Early Intervention: Birth to Three

July 30, 2011

Me and the kids at the aquarium - By Michelle R

We met with Reagan's Pediatrician this past week to discuss our concerns with her speech or lack there of. After spending a little time with him and answering all of his questions, he agreed that our concerns were valid. He had hoped that she might have progressed a little since our last vist, but she has not.

He did say that some children just choose not to speak and will only talk when they are ready, but it was best to move forward and contact Early Intervention through their Birth to Three program to get her evaluated.

In addition to the evaluation, we are taking her to the hospital to have a pediatric audiology test done to rule out any hearing issues. Based on what we have seen, we don't think this is something to worry about, but our doctor does want to cover all of his bases and be thorough, so we don't overlook something.

We made the initial call from the office to get her hearing test done and she is scheduled the morning of August 10th.

We also called the local office to open a case with Early Intervention that day and they have already called me back to set up an in home visit.

They will be coming out to our home the first week in September to conduct an evaluation. The therapist spent a little time on the phone explaining to me everything that will take place. Even though we only have a concern about her speech, they will still need to test her in all developmental areas(Speech, Cognitive, Fine Motor Skills, Etc). They will be sending a team of professionals to conduct the testing. Each professional is specific to one developmental area. I believe the testing method that is used is called "Battelle". After the test concludes, they will get us the results almost immediately and if she is more than 25% delayed in any area, that will constitute Early Intervention Care in our home once a week.

Even though we still do not have any concrete answers and are in a wait pattern to have all the tests and evalutions completed, I find comfort in knowing that we have started the process and before long we will know exactly what we have to do to help her speech emerge.

As the doctor mentioned, it could be nothing more than her not wanting to speak yet, and that is fine, but I would rather err on the side of caution, then sit back and wait to see if this is the root of something more.

As we get results and gather more information, I will update here on the blog. I have greatly appreciated all the words of advice and knowledge shared from those who have been down this path before.

Have a Wonderful Weekend.

I need to give a shout out to my very talented friend, Michelle R who took the special photo that appears in this post. I had the pleasure of meeting Michelle and her family, along with two more very special friends and their girls, as they were passing through our area while on summer vacation. It was so much fun to see all the girls(and Nick)running around together and great to finally meet Michelle in person. I cannot thank her enough for this BEAUTIFUL photo. Believe it or not, it is the very first photo that I have of me with all three of my children. Thanks again Michelle, this one will be framed for sure.

40 comments:

Diane said...

And what a beautiful photo it is!!

You and all your beautiful children, God is Good!

My prayers will be with you and Reagan as you both begin this journey.

Have a beautiful weekend.

God Bless,
Diane

Naenay1012 said...

Our daughter from China in in early intervention here in Ohio. I cannot say enough good things about it. I hope it all goes well.

Anonymous said...

Just wanted to tell you oour Caelyn was the same way. Had evaluated by early intervention, she was 11 months delayed (this is the same time she was in the orphanage. Your Raegan sounds like our Caelyn, C got one home visit a week, they taught her sign langauge and that started her making more sounds etc. She is going on 7 and well she NEVER seems to be quiet, always making some kind of noise. It all had a lot to do with her personality, she does things on her time and only on her time. We have to give her choices one she wou't like and the one we want her to do. Good luck with Reagan, I'm sure it will all work out, and I bet her personality will have something to do with it. Love your blog.
Penny in PA
Mom to Ciara 9 Jiangxi girl

Anonymous said...

Also mom
to Caelyn Guangxi Girl soon 7 yrs
Buddy Golden retriever 5 yrs old
Cha Ching 6 month Siemese Cat

Just got a lap top and still learning pushed some buttons and didn't finish last post, didn't want to leave the rest of the family out.

elliotts said...

You did the right thing for sure, and now you are taking steps in the process with professionals, there is no wonder you feel comfort. I'm so glad!

Lovely photo of you and all your babies!!

Diane
Xoxo

epin said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
epin said...

I am a big fan of early intervention. My daughter came home at 11.5 months old, and we immediately sought early intervention. When she was 15 months old, she was rated as a 9 month old in speech and gross/fine motor skills. The therapists worked with her on a weekly basis. By the time my daughter was 26 months old, she had the speech and motor skills of a 36 month old. The therapists were great, and my daughter was one determined little girl!

Colleen said...

It is so wonderful to see a photo of YOU with your beautiful children!:) What a lovely photo!
Faith started this early intervention at age 2 and she had PT, OT, and speech for a year. After a year they recommended putting her in a preschool program for a few days a week. I never planned on having her go to preschool but she absolulty loved it!

The Gang's Momma! said...

OH! It's so fun to see you on that side of the camera with your kids :)

We had a great relationship with our EI team for the first year or so that Li'l E was home.... Hearing support team and then speech and language team. Now, we're transitioning into IU for a monthly monitor in her pre-school.

Since she is a hearing loss client, she automatically qualifies for services till school. And then the IEP takes over at the school level, in-house in our district. So far, it's been a good experience. Got off track a bit due to some faulty information, but we're back on track now. And our pre-school expereince is super helpful too.

If you need anything, give a shout. I'm thinking as close as we live, there's likely even some crossover of agency personnel....

Glad you got it all underway, tho. You'll love having someone to touch base with and review your questions and concerns - even if it's only a monthly "monitor."

Michelle R Photography said...

Lisa,
Well first off, I am honored to be the one who was able to capture the first photo of you with your beautiful children!!! If I had known, I would have been even more diligent to scout out a better location. Good thing the beauty of your family draws all the attention away from the lacking background. :)

I am sure you are glad you went with your mother's gut instinct and took her in for evaluation. It's good to know there is so much testing and intervention available these days. Having been lucky enough to meet your precious Reagan, it certainly seems like she is not delayed in any other areas, but I am sure it will put your mind at ease to know one way or the other. Please keep us posted!!

xoxo,
Michelle

Krista said...

That's a great photo!

And kudos to you for doing whatever it takes for your girl. :)

Missy said...

Early Intervention rocks! I am sure she will be just fine, but they will certainly be there and guide you through the process. It's so good to go with your gut instead of just chalking it up to she'll do it when she's ready. She sure is a precious baby girl and no matter what, I know she is so loved!

Kristi said...

Lisa, If Reagan qualifies for Speech Therapy, ask if they have a Speech Pathologist qualified in prompting...They didn't went Viv went through. This would be a person who, once Reagan was comfortable with them, could take their hands and "help" her feel the mouth movements to make certain sounds. Also, I know the state budget is tight now, but you may be able to seek more than just once a week in your home. It all depends on the test results and how hard you push. (e.g. When Viv was in the 3-5 age group, I had to retain a lawyer and have her right a, for lack of a better term, "nice threatening letter to the IU" in order to secure the amount of services that literature told me Viv needed to reach her God given potential. With this letter, and much stomach wrenching advocating, I got Viv 20 hrs/week of ABA therapy..part in home, part in a preschool of our choosing, 1 hr week of speech and 1 hour per week of OT both in the home.) Thankfully, you live in one of the best areas of the country for interventions!! When we lived in GA, Viv only qualified for speech and OT (1hr each per week), and it costs us 90 dollars per hour out of pocket!! GA paid for none of it!!

Kristi said...

ugggghhhhh ...make that "write" a lawyer... what is wrong with me lately????

Need more sleep and more coffee!!!!

:-)

Tammie T. said...

Look at Sarah and Nick! They have the same smile! :) LOVE the photo with you and your beautiful children! :) I am a true believer in early intervention. I wish you the best as you move forward with Reagan.

Everything Beautiful Shay said...

Beautiful photo and SO happy you are on the path to answers!!! Blessings as you wait!
XOXO

Lindy D. said...

What a great photo! I love that:
~Nick is his handsome self, a bit taller than his mom
~You and Nick are both wearing tourquoise
~Sarah's haircut matches yours; her eyes are so blue
~Sarah is holding Reagan's ankle
~Reagan is sucking her signature two fingers
~Reagan is wearing her "intent" look

Football and Fried Rice said...

I do love tht photo of you and your kids! Praying for good news from Reagans audiology appointment!

Jboo said...

Love that photo of you and the kiddos! Good for you to get the ball rolling -- as they say, knowledge is power!

Hope you have a fab weekend!

Janet

Jo said...

Everyone looks great ~ summer happiness at its best!

I was with birth to 3 and still have contact with them in the grade school because we house pre-school and pre-kindergarten in our elementary school. Each state is different but it's a wonderful program. If you have any questions or how to work within the system {can be tricky} please feel free to contact me; I’d love to help.

Enjoy the rest of your summer ~
Jo

Galen said...

Good idea to have Reagan tested. It certainly can't hurt.

Years ago, one of my sons did not talk at all. At age three I had him evaluated over a period of a few weeks. The speech therapist, Molly, without telling me, identified him somehow as a child who chose not to speak. She called me into her session with him and asked in his presence, "What are Chris' favorite foods?" I told her. She said, "He can't have any of those things anymore unless he asks you for them." I said, "But some days he refuses to eat anything else." She looked at Chris and said, "Don't worry. If Chris won't eat, he can go to the hospital and be fed with a needle. Either way, he'll be fine."

As soon as we got home, he walked into the kitchen and said, "I want to eat applesauce and spaghettios. Call Molly and tell her I asked." We still laugh about how successful his speech therapy was. Grrr.

Anonymous said...

Magnifique photo!

Patricia said...

Great photo!! And so happy to hear you got the EI appointment all set up!! Good luck & we'll be praying for you! :)

vicki said...

Lisa, my dearest friend had 3 boys when my Joey was little. Her oldest son at 3 said barely rhymes and was months younger. I babysat for Jeb one day, he walked into my home, looked up and said, "I see Vicki's smoke detector." Those were his first words. We laugh about it to this day. He went on to graduate from Brown and is a genius on all levels. He has never stopped speaking and has a gifted vocabulary! Everyone develops differently. I'm hoping she is just listening and taking it all in until she is ready to speak.

vicki said...

that last post of mine went through confusing...her son said barely anything and my son was repeating rhymes and songs...when Jeb first spoke see above!!!

jennifer said...

What a great program available to you!! My middle son didn't even say "mama" until he was 2! He started speach in our local school system when he was 3 because, what he did say...you couldn't understand. He is totally fine now and is still my quietest child!!

Love the pic!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the update! You have a beautiful family - love how Sarah is holding Reagan's ankle in the photo. Hope the testing goes well and that you have some answers and recommendations soon. Whether it is nothing or something, you were right to set the process in motion. Blessings, Wendy

Nicole said...

Hang in there ! I have been down this road twice,1st with Ava adopted from Russia globally delayed . You would not even believe that this is the same child!!!Talks non stop :)
And Pei ,China sn: microtia with some hearing loss. ECI said no services for this one. Pei at 2 had the receptive language skills of a 5 year old!
Just remember a great deal of adoptive families walk this same road!
Nicole

redmaryjanes said...

I do believe that this will give you peace of mind and answers to the questions that are persisting. I love the photo. The one thing that grabs me every time I look at it is how Sarah is holding on to Reagan's ankle. I just love that. You can see the bond.

Jodee said...

Love, love, love this picture!

Hooray for Early Intervention! Hope her testing goes well.

Carson leaves for camp Wednesday so let's plan to chat one night!

3 Peanuts said...

LOVE that gorgeous photo. You all look GREAT and look Nick is taller than you!!! Will almost is taller than me (he is 14) but not just yet.


Early intervention came to our house right when Kate came home and they spent a few moths helping us get her caught up with the motor skills etc. They are an excellent organization. However, I would say that with Will, we only used them briefly for Speech. Honestly we got much better, more frequent and far superior speech therapy privately and through our health insurance. It kind of depends on who gets assigned to your case. Just keep that tucked away. Overall, I am so glad we used them for parts of both cases though.

Jaime said...

Such a lovely photo Lisa! I will keep Reagan in my prayers. It feels good when you follow your mama gut instinct. It's the only way to be proactive and your child's best advocate!

mommy to many said...

You have such a beautiful family! we have twins who are now 4 going into kindergarden..one of the twins had the same intervention....you will be so glad you did this for her.... the beginning meetings may seem like a waste of time..but stick to it! let her work through it.... our daughter also receved PT along with the Speach..two different people came out two different days...looking back we are so glad we stuck it out (even during the days when our daughter wasn't into getting the help she needed and wasn't afraid to le them know =0))

you're a good mom for getting her the help she needs at the time she needs it! there will come a day when she won't stop talking =0) many paryers going your way.

Jenney said...

Cannot say enough great things about our Birth-3 program we have here in Ohio. Our son is a completely different person due to the diligence they had in helping us in so many areas. He is now 3 and only a tad bit delayed, but not so anyone else would normally even notice!!!

JMCS said...

That's great news Lisa. Good for you for getting the ball rolling and making contact. I hope it all goes okay and I have to say that i am a true-believer in early intervention. It worked like a miracle for Sofia. BTW, your picture is absolutely lovely. Your friend Michelle looks like she is very talented. How nice that you guys had a chance to meet. :)

Hugs,
Jonni

Kayce said...

Lisa I am so glad you've started this path. Early intervention is a Godsend for so many children! You're doing the right thing even if nothing is going on. You're all in my prayers!

Bev said...

I am new to yur blog and just read your post. My youngest daughter is from China and she was not speaking around her 3rd birthday. Her check up was not until 3 months later. I remember telling the doc if we would have had an appt 3 months earlier we probably would have been looking into developmental delays. After she started speaking it has been full speed ahead. I hope it all works out for you and your sweet girl.

Robin said...

Our little girl came home in August of 2010 with many delays (she was 18 months). We also opted for early intervention. She qualified for both speech and physical therapy. She is doing amazingly well today, almost a year later. Be encouraged that they will help get your precious peanut heading in the right direction. Our experience has been very positive and we have used EI for both of our kiddos.

Hugs and blessings,
Robin

Nicolasa @ {My}Perspective said...

That is one gorgeous picture of you four! I love it! Wishing you and Reagan all the best as you progress with evaluations and testing.

Faith, Hope, and Love said...

So glad that you followed your mommy intuiton and that help is on its way! :) We are so blessed to live where there is amazing help available to our children.

LOVE the photo! Us moms don't get many photos since we are always taking them.

Praying everything works out for your little China beauty!

Love and blessings,
Robin