[Fwd: Speech delays]
Gary & Tammy Bangs (gbangs@earthlink.net)
Tue, 05 Mar 1996 12:15:29 -0800
Hi all, I just left a meeting with Taylor's speech therapist and I wanted to
share some thoughts she had.
First she did admitt that preemies definitly have a different way of learning
than do typical children. And that it is very difficult to predict how far
they will develope. She personally has seen the entire realm of problems and
there is no definite relationship. Some kids that were horribly sick as
infants do wonderful, and some that have had a relativly easy time have had
signifigant problems. THe most important thing, she said, is to be VERY
observant of your individual child and use what they respond to. For
instance, Taylor has no interest in naming pictures in a book, or pointing to
objects to be named. But he is very receptive to naming activities and
objects he is playing with.
The therapist also said not to be too concerned in how long it takes to learn
something, that until kids are around 7 or so, they all have their own
adjenda on learning things. Typically, preemie kids will test very
sparatically until they are older. Meaning that they will excell in some
areas and be very behind in others. It is up the parents to be observant to
the childs individual needs. Early intervention is EXTREMELY important. If
you think that your child is having a delay, get him/her evaluated and get
help. Most preemies qualify for government funding so the therapies should
be paid for by the gov or by the school district.*this is what we pay taxes
for, take advantage*
She also said to keep in mind that just because the child needs help in the
early stages doesn't mean that they'll have probs throughout their lives.
Most do 'catch up' by 6 or 7.
I was very encouraged by her thoughts, hope some of you are too.
Tammy, mom to Taylor and angel Alex, and Travis, and wife to 'home for a few
months' Gary.