Speech Therapy

When we took P to his 2 year old check up, I mentioned that he wasn't saying very many words. The doctor suggested that we wait for a couple of months to see if his vocabulary would start growing. The problem was not that he was jabbering or communicating, it was that he was not using actual words.

After a couple of months, I called the doctor and we discussed sending P to speech therapy. I felt like I had failed as a mother. I was the one with him all day, every day, and I was responsible for teaching him how to speak. How was I able to teach my first child to talk and develop a vast vocabulary and not my second child?

There were two reasons why P didn't learn to talk the same way as his brother. J would talk for him, and P has a different personality. P was content to let his brother speak for him. So, I put my pride aside and contacted the speech pathologist. They came to our house and tested P to see if he needed some assistance. He failed the test by 2%. I didn't feel so bad when they told me that he need some guided instruction, and that he was communicating very well. We started speech therapy in February and he has shown great progress.

Giving my son the foundation of a good vocabulary is so important. I had to realize that it wasn't about my ability to teach him to speak, but learning how to teach him. It is all about my son.

Have you had a child in speech therapy? Did you struggle with the decision? I would love to hear from you.

Amanda