Speech articulation issues in twins. DS with a bleeding disorder and DS w/short attention span HELP!

KDR1979

I feel like my kids have been having REALLY bad luck!

At the 2 yo check (april 2014), our pediatrician asked if my twins had 24 words. DD did, but I said that DS maybe only had 20 words. He understood a lot and was learning, so our doctor wasn't too worried about it.

Well then....no one asks about it again until the 3 year check (late april 2015) and by then, they expect strangers to understand 75% of their speech. I knew that DS was not there, so our pediatrician told us to call the school district. Well, that was around the end of the school year. The school therapist called me and asked a few questions. When I said that he knew his colors and could count to 10 (but it wasn't articulated well), she said it would be OK and they would start the process, but it could take awhile. Well, he never started school speech until October/November-we live in a great school district but it took FOREVER!! They started preschool in mid-September and the teachers told me immediately that BOTH kids needed help with speech articulation and I took them to a private therapist on 9/30/15. Now, we spend 30 minutes/week with the school therapist and 2 hours/week at the private therapist (1 hour per kid). Not much is changing yet... DS just got ear tubes for hearing loss due to ear fluid, but one fell out after 6 days, so he might need it replaced.

That is complicated by the fact that DS was diagnosed with mild hemophilia A in September! So, any surgery requires him to have a dose of factor 8 IV, so I am sooooo frustrated that he might need to go through another ear tube surgery. I won't even go into the knee injury he got 6 weeks after his diagnosis that required 2 hospitalizations, several IV sticks, doses of factor 8 and a PICC line.....

DD has NEVER been a great sleeper. We did a sleep study when she was 2 and it showed she had a restless leg/lots of movements. She started liquid iron-it helped a little. Now, it is coming up that her attention span is short, she is in constant motion and "on the go." She does OK at speech, but it is harder for her to pay attention. I know she is too young for ADD/ADHD, but now, I am worried...not sure what I can do about this!

Anyone else going through any of this?

I think I might go crazy with all of these issues!

Bigboobsmcgee

I'm so sorry it seems like so much is going wrong! When it rains, it pours, I get it. My DD is 16 months but has had one "problem" after another. I just wanted to come in here and give you an internet hug You aren't alone. Stay strong for your little ones.

Assembly_Reqd

By, law, School districts are allowed a total of 90 days from the day you initially requested and signed consent for an evaluation to see if special education services are warranted to the day they call you to schedule the first therapy session. So yep. Takes time. Everything in Special Ed takes time

I have a great sleeper, but I have heard from other parents that if you can get the sleep going better that maybe some behavior issues will get better. Some kids, though, are wired differently and don't need as much sleep. Maybe look into Melatonin. It will help her fall to sleep faster. It will not neccessarily keep her sleeping, but perhaps a new pattern in the sleep/wake cycle could tweak things in your favor.

KDR1979

I have given her melatonin, but it doesn't keep her asleep all night. She usually falls asleep without too many issues, but wakes up and comes to our bed-every single night!

tiffanyp

My daughter has severe articulation issues (apraxia of speech). I don't mean this in a judgmental way at all, but what is their diet like? Some kids can be extremely sensitive to certain things (gluten, sugar, food dyes, etc). I read this book called Cure Your Child With Food, and it was fascinating. Perhaps you can get some clues there?