BIG ACCOMPLISHMENT:

IN SPEECH THERAPY, I’M DOING A RATHER INTENSE PROGRAM 2 BUILD UP MY BREATH SUPPORT. I PRACTICE SPEECH EXERCISES 4 DAYS A WEEK, & TWICE A DAY FOR 4 WEEKS. IN THE EXERCISES, I SAY “AAAH”, DO VOCAL SLIDES, SAY SOME “FUNCTIONAL PHRASES”, SAY WORDS, & MAKE A GOAL (LIKE I DECIDE 2 SAY HI BACK 2 ANY1 WHO SAYS IT 2 ME).. I KEEP EVERYTHING ORGANIZED 4 PRACTICE IN A “SPEECH BINDER.”

HOWEVER, I SEEM 2 SUFFER FROM SOME “STAGE FRIGHT”, SO IT’S EXTRA HARD 2 SAY THINGS I KNOW I CAN SAY WHEN I’M OUT & ABOUT. BUT AT HOME, I HAVE “TALKING” DAYS. I STICK MOSTLY TO SINGLE WORDS (LIKE YES, NO, HI, BYE, OR MY FAVORITE: WHATEVER!). OCCASIONALLY I DO SHORT PHRASES (3-5 WORDS), BUT IT’S SO FUN 2 TRY LONGER, TOO! I’M NOT CLEAR, BUT IF MY FAMILY UNDERSTANDS, I’M TICKLED WHEN THEY DO UNDERSTAND & RESPOND. (I’M EASY 2 AMUSE! LOL)

MY PHILOSOPHY IS 2 SAY ANYTHING I’D SIGN (W/IN REASON!). I MAY LUCK OUT, BE UNDERSTOOD, & NOT NEED 2 SIGN! THOUGH MY FAVORITE IS WHEN I THROW OUT SOMETHING I THINK, BUT NEVER SIGN, AM UNDERSTOOD, & ANSWERED (LIKE IF I OVER HEAR SOMETHING, & DON’T UNDERSTAND, I MAY THINK , “WHAT?”, BUT IT’S 2 CONFUSING 2 ASK, & I DON’T REALLY NEED 2 KNOW, SO I LEAVE THE QUESTION IN MY HEAD. OR I DON’T BOTHER SHARING COMMENTS LIKE “YES U COULD” OR SHARING COMMENTS WHERE I’M JUST BEING SILLY –THE FUNNY MOMENT IS OVER B4 I FINISH SIGNING IT, SO WHY BOTHER SIGNING IT? BUT SOMETIMES NOW, I THROW IT OUT, & IF I’M HEARD & UNDERSTOOD, VERSUS BEING IGNORED, OR KEEPING IT IN MY HEAD, IT’S A BONUS, & EXCITING!).

ANYWAY, IN PRACTICE, MY LONGEST FUNCTIONAL PHRASE HAS 6 WORDS (“PUT LEFT FOOT ON FOOT REST”), & I USUALLY NEED 2 BREATHS 2 SAY IT. MY GOAL WAS TO USE 1 BREATH TO SAY IT, & TUESDAY MORNING I DID IT!

I ALSO HAD A GOOD LAUGH: A FUNCTIONAL PHRASE WAS ADDED 2 THE KEYRING I USE 4 SPEECH PRACTICE. IT READ: “JESS ROCKS”. (GUESS WHO ADDED THAT 2 MY LIST OF FUNCTIONAL PHRASES 2 SAY?) I LAUGHED SO HARD WHEN I FOUND IT–IT WAS LAMINATED & EVERYTHING, 2 LOOK LIKE THE OTHERS! U’D NEVER KNOW IT WAS ADDED, IF THE KEYRING WAS NEW 2 U!

THE BEST PART WAS HOW UNEXPECTED & QUIET IT WAS! & I BET IT’S BEEN THERE A WHILE, BECAUSE JESS HELPED ME PRACTICE THURS. NIGHT (& REQUESTED THAT PHRASE EXACTLY WHEN WE GOT 2 THE PLACE WHERE THE NEW “JESS ROCKS” CARD IS NOW), THEN I TOOK THE WEEKEND “OFF”, & I DID MY MONDAY PRACTICES W/O MY SPEECH BINDER , SO TUESDAY MORNING WASMY 1ST CHANCE 2 C IT, SINCE THURSDAY NIGHT, WHEN SHE HELPED ME! LOL