Kid needs speech mother denies???

amother

Thu, Nov 08 2007, 1:00 pm

Tell me where you people live who get evaluations & have therapy pushed on them, please. I have a child with a disability & where I live you have to beg for services. Once they are in school, especially if not in public school, there are hardly any therapies offered. I wish I lived somewhere where they beg you take therapy.

Clarissa

Thu, Nov 08 2007, 1:01 pm

amother wrote:

GR wrote:

My point is not that every child is like mine, but that speech delay can be very normal in many cases.

They happen but I wouldn't go so far to say they are "normal." They say early talking is a sign of a smart child.

Early speech may or may not be a sign of intelligence, but the reverse is NOT necessarily true. My son spoke early and yes, he has tested gifted. One of his best friends didn't speak or point or do many other things before the age of 2, and he is one of the brightest in his grade.

Clarissa

Thu, Nov 08 2007, 1:03 pm

amother wrote:

I live in New York and they're quite generous with evaluations and services. My baby just had an elaborate evaluation, free of charge, and is now being offered free therapy.

Where are you?

gryp

Thu, Nov 08 2007, 1:19 pm

Quote:

They happen but I wouldn't go so far to say they are "normal." They say early talking is a sign of a smart child.

There are many things that fall under the category of "smart." A good memory, quick grasp, acquiring a lot of knowledge, etc.
Are you saying a child who has none of these is not "normal?"
When I say "normal" I mean within the range of average. You don't need to be smart to be normal.

I'm not one at all to exaggerate my children's abilities. My late talker is definitely considered a smart one and my 2 year old who's been talking since 15 months is a bit slower but a genius at communication and association. My 11 month old has been saying two words for a few weeks now: "this" when he points to what he wants and "more" when he wants more of something.

Clarissa

Thu, Nov 08 2007, 1:38 pm

Good point. There are many qualities that connect to intelligence that go unrecognized because they're not obvious, the way we discuss early speaking or reading. For instance, I know a girl who, although she's not a stellar student, has more social intelligence than anyone I know. She can really read people and situations, is adept at all social and academic environments and is well-respected, because she is really gifted at socialization. I know plenty of people who were not recognized for their intelligence as children but are amazing at art. Artistic giftedness and creativity is so often missed in schools, and goes ignored by intelligence tests. One of the most famous and most respected artists I know, whose work is studied and who is capable of discourse on absolutely any topic, didn't speak until quite late and, in fact, barely spoke in his early childhood.

HindaRochel

Thu, Nov 08 2007, 4:31 pm

I had wondered about that SB but I thought, oh dear he must have had a time of it! But even so, 5mns is a long time. I don't know what the original therapy consisted of...tongue exercises perhaps? But it would make sense for a premie who is in hospital that long to need several types of therapy. Baruch Hashem he is fine now I take it? And I'm glad that he is well and with you. It must have been quite a trial.

But a child who is in the hospital for his first five months is still a different case than a child who is born full term and home. There are different issues.

southernbubby

Thu, Nov 08 2007, 5:00 pm

In the beginning, after he got off of the respirator, he had OT for feeding and PT for strengthening his limbs. Actually speech was started at about 11 months. He also had a teacher at 11 months. Every week while he was on oxygen, we had OT, PT, Speech, and a teacher. When he got off oxygen, I took him to them. The speech teacher got him to imitate sounds. OT worked on feeding as well as other small motor skills.
Now at 18, he is in shiur bais in zal in Toronto, Baruch Hashem. During the summer he was night activities director of sections A and B for Camp Gan Israel of Montreal. He has been driving since age 15. Colds and viruses chas v'sholem still bother him enough to keep him out of class when they occur. Now the one thing I don't think I should tell you is his opinion of this website!

HindaRochel

Thu, Nov 08 2007, 5:13 pm

Baruch Hashem SB.
And his opinion and my son's (and husband's) opinion are probably the same.

I think it likely that if you could go back and talk to the therapists today, they would tell you that much of the speech therapy had to do with his having been on oxygen and how that may have interfered with his the funcitoning of his tongue, but that is hazarding a guess. I remember reading something on the subject oh such a long time ago that the facts are hazy.

In any case, if he isn't married yet may you soon be blessed to dance at his wedding.

mimivan

Thu, Nov 08 2007, 6:30 pm

GR wrote:

Quote:

They happen but I wouldn't go so far to say they are "normal." They say early talking is a sign of a smart child.

I've heard both late and early talking is a sign of above average intelligence.
I think Einstein didn't talk until well into the age of 3...
And my friend's husband is a genius (IQ-wise) He didn't talk normally until he was 5!!
(I know this is highly unusual)

Chani

Thu, Nov 08 2007, 7:51 pm

I have a cousin who is a Rhodes scholar and who didn't talk until almost 4. And another first cousin who talked late and even repeated kindergarten but who later was valedictorian of his extremely demanding prep school class and went to an Ivy. One thing about each of them - when they did start to talk, they moved extremely quickly into full sentences - kind of skipped over the 1-2 word stage.

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned that maybe the friend is mistaken about what is going on with the child. I had a niece who wouldn't say a word in front of others (outside of our immediate family) but talked our ear off once the "outsiders" were gone. That included even close family friends...

gryp

Thu, Nov 08 2007, 8:30 pm

Quote:

I had a niece who wouldn't say a word in front of others (outside of our immediate family) but talked our ear off once the "outsiders" were gone. That included even close family friends...

That's exactly why they wanted to put my son in speech. He wasn't talking in school, he was too shy. When I explained (over and over) to the school coordinator that he talks plenty at home so he does not need SPEECH therapy, she had the nerve to tell me that she doesn't see him talk so he must not be talking! Rolling Eyes

Clarissa

Thu, Nov 08 2007, 8:38 pm

GR wrote:

Quote:

I had a niece who wouldn't say a word in front of others (outside of our immediate family) but talked our ear off once the "outsiders" were gone. That included even close family friends...

Actually, I heard from someone that the people who evaluate and do these tests often don't recognize shyness. The kid doesn't respond to commands and requests (shy kids often won't) and the evaluators diagnose delays.

redhot

Thu, Nov 08 2007, 8:48 pm

GR wrote:

gr- u didnt mention any of this in your initial comment. That information makes a world of a difference.

Clarissa wrote:

[

Actually, I heard from someone that the people who evaluate and do these tests often don't recognize shyness. The kid doesn't respond to commands and requests (shy kids often won't) and the evaluators diagnose delays.

I have never heard of such a thing. a critical part of an evaluation is interviewing the parent or caregiver BECAUSE the child may not be showing his full potential at the evaluation! Therapists do not benefit from saying your child needs therapy. In general the therapist who evaluates your child will not be the same one who treats your child. There are more than enough kids out there who need therapy. I get called daily to take on more cases, and my friends and peers say the same. We are not looking for more cases. We would never say a child needs therapy that does not need it. It seems some of you have really terrible false impressions about speech therapists. I hope you meet up with an honest one soon, so you can see that it isnt as you pictured.

gryp

Thu, Nov 08 2007, 9:04 pm

Quote:

gr- u didnt mention any of this in your initial comment. That information makes a world of a difference.

I posted about it so many times last year on the forum when I was actually going through the whole thing, that I didn't want to bore anyone in this post. Wink

Actually, I didn't think it was necessary to elaborate since I had posted so much about it.