Mini Boots, One Year Later

My son, Mini Boots, was diagnosed eleven months ago. Expressive Language Disorder. Receptive Language Disorder. Speech Articulation Disorder. Each diagnosis felt like a bomb exploding in my heart. My vision of his easy, carefree childhood was gone. I was overwhelmed with grief. So I cried, hard. I called my family, hugged my husband, kissed my kids and ate about a pound of chocolate. In one weekend. And then I moved forward. I could continue to cry, but that was not going to help him. He was only two so he sure couldn't help himself! It was my job as his Mom to generate a change in focus.

I realize there is no easy fix for language development, and each child's journey will be different. So I came up with a plan, I got him into a Speech and Language Pathologist twice a week. I asked her a million questions every chance I got, and diligently reported his developments at home. I watched her work with him, and started mimicking what she did as well as teaching my husband to do the same. I integrated "table time" where we sit and drill, or play a speech focused game into our daily routine. We do vowel sounds when we brush our teeth. We practice hard consonant sounds in the car. It's become a lifestyle.

Now here we are, almost a year later and I am amazed how well early intervention has worked for him. When we started this journey he had ten words. He said Hi and Bye, Mom and Dad, Milk and Juice, Car and Go, Yes and No. But now? He talks, like ALL the time. You can have conversations with him. For example we were at the grocery store:

Mini Boots: I don wan da cookie wit da color. I wan da cookie wit da chocolate!
Me: You get what you get now say thank you.
Mini Boots: NO! I don wan dis cookie.
Me: Ok, I'll give it back.
Mini Boots: No Mommy, is my cookie. No Mommy.

AND

Mini Boots: I wanna pull up wit a Buzzzzz. Not a train.
Me : Well, the trains are on sale sweetie, so we get what we get.
Mini Boots: NOOOOO! I wanna BUZZZ. A boo Buzzz.
Me: No.
Mini Boots: Mayyyybeee a train pull up and da Buzzz toy.
Me: Still No.
Mini Boots: WHAAAAAA!

His voice is clear and understandable. He is confident in his ability to express his needs, and wants. Listening to him communicate all the thoughts in his little head was something I hoped for. It was something for which I worked hard. And I cant help but ask myself.... why did we want him to talk again?