Speech Therapy Progress

My son had his speech therapy session yesterday. Unfortunately, he wasn't feeling well by the time we got to town so he didn't want to participate very much.

I visited with his therapist and asked her what she thought about his progress. She said she was happy with how he's doing and she's seen him improve in his verbal skills. She'd like to see him use even more words and consistently ask for things using either a sign or a word. The therapy sessions have been good for me in that I've become more insistent that he ask for things. As his mom, I almost always know what he wants--I can practically read his mind. In the past, I've let him point to things or take me by the hand to show me what he wants, but now I'm making him ask for it by either signing or by saying a word. So, the positive effect of his therapy is that it's making me more aware of how I interact with him when it comes to communication. Yes, it's easier to just hand him a drink of water, but that doesn't help him learn. Now, I make him give me the sign for a drink. Next, we'll move to the signs for both a drink and the water. Then, hopefully, we'll move to the words.


The therapist read him a book yesterday and he had to match the picture in the book to a picture on a card. At first, he wouldn't cooperate, but by the end of the book he was pointing to the matching cards, which is great progress for him.


I'm glad we've had him in speech therapy. I think it's been good for him and it's taught me a lot. He's learned to work with another adult and he's started to make connections between signs and words.


I've never been a very patient person. When I want something, I want it now. Of course, after having so many kids I've become more patient than I was as a teenager, but I still tend to get impatient. My son has been a great teacher. I have to be patient with him. I have to not stress that things take him longer. I have to be okay with the time it takes for him to learn things. I've had to let go of wanting him to do certain things at certain times and just be thankful for what he does, when he does it. After all, I'm in this for eternity, so a few extra months or years won't make much difference. Besides, learning how to be patient and grateful are things I might not learn any other way.