Go!

For the last two or three weeks, we have noticed Macayla making a sound that resembled the word “go.” Two people claimed to have heard her say it before I heard it. I honestly thought they were mistaken because Macayla hasn’t said a word since before Christmas. This may be hard for some people appreciate. But something as small as being able to say the word “go” can be huge in the life of someone like Macayla. Jennifer and I know Macayla better than anyone, and often we are not sure what Macayla may want to communicate. At therapy, the therapist thought she was saying it. They were making her work by going up some steps to a platform and then go off the other end of the platform down a slide. Over a year ago when Macayla would go down a slide, the therapist would say “ready, set...” and wait for Macayla to say “go” before she could slide. So, we tried it this time and she reacted by moving both arms and making a “ggggggghhh” sound. With the use of a switch device, the therapist recorded the word “go” so that every time Macayla would hit the button, it would say “Go!” Before therapy was over this week, 100% of the time Macayla went up to the slide she would make her “ggggggghhh” sound and she looked at the button of the device and tried to hit it with her hands. Her movements are disorganized so it was hard to hit, but she did it. The fact that she was looking at it and making the sound at the appropriate moment told us she was communicating. This carried over and when I was in the car with her this week, I asked her if she wanted to go to the pet store and see the cats and she waved he arms and said “gggggggghhhhh.” It’s exciting to see her communicate after thinking that verbal communication was mostly lost or at best unintentional. We may have this for a short time, but we’ll take it. Go, Macayla!