Center for Speech and Language Disorders

From my online research, it seems that there is really one therapist who is considered an expert in hyperlexia. Lucky for us, her practice is in the Chicago area, and called the Center for Speech and Language Disorders. Since they are such experts in the field, they offer services for out-of-town families. We were fortunate to be able to schedule a two-day appointment (one day will be an evaluation, the second will be more about future therapies) with the nation's expert on hyperlexia, Phyllis Kupperman, for November 27 and 28. I'm so excited about the prospects of getting information that will potentially help us unlock Garrison's voice. After reading the book "Reading too Soon" for which Phyllis Kupperman wrote the foreword, Amos and I are completely convinced that Garrison is indeed hyperlexic.

hyperlexia?

So, I suspect Garrison has hyperlexia. I'm having a hard time finding much about it online, which is hard to believe, because you can find something about just about anything online. We're planning a trip to a place in Chicago to have him evaluated and get some help leveraging his unusual and precocious reading ability to push his speech along. He has difficulty conversing and I hope this will help. Another thing I've been doing, since I'm not teaching right now, is gathering resources for helping G with speech stuff. Testy yet Trying and Adventures in Speech Pathology and Jake's Journey to be a Little Man are currently open in my browser, and I'm grateful for the ideas I've found there and on Pinterest.

alphabet--with lots of help

there is a second video of garrison saying the last 4 letters and then "hurray" at the end, this one gets the whole thing--his audio is a little faint.

"I love you."

You're talking more and more. Tonight you said, "I love you," back to me after I told you that before bed. It was the sweetest, most wonderful thing I've ever heard.

Eggs

I think you really get the concept of the egg hunt. Daddy I filled them with cashews, ritz bitz, goldfish and chocolate, and placed them around the room. You even found the one I put in the microwave in your play kitchen. I don't know if you'll find the one I hid in the drawer. (I'm mean like that). Miles tried to get in on the fun and picked on up I left on the floor (the chocolate ones are out of dog-reach). We've decided to stretch the egg hunt out for a while, as we're enjoying it too much to quit, and there are still 12 more eggs to be found. Hope you're hungry. (And you haven't even seen your basket!)

We're having a wonderful day with you.

talking on the phone

Today you talked on the phone for the first time. You were playing with the phone--picking it up and saying "eh-oh" (kind of like the teletubbies say it), so I called Grams and told her to call us right back. It rang, and you didn't want to pick up the phone. I did and I held it up to your ear, and said that it was Grams. Then you told her "eh-oh" and said "talk." You knew you were talking on the phone. It was a pretty big day.

class picture

Dear Garrison,
So, it would seem that you have taken an interest in talking all of a sudden. It's like you've finally decided to trade in the grunts for something more effective. I'm very pleased by this development. I also like that you are counting--a lot. We do it together as a way to stay patient while we are waiting for something (like Netflix to load). You also count as a signal for someone to do something fun for you (e.g., toss you in the air, or tickle your tummy). You have a new haircut, which Daddy had to hold you still for. You just hate having your hair messed with, so scissors near your neck are not fun for me. Anyway, the cut was a success and you looke spiffy for your first school picture. I took a snap alongside the photog. You insisted that puppy was indeed part of the Alki 2 coop and he made it in the shot too. (we were missing 3 of our class that day). BTW, it was St. Patricks Day, so lots of people are wearing green--you've got green socks on. Don't you look so cute in your little tie-dye hoodie!?
love, mommy

From 2.5 years