Aiya is now 18 months old and everyday we’re grateful that she is making great progress and doing so well against the original diagnosis we were given.
Aiya’s communication skills have really come along over the past 3 months, she is now babbling away and has learnt that when she makes a ‘wah wah’ sound by tapping her hand over her mouth she can get our attention. This is very cute and I am so proud that she has made this connection, to take her first significant developmental step in her ability to communicate with us and display positive signs of social behaviour. She also uses this method of communication at 2 in the morning to get my attention so she can be moved from the cot in to my bed. She gets louder and louder until I surrender and move her in, always looking so pleased with herself that she’s won.
We are still working on turn taking, which involves leaving a pause when talking to Aiya as if it’s her turn to reply. For Aiya’s part, if she uses her voice, makes mouth movements, moves her arms and legs or changes her facial expression, it is seen as her replying to being talked to and as such, an early form of conversation emerging. Aiya has started to make mouth movements but this is still an area we have to work hard at to help her understand conversational communication.
Aiya’s physical development is progressing slowly and as her core strengthens she has a lot more trunk control than she had a few months ago. She is wriggling around when placed on her back and when no one’s watching it seems, will roll over. She will only do this when she wants to reach for a mobile phone – how is it that no matter what a child’s ability, a mobile phone seems to a motivating force. Her leap and hand eye co-ordination is amazingly quick when she wants to get her hands on an iPhone!
Before Aiya was born we were told, that if by some chance she could breathe on her own she would most probably not have basic cognitive functions, nor a great quality of life. When we left the hospital with her at 4 weeks old they thought she would have limited vision and hearing and the spasticity in all four limbs would mean she may never have full use of her arms or her legs. Every day she reminds me how blessed we are, to have faith and that no one can predict the future or outcome of someone’s fate, even if all the odds are stacked against them.
Project Aiya 