Our Little Communicator

Whitney has decided she wants to communicate through additional means besides just sign language lately. Since she got her new hearing aids she's been mimicking speech a lot more frequently.

For example, each morning when Whitney gets on the school bus, Melanie reminds Whit that she's wearing her aids and that the rule is "Don't touch." So now every day Whitney gets on the bus, sits down, points at her ears and mimics "don't touch" with the right number of syllables and vowel sounds and in a very serious tone of voice. It's pretty adorable. Now she's begun telling us "don't touch." All the time. She will also match syllables and vowels with "I love you" and "amen" after family prayers. Notes home from school indicate that Whit is doing all kinds of vocalizing and imitating there as well.

As she communicates we get to see more of her personality as well. One day last week Melanie went into Whitney's room to wake her for school. Whitney began to come around and pushed Melanie back gently and pointed at her door. She didn't need any words this time. The message was clear. "Mom, I don't want to get up yet." Just like any other tired little one would react on an early school morning.

Melanie and I love good communication with Whit and we hope it continues to improve. She's got so many things I know she'd like to share.