Good Morning,
I am so glad to have found this group. My youngest DD Keira who is just shy of 2 has severe speech delays and some cognitive delays. Her speech is only at a level of a 4-7 month old. She says only one word. She is currently in Early Intervention and they come 3x a week, but shortly they will be coming 4 including a new therapist that specializes in speech.
They are not sure why she has such a significant delay. It is so hard, and heartbreaking as a Mother to watch her struggle so much.
Besides being busy with Ms. Keira, I have an older DD who will be 7 in June- named Cassidy. I am married to Tom for 7 years, I also work part time outside the home. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Also, I am thinking of having Keira referred to our Children's hospital in the area for a full evaluation, do you have experience with a full eval- is it something you suggest? Thank you so much!!
She gets EI through Massachusetts and you are correct it only goes through age 3. Her threapist stated on her 2nd Birthday on (3/5/12) we will fill out the paper work to send to our towns school district to enroll her when shes three in the "Chips program".
I will defenitly make sure I get a referral from her Pedi when I see him. Another thing that worries me is she has 2 heart defects that she was born with. Her cardiologist says he is not concerned and he will check her again when she is 3 but I am just concerned that some how they are related. Thank you so much for your time.
Quoting sayres:
Welcome to the group. I would suggest that you have your DD either evaluated by a pediatric Nuerologist or a developmental pediatrician. Either one would review your DD's history, evaluate her current skills and let you know what they think is going on and if they think she may benefit from further testing (MRI,genetic testing etc.). You said she is currently being seen 3 days a week, what type of therapy is she receiving? Depending on the state you live in EI is only a birth to 3 program, at 3 her therapy and education would be transferred to your local school district (either county or town). Having an evaluation from a medical professional makes the discussions with the school district easier (in my experience). Again welcome! Please feel free to ask us any questions you have we are a diverse group of moms with children with a verity of developmetal issues.
Welcome to the group! You've gotten some good advice. I understand your concern about the heart defects, and probably the reason the cardiologist wants to wait to see her again until she is 3 is because often times heart defects repair themselves as kids grow, and minor ones are not repaired until kids are over 3 anyways - my son had an atrial septal defect that presented as a murmur at birth, but they couldn't repair it until he was past age 3 anyways. He had a catheter procedure at 3.5, and is just perfect (as far as his heart) now. I did notice that he had a LOT more energy afterwards, and the doc said that was common - my point is that it may be affecting her energy level to have minor heart defects, but it is unlikely that it affects her development.
Welcome to the group! My 2 year old son (Halloween 2009)has a severe speech disorder called apraxia. He has very few words (less than 10). He also has a severe swallowing disorder, dysphagia. He also has a moderate global delay.
I found that teaching my son sign language was very beneficial. He can sign more, help, please, thank you, open, and all done.
I recommend getting a referral to a dev. pediatrician or neurologist. A full evaluation is a great idea. It will let you know if your child needs help in other areas, etc...
Welcome! My son is now 7 and we started with severe speech and language delays, plus he has motor skills delays. His receptive speech was fine, but expressive was an issue. Sounds like you're on top of it - early intervention is so important. We went to the Children's Hospital and met with neurologists and geneticists. My son still doesn't have a diagnosis. I would suggest going, though. First, for your peace of mind. It's good to know every stone has been turned. Also, they might find something and know more that might allow you to intervene in other ways to help your DD.
Good luck! Keep us posted.
Tammy
Thank you all for your input- I really appreciate the support. I will definitely be getting a referral when I see her pedi in a few weeks.
to the group! We are very happy to have you join us here!
Starting Potty training with my Son (Down Syndrome)...Any advice??
- Cassidysmom611
on Feb. 17, 2012 at 8:45 AM