Learn maths by HAL

   Bethany continues to show glimpses of her improving development which can surprise as it easy to assume that her mental abilities are linked to her speech abilities. Just because she only knows a few words does not mean that she does not understand what we are saying. The clues have been around, such as her responding when you call her name now even though she can't say it but I was given a further demonstration yesterday when reading her book of first words. She can identify one or two items (namely ball and choo-choo train) and responds to some other words such as when I say "Flower" at the relevant picture she puts her hand to her hair remembering that when walking in the park she likes to pick the daisies and put them in her hair. At first I took little regard of this gesture but she does it most times and only with flower. Yesterday, however, instead of getting her to name the item I reversed the procedure and got her to point to the relevant picture when I called it's name in the index at the back. Here she pointed to over half of the pictures correctly with some added bonuses eg pointing to her own socks as well as the picture of them.
   She does continue to like organizing things and thee nursery report on her predilection for arranging items on the table and putting them back. Whilst at home tidiness is not part of the procedure she does like to place things in certain places including myself. Yesterday she insisted that I sit in a certain seat and was not happy if I moved, even to get my coffee when in the same room. She heard me move when she was not in the same room and shouted her disapproval so I went back before she reentered the room. She did let me get up to make meals and her concentration may be distracted enough from time to time so that I was free to get up now and again but that was often if I got up to play with her or she would cry at me to get her more juice. A lot of her playing involves climbing and whether it is onto the dining room table or the window sill each time we carry her back down she laughs and starts again.