Where He's At - 2013

Every year, I have posted these milestone charts, and noted where Max is developmentally. Last year's post is here.
(These charts originally came from www.down-syndrome.org, but they have since redone their site and the original link doesn't work - just an FYI.)

Max is 4 1/2 yrs old.

Max is still on target with gross motor. This has always been his strength.

In the personal/social/self help category, he is pretty well on target, although we've only made one attempt at potty training and failed miserably ;) And he doesn't really try to dress himself. He will put slip-on shoes on himself, and does try to put on his sister's clothes sometimes to be funny. But I don't want him UNdressing himself, so we purposely don't work on that.
Fine motor and adaptive milestones have all been met.

Communication is still Max's greatest challenge. Last year, I mentioned that he had regressed a little in his speech. His one word, Daddy, had become just 'da'. Super happy to say that as he now has two words!!!! 'Da' and 'apple'! And actually, we have heard him whisper 'hi' a few times this week, but he isn't saying it regularly yet or without a prompt. He does now also say 'ba' for 'ball' if prompted, and is getting better at repeating a few sounds - buh, kuh, guh, duh, eee, mmm, ooh, ah, oh, puh.

And, for the first time in a loooong time, I feel more confident that he will indeed talk. He really just doesn't 'get' the whole communication thing. He doesn't sign much, (although he did sign 'help' to me today without a prompt!) and he seems to really struggle at even getting sound to come out of his mouth quite often. He really struggles to get his mouth in the right shape to make sounds. It just seems so difficult for him on so many levels. But, it is finally coming!

So, that's where Max is this year :)