Eating with utensils

As I said in my previous post, teaching self-feeding to my son was very hard for me. It is good to know I am not the only one. I was talking to other mom and she is struggling with helping her son with self-feeding. I also mentioned that Tommy was doing really good with fork feeding, he just was needing little help. Well, he ate most of his dessert with the fork today. I am amazed because we didn't struggle so much with fork feeding.

He is doing spoon feeding really good and drinking from an open cup, but he just do it for mommy and daddy. He doesn't do it for other people who help us to baby sitting him. My husband think he is showing off, which it is very usual on Tommy. I also think he is taking control of the situation, which had happened before. Tommy still spill some food on his cloth, but I have checked some online forums for moms and there are typical peers, the same age of Tommy, who still are spilling food.

I enjoy the videos of Tommy eating with utensils
We are very proud of our boy!

Spoon-feeding

Fork-feeding

Drinking from an open cup

My toddler with a teenager spirit

I cut my 2 year old trying to scape! I heard the keys at the door. When I looked at it, Tommy was at the door trying to open it with the keys. He has been so focused on open the door and I guess he thought that with the keys it would be easier. Open a door knob gives toddler wrist control, which is an important fine motor milestone and a pre-skill for hand writing. He is turning the door knob half way through. Our goal is that he can open the door when he is 2 1/2. While parents of typical peers, around the same age my son, are buying locks for the door knobs; I am encouraging my son to open the door. When he is able to open the door, I will buy the locks for the door knobs. Life it is ironic! But I accept it and enjoy it as it is. I love the way Tommy has a teenager spirit, very independent! Hopefully, his independent personality won't get him in trouble when he become a teenager.

Tommy's thoughts:
I am all set! I open the door and take the car.

Enjoy the video of my little rascal

Tommy's favorite flatware

Self-feeding is a very important skill to master for toddlers because it's the express way to independence. For kids with Hypotonia (low muscle tone), self-feeding is a process that requires a lot of patient and perseverance from parents and kids. In my personal experience, it has been one of the most hardest skills for me and my son to master. I have struggled with it because of the mess and my cultural background. In Panama, we don't let babies to eat with their hands and toddlers don't eat with utensil until they are about 3 years old. So, Panamanian moms don't go through a training process because the kids at age of 3 are mature enough with the gross motor skills necessaries to naturally eat with utensils. But in my son's case I had to chose the American way because self-feeding is a good way to strength the fine muscles and get wrist control, which are important pre-skills for hand-writing.

In the process, it has been tears. Tommy used to try so hard to get the food on the spoon and he used to make sure he was doing it right, but when he raised the spoon the food felt, so he used to get so frustrated that he badly cried . Of course, I couldn't resist and I cried, too. Because I knew how hard he was trying and he knew what to do, but his muscle didn't respond in the way they should.

I tried the best I could to help him to accomplish this milestone. I read the book Feeding and Nutrition for the Child with Special Needs by Marsha Dunn Klein and Tracy A. Delaney. It was very helpful in the process. I got many spoons I could to find the one he could feel comfortable with. I spent money finding the right spoon for him, but I always had the right spoons with me without knowing it. It was the spoon that my mom used with my sister and me when we where little. He was giving up in the process because of the frustration until I gave him this spoon to eat this weekend. Then, it happened; he is eating all his meals with spoon. After seeing he is eating comfortable with spoon, I offered him a medium size spoon from our Oneida flatware following the advise of my sister-in-law and he is eating even better with it. I have learned a lesson, before going crazy buying too many things I should look around the house and work with sources I already have.




During the process of eating with utensils, I noticed Tommy has done two things different of what I read. First, mastering self-feeding with a fork is harder than with the spoon, but for Tommy was the opposite. He is doing really good with fork feeding, he just need little help; so, by the coming weeks he may be eating with the fork without help, too. Second, the spoon with short handles are easy to start; but, for Tommy medium size spoons work better and he holds the spoon at the end of the handle and not close to the bowl. So, I have learned there are always exceptions and I shouldn't rule out any possibility to help my son; even although, it goes against the experts.

Enjoy the video of my big boy
eating with spoon

To read, or not to read

According to Up-for reading, "Children with Down syndrome learn to read in the same way as typically developing children. They build on their good visual memory skills but find it more difficult to use phonics. In other words, they benefit from learning to read through a 'whole-word' learning strategy to start with, bringing in phonics knowledge at a later date."

I knew about how beneficial is to teach a child with Trisomy 21 to read at a very young age. So, I started to teach my son sight reading since he was about 18 months. I did my best, but after a while I got too many things to handle at work, therapies, house and family that I slowly left sight reading on the side. But I did because our new Speech Therapist is using an amazing program that is helping my son to talk and it is based on sight reading. But I still felt the guilt that I wasn't helping my son enough.

Teaching sight reading to my son is hard because I am doing it on my own. I was thinking today to completely quit sight reading. But this evening, I found the sight word cards I made a while ago and I showed to Tommy. Guess What? He read his first sight word in Spanish this evening. After this, I was checking my mail and I got a letter from our local Down Syndrome Association inviting me to a reading program for toddler with Trisomy 21. Causality or destiny, it is very clear to me; I should continue because it is the best for my son. Things happens for a reason! It may be God telling me: "I am here to help you and here it is the help you need."

Enjoy the video of Tommy reading

his first word in Spanish

Pre-scissors Skills

Fine motor skills secure an independent living. If we stop for one second and think: Why do I do without using my hands? We inmideatly know the answer. We do pretty much everything with our hands. Being proactive is the best way I have chosen to secure my son's independent living when he becomes an adult. Because of the Hypotonia (low muscle tone), we know he may struggle with some tasks for pre-schoolers such as, cutting with scissors. Therefore, we are currently working on Pre-scissors Skills to strengthen his fine muscles. We have set a new goal for Tommy, we would like him to cut with scissor by the age of three.

According to Karey Fleming, Occupational Therapist and founder of

Fine Motor Skills For Children, the Hand Skills Required to use Scissors are:

1. Open web space...
2. Hand separation (the right and left sides of the hand can function separately meaning they can do different things at the same time such as in writing, the left side of the hand and last 2 fingers are tucked away while the right side of the hand complete the task.
3. Bilateral hand use (use of 2 hands together)

We have classify some toys for our son, thinking in the pre-scissors skills based on Open Web, Hand Separation and Bilateral Hand Usage.

Toys for working on Open Web

• Light-Up Glitter Water Ball. This is a heavy ball that adds pressure to the joins.
• Different sizes balls
• Different tongs sizes
• Bulb crayons by Alex Toys
• Knob bushes by Chenille Kraft Company
• Magnetic Chalkboard/Dry-Erase Board by Melissa & Dog

Toys for hand Separation

• Rice sensory box (Home made toy)
• Sand toys
• Home made playdogh
• Hand paint (Use chocolate pudding or foam soap)

Toys for Bilateral Hand Usage

• Mommy and Baby Penguins Pull & Go toy by Tomy China
• Soft "peel-able" fruits and veggies by iPlay
• Wooden bottles by Melissa & Dog
• Saxoflute by Quercetti
• Catch the fish puzzle by Circo
• Bubble Tumbler by Little Kid
• Botton Nose cloth-book by Nina Laden
• Wooden Stringing Set by Alex Toys

We got already his first scissor just to be ready for the momemnt his muscle will be ready to snip a piece of paper for the first time.

To download a free handout about Pre-scissors Skills, go to www.finemotorskillsdevelopment.com.

It is very helpful website that offers online classes (webinars)

for parents, therapist, or any person interested in fine motor skills.

Tommy's Summer beverage

Tommy doesn't like to drink plain water,

it has to be mix with juice or have flavor.

It makes things harder when we eat out.

But we found the perfect summer beverage

when we eat out with Tommy, LEMONADE.

He drank the whole lemonade cup non-stop

in our way home yesterday.

Picture by a paparazzi on the side of the car

(His mommy)

Picture by a paparazzi on front of the car

(His daddy)

My little rascal

My little rascal was too quiet yesterday evening, so I went to check on him and he took the vent lid out, then he was trying to put it back. I love this little moments in his life because it is just him being a child.

A pretty Boy

When people meet Tommy for the first time, the first thing they say is: "What a beautiful hair!" It is true! It is in his genes, Trisomy 21 couldn't change that. My husband and I used to have a beautiful hair when we were kids. My hair was deep black and very shinny. My husband's hair was blond and very shinny, too. Tommy's hair is just incredible beautiful. It is a beautiful brown color, very shinny and smooth like the silk.

Tommy is so much focused on self-care skills since last May that we are giving him the opportunity to do it as he thinks: I can do it all by himself! Tommy is now showing interest for his physical appearance. He likes to brush his hair in front of the mirror. So, I bought his first hair brush to groom his hair all by himself and he doesn't have to use mine anymore. This is a good way to teach him good health habits, while he learns to keep his hair beautiful, clean and shinny.

"Especially designed for basic everyday brushing of fine or thin hair, the Wood Club Brush also helps give any style a professional finish. Its blend of natural boar bristles and nylon tufts evenly distributes the scalp's natural oils to enhance hair's own shine, and to control and lift hair for added volume. Wood Club Brush - For basic, everyday brushing of fine or thin hair."

Video of my pretty boy

"A good looking...boy, not necessarily built. Usually has a naturally

clean cut appearance, dresses well (mainly prep gear), and

is very aware of his hair, skin, etc. Constantly looks in the mirror

to look perfect from head to toe..."

~Urban Dictionary

"Let's pretend" (Part 2)

In my last post about Dress-up, I didn't have a video of Tommy playing dress-up. But during the weekend I could capture him with my video camera playing dress-up in front of the mirror. Dress-up has became part of his play time in a natural way without therapies, one more thing he has done on his own. When Tommy looks straight to my eyes I can hear his soul telling me "Mommy believe in me."

The art of blowing (Part 2)

In our last post about our Art of Blowing, I showed how my son learned to blow bubbles with mouthpiece bubble blowers at 16 month old, even although he has hypotonia (Low muscle tone). Currently, he has gotten the hang of blowing into those simple, circular bubble wands. He is able to blow more complex blowing objects at his 28 month. The blowing objects we added to our art of blowing are: saxoflute, Kazoos, bubble blower and bubble tumbler.

Saxoflute

My mom got this toy for Tommy's 2nd. Birthday. It is a great addition to our play therapy because it combines Eye-hand coordination, building and blowing. Tommy is able to connect up to 4 parts of the saxoflute; and after, he finishes it, he blows it.

"The Saxoflute Toy is the “building” set that comes with 15 unbreakable ABS pieces that kids can put together in many ways to make a totally tubular saxophone! This set includes a special mouthpiece, trumpet end piece, and twisting tubes to create an instrument as unique as the music."

Kazoo
The kazoo is a classic musical instrument that has been used in speech therapist for many years. The best way to teach how to blow a Kazoo is teaching the child the refreshing sound (remember the old Pepsi commercial Aaaahhhh) or the "H" sound for English (the "J" sound for Spanish). As soon the child masters one of these sounds, he or she is ready to blow the kazoo.

Bubble Monkeys Bath Toy by Munchkin

Tommy and I pretend blowing bubbles in the the bathtub. He has gotten the idea of blowing by putting the blower close to his mouth, but his lips muscles need to get stronger to get a complete rounded shape. The most his blows the stronger his lips get.

No-Spill® Bubble Tumbler Minis® by Little Kids

This bubble tumbler is small enough for little hands to hold the tumbler while the kids deep the wand in the soupy solution to make hundreds of bubbles. It is a great toy for eye-hand coordination while the kids have fun trying to make bubbles. Our OT put Tommy to blow through an small wand during her last visit and he was he was able to blow one tiny bubble through a small wand. So, we gave it a try this weekend and he blowed a few bubbles during the first try.

Our art of blowing has been fun! But the most important, it has been through play time without effort. Tommy will graduate from the art of blowing soon. He will graduate when he deeps the wand in the tumbler and blows hundreds of bubbles. I will be ready with my video camera to share it with you when it happens.

An True American Hero

When I think in the future of the United States of America, I think in the children including my son, who has a genetic disorder. As today we celebrate the Independence Day of this wonderful country, we also celebrate the Independence of our son, who with a genetic disorder has accomplished many milestones and it is doing many things as a toddler; even although, he doesn't walk yet. But the best of all, he is has a very independent personality as any other two year old.

He impresses people around him when they discover this little guy who has an extra chromosome is able to wash his hands, brush his teeth, help with dressing and undressing, match objects by picture, recognizing the primary colors, say the short sound for the alphabet, play with flash cards, do small chores at home and so on. He is a good learner regardless his genetic condition. He is a very healthy child regardless the syndrome. His growth chart is excellent regardless the hypothyroidism. A kid with a genetic disorder has to try harder than his typical peers, but our little boy doesn't give up even though he can not take his gross motor skills for granted. Even he has a genetic condition that affects his body, it doesn't affect his soul because he keeps amazing people around him for every accomplishment he has done. For this an more, he is a true American hero!

Even although I am not an American citizen yet, I love this country as mine. To show my respect and gratitude to this country, I inculcate to my son love for this country and respect for freedom regardless the syndrome.

"I have learned this, at least, from my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."

~Herry David Thoreau, Walder, 1854

That American dream of a better, richer, and happier life for all our citizens of every rank, which is the greatest contribution we have made to the thought and welfare of the world. That dream or hope has been present from the start. Ever since we became an independent nation, each generation has seen an uprising of ordinary Americans to save that dream from the forces which appeared to be overwhelming it.

~James Truslow Adams

Video of Tommy's tribute to his motherland,

The United States of America.

My son is saving the American Dream in every

common hour of his life.

Happy Independence Day!

"Let's pretend"

"For those who played make-believe as a child,

consider yourself lucky. According to Laura Berk,

the visiting psychology lecturer from Illinois State University,

children who play make-believe are better

and more prepared for the academic and social world."

Click here to read the complete article.

"Pretend play also promotes abstract thinking.

The ability to use a prop (such as a block) as a symbol for

something else (such as a phone) is a high-level thinking skill.

Eventually it will enable your child to recognize that

numbers represent quantities of things, and that combinations

of letters represent the words she speaks, hears, and reads."

Click here to read the complete article.

When one think about dress-up play, one imagine toddlers jumping and running dressing funny outfits. Raising my child with T21 has let me be witness that dress-up play can be a fun time for a child who has gross motor difficulties because of a genetic condition. We are supporting every single aspect of our son's development by giving him the opportunity of enjoying life as any other child; therefore, make-believe play is important for his cognitive skills.

My 28 month old boy plays dress-up regardless his level of gross motor skills. He is in the first stage of dress-up play. We have created a little area for him for dress-up play. We put a mirror with a little box with two hats, party bead necklace, sunglasses, an old t-shirt, a doll and a dress-up bear. My son favorite dress-up items are the hats, party bead necklaces and sunglasses. He likes to see at him-self in the mirror when he is wearing the hats. He moves the hats around his head and look at both sides to make sure he looks good. He likes to wear the sunglasses and crawl around while he point at them, it is his way to show them to me. I love to look at his face when he is wearing his sunglasses because he looks at me like an older guy, as shown in the photo below.

He has invited his plush animal "El Tucán" to play dress-up with him.

He put the party bead neckless around the toucan.

Creating a dress-up box for girls it is easier than for boys. I am currently looking for new items and costumes, I can adjust to my child gross motor skills while he can continue strengthening his make-believe play skills. It is becoming a very fun project for me. I will post a second article talking about what Items one can include in a dress-up play box for boys.

Related articles: Tommy's pretend play skills and Tommy "The Boxer"