Maelyn had her cleft palate repaired last November and since then, has been making huge strides with both her speech and her eating/swallowing issues.
Maelyn attends speech therapy on a bi-weekly basis and it has helped tremendously. We are given a series of exercises to work on and the difference in her speech every time she goes to speech therapy is quite noticeable. Right now, since Paul is on leave, he takes her to all of her appointments and follows up with most of her speech exercises.
Coincidentally, the woman who works with Maelyn during her speech therapy sessions also specializes in eating and swallowing issues. She has been able to work with Maelyn on some of the issues that haven't improved since her surgery. Maelyn compensated so well for her open palate that she has some 'bad habits' to break, now that her palate is repaired. These habits, however, are the compensating skills that helped our little girl to eat and survive when she was little.
We had a HUGE breakthrough about two weeks ago. Paul and I had been working on helping Maelyn blow bubbles using a straw -- she became quite the expert, blowing bubbles in her cup, too! The one thing we just hadn't been able to help her overcome was her inability to suck -- which makes using a straw impossible.
Paul helped Maelyn practise this skill by holding a spoon filled with things such as milk or yogourt up to her lips and modelled how to suck it off the spoon. All of sudden, she started doing it!! Paul immediately grabbed a thick straw and put it into her cereal bowl -- and she figured it out!
Maelyn can use a straw!! Woohoo!! No more sippy cups without valves (and all the spills that accompany such a cup). No more frustration on her part when she sees other kids drinking out of juice boxes and she just couldn't do it.
Way to go, Maelyn!! We are so proud of you!
Okay -- way to go, Daddy, too! I am proud of you!
1 comment:
Woohoo Maelyn (and daddy!) - great work!!!!
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