it, and then use it themselves. They NEED sound and spoken language for their brains to organize the input they get from their CI's.

So, how do we balance the two? How do we give our kids the opportunity to be the most successful they can with spoken language and their CI's but also give them a visual language, and make sure they have 100% access through that language?

I had a very long conversation with one of the top USD professionals (who will remain anonymous!) and asked for real advice for *our* situation. They said that there is really no good solution at USD right now. They admitted that the bi-bi school can not support spoken language in the way that we want it, and that the auditory-oral program can't support ASL either. That person agreed that our plan was really the only way to go (at least here and now).

Our plan is one language at a time. Miss Kat has a strong base in her first language, ASL, and now she is learning spoken English. For the next two years, we will be focusing on speech and listening. A CI user gets the majority of their benefit in the first three years, so, for three years, we are going to work and focus on spoken language. Later, we will return our focus to ASL. We will return Miss Kat to an ASL environment and as she ages, we will allow her the control over her language preferences.

I hope that other parents are choosing ASL and CI's in spite of the hardships. I hope that we are making the path easier for those who will be traveling behind Miss Kat!

Phrases I never thought my Deaf child would say

Lately Miss Kat has been picking up some new phrases. These are things that no one has taught her, but that she has nonetheless picked up and now says all the time!

1. "Good job!"- She says this CONSTANTLY! She seems to think that everyone around her needs congratulated for doing anything. I think she believes we are all incompetent.
2. "You're welcome"- She now demands that this is replied after every "thank you"
3. "Ho ho ho"- This one just popped up this week. I have no idea how she knew what Santa says.
4. "Gimme five"- She loves giving high fives, and she has started asking for them recently.
5. "Trick or Treat"- I talked about this in my Halloween post. It was a big surprise.
6. "See you later"- This one isn't perfected yet. It still comes out "See me later, you" sometimes.
7. "In a minute" or "In a sec"- Ah, she says this in order to delay doing whatever I or Daddy have asked her to do.
8. "Mother"- I have always been Mama, but in the last few weeks I have been called Mom and even Mother. I have no idea where that came from!
9. "Gary"- Gary, for those of you who don't know, for is the name of SpongeBob Squarepants' pet snail. I didn't even know his name until she told me (Hubby confirmed it) She also tells me about his buddy Patrick, but she has yet to mention Squidward. Maybe it is coming...

These are all things that Miss Kat has picked up from other kids, adults, and even the TV. She is overhearing language and then using it! I know she learning it this way because I wouldn't be caught dead teaching her about Gary! Nobody teaches "Give me five" in therapy. It is amazing.

I remember the first sign she learned at school. It was "cool". I knew she picked up at school because I never ever used that sign. She also picked up "WOW", "gross", "BOO", and something to the effect of "getting your head chopped off". They learn so many great things from their peers...

What is "deaf"?

I have been trying (unsuccessfully) to explain the term "deaf" to Miss Kat. We have run out of ideas.

1. Can't hear...(the simplest explanation)-NOT TRUE! She hears very well with her CI, and in her nonimplanted ear still has enough residual hearing to know that I am talking (can NOT even make out a word though!)
2. Wears hearing aids or CI- NOT TRUE! She knows PLENTY of unamplified Deaf kids and adults.
3. Uses ASL (I know I know, don't complain, I'm just trying to explain to a 5 year old!)- NOT TRUE! Mommy and Daddy use ASL, Teacher uses ASL, we are all hearing.

Ugh, any suggestions???

Three Billy Goats Gruff

Miss Kat brought home a "story board" with pictures. They had read the story of "Three Billy Goats Gruff" in class that day. She is retelling the story for all of us. (It is captioned for the signing impaired) Enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3hwN9hcTPo

New Language

I just wrote up a little list of Miss Kat's receptive words for her IEP. She now has 86 confirmed, receptive words. When I write down words, I am very cautious. I only count words that I have seen her understand in casual language (open set) and multiple time. I don't count guessing, or words that she gets only sometimes, or the ones we use in her closed set therapy sessions.

So, pre-implant she had 38. (See http://misskatsmom.blogspot.com/2008/10/miss-kats-spoken-language.html) Today her total is 88!!!! That is almost 50 words in two months!!!!!

Unbelievable!

Reading Together

Today we had speech again. Miss Kat is doing ridiculously well. Each session the therapist makes things more difficult, and each time Miss Kat does perfectly. She acts like she has been doing this for years and that it isn't even a challenge!

Today's auditory discrimination was "boo", "bee", "bow", and "bye". Miss Kat had no trouble at all. She didn't talk very much, but she understood very well. She is also OBSESSED with covering her mouth when she responds. Argh, I don't know what to do about that. It is frustrating, because she uses whatever she can find to use, sometimes even just pressing her hand against her mouth. So the result is that you can't hear or understand what she is saying! But on the other hand, I don't blame her for wanting to cover her mouth, everyone around her is always doing it!

Our newest adventure together is reading orally. 6 months ago, Miss Kat would throw a royal fit if you even attempted to use your voice when reading a book. Daddy and I would try tons of different ways; one person reads the book aloud and the other one signs ASL, Sim-Com, signing and then reading the words....she hated all of them. But in the last two weeks, Miss Kat is letting us read the books VOICE ONLY! (We still have ASL time too) I don't know if this means she is understanding enough to follow the books, or maybe she just likes the stimulation, I don't know, and I don't care as long as she keeps it up! This week we read 4 dinosaur books, "The Giving Tree", and an "Olivia" book, all voice only.

Wow is all I can say. I really never believed she would get to the point where she could rely on spoken language alone. I always assumed she would need the ASL support. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to drop the signs, but she is already able to follow simple sentences, it is amazing! I thought that she would learn to understand some common phrases, but I never thought she would freely converse in speech....I think I might have been wrong! We always said that all we wanted from the CI was for her to be able to hear us call her name, for safety and convenience (so she would turn and look and we could sign to her) and we knew with the progressive loss we would eventually lose that. That is why we implanted her, and anything on top of that was just bonus. We want Miss Kat to continue with ASL because she will still need it. When she is older and in big classes or meetings or whatever, we want her to be able to still use an interpreter well, but it is looking like Miss Kat could become oral.....I really never thought I would say that! Her AV therapist would say things like that, and "I never aim low with a CI" and I kind of thought she was crazy, but look who was right! I remember the first few sessions of AVT and the frustration of thinking about having to sit in therapy and try to teach every single word in the English language, and feeling so overwhelmed. I thought it was impossible (and THAT is!) but now I see that Miss Kat is going to actually be able to learn words from just hearing me talk, from a book I read, and from everyday life. We don't have to teach her, she will HEAR it and UNDERSTAND!

(On a separate note, Miss Kat wanted to know why Mommy kept crying during "The Giving Tree" and all I could come up with was "Mommy is like the tree and you are like the boy. Mommy wants you to be happy always". She'll understand someday!)

Listening Ladder

In therapy and at home we use the Advanced Bionics "Listening Ladder" to work on auditory discrimination. (http://www.hearingjourney.com/Listening_Room/Kids/Listening_Ladder/index.cfm?langid=1)
A few days ago I decided to try something new. I started adding a word that wasn't part of the closed set. I would throw in something like "banana", that wasn't a choice. Miss Kat would SCREAM (and sign) "NO! Don't have banana!". She loved it! And she was hearing for comprehension! She understood the words, listening only!

Today Miss Kat graduated from level 3 to level 4! She had been on level 3 since about two weeks after activation, but tonight she was doing the hardest words and doing it perfectly, so I decided to try it. It seems like a really huge jump. In level 3, she was discriminating "window" from "hot dog" and "scissors" from "snowman". In level 4, it is "pea" from "pie", "pen" and "pool".

It took her a few tries to hear the difference, but she got it. I am so proud of her. Two weeks ago I wouldn't have believed she would be able to do this for months. I guess she is the kind of kid who jumps!

Go fish

We start back up at AVT today. I am very excited. Miss Kat is doing well, and I believe this is a very critical time for her. I think that if she gets the right services and follow up, her spoken language is going to take off. She is ready, I'm sure of it!

We still haven't figured out exactly what we want for Miss Kat's placement and IEP. I have asked the coordinator from the oral program to attend, and I told our principal to make sure that people who can make decisions will be there. I don't want to hear "We don't have the authority to approve that." I told them that we need to discuss having a "voicing interpreter" or maybe a split placement. Maybe Miss Kat could attend her bi-bi school in the mornings and the oral program in the afternoons. We haven't figured out the perfect solution yet, but I am sure we will.

So, now to the reason for the post today. Miss Kat learned how to play "Go Fish" last night. She had a really good time. She received some cards from Santa in her stocking. They were numbered 1-9 and they had Disney characters on them. So, we explained the rules to Miss Kat and did a few practice hands. She picked up on the game really fast. When we were sure she understood, we stopped signing. Miss Kat did wonderfully! She was able to understand all the numbers we were asking for, and she voiced for herself (she always signs too) and we played probably 8 hands like that. She is so amazing! When did she learn this stuff???

Miss Kat's Pre-Op Spoken Language

Receptive No! Katrina Daddy Mama Ball Shoes Thank you Meow Baby Cookie Hamburger Hot dog Ice cream cone Airplane Uh-oh Ouch I love you Garbage Mouse Monkey Movie More Ready Fish Finished Horse Red Blue Yellow Green Orange Purple Cat Doggy Candy Cheese Off Apple

Expressive Oh NO! You Mine Baby Ball Daddy Mama Doggie More Movie Monkey Red Blue Green Yellow Orange Brown One Two Ready Wow Ice cream Shoes Me Cow Poop Help me Thank you Meow Cookie Candy Owie Apple Mad Birthday