A Whole New World

I feel like I should be breaking out into the main song from Disney's Aladdin when I say that but it most definitely is true! Aiden had his second cochlear implant surgery on July 2, 2012. He is absolutely stronger than he was in November. We did not even have to spend the night for observation. In fact, 8 hours after surgery our little trooper was "singing" in to the handle of a jump rope! What an amazing kid! Since the activation of this 2nd implant Aiden's world has been quite different. He is now responding to sounds he never has in the past. He tries to copy sounds that we make. It is so neat! I am not sure if his right ear has more damage than the left, but there is a world of difference! It's amazing! Since I have been off for the summer, Aiden and I have found ourselves on the road back and forth to Jacksonville as much as we can in order for him to receive speech services and for cochlear mapping.Those are really LONG trips, especially when we have to travel with just the 2 of us. Unfortunately, school is starting back up and his speech therapies are reduced greatly. WHY? No one around the Orlando area is able to provide services. Here we are in the land of Mickey and have all kinds of things that are not found anywhere else, but yet we can't find a therapist to give our son what he needs. Strange isn't it? Aiden has been with Early Steps since he was born and just started receiving services in JUNE!!! He is almost 3! We have lost a lot of time and will have to work twice as hard to make sure he is ready in a few years for school.