If your child needed speech therapy, how did you decide when to start?

tarajayne

I haven't been around in awhile because life is so crazy but I thought maybe you guys could share some experiences with me.  I have twin boys who are 22 months.  A has CP, delays in all developmental areas and several health issues.  He doesn't even really babble let alone anything close to speaking.

O has always been ahead in all gross and fine motor skills.  But A's therapist from early intervention is suggesting that we get O evaluated for speech.  He says about 22 words right now.  Our main concern is that if EI evaluates him and he qualifies, they will only send 1 therapist to work with both kids.  Since they are nowhere near the same level, I think that what will happen is that A will fall further behind.  The doctor has never shown concern about O at his well visits.  I definitely will talk to her about it at our 2 year appointment but since that is a few months out we are just trying to think about what to do.

The EI therapist's speech suggestions that she gives for A really do nothing to help him.  I mean she will repeat words that are toys like "car" or she will say "up" or "down" etc but the kid doesn't even babble or say dada mama or anything like that.  It's actually almost like she is already gearing her exercises more towards O. We are kind of relying on her for the majority of A's therapy now as the only therapy he is doing outpatient is feeding. 

If we do decide to get O into speech, I think I will try to get him into outpatient so he can have his own therapist, and it probably won't be until mid may anyway to where we can fit it in to our schedule.   It's just kind of weird that I have been asking about getting A into speech therapy for a year now and still none of his doctors refer him so he only gets the very small amount from EI (which he has not progressed at all).  But this lady the 2nd time she meets with us is pushing me to get O in therapy I am definitely not denying that he is a little behind in speech, I just am not convinced that it is worthy of getting him into the system at this point, when he has no other issues and is way ahead of other kids on everything else.

Assembly_Reqd

The first word in IFSP is 'individual'. There is no reason why having one therapist using one session for two children will/should work. If they pull this stunt I would cry bullshit.

I would get him evaluated and go for it. You are already putting in the therapy time.

His goals will be way different than your other son's. There is no way one person can work on both in the same session. If they assign the same SLP that is fine, but there should be two sessions, back to back if it makes things easier.

thetwinkies&Vivi

To echo what assembly touched on, two kids,one therapist one session, no go. We had a period of time where DD1 & DD2 were both in eating therapy as well as speech for DD2. Our therapist tried to come and work with both (to be fair, she did sometimes try to "take turns"), and of course would bill for two full sessions, but leave early everytime. It was a disaster and really did not get much accomplished at all beyond some helpful information and suggestions at the initial evaluation. 

MaxandRuby

As for deciding when to start any therapy, it was always ASAP.  They can assign the same therapist to both children but they should not consider it one appointment.  1 therapist, 2 appointment, 2 kids is a go (especially if back to back) but 1 therapist, 1 appointment, 2 kids is a no go.

Is EI not doing PT and OT as well for A? If not, I would wonder why (I too have a child with CP).  Can you do outpatient/private therapy as well as EI?  Frankly I am surprised that A's doctor is not referring him for all of the various kinds of therapies but maybe it has to do with the state you live in.  Is he not that delayed? 

kcisthebombdotcom

I had both my kids overlapping in ei for about six months. We always had two separate sessions for each kiddo although they'd practice some turn taking if the other child wanted to get involved. I cannot imagine they'd assign just one therapy to two kids with very different needs.

ToastieSimons

I would get assessed ASAP, it could take a while between an eval and getting a therapist assigned.  

My boys have had the same therapists for PT at the same time.  She would do her hour with DS1 then an hour with DS2 and I would separate them so they weren't intruding each other's sessions.

rsd12

While my boys were not in EI at the same time, they both overlapped with speech services for two years after they aged out of EI. They had completely different programs as their speech issues were different. One had 2 30 min sessions for articulation and one was referred to the collaborative town preschool for his speech issues and had in class and pull outs 3 times a week. Each child should be evaluated and supported separately.

malcivar

When the doctor, at his 18 month appt, seemed downright startled at how delayed his speech was.  I didn't know everything else that we were going to be in for so when she said she thought speech therapy would be a good idea, we said 'yes please!'