►►►GAB'S UPDATES: Learning to TALK!!!

It all started on August 13...

Teacher Divine: Gab, look i have a train. He's name is Percy.

Gab: *tries to grab it*

Teacher Divine: No grabbing Gab. *Plays with train*

Gab: *watching*

Teacher Divine: Look, the train is moving. It's making a sound.. CHOO-CHOO..

Gab: *looks at the teacher's face*

Teacher Divine: Train sounds... CHOO-CHOO..

Gab: CHOO-CHOO-CHOO..

Teacher Divine: That's very good train sound, Gab. *gives the train to Gab.*

I saw and heard everything that happened that day. I was so surprised to hear Gab imitate the sounds produce by another person. It made my heart so warm and my eyes teary. I was so proud of him.

after his ABA session that day, we constantly asked Gab to imitate different sounds to make him more familiar with sound imitation and responding. We started with train sound, then dog, then cat, then pig. the whole evening he was able to memorize the sounds of those animals.

A week after he started imitating and responding to requests for simple talks, he had his evaluation with Teacher Rena already and his therapy program was changed already. Teacher Rena commented to Gab "naku naiiyak naman ako sayo bebe, ang bilis ng progress mo!". Hearing those words, my hopes are really soaring high.

Just last week, i was training Gab to say "OPEN" first before i open something that he likes (like food). His tolerance now is very high, making all the efforts to imitate "OPEN" while watching my mouth positions.

Now, he can say functional words (though not yet polished) like "OPEN, EAT, DRINK, GIVE". Sometimes i have to provide verbal cues for him to talk, sometimes he says it already by himself ^_____^