Straw #7 is the second to the last one in the TalkTools straw hierarchy kit. Matthew used this straw for 3 months, from April through June. ...

It's hard to tell if straw #6 is shorter than straw #5. Because of its coils, straw #6 doesn't stick out of the cup as far as straw ...

Straw #5 was the same diameter as straw #4. However, straw #5 was a little longer than the previous straw and used without a lip block. T...

"Use your lips, not your tongue." That was what I'd say when we started with Straw #4 in the beginning of June. I doubt many p...

Ever since starting straw therapy with Matthew, I've been trying to offer drinks using his therapy straw only so he gets as much practic...

We used straw #2 of the TalkTools Straw Hierarchy kit from the beginning of March to mid-April this year. Straw #2 is a curvy purple straw. ...

Straw #1 It's a blue straw with a duck that serves as a built-in lip block - to prevent too much of the straw to be in the mouth. Befor...

Tongue protrusion and low muscle tone (also known as hypotonia) are common among individuals with Down syndrome. Is it because of an enlarge...

The TalkTools horns kit is used by some speech therapists to help improve oral-motor tone and target skills such as lip rounding, lip closu...

Transitioning from the Early Intervention (EI) program to the Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) can be an overwhelming experience for...

Being enrolled in the Early Intervention (EI) program involves creating an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) that outlines our goals...

How would we know what to ask for if we don't know what we are missing? I recently received emails from a mom in Richmond, VA who had a ...

I met with Matthew's therapists and Early Intervention (EI) Service Coordinator today to review our IFSP (Individualized Family Service ...

Matthew and I were running late for his Music and Movement class yesterday. On the way there, I was debating in my mind whether we should go...

The first time I took Matthew in the pool, I immediately knew he had the water gene, just as Bill and I do. It was at a swim class called ...

Baby Boot Camp (also known as "our home") was lovingly and humorously coined by my mother-in-law and myself during Matthew's 1...

I hope this is the last post I have to write about 'mad tears' (Related posts include Music and Movement and Mad Tears and Music an...

We went to the music and movement class at 4:30pm yesterday. Last week, he got upset after doing well 20 minutes into the class. The instruc...

Matthew (18 months old) does not speak any words yet. But he knows how to sign a few words like "more", "book", "sh...