AM got a spot at a university speech clinic. This is, frankly, awesome. It is 10 minutes from our house. It is two hours a week, while Miss M is in school. It is $150 for the entire spring semester.
His “therapist” is a grad student, who will be supervised by her professor. Yesterday they put him through his paces to see what he could do. They came to the conclusion that he a) is adorable and b) understands everything you say to him.
Yes, yes.
But clearly they don’t know any ASL. Because not only was he directing his way around the toys and having a rotten time with the mouth and lip exercises (I was doing them because clearly he would have freaked out to have a stranger touch his face), at one point he had decided he had had E.NOUGH. He plopped into my lap and signed to nurse. I said no. He signed for a snack. I said no. He consented to page through a board book, but then suddenly signed “all done.” Emphatically. Then he stood up, signed it again and signed “coat.” As in, “Where the hell is my damn coat, lady? I am OUT OF HERE.”
I distracted him with trains from home so I could finish talking to the professionals. So I have a little trepidation about Monday. And Wednesday. And the following Monday. Etc.
Hopefully it will just take a few sessions to work out the kinks, although an hour of paying attention is an eternity for a toddler in any situation. Please cross your available digits for us!
I’m so thoroughly impressed with AM. Do you teach him all these signs and if so how did you learn them? I love the image of him signing coat and wanting to get the heck out of Dodge.
I hope things get better and he starts talking more soon. Congrats on finding a spot for him close to home and reasonably priced.
Good luck! This sounds like a great learning opportunity for him and for his “therapist”.
An hour is long for a toddler. You may just have to follow his lead on when to end the sessions. He will get used to the new people and surrounding and then hopefully things will go more smoothly.
I love him!!
An hour seems like an awfully long time for someone AM’s age.
I am surprised it is such a long session. My grandson, who was two when he was getting speech therapy, had 2 1/2 hour sessions a week….and after a few months, he had made gains but was refusing to work with the therapists anymore. For more than 15 minutes. That is a long period for a toddler. They gave my aughter exercises to do at home with him and he is making progress.
I wish you and AM tons and tons of good luck!
That is 1/2 hour sessions twice a week! Not a 2 1/2 hour session!
I shudder to think what he’d be like if he didn’t have such a wonderful Ema. Really. Imagine if he lived in a family that never thought to teach him sign language. He’d be a screaming tantruming wreck of a non-speaking toddler. I’m sure he still feels like that to you sometimes, but I’m guessing it is way less than it could be.
I hereby award you the Mother of the Year medal. Unfortunately it doesn’t come with a cash prize, only a lifetime supply of hugs and absolution from anything you feel like you are doing wrong lately.
Also, an hour does seem ridiculously long. Could you offer a nurse or snack break part way through? He might be able to do some more after that.
Wow. An hour IS long. I think we started at 30 minutes with C and went up to 45 after a few months. But yeah! on getting in!
Sending tons of good thoughts your way. He clearly knows what he wants…Love it.
Good luck with this! You are in my thoughts!
It does seem like a long time for a toddler. But I second chickimama in that I’m glad you got in. I hope it works out.
Love that he was signing for his coat. hehe.
My ds got (much needed, as almost *everything* sounded like ‘dada’) speech therapy through Early Intervantion from age 2.5 – 3. Maybe older than your AM, but if it wasn’t a full hour, it was definitely 45 minutes, although in our home. Services through the schools once he turned 3 were 1/2 hour sessions once or twice a week, and I was surprised how short it felt.
I hope they are at least trying to turn the sessions into “fun”, even if he disagrees. Good luck.
[...] Our experience at the college clinic this semester had its ups and downs. His clinician, C, promptly fell in love with the cuteness. She definitely had an easier time that his student in the spring, J, who was dealing with a non-verbal, behind-the-curve, sometimes oppositional client. [...]