Tuesday 20/03/90
Hughan played in the morning and we talked about the toys he played with.
In the afternoon we went out to a farm.
I teach a young girl horse riding once a week and I always take the boys with me.
They have horses, cattle, sheep, pigs, peacocks and a parrot. The boys always have a great time.
I take Grace (who works for us) with me and she looks after Hughan while I am teaching. She shows him around the farm.
(I started this website to help other patents with deaf children through our experience. Our son Hughan was born in 1988 and was diagnosed profoundly deaf at 14 months old. We kept a Diary, so his progress could be tracked between our lessons, as we were living in Gaborone in Botswana and traveled every 3 months to the Carel du Toit Centre in Cape Town.)
Monday 19/03/90
Hughan had a great time today with our little dog Tina who is lots of fun. He crawled after her at great speed.
He was vocalising very well, and laughing at her. She was running from room to room and he was trying to catch her. He is also starting to be very gentle with her.
Later in the day I visited a friend with children of the same age and Hughan joined in playing with no problem. He enjoyed the other children.
(I started this website to help other patents with deaf children through our experience. Our son Hughan was born in 1988 and was diagnosed profoundly deaf at 14 months old. We kept a Diary, so his progress could be tracked between our lessons, as we were living in Gaborone in Botswana and traveled every 3 months to the Carel du Toit Centre in Cape Town.)
Friday 16/03/90
Today Hughan and I went and did some shopping.
Riding in the trolley was great fun and he was quite overwhelmed with all the goings on.
He recognised bananas and Smarties (chocolates) etc and enjoyed every moment.
In the afternoon we had a swim which he always enjoys.
Over the weekend we made some play dough – taking it in turns to stir the dough. Once it was made Jamie had half and Hughan half.
Taking it in turns to use the rolling pin and cutting out shapes. Hughan lost interest very quickly but enjoyed joining in while he was keen.
We have been repeating making different noises each day. “Knock, knock, knock” is going quite well.
He often picked up objects while he is playing and makes banging noises on his own accord and points to his ear and shakes his head and looks at us for our response. He gets great pleasure from this.
He is also making more babbling noises.
(I started this website to help other patents with deaf children through our experience. Our son Hughan was born in 1988 and was diagnosed profoundly deaf at 14 months old. We kept a Diary, so his progress could be tracked between our lessons, as we were living in Gaborone in Botswana and traveled every 3 months to the Carel du Toit Centre in Cape Town.)
Thursday 15/03/90
Jamie has a desk and chair in the playroom. Hughan sat on one side and I sat the other (facing the light).
Jamie has a case full of Lego. Part of the Lego set is a rabbit and a playground set, including a roundabout with an umbrella, swing, trees, flowers, a Park bench and stepping stones.
The rabbit sat on the swing and went round on the merry-go-round and sat on the bench.
I made a house for the rabbit. Building the house was fun – opening and closing the door and windows – playing “I can see you”.
It was all great fun and I felt we had gone through quite a lot today and he was listening very well.
(I started this website to help other patents with deaf children through our experience. Our son Hughan was born in 1988 and was diagnosed profoundly deaf at 14 months old. We kept a Diary, so his progress could be tracked between our lessons, as we were living in Gaborone in Botswana and traveled every 3 months to the Carel du Toit Centre in Cape Town.)
Wednesday 14/03/90
Today I visited a friend of mine with the boys in the afternoon. My friend’s daughter is the girl I mentioned to you who is profoundly deaf. They came to the Carel du Toit Centre when she was small and she is always very interested in Hughan and eager to help and give her advice.
She has two Doberman Pincher dogs who were very interested in Hughan.
Hughan enjoyed the dogs and played with them. Hughan was imitating the dogs facial expressions and vocalising very well while he was playing with them.
My friend gave me a lot of plastic animals that she used to use with her daughter when she was younger.
Hughan had a great time playing with them while we were there in the afternoon, so I will use them at a later date.
(I started this website to help other patents with deaf children through our experience. Our son Hughan was born in 1988 and was diagnosed profoundly deaf at 14 months old. We kept a Diary, so his progress could be tracked between our lessons, as we were living in Gaborone in Botswana and traveled every 3 months to the Carel du Toit Centre in Cape Town.)
Tuesday 13/03/90
This morning Willem, Jamie, Hughan and I were is the bedroom first thing.
Willem was finishing getting dressed and just about ready to leave a work and Jamie for school. I picked Hughan up and said to him “say goodbye” and he started waving by himself – congratulated him on his response (he was very pleased with himself).
I am also sure now when I say “no” he stops what he is about to do or doing.
After breakfast Hughan could see our gardener working outside with his fork, spade, wheelbarrow and rake, so today I got out Hughan’s wheelbarrow, spade, fork etc and we went and worked a bit with Alfred (our gardener) in the garden.
Digging and putting different things in his wheelbarrow, pushing the wheelbarrow and having great fun.
(I started this website to help other patents with deaf children through our experience. Our son Hughan was born in 1988 and was diagnosed profoundly deaf at 14 months old. We kept a Diary, so his progress could be tracked between our lessons, as we were living in Gaborone in Botswana and traveled every 3 months to the Carel du Toit Centre in Cape Town.)
Monday 12/03/90
Hughan is much better today.
We had a lovely morning in the garden naming all the things we could see, the trees, birds, flowers and smelling flowers, picking up stones and playing in the sand.
Hughan is much happier today.
(I started this website to help other patents with deaf children through our experience. Our son Hughan was born in 1988 and was diagnosed profoundly deaf at 14 months old. We kept a Diary, so his progress could be tracked between our lessons, as we were living in Gaborone in Botswana and traveled every 3 months to the Carel du Toit Centre in Cape Town.)
Thursday 08/03/90
Hughan had a bad night and had a visit to the doctor in the morning. He seemed to be starting bronchitis. Hughan started a course of antibiotics.
We had general talked about things during the next few days as Hughan was not very well.
(I started this website to help other patents with deaf children through our experience. Our son Hughan was born in 1988 and was diagnosed profoundly deaf at 14 months old. We kept a Diary, so his progress could be tracked between our lessons, as we were living in Gaborone in Botswana and traveled every 3 months to the Carel du Toit Centre in Cape Town.)
Wednesday 07/03/90
Well Hughan is definitely responding to our voices.
Today on three different occasions I called him and without hesitation he turned around to see me.
Our main exercise of the day was parts of the body – mummy’s eyes, Hughan’s eyes etc. which he had great fun with touching the parts of the body – very interested in our tongues.
We visited a friend with a baby in the morning. Watching the baby sleep, wake up and being changed and then feed time.
He couldn’t believe his eyes – totally amazed with it all.
(I started this website to help other patents with deaf children through our experience. Our son Hughan was born in 1988 and was diagnosed profoundly deaf at 14 months old. We kept a Diary, so his progress could be tracked between our lessons, as we were living in Gaborone in Botswana and traveled every 3 months to the Carel du Toit Centre in Cape Town.)
Tuesday 06/03/90
Today we played with a helicopter and an aeroplane – flying in the sky, landing and watching the propeller turn on the helicopter and turning it.
Later we did some colouring in. Naming all the colours and showing him other things the same colour. We coloured in a picture for Jamie who is at school.
When Grace (who works for us) switched on the vacuum cleaner Hughan was aware of the sound. He stopped playing and turned around looking for the sound. We switched the vacuum cleaner on and off, pointing to our ears with the noise and shaking our heads and looking very sad when it was switched off.
(I started this website to help other patents with deaf children through our experience. Our son Hughan was born in 1988 and was diagnosed profoundly deaf at 14 months old. We kept a Diary, so his progress could be tracked between our lessons, as we were living in Gaborone in Botswana and traveled every 3 months to the Carel du Toit Centre in Cape Town.)