Now that I've been on this journey for almost four years, I can stop, take a breath and ask myself, "Who knew?"
Hindsight isn't always 20/20...it's just my inner spirit saying 'my soul looks back and wonders....'
Where were the words? There's so much that they don't tell you about the developmental milestones. There are milestones and yes, while every child develops at a different pace, there are some clear signals when something could potentially not be going right. My princess was quiet and such a charming person. She did the first sounds, but I didn't realize that her language development was not on track.
When she was almost three, I heard another 3-year old speaking in sentences. Why was my child's speech so garbled and difficult to understand? Even when you're afraid of the answer, you should still ask the question.
The pediatrician heard her speak and said "I can't understand a word. We should have her tested."
Even at that point, I still had no clue what I should be concerned about, so I wasn't really anxious. Who knew?
Babies are a joy. Babies are a blessing but who knew that there was still so much that a new parent had to figure out in addition to the feedings, the immunizations, and the best child care options, social skills and then there are the developmental milestones that are just as important. Who knew?
I think its harder when the child is kind, patient, cheerful, quiet and clearly comprehending the language as spoken by others. I had to have 4 separate speech evaluations for my son (personality profile described above) before he was diagnosed with a speech delay. The doctor who ultimately made the diagnosis and prescribed treatment explained that when I child is otherwise intelligent and agreeable, professionals tend to try not to label them too early. However, in our case this meant that his sister, who was 18 younger, was speaking intelligibly long before he was, which was bad for his self-confidence. Sometimes parents have to go with their gut and be persistent with medical professionals. Initially we were made to feel like over-protective, hyper-reactive parents looking for trouble where none existed. It was our beliefs and instincts that led to the diagnosis and treatment for our son before his self esteem suffered irreparably. Trust the sixth sense that God has given you.
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