Update on Ava girl

I could write a novel but I'll try to keep it short for ya :-)  Here's what's new with our girl:

- She's starting to read!  How do I know since she is non verbal?  Well, it's pretty easy actually.  She knows all her sounds and letters very well.  She can match beginning sounds to objects that start with that same letter.  James and I go through simple books with her and ask her to identify words.  She's doing great with that...girl has a great memory.  I am also going through a set of sight words with her at home.  I hold up the word, she shows me the sign for that word, and we say it together. This has been a great way for her (and us) to learn some new signs as well.

- We have always shared that Ava loves to draw.  Her drawing skills are really becoming pretty amazing.  She draws pretty accurate pictures of our days events and likes to label the pictures with beginning letters.

- We had her annual IEP at school last week.  It went as well as could be expected. Ava has met almost ALL of her goals for the school year and we are pleased with the new goals for next year.  Next year Ava will be in a Special Day Kindergarten class.  KINDERGARTEN!! I cry just thinking about it.  This year the SDC class has been wonderful for her and a lot of her sweet little friends will also be moving on with her.  Her teacher did say that she doesn't see Ava is Special Day the rest of her schooling which was encouraging to us and we hope by 1st or 2nd grade she will be ready for a typical classroom.

- She is just about as spunky as they come!  She is such a sweet and happy girl but boy is she fiercely independent and stuborn.  Some things that Ava has learned how to do (which did not come without MANY tears and things being thrown across the room) 1) Put on a cardigan all by her self 2) Climb up and down the stairs with something in her hand  3) Prepare a tooth brush and brush her own teeth  4) Navigate Mama's laptop to play her educational games independently
These sound like such basic things but with only one functional hand, they are quite a challenge.  We are proud of her perserverance and are learning lots of patience along the way.

-   Ava is taking swimming lessons and is doing great.  Her lessons are with two other children who are beginners like her.  At first she had trouble kicking both legs but now she has her face straight in the water and kicks both legs well.  Next session they will start working on getting both her arms to move.  This will be more challenging.  Darn right arm just wont listen. 

Well, these are the biggies!  We're learning and growing as a family and very proud of her and what she is accomplishing.