latest mapping

Kevin had his latest mapping appointments last Wednesday and Thursday. We split the appointment up into 2 days (one day for each ear) just to make it easier on Kevin. Sitting still for 3 hours and concentrating the entire time just doesn't do it for him! It works out so much nicer to only map one ear each day. He did awesome! He was consistently hearing across the board between 15-20db on each ear. The higher frequencies jumped to 25db, but with the new mapping, hopefully those will go down too. We didn't do a hearing test with both ears due to my wiggly boy, but we can assume it would be better than the individual ear tests. The great news is that Kevin's ears have stabilized enough to have the next mapping session 6 months out. We have been going every 3 months, but now we can start going every 6 months. I feel like Kevin is getting to be one of those 'older kids' that I always looked to when we went to the implant center. I used to be the parent with confusion on my face, fear in my eyes, and a little baby struggling to keep his implants on. Now, Kevin walks in the office like he owns it, talks non-stop to the audi and the staff there, and I feel so much more at peace with everything. I love being on this side of things! If anyone is reading this blog who is just starting their journey.... you will be at this place before you know it! Trust me!!!

Anyway, Kevin continues to do great! He said a 10 word sentence tonight. 'Teacher stop reading her book, so we go in class now?' He was referring to his gymnastics teacher who was reading a paper before his class started. He said this immediately after she put the paper down. Nothing gets by this kid anymore!!!

Baseball

Tonight, Kevin said baseball! He has been omitting his initial and mid-word 's' sound for a while, and we have been working with him on saying them. He can get them if he really works at it. For some reason, the ending 's' sound comes much more naturally to him. He is even saying some plurals.

Well, tonight he was looking at a baseball and he kept calling it a bay-ball. I worked with him to get him to say bay-s-ball and finally he was able to say baseball so perfectly well! It flows off of his tongue very naturally now! Hooray! Maybe this will be a start of the 's' sounds...! Let's hope every 's' word doesn't take as much work... but at least he is starting to say them!

It is very fun conversing with him now. I understand him most of the time and he is a little chatterbox! He has a lot to say and he uses full sentences to speak. He is turning into a big boy right in front of me!

banana

I haven't posted in a while, but things are going well these days. Each day, Kevin's clarity seems to be improving. He has started some patterns of omitting initial or final sounds, but even that is getting better. Today, we were looking at a book and he saw a picture of a banana and said the word as clear as day! He didn't say 'nana' or 'bana' or anything else he was previously saying, he said 'BANANA'. I made him repeat it about 10 times! To me, this means that his tongue is really starting to work in his mouth. I am very encouraged by this.

Now, if we can only get those 's' sounds when he talks in sentences!!! That will be our next breakthrough..... :)