We have some fun pictures in this update including one of Belle with her extremely loving brother and sister. You can also see Belle enjoying her veggie straws at therapy (notice her food placement on her side molars) and having fun with some Play-Doh.  

Our family's schedule has been quite busy lately, so I try my best to get in one full session of oral motor therapy in each day. We will be able to pick back up another session as our daily routine gets back to normal next month. Belle continues to drink very well from her straws and purple Recessed Lid Talk Tools cup.

Thankfully, Belle really enjoys being vocal. She now says 27 words voluntarily that I am able to understand. And within the last week, she even put two words/signs together including "more drink" and "eat please." We are thrilled!

Belle Working with Horn #2

We started this horn last week, and she really likes it. Although we have not reached our goal of 25 sounds yet, she consistently produces around 10 each day so she is well on her way!

-Lanie Beetsma

Annabelle has Down Syndrome and has been using TalkTools Therapy since she was born. Her story is a great inspiration for parents seeking help for a child with Down Syndrome. Follow Miss Annabelle’s journey from the beginning here.

Belle is now 20 months old and is continuing to do well. She has started walking so she has been focusing a lot on mastering that skill. Her talking has slowed down a little bit but she has picked a few new signs and words this month. I am pleased with the tone that I see around her mouth. I am even starting to see some dimples appear!

You can see Belle drinking out of her purple Recessed Lid Cup from TalkTools above. She absolutely loves this cup. She thinks she is a really big kid when she gets to use it as she sees other kids get to drink out of their cups on their own.

There is also a picture of Belle sleeping. Even though she has open mouth posture during some of her day, she typically sleeps with her mouth closed and breaths out her nose. She absolutely hates breathing out of her mouth at night time. I know this is a good thing!  

Belle Using Her Purple Cup & Chewing Very Chewy Fruit Snacks

Belle Working with Her Horn Before Bed Time

We haven't made it to 25 blows on Horn #1, which is our goal, but she is consistently getting more than 10 so we are getting there!

-Lanie Beetsma

Annabelle has Down Syndrome and has been using TalkTools Therapy since she was born. Her story is a great inspiration for parents seeking help for a child with Down Syndrome. Follow Miss Annabelle’s journey from the beginning here.

Belle is starting to imitate words more which I am excited about. To date, she has approximately 18 words and 18 signs. She is very animated and quite dramatic at times :) Annabelle continues to eat well and is doing great with her new Straw #4. She has improved tremendously with her "chomping" exercises in the past few months. I can tell that her jaw has gotten a lot stronger. When it comes to our horn exercises, however, it's a power struggle of who gets to hold the horn. Her pouty face typically wins or at least initiates a compromise. She has no problem making a noise with it, but we have a long way to go until we can track 25 breaths through it in a row. Overall, I think Belle is making great progress. I am really proud of that joyful little gal!

Above is Annabelle doing her "chomping" exercises right before bed. I know that her sitting on my bed isn't the ideal place to practice these but it is a part of her bedtime routine and she is really used to it. It's also our little time to hang out together and giggle a little bit too. Her jaw strength has really improved over the past few months. Prior to this time, it was a struggle for her to "chomp" even one or two times, and as you can see in the video, she has come a long way.

This video is of the very first day Belle tried to blow bubbles. She did great! This is one of her favorite activities (and one of her brother's too as you will hear in the background). I am amazed by all the things that she can do. She is capable of so much at 19 months!

-Lanie Beetsma

Annabelle has Down Syndrome and has been using TalkTools Therapy since she was born. Her story is a great inspiration for parents seeking help for a child with Down Syndrome. Follow Miss Annabelle’s journey from the beginning here.