My niece was in that situation where she wasn’t talking. The speech therapy sessions did the trick.
I remember one session there was a picture of a woman’s hand with a ring on it and niece responded ‘diamond’. Obviously towards the end of her sessions.
My daughter had pronunciation problems (and word choice problems as English was a second language). She was making a salad with my aunt while I was trying to take a nap and she kept saying "I like wanch westing’ and my aunt just couldn’t understand her. “Do you like carrots?” Yes, but with wanch. “Do you like lettuce”. Repeat. I finally shouted “She likes RANCH DRESSING.”
It was still hard to understand her when she was in high school unless you were in the same room (not phone, outside, etc). She introduced herself to our new landlords while we were in a sports stadium and the woman said to me “Her name is Cheerios?” Yes, and my other child is Fruit Loops! Really, she thought her name was Cheerios??
Maybe we should start another thread about children, speech issues, and services. I’m not sure where you “found this out”…but it is in complete violation of federal legislation that mandates that kids have the number of services they need to meet their IFSP (what preschool kids have) or IEP (what school age kids have).
There is absolutely nothing that says kids can only have ONE speech session per week at any age.
I have never heard of this!
As a practical matter, my S was only ever given one short speech therapy a week at his public school. He didn’t find them as helpful as working with the speech therapy students after school.
My DD was given one half hour session a week by herself each with with school speech therapist, with me being able to see what went on during the session, and then doing similar content between sessions. Speech therapist ‘tried’ (offered) to group her with 2 other kids, but then I would not be allowed to attend due to privacy issues. But Speech Therapist said as long as her schedule allowed her the time for 1/2 hour with DD, she would do it.
I believe our private speech therapy sessions were 1 hour, one-on-one (twice a week); I was not in the room, but the speech therapist had lovely drawings on what they worked on; we had them put together so at the end, it was almost like a little book. So each week, between sessions, DD and I would look at the drawings and do the sounds. Those sessions were eligible expenses on our health insurance.
Are you in California? There’s a major shortage of Speech Pathologists in the State of California. It should be based on the services delineated on the IEP.
Preschool services, through public funding sources, have been limited in order to take in all of the patients who need therapy. However we teach the patients to “double dip”. There are a lot of agencies that are privately funded and the therapists typically try to balance the public services with the private services. So you might get an hour a week from the public facilities, and then an hour a week from the private nonprofits.
It really should be based on the IEP.
For the privates, as a subcontractor, I assessed at the Hope Infant Program (high-risk, ages 0-5) and the local Homeless Shelter (free therapies-FANTASTIC facility!)
One of the major things, that I required, was a complete audiological assessment. I need a “clean” bill of health for the ears. We had UC students run mobile RV clinics around town to give vision and hearing tests.
Repeated otitis media/ear infections really impacts their ability to interpret what we’re saying, especially with those high-pitched sibilant sounds.
Quick speech homework tip: To elevate that “r” tongue, Lay them flat on the bed (no pillows!), or on the rug.
Have the Target picture cards taped up on the ceiling. (Target words should begin only with our a RA, RE, RI ex: rat, read, ride-sounds to avoid rounding of the mouth).
Give them a simple plastic flashlight. Turn off the lights. Have them point to the target word with the flashlight and produce those sounds. Gravity will naturally push the tongue up and back and it will help bring in the R really quickly. Make sure the child has had no food within the past hour.
CAVEAT!!! your child should be healthy, not have any obstruction problems, nor enlarged tonsils when you do this. If you notice breathing issues or coughing then this is something to bring to the attention of your pediatrician.
I know we probably shouldn’t bring practice issues on this thread but a lot of people have asked me for quick homework tips.
This is what I assigned with my third and fourth graders who had been in therapy too long for just the “R” and who were picked on because they couldn’t produce those sounds. They were being called Barry. (Barry from Big Bang Theory).
What kind of screwed up life do those dang bullies have at home that they have to come to school and bring their icky attitudes with them!
Good strategy for those older kids. I started a thread about speech services for littles so this one can get back on topic.
This was for DD who was born in 1994. IDK how our current public schools handle speech therapy now, but this was when DD was 5/6 years old and in Alabama.
Sounds like you are doing great work and there is a good team of services.
Now that my GS is eating some solid foods (he is 8 months), we’ve evolved our Friday nights. DD, SIL and GS come over for dinner and we just relax. Post dinner we play more and then he gets a bath before they head home. It is super fun
My cousin’s GD is 18 today. I’m not entirely clear on what happened, but my cousin’s D chose to remove her family from my cousin’s life a number of years ago. I know just enough to know that it has something to do with a situation in their immediate family that cannot be changed (involving a handicapped sibling), and my cousin has been unable to repair the rift. My heart breaks for her, and I hope that her GD will reach out to her now that she is an adult. I can’t imagine not being able to see or talk with my GD.
Celebrated two GK birthdays last week! Baby N and Miss String Bean’s! 
Lots of happy chaos! Miss String Bean turned 1 and wears size 18-24 month clothes. Hates shoes!! 
Parents will have an uphill battle here.
DH and I just spent a long weekend with our two grandkids – girl age 5 and boy age 2 1/2. GD had a stomach bug and threw up all weekend. GS had a cold, which of course now I have.
Fun times.
I did get some wonderful quality time in with both of them. But boy, am I glad to be home.
Twin B was unable to continue her win streak this weekend. Her race was cancelled due to rain.
But she’s looking forward to running next weekend.
Apparently for the second race, she led the whole way, but she ran in huge arc toward the finish line. The whole race pack followed her. If just one kid had run the course straight, they would have beaten her.
But she ran with such verve and confidence that everyone just fell in behind her.
Just call her Little Miss Charisma.
And the funny part, she and her sister are now putting “racing bibs” (sticky labels they’ve peeled off packages) on their stuffed horses and holding pony races.
My daughter hated (still does) buttons. Her school uniform had two buttons on the polo shirt and 2 decorative ones on the skort. First day she refused and I talked her into going to school but suggested she talk to Sister about getting an exception. Never heard another word about it.
I can imagine. In my grade school days, I hated every interaction I had with Sister Mary Principal. She was a holy terror. One time she sent me to the pastor for an infraction of the rules, thinking he’d put the fear of God into me. On the contrary, he was very kind and understanding but did caution me to say nothing about our chat to her. I was delighted when he became the pastor of the parish where we lived when our children were little.
Question for those here. We have new grandbaby and want to contribute towards his future. So looking for advice. Should it be a regular savings (less likely), 529 owned by baby’s parents that we contribute to or 529 we own for grandchild. Wondering about pros and cons. Or do you have other suggestions?
I would take the parents’ direction on how they want something set up (with one of them being custodian of account), and then you can make whatever contributions now and at later times.
We actually had set up a small stock account (with me as custodian of UTMA) for DDs, and had cash gift money go into that account; when my mom died and had money going to grandchildren, DDs had that money go into this account. Returns were good, and these kids have low taxes during their college years. DDs would discuss their financial needs with me and I would transfer money from stock account into their personal checking/debit account. DD1 with children actually has accounts similarly for their kids – money in has been from us, but now DD1/SIL are making regular monthly contributions to their children’s account. The benefit of this situation is also that the student/young adult has the flexibility to use this money under the custodian’s guidance. DD1 still has a small amount in her own personal account.
DD2 had better college scholarships, and we gave interest free loan for purchasing of her apartment furniture after college (she was 3 years in a furnished apartment) – so she still has money growing in this stock account (the company has good growth and dividends) – which she plans to use with down payment on a house when the time comes.
Likely there is more than one answer. We set up 529 plans for each grandchild. We are the owners.