Toby’s Gift

Toby has been on fine form today (I’ll ignore the being a pickle during piano!).

We had the specialist SLT come today to assess and teach us Talk Tools. I’ve known about and had Talk Tools equipment for many years but didn’t really have an idea of how to use them. so today really joined up the dots for me. It was very interesting. We discussed Toby’s jaw instability and how he doesn’t bite or chew properly. We have lots of exercises to do in the coming weeks. Between Talk Tools and the Nuffield Dyspraxia programme, I finally feel like we are on the right path.

The SLT hasn’t seen Toby since the autumn and she commented on how much more communicative Toby is. There really is a big difference.

We discussed using an AAC but for individual subjects like maths. Which seems obvious now it’s been suggested. I’m going to load numbers 1-20 and 1-100 into Widgit Go for example.

Yesterday our other SLT mentioned that she feared Toby would be seen by his new school (wherever it may be) as ‘the child with Down’s Syndrome and who doesn’t talk’, without appreciating his abilities and intelligence. That is absolutely my fear, and that of his tutor. You would have no idea that Toby is so able if you didn’t know him. So I’m now panicking about how to record Toby’s abilities whilst I have two qualified teachers who can verify his abilities and strengths. But it’s not easy to record the progress of a child with such a patchy profile and who can do some things brilliantly but not others (largely due to speech). All recording programmes are aimed schools and cost loads.

Anyway today Toby delivered me a present. It was very clear it was a present. He told me it was for mummy. I had to open it. I was most intrigued because he’s never done this before and the communication was so clear. There were approx 6 layers of blankets on. Inside was a parcel of plants that I had had delivered earlier and had left by the front door. Toby was so chuffed that they were his gift to me!! At the weekend he gave me a small gift and card, but I haven’t opened them yet because it’s for Mother’s Day. I wonder if he’s realising that something is happening with gifts, for me, but he doesn’t know exactly what. I just loved this though. It was very thoughtful.