The “T” Word
I could feel the worry get heavier as the days went on. My son was 16 months old and still showing no signs of talking. No babbles, no effort to make words, nothing. He smiled a lot, he laughed, and he cried when he was unhappy but that was all we got from him. In the depths of my heart I knew that this was bigger than me, I knew that he needed help but I chose to hold on to the hope that every parent has at some point during a journey like mine; “He will grow out of it, he will be fine.”
It took a while, but I found it; one day I found the courage I needed to make the phone call. I was at school, listening to two young boys share stories about weekend events and it hit me, “I wonder if Hewitt will ever share conversation with friends? How is he going to make friends without talking? I wonder if I will ever get to hear what he has to say? C’mon Kerry just do it, do it now.” So I did, I called Child Find and scheduled a screening for my son. I was terrified, and relieved all at the same time; terrified to find out that something was really wrong, but relieved to have finally stepped on to the path of help and discovery.
Hewitt was evaluated just a few weeks after the phone call, and we were told that he indeed needed some speech therapy. It hit me like a ton of bricks – the “T” word – therapy. “Why didn’t I take him in sooner, he’s probably needed therapy for quite some time. Was I not doing enough at home? How is therapy going to fit into my busy schedule? I don’t have time for therapy.” Those were the thoughts that flooded my mind all at once. “Breathe. Breathe. The hardest part is over” I told my self.
The truth is, the hardest part was over. We left Child Find that day, I wept on the way home but haven’t cried a tear over it since. Therapy, big bad ugly therapy has been such a gift for our family. We were paired with one of the most amazing, nurturing speech therapists around. She worked hard to connect with Hewitt as well as our entire family and she unlocked him. She taught us how to help him and we formed deeper more meaningful connections because of all that we learned. The weight of the worry was lifted, and my heart nearly exploded with every tiny bit of progress Hewitt made. Therapy was wonderful and amazing.
I share my story because maybe it will give someone the nudge they need to seek help for their child. As preschool teachers we are often the frontline for all things concerning growth and learning (differences, abilities and struggles). So often we see children not get the help they need because parents are afraid. I know I certainly don’t want my children to just be “fine”, I want them to be equipped for awesomeness, I want them to be amazing, and confident, and reach all their potentials. When I listen to my son crack inside jokes with his sister, or when he tells me “I wuv you more Mama!” I melt with gratitude and love, and am so thankful the parent in me finally listened to the teacher.
