A feedback from a deperate parent

 

A feedback

 I love it when parents write in to me with the desperate expectation of finding solutions for their child who has issues either with hearing or speech. Last 10 years of writing has brought me across many desperate parents and its always a humbling experience to be able to support them in their desperate attempt to find help. Not all have deafness issues, few even have just speech corrections which with my logical explanation, the parents find it helpful and they get it right with guidence over a period of time over regular phone calls. One such recent ones I shall write about.
    The parent found my page named "Mrs. Alaka Hudlikar". She reached out saying her 7 year old son has issues with saying "K" "G". It affected everything he said that used these alphabets. She has been in touch with many speech therapists in Mumbai who said he should gargle, blow bubbles, sip through starws and do all kinds of exercises that shall help his throat GAIN STRENGTH !!! It blows my mind truly! What are these therapists learning and which university is teaching them this? Little kids often misprounounce and do we give them throat strengtheneing exercises? Or do we just laugh it off and say it correctly and kids correct it eventually? I really get upset at this. I don't know how many parents just do what is being told and stop looking for answers and how many like Charmi, still keep seeking.
   Charmi messaged to me on the page and we sceduled a call. We talked in detail about his issues and I advised him on corrections with tons of examples which is my speciality. She promised to work on it and get back in a week or so if she finds improvement. It gave me immense happiness to see these few lines. I owe it to my mentor and I dedicate each one of these feedbacks to my mentor Mrs. Alaka Hudlikar, she gave me what no other could have probably given me. I hope to continue this work for as long as I can.

    

What are possible reasons for delay in correct speech.

The most common challenges and concerns of most parents are about delayed milestones and repeated corrections. Where do you think is the gap and why? 

1. Is the hearing device programmed well?

2. Is the speech therapy part missing?

3. Does the speech therapist make efforts to bridge that gap?

4. Does she involve the parent so it can be carried forward?

5. Has the parent understood what is to be done and how to expand it more or customize it further?

6. Why do you think the child is not responding or getting it?

7. Is the parent spending enough time?

8. Is the parent saturated, demotivated, too busy, etc etc?

9.  Is the child taking advantage of the parent?

10. Are we postponing the issue or hoping one day it would be alright and not driving enough to find a solution?

11. What are we doing as a parent to help solve this issue. 

        

      Would love to know what parents are doing about their challenges. When I found she was struggling with concepts at school we worked st home a lot more, lot of extra work on weekends, new vocabulary, talk about different things and show around. We felt she needed extra lessons from qualified teachers to support her studies. So we moved here and found good extra classes, text books and very supportive teacher group to help her. We had meetings at school before the session started and educated the teachers about hearing loss. Can see her doing so much better now. Doesn't take much help from us for studies now. Each day is a milestone for us all. 

Why is my child not developing speech despite speech therapy?

We wonder why the child isn't responding or starting to speak despite hearing aids and " speech therapy". The answer is easy but needs detailing. 

-Are the hearing aids programmed well.... up to required frequency loss?

-Does the aided audiogram fall into the speech banana or max-ed to it? 

-has the child been conditioned well?

-how is the child's speech perception?

-Is the child motivated enough to do the testing and play along?

-what kind of speech therapist you have and what's the method?

-how many hours a week and is it exciting enough for the child?

-does the the therapist involve the parents?

-is the parent guided so that speech therapy follows at home?

-does the parent take the speech therapy cues forward and invent new ways to implement in their life situations?

-is the parent customizing for their own needs. 

-how is the parent motivating the child to get speech and take it forward?

-what is the standard that parent has set and what are they doing about it?

-what are long , short and mid term goals?

-how does the parent involve all family and friends around them to give more input to the child?

-how does the parent grab at the opportunity the child gives every moment? Opportunity lost never comes back. 

-how much language input is being given to the child?

-is the language learning atmosphere conducive for the child to want to learn and reproduce?

-to what extent parent would work to get the right intonation, full sentences, correct no of syllables,right context, recall, connect, design, correct speech, etc. 

-the balance of teaching, fun, positive pressure, need for the child to be vocal, is it being maintained? 

-If the child isn't cooperating, is the parent pushing the edges or just giving in?Most kids would like it easy and many parents want an easy way out....(trust me I have had a few)

-How much do you push your limit as a parent or care giver?

-What do you do as a parent to encourage and motivate the child to give the best?

-How much is enough for you? Do you accept the ordinary or have your expectations up? 

-How much is the child corrected? Or, you do you have the "Oh at least we can understand" attitude?

-Is it only speech correction or other do you expect everything normal kids do? 

-Are you handicapping the child further by protecting him/her, predicting his speech and thoughts instead of him/her saying it?

-Are you motivated enough to want more for your child and let him/her be a part of the hearing world such that she/he doesn't need any interpreter, helper to speak for him/her?

-What are your goals for yourself which involve the child?

-What are you doing for yourself so that you can not frustrate and bore out from "speech therapy"?

     I think these are the questions that come to my mind when it comes to why a child would or would not develop speech. Our support system has to be strong and focus very clear. Only then can we expect great speech and integration of the deaf child who is expected to be a part of the hearing world or is aural oral.Whether we choose cochlear implant or hearing aids, a good speech therapy is required with a lot of input, correction, recall, connections and constant effort. 

Good reading

Got this on my mailbox, would like to share.Also uploaded new videos of our speech therapy sessions on youtube [rouchi6].

http://speechtherapyweb.com/late-talker-or-receptive-language-delay/#comment-3308

http://www.youtube.com/results?uploaded=d&search_query=rouchi6&search_type=videos

Independence day

Today Prisha had to dress up like a Delhi girl as they have Independence day celebrations at school.She is going to speak 2 lines on Delhi."Delhi is the capital of India and it is very clean and beautiful" was the only thing that we could manage last minute.She had a problem recollecting "capital" word but hopefully she should remember.She was excited and kept asking me if they were being taken out to a restaurant after speaking and the party.My prisha loves going to restaurants, but eating is another story!She has been down with a cold last ! month and it has affected her speech. She is giving less nasal resonance and is slurring a bit, much to my heartburn.Plus daddy dear is here for 8 days and we love being daddy"s lil girl.So both are at the receiving end as far as speech correction is concerned.I wonder if all speech impaired children go through this.