Two awesome things happened this month. First, we were able to meet with Monica Mitchell, our TalkTools therapist, for multiple hours AND Annabelle had her tonsils and adenoids removed! It was great to spend time with Monica and to touch base on all of our oral motor efforts. Annabelle has made great strides in all areas of her speech over the years, however Monica (along with our ENT) felt like her constant drainage is really starting to get in the way of her progression. The constant drainage and stuffiness causes Annabelle to breathe out of her mouth because she her nose is so plugged up which then causes open mouth posture which then affects the development of her palate, jaw, mouth, etc which then in turn prohibits correct coordination of lips, tongue, and jaw movements which are mandatory for clear speech. Basically, in order for Annabelle to be able to move forward, we need to help clear up her constant congestion. We understand that the removal of tonsils and adenoids does not help everyone, but we were willing to give it a shot.
It has only been two days since Annabelle’s operation, and she is not feeling great. We have to keep up on those pain meds or she gets pretty uncomfortable. She is typically a great eater, but is not wanting to eat much so I have been giving her anything that sounds good. This morning it was cashew milk triple fudge chocolate ice cream for breakfast! Hopefully, I will have great results to report next month.
Much love,
Lanie & Annabelle
Annabelle has been using TalkTools since she was born. Her story is a great inspiration for parents of a child with Down Syndrome. Follow Miss Annabelle’s journey from the beginning here.
More videos are available on TalkTools YouTube channel.
Talktool admin
04 Dec 18