This kid! He is the life of every party. I love him.
For about six months now, we've been worried that Eli's speech isn't developing the way it should. Sweet boy. He tries SO hard! Sometimes... many times he breaks my heart because he tries so hard to tell me something and I just cannot understand him. I kept going back and forth in my head on whether or not I should make a referral to have his speech evaluated. Finally, after talking to a few friends, the pediatrician, and Ryan's sister (who just got her Master's in speech therapy). We decided that we would go ahead and have him tested and if he didn't qualify for therapy, then no big deal.
They told me up front that he would have to have a pretty significant delay in order to qualify for their services. I wasn't very hopeful that he would qualify because he does have a lot of words...they're just really hard to understand. I am typically his interpreter.
Last Saturday, the speech therapist came out and evaluated him. After talking to me for a bit and listening to Eli, she agreed that he definitely needed some speech therapy, so in doing the evaluation, she did not count the words that other people can't understand. She said that she would try to tweak his scores if he were close to qualifying in order to help him out. When the speech therapist left our house I felt like he had a 50/50 shot at getting services. But she left with some exercises for us to try with him to help strengthen his mouth and tongue and train them to do the right things.
To make a long story, long. They called me on Monday and said that they were able to qualify him! We are thrilled! Eli is so incredibly smart and it is frustrating for all of us that he isn't able to communicate all that he wants. The program he'll be getting services through is the same program that I worked for in Texas. It's kind of weird that I'm now on the other side of the program. It definitely provides a new perspective.
I will keep you posted on Eli's progress. One of the first things we are going to do is have his hearing tested with an ENT. He has had fluid on his ears at just about every doctor's visit since he was 6 months old. I'm pretty sure that with that much fluid on his ears, he isn't hearing everything the way he should. If that is the case, he will likely get tubes placed to get all that fluid out of there.
I am so extremely thankful for this blessing!
Although, if I'm being completely honest, I sure am going to miss the way he says certain things. :-/
4 comments:
Do you have a voice recorder on your phone? I like to record my Eli sometimes just so I can hear his baby voice. So glad your sweet Eli is going to get a little help...before you know it, you won't be able to get him to stop talking :)
Haley,
Didn't know if you knew that I am a speech- path. Let me know if you need anything speech-wise. I would be happy to help you out (from afar)
Jill
We definitely need a recording of his "taa-uhs, taa-uhs, taa-uhs" (in a very rapid and high pitch). For those who do not know, that is "tails" for Veggie Tails. Soooooo cute. And he always says it 3 consecutive times--and then repeats it--and then repeats it--and then repeats it . . . . Well, you get the idea. LOVE HIM!
Gi
Oops. Just dawned on me what I did. That would be "tales" not "tails." I do know the difference. :) Was just simply thinking how cute it is to hear him say "taa-uhs, taa-uhs, taa-uhs!"
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