First Steps Evaluation and more

So Ellie has had lots of appts or so it seems that way. Our First Steps Coordinator met with me on Thurs morning before Bible Study to do paperwork. She got us going into the system and then the evaluator that Ellie was to have called us the same day! I couldn't believe how fast they moved! She did an evaluation of Ellie and told us that yes she does qualify for services through First Steps. She is recommending Speech Therapy as well as a developmental interventionist that will help Ellie cover a little of all aspects of therapy apparently. She will do a little OT, PT and various other things. We still have her scheduled for a PT eval and will start PT with her also since the international adoption clinic recommended that. I hope we can get her started with actual therapy soon. She phases out of First Steps when she turns 3 on Feb 14. We will have a meeting with Boone County and they will tell us about their services and what we are entitled to probably within the next few weeks so that we can also have her evaluated by them and get her into preschool once she turns 3. So lots of phones calls and paperwork and assessments. But Ellie is really doing well. Today we had a minor breakthrough. I will classify it as major if she does it 2-3 days in a row! We have been very consistent in being sticklers about her using her sign language words that we taught her to get her cup or get up to the table for meals. She has to sign please or more for us in order to get into her booster seat or to get more of something. This has been a BIG ordeal as she has thrown temper tantrums each time at meal times. Often is has taken longer than an hour to actually get her to sign to us even though we know that she can sign and that she knows what it means. So she has missed breakfast several times and had dinner late. The social worker said that we really need to be consistent with this as it is the only method of communication we have other than her just fussing for it since she has no speech. This has not been easy to do but we have done it. Today, I am happy to say that it only took about 5-10 minutes at breakfast and lunch!! Drastic progress and she signed them several times without us showing her the sign first..also great progress. We shall see if it continues but she is doing well. I took some pictures of her in jammies that her Auntie Kim gave us from China. We have had them for a couple of years because they used to be Ainsley''s PJ's when she was 2. I thought the pics were cute. And I put two clips in her hair so that you wouldn't think she was a boy! I also included a picture of her in a pink hat that used to belong to a stuffed animal. It really doesn't fit her head but she has claimed it as hers! And then one picture of her in her carseat which she likes only some of the time..the beginning some!