So, Henry qualifies for speech therapy. They gave me lots of stats and are mailing me more information on his test results ( a science nerds dream! STATS!!), but it boils down to the fact that he could use a little help with this whole talking deal. And we want to help him, but we need their guidance on how to do that. He is clearly eager to learn. If you ask him to make sounds, lots of them he does perfectly, but the words just aren't there yet. But they will be. We have (another) meeting this coming Wednesday to work out the final details, then he gets his hearing checked ( I am 100% sure it will be fine) and then the NEXT Wednesday we start therapy which will continue every week for six months (or longer if needed). Thank god I don't work Wednesdays.
I don't know, I am a little torn I guess. I am so excited to know that he gets the help he needs. But at the same time... I guess this morning my mama instinct has just been kicking in and I hate that the help is needed at all. That there is something that we haven't been able to show him. To explain in a way he gets. And don't get me wrong. I don't mean to make more out of this than it is. They were very clear when going over his results with me that he is a very smart little guy. He is social and interactive. I really don't think this is a start to bigger problems or major delays. But still, this small part of me has this lingering sadness that it's necessary. But most of me, the much bigger part, is just excited to get him the help he needs to get over this communication hurdle. I have a feeling in six months I will be telling you all we can't get him to keep his mouth shut. I can't wait for that day.
It's so hard to hear your baby needs help in a way that you can't provide. At 2 months, my son was diagnosed with torticollis, which just means his neck muscles are under developed. They told me repeatedly that it's common, not that big of a deal, easy to fix, etc... but I was HEARTBROKEN! It was so hard to hear that there was something wrong with my baby!! He is 5.5 months old now, and his neck is getting a lot better.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure Henry will do great with speech therapy! They are generally great with kids and he will just think that it's a new person to play with! The great thing is that they will teach you how to help him too. At physical therapy, we go every week but she also shows things for me to do to help my son and it makes me feel so much better having them tell me how to help him fix his neck (and reach other developmental milestones) rather than having to figure out how to do it myself. They will show you things to do and that way you CAN help him... so don't be sad that there is something that you haven't been able to show him... they will show you how to show him :)
Sarah! You are such a good mom for getting him the help he needs even though it is hard! Here's to your awesomeness and his future chattiness!
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ICLW #163
www.therhouse.blogspot.com
adoption * infertility * hope
I know how you feel. I felt just the same when my son had to be put on leg braces at 7 months because he had slight problem with his leg muscles. It was a mild problem, but it made me feel JUST so sad. But am I glad we caught it when we did. Beating the odds D started walking at 1 year. Sometimes the best thing for a parent is to get help.
ReplyDeleteSo many moms I know are going through this right now. You are definitely doing the right thing by starting so early. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteAaaawwww, well then, he will still be the cleverest little boy in speech therapy :)
ReplyDeleteAt least you guys get free help over there.
My friend's little girl (also born at 32 weeks) has been in speech therapy this year (added to everything else). Over the course of a month, she has about 12 medical appointments. We pay for all these ourselves and claim back from medical aid but all therapy is higher than medical aid so you're ALWAYS out of pocket by about half!
It sounds like Henry rocked his evaluation and I am glad that he is going to get this help to overcome this little hurdle. I cannot speak from a mother's point of view, but having worked in childcare I saw several kids of Henry's age who were incredibly intelligent but just didn't meet the expected levels in certain areas... and all of them went on to get there, easy as pie, once whatever it was they needed suddenly "clicked" for them. It's nothing you as a parent can do sometimes, so it seems, but it just needs a new approach for the kid to think "wow, I'd like to do that too!" you know?
ReplyDeleteBut way to go Henry on showing how smart he is and making you so proud of him xx
When you wrote me back and told me that he imitates and the words he uses, I was then surprised to find out he qualified. What state do you live in? Did you make the referral? You do like to see quite a few words by 2 and he is close, so I sure it was a good decision.
ReplyDeleteI bet in 6 months time you will be telling the therapist you wish they hadn't taught him to talk so well! I hear that all the time, "Why did you have to teach him that, now he never STOPS talking!!" I hope he gets a great therapist and that he loves all of the toys and fun things they bring. The kids greet me with huge hugs and often cry when I have to leave. They never view it as work. It is amazing how many hugs and kisses I get on a daily basis. It is such a rewarding job!!
It sounds like he will make great progress and I can't wait to hear all about it. I was funny to hear about an evaluation from the "other side."
Trust me you are not alone in feeling like you did something wrong. It sounds like you are doing everything perfectly with him and he just needs an extra little push. I have seen parents cry at the evaluations (when they find out the child needs services) and then when we discharge the children.
I wish I could pick up little Henry on my caseload. I love those straight-forward speech kids who don't get any other services. They are always the sweet and smart ones who make great progress and don't have any behavioral issues. I am jealous for whoever gets to work with him!
As a member of the 'infertiles club', I love reading blogs like yours -- so I can have a sense of what life is like with an actual, real, live, son. The emotions, the challenges, the beauty of how every day he grows, learns and changes. All the best to you, and happy ILCW week!
ReplyDeleteYour reaction is 100% normal. It's always worrying when you have to put some part of your child's development into someone else's hands. The important thing is that you're such an awesome mom that you are doing this for him and keeping your mind open.
ReplyDeleteHi there! I am new to your blog...My oldest DD was well into age 2 before she really spoke any audible words, of course I was worried because my niece who was 6 months young had a WAY better vocabulary than her. We never did speech therapy though I'm sure she would have qualified. I swear 1 day at about 2.5 she just started talking in sentences. She went from nothing to "Mom can I have a peanut butter sandwich" I'm sure with the help you are giving him, he will be talking up a storm in no time! Good job for being so proactive!! Thoughts for your sister! What a trooper!
ReplyDeleteBest wishes for your upcoming FET! Glad your little one is getting the help he needs. It is tough to see your child struggle with something, even if he is doing great in all other areas.
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I think you are going to be right with your last statement. Henry just needs a little boost. There isn't anything wrong with that at all. His speech is a little delayed. My math skills are horribly delayed. I'd rather be his age and be a little delayed than my age and severely delayed. ;) Yes, that was my sad attempt at making you laugh. I tried.
ReplyDeleteThe big thing is, I don't think you will even notice a year from now that he was a little slow to speak. Isn't there something about Einstein or someone being labeled special needs, and then they ended up being one of the most brilliant scientific minds? Just think of it that way. Sometimes all we need is a little extra nudge, and then we're the smartest people in the world.
Go Henry!
Here from ICLW.
ReplyDeleteThe sooner you can get him the help he needs the better! I can't wait to read about how much he's talking in the near future. Good luck!