Mom the speach therapist

[Googsmom aka Jennifer]

yep thats right, me Brooks OT came today and so I asked her when Brooker will start regular speach therapy. She gave me this goofy look and said "that it was me, your the ST" HUH OMG, i'm no good at this stuff. I haven't the foggiest clue what a ST does. She assured me that i'm already doing a good job besides being a stuborn a** and not learning sign language. So my new job is to try to learn what a ST does until I find one who I can afford and learn from her/him. I do know some sign's from watching the girls and just what I remember from school so I will attempt to teach Brooker. I also have a little book type pamphlet of simple sign's for babies somewhere around here I will dig out. I know now the importance of sign w/ our kids as all of you know already. I feel like a *&%#$@! for not realizing this and being so darn stuborn. I could just cry! I guess she also thinks that little Miss Brook has her mommy and daddy wrapped around all of her fingers and toes. Go figure "We just "know" what she wants and get it for her so there is no need for her to communicate" says the OT . Sad to say but it's True. Big ol' push over mommy. She is impressed w/ Brook's "understanding skills" though so I was pleased w/ that.
I'm trying to finish reading Early Communications Skills right now too. Maybe that will give me some insight on what to do.

Have any of you watched the dvd: Discovery/ pathways to better speach for childern w/ Ds By: Will Schermerhorn ? ? ? If so shoud I get it? Is it a good learn for mom?

I'm sorry to ramble on you guys but I feel I have failed again at teaching my little Brookster by being a stuborn %$@ and feel real bad now

[CC]

Hmmm I am having a hard time understanding why you get an OT through Early Intervention but not ST. Hmmm man how times have changed and not for the better in my opinion.

NO I have never seen that DVD you talk bout.

If you don't mind me asking does Brook get PT or only OT?

HUGS to you.

CC ~

[Googsmom aka Jennifer]

HI CC. Brook gets PT and OT thats why I thought she would get ST too. I'm going to do some calling around tomorrow b/c i'm just not sure of this. Maybe it starts in school. I dunno. I'm gunna see what I can find out though.

[damarasmom]

I would soooo call them! It just doesn't make sense to me either. They seem to go hand and hand. Unless the OT was indicating that they simply don't have one available....that happened with us, they were short staffed until she turned 2 1/2...
Good luck, I sure hope they give you a ST...I wouldn't know what the heck to do!

[Emilysmom]

Maybe I'm misunderstanding.........was the OT saying that the ST was HER??? Like she was providing the same therapy an ST would?? Or that YOU had to be the ST??? It's true that many of the things that an ST does initially are things that an OT would know about......especially if the OT had co-treated children with an ST in the past. (For us, it was exactly the opposite: We had no "good" OT in our area, but our ST had worked with some awesome OT's with sensory integration methods in the past, and she worked in OT stuff into her therapy sessions). And once a month, we'd travel to Nashville to see the OT and would come home with activities to work on over the next month.
Lots of what our ST did in the beginning had to do with teaching Emily the "back and forth" exchange that goes with communication.........through playing little games with her. I'm not sure if anyone walked into the room (at least for part of the therapy sessions) they would have seen it as SPEECH therapy! LOL Looked a lot like playing games and having fun! That's probably something that you are already doing when you play with her. (I remember the therapist made a big deal of saying "NOW it is EMILY"S turn" and then "OK, MY turn". She says that is something that is important for kids to learn for communication.

If she was saying that YOU have to be the ST............hmmmm. Well, we do end up having to learn all sorts of things to help our kids (I'm a nurse, but I feel like lots of moms here have had to learn as many nursing skills as me because their kids had so many complex medical needs.), but we need someone qualified to teach US first. Hopefully, you can find a good ST and Early Intervention can pay for it!! We always had ST paid for by EI, until Emily turned 3.

For what this is worth.......Emily had (and still has!!) significant oral motor issues. She drooled till she was four! She didn't have good lip closure at all, and her tonque wouldn't move from side to side. Of course, I don't know Brook......but I love seeing her pictures. And from her photos, I've always been really impressed with her mouth!! I know that sounds goofy, but she seems to have great lip control! Some of her expressions really show that! That's a positive for her!!! (I'm not an ST by any means, but I know some of the things ST's have mentioned that Emily couldn't do with her mouth that she needed to be able to do in order to form words.)

About sign language: I remember hearing an old theory that teaching sign language to kids with Ds could make them rely on only sign language, and that some parents were hesitant to use it because of that fear. But, every ST I've ever talked to says that really just does not happen..........as the child learns a new word and is able to form that word, they just drop the sign for it and move on. I've heard wonderful things about the "Signing Times" video/book. I think it came out after Emily needed sign language, but I think it's worth checking out.

PLEASE don't let any therapist make you feel like you've failed Brook........ever. You'll always be learning about new things that might help her, and just go from there! I don't think she has missed out at all, and you certainly aren't failing her!!!!

Susan

[Pat]

I think someone handed you a line. They can & should be giving her ST.
As far a a good book if you want to learn sign language is called, The Joy of Signing . It tells the orgins of the words which makes it easier to remember. I have taught people to sign using this book. I used to work at a deaf school. Susan's right! It doesn't stop kids from talking, just makes them less frustrated.
Pat

[Valerie]

Oh, no, you need to check into that further. You should be entitled to speech therapy, too!

As far as signing, I can't say enough good things about the signing time videos! Nicholas loved them, and picked up the signs so fast! And Susan is right, it just gave him a way to communicate until he was able to say the words, and then he dropped the signing. Although he does still know all of them, he'll toss one out once in awhile!

Also, those videos will help with learning to read some words, too, trust me! Nicholas' teachers at preschool are amazed at how many words he can read!

[Chris too]

We had trouble finding an SLP (speech language pathologist) to do ST for Stevie. Since they couldn't come out to our home, we went to them & got Stevie's special insurance to pay for it. I don't know what OR has in that regard. But for now, we just added a location to our "family cites" so that we could have the slp come to us at my mom's place. When Stevie turns 3, we will go to her at her (SLP's) therapy center until school starts.

If Stevie's special insurance hadn't paid for ST, I'd have gone to battle with the early intervention services to provide the ST in the therapy center - they are required by law to provide all the services Stevie needs & they'd already admitted this need.

Here's what I'd do: call your early intervention coordinator & ask for a speech evaluation. Find an SLP who has an available spot for Brooker even if you have to go to their center. Once the eval comes back proving the need, press your coordinator to move the mountains to get Brooker into ST, or start writing letters. You will need to ask the SLP to provide "cause" for "in center" therapy - most therapists know exactly the language to use - and write a letter for you to submit to the EI services. You will probably have to fight them to get them to pay for it, but it is possible. I know! Do it in your spare time! Cool.

Meanwhile: learn "more" and "all done" and require Brook to say the words (best) or say & sign the words (okay), or at least sign the words with consistancy. Be very upbeat & use your "speech therapy" high-pitched, excited voice to convince her to say these things consistantly. Work on "please" and "thank you" after that. And get her to cluck her tongue, blow raspberries, and make as many sounds as possible. There are combinations Stevie's SLT used: C1V1C1V1 (where C is consonant sounds, V is vowel sounds) so like mama, or bubu (bubble), beebee, etc. And then C1V1C1V2 like baybee (baby), Mommy, etc.

Sing songs that have participation. See if you can get her to sing just one word in a song.

Don't stress out. Brooker is smart - she understands language. She'll be fine. You will be able to provide her the therapy she needs. I'll pray for peace for you. You are a great mom, and I don't want to hear any more of this berating yourself!

[lespring]

Learing sign from a book is THE WORSE WAY IN THE WORLD to learn to sign!!! Most people do the signs completely wrong, or with the wrong movement, which completely changes the meaning of the sign! Oh man, I don't know how many deaf kids I've worked with who came into preschool and we had no clue what they were saying because mom and dad taught them out of a book! BLECH!

Go get some "Signing Times" dvds and you can learn from them too.

[damarasmom]

there also is a very helpful website...www.aslpro.com
with this you can click on a word and it will show you the sign via video...

[Googsmom aka Jennifer]

Brook has great "mouth control". She can make most of the sounds they want her to do. Some are kinda off but she tries. She "clicks" her tounge and that means drink. She has a few things that are no where near sign language that we use to get her point accross. I know probally 20 or so signs already just from life experence. Up, stand, more, done, dog, eat, drink, etc. I will learn more!! Were trying to give her some outlet to tell mom what she want's b/c she is becoming really frustrated w/ wanting to say something and can't so we get the "bang the feet on the ground and shake b/c she's mad and scream so loud" thing going on. She does know some words but she's very frustrated i can see this.

I'm going to check out the signing time video's too. Rhett's mom swears by them and he can do so many signs. I've heard nothing but great things about the show's Also there is a show on at like 5am or some crazy time on OPB that i've watched before. Best record it and watch when I get up.

Thank you girls SO much for all your help. I feel better And it's true Susan, I think in the past two years between hubby and Brook I could be a doctor or at least a good nurse. I should open practice out back, LOLOL

I'm also gunna call around today and see what I can find out about ST through EI. I know there is a few around. One has been here before when Brook was little and she dx'd her w/ the treacheomalsia (sp). I still have her card in Brook's file somewhere. We'll see what I come up w/.

Again, thank you all. You are blessings I truely mean that from the bottom of my heart

[Jessie]

Jason was a little too old for the Signing Times videos, but we have them for Ellie and Jake. Ellie LOVES them, it's too cute.

Jason has very limited speech, but the words he does know and use are the ones that he signed first. So, that blows that theory out of the water that it will hold them back from using words. We have a HUGE regret for not doing more signing for Jason. We also know what he wants (as far as basic needs go) and so we did the same thing with not forcing him to understand the power of communication. We've been doing more cued speech with him and that has helped quite a bit.

Brook is young, smart and you're all over it - she'll be just fine!!!!


Jessie

[faithhope]

Hey, what great advice. Don't ever feel like you are failing her. You are so loving and wonderful to her, that is the most important. like everyone said to she is still young, you have time to work on it. It is good to know these things to help me out with Noah as well. I have the Baby Einstein collection and they have a Sign Language Dvd, it is great! Of course Noah just watched it and gets excited but he is nowhere near being able to understand it = )

[steffipoo]

HI!!!!!!

Hey I have never ever heard a response like that one EVER!!!! OMG...lol... If someone told me I was to be Livs ST then I would ask for the 125.00 an hr fee for it as well. LOL This way you can at least buy some gr8 resources. Now another way to get st is to enroll her in a group center based program. Olivias ei was always in a center based program. They had her on the touch screen computer by the ripe ole age of 5 and a half months. She went 3-5 days a week for 3 hrs a pop. She got st,ot and other fun stuff. If you have one near you go check it out its fun and a neat way to meet other parents as well.When she was a baby I had to attend with her at 2 years of age the parents brought em in for circle time then off we went. This way when Liv was 3 she was ready to go off to preschool. The first day all the kids were cryin and Livs like BYE MOM C YA.LOL. One of those bittersweet moments happy shes not sad but sad shes not missing me lol psycho mom..lol.... and yes when she went to preschool I let her take the bus after a month as it was only 6 blocks from our house and crazy me usta chase the bus down the street blowing kisses. Surely I was a sight. YIKES!!!!! I am sure you are doing a fabulous job and I really believe a good st makes a difference but a gr8 mom makes all the difference. I was Livs ST for about 5 months when she was hospitalized from 8-14 months. She loved music and yes don't buy a signing book n try it. LMAO cause you just can't seem to truly emulate what the sign is on paper. I did that and had em all wrong. lol. Olivia started with speaking and signing. Once she spoke she dropped the sign immediately. AND we found that when she was starting to learn to read we taught her through site words, signing the sentence, and phonics. The combo really worked gr8. Somehow the visual of signing the sentence helped her to learn em . Now we weren't really signers cept for more all done etc cause she spoke so young but she definately dropped the signs for lets say horse once she said it. It was weird cause I was told that but never ever truly believed it. Ask about st. Liv did get extra st outside her centerbased st when she wa 2 years old. She went for 5 months but it was a stuffy office where she sat ina tiny office with boring people doing rote stuff she hated it. She just loves her st in group my little social thang. (((HUGS))) Steff

[Googsmom aka Jennifer]

Wow Steph I wish we had a place like that. Not only would she get some ST, she would also get some kid interaction which she does not get around here. Sister and cousin are so much older. She just has a "thing" w/ babies and little kids. Like they are from mars or something LOL. She won't wave at them or say Hi, nothing. Just stares. I'm going to look into something like that for some play time if nothing else b/c i'm really nervous about starting school and her just NOT liking the other children.

Anyway, back to the story. So I called the ESD this am and remained annonimous (sp) as to not make Brooks girls mad that i'm calling their boss. It's true what the OT said. I'm the ST until Brook is 3 and goes to school then she will get ST on a regular basis. I just don't understand how that is at all good. If I don't get this right Brooker will be far behind the other children and I will have not done good enuf. So my option is to go and find a ST on my own I guess and try hard to teach her myself. Hard to do when I work 14 hours a day 5 days a week. Sure, she is here w/ me but, blah, blah..... I will just have to try harder.

I went to the library and had them order me some signing time videos. They should be in next week. I'm gunna buckle down tomorrow and read my early communication book. I cancelded all my appt's and will sit here and read.

I'll figure out something b/c I refuse to fail her!!! She needs my help and come heck or high water I will find something. Someone to help me or the time/strength to help her myself!