Yes, yes, I realize it's been an eternity since I've updated.
I spent months convinced that something was wrong with Wade's hearing just based on his response (or lack of) to his environment. He's had two GREAT hearing assessments done, both showing he has perfect ears. Within the last two months, he has finally convinced his 'ol momma that his hearing is fine too. I don't really know how to explain it, but he's just blossomed. Maybe it's our therapies? Maybe it's just His timing? Maybe a lot of both? Whatever it may be, Wade's personality has bloomed. AND I love it!
We did the M-CHAT (link here) at his 18-month well child check and with our Sooner Start therapist. He failed. It took my breath away to hear our therapist use the word "failed" as she was discussing Wade with our case worker and new speech pathologist. When we had our appointment with her to discuss the results she was much more gentle with her words, something about it just fell heavy and harsh on my ears that day. Mind you, nothing about the results were surprising to me.
We had our appointment at The Scholl Center, and I loved the sweet SLP we met there. She gave some some wonderful resources to use at home in our day-to-day "schooling" activities. Wade, of course, qualified for services there based on their standardized evaluation; however, they are solely a speech and communication disorder center. Given the fact that he failed his M-CHAT, we felt like moving all our therapies to The Scholl Center would not do Wade any justice. They would strictly work on his speech without further evaluations. Now that he has been evaluated there, we can add extra speech therapy to his schedule at any given time. He is ONLY 20-months-old, so I refuse to "over therapy" him.
He is doing SO well, and I feel like we are really in a comfortable spot right now! We are working at home everyday and having a BLAST doing it. We added some speech language therapy into our schedule through Sooner Start, and we are also still seeing our Child Development Specialist once per month. I love being the one that works with him on a daily basis--love seeing his accomplishments, his bright brown eyes, and big toothy grin.
Will he fall "on the spectrum?" Will he "grow out of this?" Who knows? Who cares? We were given a gift when we were chosen to be his parents.
