Speech Therapy: Catch Up

We’ve finished the initial block of speech therapy sessions and now we’re on our own for the next six weeks to put them into practice. I must admit I came away feeling a little disheartened, yes he’s making more complex noises and he’s taken to the sign language brilliantly. Most importantly the speech therapist is certain he’s really trying to speak, something we couldn’t really say previously.

But I didn’t feel very encouraged, perhaps I’d hoped for a miracle, perhaps it’s because he’s seemed to be on the verge of talking for so long I can’t see how this  time is any different. I don’t know. I just didn’t feel very confident in things changing.

So yes it’s frustrating, but I’m sticking to the plan religiously; letting him take the lead when he’s playing and then labelling things for him with single words, offering him choices and playing “Ready, Steady…Go!” I’m repeating things back to him that sound like words and encouraging him constantly. I’m doing my best not to put pressure on him or ask him questions…

And I say this tentatively, because words have come and gone before, but this weekend he’s actually been saying a word, a proper word, and in the right context too… It might be a breakthrough, it might not, but I’m pretty excited about it anyway.

So what is this potential first word?

Well….well actually it’s “Poo”. Yes, you read that right, “Poo.”

That’s my boy! My mum was teasing him about having smelly feet when he started holding his nose and saying “Poo!” It’s a start. He’s never really copied words before, or sounds even, so this is something of a breakthrough.

We’re still on the waiting list for the Specific Language Impairment therapy, though the speech therapist is still saying “In case we need it” rather than saying he actually has this. So now it’s time to keep plugging away with the lessons and hope for the best.

It’s surprisingly tiring spending all day alone talking at someone who doesn’t talk back. I get worried that on those days I don’t keep it up and talk to him enough. So let’s hope this is the start of something, I’m longing to hear my little man talk.