Forward.

 Since we started ABA therapy on August 27, Gracie has made so many advancements. I am going to try to wrtie down some of them for posterity.
-She now communicates with some signs. She signs "more" and adds signs for what she wants to do.
She made up her own sign for "around"- she signs for bounce- jump- shoes- open- swing- . Plus she makes complex signs by using "more" with her other signs. She is getting good at telling us what she wants.
She points. This may not seem like a big thing but for autistic kids , it is huge.
She listens and waits for READY< SET< GO.
She goes down the GIANT SLIDE all by herself.
Her eye contact is wonderful. She is attending to projects for 15-20 minutes at times.
She is starting to mimic things that people do.
She is making a wide array of sounds. Uh, nah, mah, ng, nyah, mm, and is starting to apporoximate sounds with syllables.
She actually said MOM with the m on the end, twice.

This week, I was writing out a project that Joy and I did. She came over to the table and tried to take my pencil so I got her paper and crayons. I looked over and she was drawing semi-straight lines down the paper. I almost fell over. I had to get the phone and make a video of it and sent it out to her therapists. Again, this may not seem like a  big deal but for Grace it is huge. She normally makes circle scribbles but she sat down and made those deliberate motions ALL BY HERSELF.

 She is feeding herself. She really likes vanilla bean yogurt. She still has a texture problem but she is much more open to experimenting. She stuck her tongue out to LICK A COOKIE yesterday!!!!!
Grace has had great therapists since we started therapies. Now she has 4 great ladies that work with her during the week. 3 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the afternoon and the consultants that they work with. Each of these ladies ;Rachelle, Norma, Nina, Megin, Heather, and Melissa; they all have amazing patience and truly love to help Grace to learn. We are very grateful to have them to help Gracie on her long road.  I appreciate them EVERY day.

Making cookies with mom and Miss Nina

Back on her swing with Miss Megin

All this play is hard work.

Snuggling with mom.