My Daughter’s In Early Intervention For Speech….And That’s OK

When my daughter, Mallory was 14 months old she wasn’t saying all that much. I talked to her pediatrician about it and he said to give it a few more months (unless I really felt something was wrong) and we would talk about it again at Mallory’s 18 month appointment. Well 4 months went by and she started talking, but only a little. At her 18 month appointment she was saying “mama,” “dada,” and occasionally, “hi” and “bye.”

I was truly concerned, and so Mallory’s pediatrician referred us to Early Intervention to set up an appointment.

After Mallory’s first initial evaluation with Early Intervention (they sent out a speech therapist and occupational therapist for this part) the speech therapist determined Mallory’s speech was at a 12 month level. She was 19 months at the time.

I had mixed emotions at this point…At first I was relieved, thrilled almost, that there was a need for speech therapy. We were going to get professional help and my daughter would get the one-on-one therapy I so desperately wanted her to have. Then later that day when it had sunk in more, I felt sad. Sad that my daughter’s speech was so behind. Did I somehow fail her? How did this happen? My son never had any issues.

I texted my friend, who’s an elementary school teacher and an old co-worker of mine, and told her about the evaluation. She immediately made me feel better by simply saying, “You’re such a great mom! It’s so awesome you’re doing this now instead of when she’s 6 or 7 years old.” And in that moment I took a breath. She was so right.

I was never embarrassed or upset that Mallory qualified for Early Intervention, like I said I was happy she was getting the one-on-one help. I just felt bad, as a mother, like I had hindered her speech some how along the road. And so many people said to me, “oh she will be fine,” “Don’t worry, she will get there!” Or “I’m sure when she turns 2 she won’t stop talking.”

Let me tell you, those comments made me want to scream! What if she wasn’t ok as she got older? What if she still had trouble speaking at 4 or 5 years old and I hadn’t done anything about it? There was no way to tell, so no I wasn’t going to chance it, there is nothing wrong with receiving those services from Early Intervention. And why did other people seem so against it?

Mallory has been getting speech therapy now for about 4 months and we’ve already started seeing a big difference! She’s added the words, “brother,” “uh-oh,” “more,” and “boo-boo” to her repertoire. And she’s trying really hard to say 2-3 word sentences like, “come on Maya” (to our dog) and “I want more” when asking for snacks or drinks. They’re phrases only I can understand right now, but it’s a start and it’s awesome! Hearing her little voice is heart warming.

If you ever think there is something wrong developmentally with your child (even if it’s something that seems so little) don’t ignore it! And don’t let anyone around you second-guess yourself. You know your child best. You are their mom and that feeling in your gut is probably right! Talk to your pediatrician. Early Intervention is available in every state and it’s completely FREE for children 0-3 years old. Many people don’t have a lot of information on it, so speak up! You know best, mama and you are your child’s best advocate.

Has your child been in Early Intervention? Leave me a comment! Do you think your child might benefit from it? Click here to learn more about Early Intervention.

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