Speech Therapy

Every other week our early interventionist comes to the house and give me a wealth of things I can use to work with Warren and Dean to get them closer to meeting all their goals.  After each visit, I buy the new toy, or make the new sensory bag, play the new game, etc.  I absolutely love it because I am always giving them something new and different to try. (without having to find idea on Pinterest!)  I am intimately familiar with how they should be progressing with gross motor from my PT background.  And that is primarily what I have focused on, especially in the beginning.  At their 9 month evaluation, Dean was right on track with his motor skills without even adjusting for him being a preemie!  BUT, I have neglected some of the other areas.  I just didn't know...didn't know milestones to know how delayed they were getting.  And so, they are currently both 7 months delayed in fine motor.  Oops.  And Warren is 5 months delayed in speech.  Oops again.  (These numbers are without adjusting for their micro preemie status) There is so much responsibility on preemie parents to get their kids to catch up, get them with the right therapist, provide this amazing learning environment.  And here, I thought I was doing it all, but no.  Epic failure.  I saw those numbers, those months of delay, and tried not to feel too disappointed.  Never disappointed in my children, but in myself and my job as a mother.  So, I discussed with Bright Start, and we started speech last week.  Of course, Dean would decide to say his first word earlier that day.  "mama"  Such a proud moment...more on that in another post...

Our first visit was great.  It's weird to be on this end of therapy, after asking so many of the same questions myself during my pediatric rotation (wow, was that really 5 years ago already???).  Getting their long medical history, my pregnancy history, etc.  And then came all the questions.  Does h babble? No.  Does he string vowels together? No.  Does he make noise other than crying to get attention? No.  On and on.  No, no, no. Poor Warren.  I had no clue he was supposed to be doing these things.  Am I just slow?  How do working mothers handle both?  Regardless, the evaluation revealed that Dean (with his newly found babbling, ptyerdactyl screeching, and loud laugh) does not qualify.  But Warren will.  He's always, as the doctors said in the NICU, been a little more immature with his development.  But this is the first time there has been a big enough difference that he will have a service that Dean will not.  Now, those will be some interesting treatment sessions...what to do with an 11-month-old who is into everything and has separation anxiety??  Should be entertaining, to say the least!