It's no secret that LL has issues with his speech, as to what those issues were, we still didn't have any idea. Anytime we addressed the issue at well visits our pediatrician assured us that it was not the time to worry. Recently however, we noticed a change and knew things had come to a head and now was the time to seek additional help.
LL's vocabulary has just exploded, and every day he's saying more and more things, just at a rate that I can't keep up anymore. I've always be able to understand him, I'm often the only one who can understand him, but there was just so much that I was beginning to miss and it was taking its toll on him. His frustration level was becoming such that he was often brought to near or actual tears because I no longer was understanding him. It was then that I realized all the other things he had always done but I never paid much attention to before: like bringing the kids at the playground to me so that I could tell them his name because he was unable to express it clearly enough for them to understand. I also began to notice just how much I translated for him with other people and I also noticed people who generally had a good understanding of his language were beginning to have difficulty and their increased need for translation.
Then when he started school, his teacher expressed a concern but suggested we wait things out for a few weeks, and see if being around the other children didn't help things. I decided at that point, I was done waiting. I got in my car, and immediately called the district for an evaluation.
During the initial evaluation, they acknowledged our concerns and confirmed that yes, there was a need. We were encouraged to schedule an additional meeting to have a full assessment and from there we could develop his IEP (Individual Education Plan). Today was his assessment and she was able to discuss with me her preliminary findings and give me an idea of what to expect in his IEP.
It was good news. It's nothing major but there are delays. His specific problem is that he substitutes sounds or omits them all together. There aren't any vocabulary delays or anything else so she thinks his needs will be basic. She said she was going to suggest therapy twice a week, 30 minutes a session for the remainder of the year.
It feels good to know we finally have done something about this problem and that we are actively seeking out a solution. To his teacher's credit, school has helped, and we have noticed an improvement from his interaction with the other children. It just makes me hopeful for what he can accomplish by the end of the school year.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Good for you! I'm glad he'll be getting the help he needs, and I'm sure it will just be a minor setback and he'll catch up in no time. But if anyone knows what it's like to all of a sudden realize how much you're doing to compensate for your child... it's me. You just get used to your routine, you know? Until all of a sudden you think, "Wait... things shouldn't be this way..." Anyways, yay for LL :) He'll love his speech therapist, guaranteed :)
Byron had a similar issue. All the teachers asked me to just wait, until 2nd grade. He then went to speech class. He LOVED it! It made all the difference in the world for him, and helped him maximize his potential and decreased his stress level. Good for LL. And good for you for addressing it so early.
xoxoxo
I am impressed at how quickly they took him on for evaluation & that you didn't dilly dally around! YOU GO GIRL! That's being EMPOWERED. I LOVE YOU LIZZIE!
You're a good mom Liz. A lot of people can go into denial. But you took care of it. Hope things have improved since. I have to tell you though, I think his speech is good. I talked to him for a few seconds at the party and he is a funny guy :)
Post a Comment