Communication Update

For the past two years I have been working on getting a communication device so I can tell everyone what I think! We have tried out two different systems and I have been working really hard to do my best. Now my teachers have to do lots of paperwork and send it off so it can be improved by insurance. Hopefully they will make a decision soon. They already said no twice, so we had to do more work to make them say yes. I really hope we worked hard enough this time! 

So this is what it looks like...

This is the PRC Communicator

 It has eight core words that I am working on: More, Stop, Go, Hello, Mine, Play, On, and Turn. I use a switch to start the scan of these words- that means the computer says each word out loud and then waits 10 seconds before going onto the next word. When it gets to the word I want to choose, I hit my switch and a different voice says the word out loud.

Here is me with the switch above my head

Right now I access the switch with my head. You can see the yellow switch attached to the back of my chair. I can use my feet to push up and hit the switch with my head.

Yellow Switch

 Here is another view of the switch I hit with my head. When I make a choice of one of the words we get to do fun things. Here are some of the activities we might do.

Minion with a swtich

 I might choose "Play" and we will use my switch toys to play with. Once I get used to my system I will be able to make more specific choices, and have more words to choose from.

Books

 Sometimes we read books, and I can choose them by picking More or Mine. We also play with stuffed animals sometimes, or "Go" for walks. We play music too sometimes, or play with the iPad.

I am really looking forward to working on this device so I can "talk" to my friends, family and teachers. One day everyone will hear all that I know and think!

Winter Adventures

We've had a busy few months this winter- lots of playing in the sun and the snow. Here are some highlights of our adventures...

November 

Over Thanksgiving we have lots of traditions. The first is doing the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning. It's a 5k race. This year we had fun turkey headbands and hats. My Aunty, Uncle, and little cousins came to run with us. We had a quiet turkey dinner at home and then we got our Christmas tree.

 

 

 

We got to visit Heritage Gardens for the Gardens A Glow event. It was so fun- we made smores, saw the lights and visited Santa. 

December

In December we go to take a whole week off of school to go to Florida. We met up with my grandparents and Aunt Krissy in Key West for the first part of our trip. We laid by the pool and saw a GIANT iguana sunning himself. We also went on the Conch Train Tour to learn about Key West.

There is a really fun place in KW called Mallory Square. It has fun music and street performers doing all kinds of fun things. Then we got to see the amazing Key Wet sunset.

After KW we drove in my grandparents huge RV to Sanibel Island, where my Great-Grandma lives. She lives very close to the beach and there are lots of shells. We had Christmas there and saw some cool things.

My stocking

Meeting a Bird

My Great Gram

Mom and I on a boat near Capitva Island, FL

 January

We came back from Florida in time to celebrate New Year's Eve at First Night in Chatham. In January we also went skiing at Mt. Sunapee. I ride a bi-ski, which allows me to fly down the mountain! You can see videos of my skiing here.

Here is our family getting ready to hit the slopes

Dad and I having a tickle fight

Sometimes he gets me really excited!

February

During February vacation we had a great time in Lincoln, NH. We skiied at Loon Mountain and we were lucky because it was SO warm! We also went to ice castles, which is an amazing structure that is built every year completely out of ice! There were slides and waterfalls and so many icicles! I also went sledding and got to try something I've never done before!

This is the outside of Ice Castles

 I got to try out my new sled- FINALLY! We haven't had enough snow on Cape Cod since I got it for Christmas so we brought it to NH. It is so fun! It works great. My dad and mom can ride on the back as we go down the hill.

 Then we got to do something AMAZING that I never have done before- SNOWMOBILING! It was so cool. They had a special harness that I could be hooked on to my dad. I really loved when it went fast!

Here we are in our gear on the snowmobile

Dad and I taking a break

It's been a great winter so far! There's more to come!