Reality

A little bit of reality set in this week. even though Will had great therapy sessions this week and is making great progress. He said 2 long vowels for the first time /e/ and /a/ this week.

Though on Tuesday during pre school one of Will's friends became upset because Will would just let out several screams. I know being his mom and around him that this is his form of communication since he does not know how to expressively communicate his wants and needs. It's also being 2 years old (or close enough)

He will use his hands to indicated want he wants by pointing but unfortunately sometimes he resorts to hitting and pushing. My first thought was that Will had scared his friend when he screamed. Though, after talking to the father I came to find out that the little boy was concerned. The father said that he talks about Will all the time, but doesn't understand why he does not use his words and that it upsets him.

In six months Will be in a class with a teacher that is not his mom, classmates are all his age and will be expected to do certain things. Of course we all worry about our kids succeeding. I am confident that with his therapy and many years of hard work that one day he will gain his speech, but in the meantime he will have to face challenges. One of those being ~  How will other children react towards him. Will he make friends, Will they want to play with them. We just trust in God and not our own understanding and he will make our path straight even when it seems crooked.

The Signs

For those of you who do not know our oldest son, Jacob who will be 6 in May, is an extremely strong willed little boy. There many times I have asked the Lord why? What are you teaching me Lord?

I myself was a strong willed child, though my parents tell me that Jacob is magnified 200%. Many of you may be able to sympathize with me and understand the frustration that comes along with a child who constantly argues and must have their way…..ALL the time.

Several months ago, before Christmas, I was having a really hard time with Jacob’s behavior. I wasn’t sure that I was capable of raising him properly.  The Lord shared with me that He has trusted Wes and I to raise these boys. He knows that we can do it and has Faith in us. Hear what I’m saying….God has Faith in us.  We are not perfect parents but He believes in us. Our faith in him is nothing compared to his belief in what we can do. Wes and I pray many times that one day Jacob’s will be aligned with the Lord’s, but until then it’s our job to give Jacob the tools and equip him with God’s Word and Truth. The Lord is the only one that can work in his heart.

God has Faith in us.

Psalm 86:15 ~ But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness

I’ve often wondered why God gives us the children that we have and the circumstances He puts us in. Raising our children, at times seems like a tribulation, but I believe that the Lord is teaching me just as much as I’m teaching my children. 

At first, regarding Will’s Apraxia, I didn't react the way most people do when they find out that ‘your child has a developmental delay’(or there is something ‘wrong’ with your child). I actually had a peace about it.  I knew that the Lord would bring people into our lives to help.

James 1: 2-3 ~ Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,  because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

I did have a moment a little over a month ago where I felt like I was missing out on my child’s natural development. Then Wes reminded me that “this is Will’s natural development” and it was his path. Will is fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14)!!!

According to child developmental standards; Will should be have about 20 words in his vocabulary and saying some 2 word combinations. At this point he has about less than 10 words that he uses consistently.

All I could see was a huge cloud in front of me and I couldn't see what was going to happen. I had questions like… How will he do in school?  When I prayed about it, the Lord reminded me that He was the cloud … He was there to guide me because it was His plan, just as he did Israelites.

Hebrews 11:1~ Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.      
 
Just this past week, I thought a lot about the different ways God prepared me for Will’s speech delay. Little did I know that my degree in child development gave me knowledge to help me to recognize the signs of his delay.

During the 2005-06 school year I was the 3 year old teacher at Trinity Baptist Weekday Preschool; I had the privilege of watching a young autistic girl develop friendships and learn new things. I told her mom that I felt that the Lord brought her daughter into my life to prepare me. What for? I didn’t know.  She was one of the reasons why I applied for a job in the public school district. I obtained a job as an instructor for a small guided reading group. Within my 6 years as a paraprofessional I learned a lot about language, speech, grammar, and strategies that young readers use. The knowledge that I gained has helped me to understand Will’s speech therapy goals. 

Then, just last May Wes and I, after much prayer, chose to follow God’s will for me not to work, but stay home with Will. What an amazing God we serve. He knew that I would need to be home for Will’s therapy.
 
Our sermon at church Sunday was about the signs that God gives us, Jesus signs were miraculous, but God gives us signs everyday to draw us closer to Him. Though, it's us who have to decide how to read those signs. I recognized signs that told me that my son’s speech was delayed because of my knowledge in child development. Knowing Him helps me to read His signs that will point me to closer to Him.

2 Peter 3:18 ~ But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

I know that our family cannot go down this path without the Lord's help. I lean on Him daily and ask for His guidance....Thank you Lord for your Faithfulness.

 

Proverbs 3:5-6

~

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.

Will's Apraxia

March 15, 2013

Many of you know either from our New Years Letter or by speaking with us that Will has a delay of Speech.  I first became concerned towards the end of the summer when he was about 14 months old. I know that children develop at their own pace, but he was not saying words like, uh-oh, no, Dada…though he said /mama/ it seemed more like babbling syllables and not; per say calling ‘me’ Mama!  Though, many told me to count it as his first word at that time.

A few months went by…while teaching the toddler class at Trinity Baptist Weekday Preschool, his lack of speech began to become more evident. I knew something was not right. When Will was almost 17 months old I went India for a mission trip in October. One of my team members, a speech therapist, advised me to go ahead and get BabyNet (a program in SC through First Steps to provided Early Intervention) to evaluate him. Again, many would tell me that “my child didn’t talk until after 2” or “he’ll just start saying sentences”, but I had to follow my instincts.

I submitted our paper work Friday morning, November 9, 2012 and received a call that afternoon to set up an appointment. Our first evaluation was set for Friday, November 30 at 9am. During Will’s 18 month well-check up, Monday, November 26, I told his doctor that he was being evaluated for his speech. Though he didn’t seem that concerned; he supported my intuitive.

Will’s first evaluator, Lisa, was impressed with his receptive knowledge, but did say that he qualified for a second evaluation base on his lack of expressive language.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012 – We meet with, Frances, for his second evaluation.  After interviewing me and observing Will she was pretty sure he’d qualify.  She called two days later to tell me that he did qualify for BabyNet to provide services until he was 3 years old and for us to pick an agency. She said that he qualified for expressive language and social (since it’s related to language).  I guess those child development classes in college did help. 

After we hung up I called a few agencies…left many messages.  I talked to one the first time I called, Bright Start, and had one call me back the next week. I prayed about it but no clarity…. That was the weekend Will ended up with the Flu and Ear Infection.

Then while we had Christmas in Auburn, he began to say Mama more meaningfully towards me.

After Christmas, Frances called and asked if we had chosen an agency to serve our family with Will’s delay. I chose Bright Start; because they answered the first time I called and compared to the other I had more of a peace with them. God is Good because he blessed us with a wonderful Early Interventionist (EI), Brantley.

Brantley’s, initial visit was for paper work, but she also got to meet Will before their first session 2 days later.  She’s basically working with him through play. And Yes, my degree is in Child Development and I already do some of what she does, but I have learned a lot through her and also we all know that our children respond differently (sometimes better) with others. A bonus is that she records his progress so I’ll have written documentation.

A friend from church recommended a speech therapist that works with her grandson, Melanie, for Will; though she didn’t have any openings, her assistant Tonya did.  Again God is Good.  Melanie did his initial evaluation on January 29, 2013. Both are Christian women and are raising boys.  She was able to give me a name for Will’s speech delay, which I kinda felt relieved. She said that he has Childhood Apraxia of Speech. Here is another great website about Apraxia: Apraxia Kids

To be able to know the WHY is great; even if we don’t know the HOW!

February 13, 2013 – First Speech Therapy (ST) session with Tonya, who also has 2 boys (teenagers).  She can definitely relate with me. She said that Will did things during his first session that with some children it takes 6 sessions before they can do it.

Things that we are working on: 

·         Oral Motor Practice with straws, horns, Kazoos, blowing bubbles, tongue movements, etc

·         Animal Sounds

·         Initial consonants b, p, d, m

·         Vowels  (he does /ah/ /oo/ regularly)

·         Indentifying body parts

·         Imitation

·         Following basic directions

After 7 speech therapy sessions he is doing great. He now says:

·         Mama – Constantly (last few weeks has called Wes, Jacob and others /mama/ too)

·         Ball- around Christmas

·         Dar Dar for Darcy – since about January

·         Dada – in last 2 weeks

·         All Gone – last week

·         Go –yesterday

·         Identifying body parts more regularly and more on command

·         Working on animal sounds: He has woof & baa

·         Consonants:  m, b,p, g, k, t

·         Vowels:   ah, oo, o, i,

·         He uses ASL (Baby Signs):

o   more, please, eat, milk, help, all gone/done

o   Sometimes candy, open, bird, cookie, help

Tonya says that children with Apraxia tend to lean towards CV (consonant-vowel) or VC (vowel-consonant). Will prefers VC; even though the words he does say start with a consonant sound, he will sometimes add  a vowel sound in front….i.e. when he began saying ball it came out /uh ba/ then /uh ball/ now /ball/.  Just this week he has done that with the word ‘bite’.  I can get him to say each letter sound in isolation: /b/ /i/ /t/…..he’s now putting first two together/bi/ and then will repeat the /t/ sound after me.

I’ve started a written journal to record his progress. I’m also hoping to be able to update the blog so you will know how he is doing. Thank you for your prayers and support.