Epi, you can do this.

I haven’t commented before, but have been following your blog for a few months. I just wanted to let you know that I went to speech therapy as a child (mostly due to some hearing loss affecting my pronunciation – specifically the “S” sound vs the “Sh” sound), and I don’t remember anything bad associated with it.

As the above poster CS said, I don’t remember much at all about it, except a handful of instances. Various children get pulled out of the class room in elementary school for a wide variety of things: from speech, to reading lessons, to “honors” type classes, and many other reasons. So most of the children don’t even really notice that someone is gone for a bit in the middle of the day, because alot of kids come and go. I don’t remember when I started speech (although the hearing issues were noticed around 3 years old – but were never enough for me to get a hearing aid), but I think I left speech class around 4th or 5th grade.

As a child, most of what I remember about the speech therapy was that it was one on one attention with a teacher (well, any adult in charge was a “teacher” to me) who was playing games with me that involved pronunciation. They are very good at making it a fun and enjoyable time.

Feel free to email me if you have any questions or concerns. My thoughts are with you and your family, and I’m sure you are all strong enough to get through this.

Long time reader, first time commenting! I love your blog!! I have a brother that is currently in speech therapy, and has been for the last probably 8 years!! That is not meant to scare you at all!! Your feelings of failure is completly understandable, but its also a great thing. Like another person said, not getting help would be the failure!! Your a great parent to not only admit that your child needs some help, but to actually get the help!! please feel free to email if you have questions!!

Epi- I share your feelings of failure as a parent. We spend energy trying to fix what we can, and still get heartbroken over what we have no control over. My sweet son is almost 5. He has ASD, and his speech is that of a 2-3 year old. He can memorize and mimic lines from movies and what he hears pretty well, but will revert to a basic jargon babble to fill in the gaps. I can’t tell you how many times we both cried trying to understand each other. He would get frustrated because I couldn’t understand and I was frustrated because I felt as a mother I should understand it all. I have learned to let go and put him in the hands of wonderful educators and therapists almost 3 years earlier than I wanted. He started therapy at 2-1/2. I changed my career to be able to be home with him and still work and supplement his therapy at home. He is improving. It is a slow haul, but it is happening. I started focusing on what he can do,and not what he can’t. I listen harder. I still sometimes say “okay, buddy” even when I have no idea what he is saying. I had to wait longer than expected, but he now says crystal clear, “I love you mommy.” It is all worth it.

Epi,

YOU ARE NOT A FAILURE! We as parents always try to fix what’s wrong ourselves! I know-been there done that- you remember my oldest had some pretty bad learning disabilities and we went down the same path you did- he’s overcome those disabilities and so will your little one! Its just harder than hell to have to watch them go through it! My nephew had to have speech therapy too but he’s a straight A college student now- quit being so hard on yourself!

I just wanted to thank everyone once again for the kind comments.

It’s been a tough week, but we’re keeping it together.

You have no idea how much your support means. Thank you.

Epi.

A failure as a parent? Hardly. Bonus that you’re catching this early. My son (the Adam Bomb…just turned 12, so not much older than FC) missed out on this early on. He’s spent the last 2 years in speech therapy at school. He’ll probably have a little more work to do in Junior High…but he’s getting there…actually he rocks as long as he is actually trying; just try to find a 12 year-old that is always actually trying ;).

For what it’s worth…it’s one of those things that you need mutual aid for, and nowdays speech class is actually fun in most schools.