he's been receiving speech therapy services for well over three years now, classified with the oh-so-technical term of General Speech Delay since he was eighteen months old. i could write a book on the journey we've been on, which started with a slight concern on my part, then a wait-and-see approach by our pediatrician, then hearing tests (which he passed), then screenings, then evaluations, then diagnosis, then treatment. the treatment has involved, in my estimation, about 350 sessions with individual therapists. we are extremely fortunate to live in a state where such therapy is provided to preschoolers by highly skilled, caring providers, all free of charge, which is especially helpful since our insurance doesn't cover private speech therapy for a General Speech Delay.
i've learned many things through this journey with liam, including methods of conversing with a non-speaking toddler, tips to elicit multi-word responses, and ways to encourage communication between him and his peers. but something else i learned through this journey is that many adults don't have a clue as to what to say when the topic of a child's delay comes up in conversation. many tried to reassure me: "but you can tell he's smart!", as if i doubted his intelligence. (the boy was reading at a third grade level at the age of three and is doing double-digit multiplication in his head. i have no doubt that our son is smart.) or, "i'm sure he'll catch up, in his own time. i wouldn't worry about it." (which inferred that i was over-reacting to this diagnosed delay and that he really didn't need any help.) but the one that bothered me the most was when other parents would breezily remark, "be careful what you wish for!", rolling their eyes while their own child rattled off a soliloquy. "i sometimes wish she'd hush for just five minutes!" i would nod, knowing they meant well ... but inwardly marvel at how unintentionally insensitive people could be. there i was, obviously worried about my son, anxious about his development, consulting with professionals ... and they're telling me that they wished their child DIDN'T talk?! when i took a step back, i knew that these were all well-meaning friends who were simply at a loss for what to say. still, it didn't make hearing those comments any easier. but, thankfully, those days are only a distant memory now. liam has truly thrived this past school year, making unbelievable progress in such a short amount of time. his evaluation last month determined that he is at age-level in his language development, with no more concerns or delays whatsoever. praise God! no time was this more evident than last night, during our short drive to the t-ball team party following his final game. for the entire ten minute ride, liam sat in the back seat and did. not. shut. up. he replayed every inning out loud, even though we had just sat in the rain and witnessed it all ourselves. he mused over the pizza toppings he wanted at the restaurant. he recounted everything he had done at summer camp that day. he discussed the rest of the weekend's plans. he talked about what his next big purchase might be with his allowance savings. he began to plan his birthday party in august. and on, and on, and on. i honestly don't think any of us got a word in edgewise. for a split second as he caught his breath before launching into another monologue, chris grinned at me. and then he said it: "be careful what you wish for." but this time, knowing that it was coming from my husband, who's been through it all with me, i simply glanced in the rearview mirror at our happy, healthy, intelligent, amazing little boy ... and grinned back.
1 comment:
Sara - thanks for writing this post. I sent it to my sister, who is a speech therapist, and she really loved it - it's so great for people who do what she does (and she actually does early intervention) that people appreciate it and that it really works and makes a difference in the lives of children. She's shared it with several of her friends!
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