One of the most common questions I hear from parents is…
I hear the pain and desperation in their voices.
I see the heartache on their faces.
I sense the dreams deferred in their hearts.
Then I do my best to offer them some HOPE.
For even if your child is not yet speaking or not using words, there are still options for them to communicate.
Can you hear me now?
No, I’m not talking about the old Verizon commercial here…
Such a simple question with such deep meaning when we think about language development.
Let me digress for a just a second…
Sometimes I have to step back and remind myself of all that I’m grateful for.
As I’m writing this, it’s November, and the holiday season for many of us is a chance for reflection and remembrance.
Yes, I’m grateful for my family and friends.
Yes, I’m grateful for my business and the clients I serve.
Yes, I’m grateful for shelter and transportation.
But I’m also grateful for a capable body that can move without assistance.
And I’m grateful for the ability to see and tell the difference between whether something is close to me or far away.
As I’m sitting here in a coffee shop listening to music on my headphones, I’m reminded that I am also grateful for the ability to hear clearly.
Through my headphones I can hear the barista clanging dishes and conversations at a nearby table. And I’m grateful for the ability to tune out background noise to focus on what’s important.
Like any of our sensory systems, is important to monitor as our children develop, as it can affect so many other aspects of life.
Goldfish.
Chicken nuggets.
French fries.
This was the diet of the majority of my students when I was a special education teacher.
I’m not talking sometimes they ate these things… or these were their favorite foods.
I’m talking, this is ALL they ate.
And some of them wouldn’t even allow other foods to come near their plate.
Try to put a carrot near them… scream.
Stick an apple slice on their plate… head on the table crying.
Hand them a sandwich to eat… total meltdown.
It was frustrating and exhausting and perplexing to try to figure out what was going with these students and how we could help them expand their diet.
Trust me, we tried everything we could think of…
All I remember thinking was, if they were hungry enough, they would eat.
If only it were that simple…
