Tomorrow at 130 some people from the State are coming to the house to evaluate Livvie since she doesn't talk yet. They're sending a psychologist, a speech therapist, and a woman to oversee them.I really hope that they determine that she qualifies for speech therapy. I also really hope that they won't ask us to pay too much for it if they do. I called the state because we can't afford private speech therapy. Apparently the therapy through the state is based on a sliding scale that takes your salary and other factors into account. They might think Rich makes too much money and charge us the full amount.
The woman who is overseeing came out last week to do some pre-evaluation paperwork and after watching Livvie for awhile and asking me some questions she decided that Livvie might have what's called Sensory Processing Disorder. She determined this because Livvie doesn't cry when she hurts herself, prefers rough play to anything else, loves hard hugs, doesn't stop moving, and likes spicy food. According to the "experts," these things can indicate that Livvie isn't getting as much physicality as she craves. I read a book about it. And while Livvie is described in there, I really think she's basically just a tough kid who we haven't babied from the get go. If they try to talk me into occupational therapy for her based on her limited set of "symptoms" I'll tell them where they can stick it.
We bought Livvie some speech therapy DVDs and she really has no interest in them at all. I can't say that I blame her. They're boring as all get out. A good thing is that Livvie's new most favorite thing is being read to. She currently has 8 favorite books that we read over and over every day. She turns the pages for me while I read. She also pretends to read, and she taps the pages like I do when I tap each word. We read each book several times a day, and when I ask her to get one for me by title she goes and gets it. I love that.
I also love when she pretends to help me fold laundry.
Well, I'm off to watch the end of Corpse Bride. Hope everyone is well.
7 comments:
Hope all goes well tomorrow! I will be thinking of you! I lve the Corpse Bride, I may have to go watch it too!! Love yah!
Cool, I bet she's great. Good hardy kid, late talker, hey, everybody's different. I'm sure things'll go well tomorrow.
Lurker here, the important thing is that she will be getting the therapy before she is 3 when things are still very maleable in the brain/not yet hardwired. Also look into fish oil. Nordic Naturals makes a lemon flavor one for kids that is not too foul, and fish oil has been shown to help speech issues including dispraxia/apraxia and also ADHD and SPD. Good luck.
My son was a late talker as well. We started teaching him sign language and within weeks he began using words. Some really believe it helps.
Good luck today.
xoxo
Good luck with all that. I did not talk until I was two and then they could not shut me up :-).
I've been anxiously awaiting an update. My DD is 19 months and doesn't say more than 2 or 3 words. So I was wondering what the evaluation showed, and what intervention, if any, is suggested. I hope you're feeling better, too!
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