Development

I've been digging around online, looking at development checklists. I had a pretty good idea where Asher was at with things, but...I always like to see if I'm right. LOL

Gross Motor: Asher is able to walk on flat surfaces, but he tends to walk with both or one arm up in the air for balance. The faster he moves, the higher his arms go. LOL He is not yet able to run, but don't tell HIM that! He laughs hysterically at how fast he's going. LOL He is able to kick a ball if I hold his hand, sometimes actually winding up with his leg, and other times just kind of walking into it. He "gets" what he's supposed to do but does not yet have the balance to do it. He walks up and down steps holding the railing with one hand and an adults hand with the other. I think he's capable of walking up by himself but haven't tried it yet since all the steps here are cement. He's not ready to go down independently yet, and the tone in his ankles is REALLY LOW so his feet kinda of turn all over the place when he steps down. So all of these things put him in a gross motor range of 12-18 months, with a couple things splintering into the 24 month range. (climbing up a slide, etc.)

Fine Motor: Asher's fine motor skills are kind of all over the place. He does not yet have a pincer grasp and still rakes small objects off the table. When I thread a large bead on a stiff shoestring for him, he grabs the end with his thumb against the side of his finger, with the rest of his hand fisted. He is able to use a spoon, though I am going to make him stop and re-teach him how to do it. (we need to re-teach a LOT of things!) I have seen  him use his index finger for things, but not for what I'd like to see him doing. ;-) These skills I think put his fine motor abilities in the 7 - 12 mo range, though the ability to use a spoon splinters into the 24 month range.

Speech/Language skills: Ok, this should really just be "language skills" because he has NO speech. None. Zero. Zilch. But, I think he has the potential for developing speech. I have also seen him following simple directions from his caregivers so I know he's capable of this. All of this puts his speech somewhere in the 7-12 month range. The following of simple directions is closer to 18-24 months.

Since his ENTIRE body is significantly behind even other children his age with DS, I think we're going to see a lot of catch-up in this area. Why? Because of the things I'm seeing him do with me today that he was not able to do when I met him nearly 2 weeks ago.  For example, the other day I said it was time to put the dangly toy back in the backpack. Although I'm speaking to him in English, I'm also doing lots of gesturing to indicate what's going on. As he was (willingly) putting the toy in the bag he was babbling "bababababa". That's the first time he's EVER made sounds for me other than growling/screaming when I take something away. Today I spent most of the time saying, "mamamamamamama" to see if I could get lip closure at all. By the end of my visit he was trying so very hard to imitate me but (and Dean will be thrilled) he said something closer to "dadadadada" which of course is usually first developmentally anyway. LOL My point is, he was TRYING to imitate, even if he wouldn't look my direction when he was doing it.

Now when we're playing he's seeking out eye contact with me. He doesn't hold it very long, but he's initiating it, and it's heavenly. When he gets my eyes, he always gives me a HUGE grin before turning away kind of bashful like. LOL

He is LAUGHING! Oh how he laughs! Dean and the kids have gotten to see videos of him and you can't help but laugh right along with him. I can't wait until Monday when I'm going to go back and add in pictures and videos to all these posts so you can see how he's changed already. Things like, the very first pictures and videos his tongue is ALWAYS out. Now I would say it's in about half the time, and if it's out I can prompt him and he'll put it in then laugh at like like he just pulled one over on me. I can see this one might turn into a fun behavioral thing for a bit. LOL