My son isn’t talking.
There, I said it. I’m a speech-language pathologist; I own my own rehabilitation therapy clinic. This is what I do for a living, and my son has an expressive language delay. My son spends his days in my clinic, interacting with clients, parents and siblings, and the rest of my therapy team, and he has me at home too. He gets “speech” from all sides, all the time, but he’s still behind. I feel guilty for feeling frustrated with him when he’s getting upset that I don’t understand him--something that I would be able to keep my cool about with my clients.
I’ve always disliked the term “late-talker.” To me, it’s not a real diagnosis. The thing that I do know is true is that every child communicates, and talks, in their own time. Some just need a little support, a little push, and that’s ok.
Do I think that my son will eventually start talking? Yes, in fact, he does more and more each day. I attribute that to the fact that he’s getting older and has excellent speech models.
Do I think he’d be developing at the same rate and be where he is now without the extra support he is getting? I don’t know. However, it definitely doesn’t hurt that he is receiving speech therapy twice a week from my speech-language pathologists. Besides, he loves it. I love peeking into the therapy room and seeing my son perched on his tiny chair, gripping his glue stick, and putting together his crafts that usually turn out adorably haphazard.
He loves therapy because it’s fun, and here at Circle Creek Therapy, we work hard to make sure therapy is fun. A child’s job is to play, and they learn faster while playing. We use that fact to our advantage here.
We spend as much time playing with our clients as we do treating their speech and language.
Whether it’s reading books while providing modeling and auditory bombardment, sequencing tasks and following directions to make our weekly craft, or playing on the floor with toys and an activity specially designed to target your child’s goals, kids love to be here.
I’m becoming more comfortable with the fact that my son is a little behind. In fact, after talking with our amazing occupational and physical therapists about some of my concerns, we have also identified a few ways he is a little behind in his development for gross and fine motor skills as well. So, we signed him up for those therapies as well. He loves it too!
Early intervention is never a bad thing, and if you’re not sure if you should be concerned or not, call us. We’re happy to answer your questions and provide you with education and suggestions.
I know what you’re going through, and you’re NOT alone.
Whether your child starts improving tomorrow or our therapists see your child for a few months or years--who is to say?
But, as a mom who has a child who is a little behind and is also a certified speech-language pathologist, my question is, “What would it hurt?” Let us help them get caught up. I mean, don’t you want a bunch of crafts with their eyes on their toes, too? ;)
