Days my job is funny

On different days I would describe my job in different ways.  

flexible 

entertaining 

sticky 

bizarre 

exhausting 

gross

fun 

educational 

hectic

foreshadowing 

hilarious

heartbreaking 

long 

and on days like today, funny. 

Top of my list of favored families I work with is this one.  Sweet little 13 month old pumpkin with a mind all her own.  She also has an extra chromosome.  Which, for those of you who arent in the field of special education means she has Down Syndrome.  

I've been lucky enough to work with her for a few months now as she has continued to obtain new skills on her own timeline, in her order of preference... feeding being top on her list.  But our 'rules' of self-feeding fall a few steps under.  

We've been working on getting little E to use a fork (or spoon) to feed herself- instead of her hands alone.  Well, once her momma has gotten the food on the fork and sat it on the tray for her to pick up, E's  independence takes over.  Here's a direct quote from my summary of her progress- taken from her mom's blog.  

In the area of feeding and self-help, E is very advanced! She is able to safely tolerate all stages of foods (puree, soft solids, crunchy textures, and mixed consistencies).  E is self-feeding with her hands of various foods, including: crackers, noodles, tofu, meat, fruit, and vegetables.  When it comes to utensils, E is very creative in her approach- she picks up the fork with one hand and will remove the food with her other hand (when her second hand is occupied or restrained, she will drop her fork and remove the food with her first hand).  She is not yet using a consistent pincer grasp to feed, but is using it to pick up small objects around the house (especially ones she shouldn't have!).  

taken from  My Stubborn Miss

Doesn't that just make you laugh? Where do kids come up with these things?! So to any of my SLP friends out there who are readers... any ideas on how to get this little one to put that fork in her mouth for feeding instead of adding a middle- step? 

 

Seriously, go see this gorgeous gal I get the honor of helping grow into a fabulously independent toddler! She sure is cute and her momma is a kind, welcoming, supportive woman with a heart of gold- both for children with disabilities and Young Life.  (which makes her more than top of my list).  These are families that make my job special, and leave me speechless.  Which for a Speech- Language Pathologist is quite remarkable!