Monday, March 31, 2008

It's a God Thing

I haven't written much about our upcoming speech transition. Calvin will be 3 in about 3 weeks and will no longer be eligible for 1st Steps speech therapy. We are so sad to say goodbye to our wonderful therapist, Renee.

Anyway, we had our 2nd meeting (Calvin's screening) with the school the day after we arrived home from Iowa - the first meeting was in December. I came away from this appointment feeling VERY discouraged. It's not that they weren't nice...I'm not even exactly sure what it was. I just got the impression that they were trying to find more problems and already "knew" he must have them if he was adopted and had a cleft. While we don't want to ignore any issues, we really don't have other concerns (other than the speech) at this time. I also almost felt guilty for not having him in a Mom's Day Out or class or something even though we make a point of having play dates and doing other things.

It's all been weighing heavily on my mind. We talked with the speech pathologist at Shriner's and got her perspective on some of it - she gave us an article to give the school so they would use the proper speech techniques for a cleft kid which are different. We discussed preschool, speech, development etc. Andrew and I have also been talking almost daily about what to do. We just really want to feel peaceful about the decision we make for Calvin and we want to make sure he is getting the best help possible.

Friday, I grumbled a little as I headed to work - I was tired after our big trip on Thursday and just didn't feel like being bubbly for my patients. 7:30 a.m. was my very first appointment and I noticed that the patient happened to work as a speech pathologist. I made small talk for a few minutes and then asked her about her work. It just so happens, that craniofacial anomalies are her specialty and especially clefts - she works with a local team of doctors and other professionals.

We discussed Calvin's past, treatment, speech, and school evaluation as well as our experience with a local hospital. She was so kind and so compassionate and listened to my concerns, offered advice and gave me the best news: our insurance should cover private therapy since it is related to a medical condition! I had not even considered this as a possibility. She does private sessions as does the other pathologist she works with. She also explained how correctable speech errors are with children who have had clefts and that they usually have a very good prognosis in a short amount of time. She gave me her number and e-mail but most of all, she gave me hope and encouragement!

As I called Andrew to let him know of my Divine Appointment, I couldn't help the tears that filled my eyes. She was exactly who I needed to meet on Friday (it was interesting to both of us that we had never met - through dental or cleft stuff). She told me to contact her at any time for advice, 2nd opinion, or whatever else. What a blessing. I am so encouraged. We see our pediatrician next week and I plan to ask for a speech therapy referral to the hospital and to discuss the other concerns I've had since talking to the school.

9 comments:

Heather L. said...

That is wonderful! God is so good to provide!!! You'll have to keep us posted...

Monica said...

Oh, Alaina, things like this are just incredible to me! God is working it all out and caring for Calvin in ways that can only be appointed by Him. What an amazing testimony to His faithfulness. Soon that boy will be talking your ear off:)

Kate Ambrose said...

What an amazing blessing! Isn't it humbling to see how God has His hand in everything?

Paula said...

That is so cool. and insurance coverage to boot. Praise God for putting you together with that person.

Anonymous said...

I am sorry they made you feel guilty for not doing "enough"... bah! But didn't you want to laugh (after you got done crying) at how hard God hits us over the head sometimes?
You just can't call your first appointment of the morning a coincidence, can you? :)

Mama10EE said...

Alaina--don't ever let the school system make you feel bad! I work with many people with disabilities (at the Center for Excellence in Disabilities) in WV and I have seen this many times. YOU know what is best for Calvin, and what his needs are. YOU are in control and a lot of times you need to remind the school of this. There is a center like mine in every state. Often they are referred to as University Affiliated Centers for Developmental Disabilities (UACDDs). I suggest you give them a call and see if they offer any services for Calvin or can refer you to someone local. Sounds like God truly led you to this patient and I am excited for that! If you have any more questions or can't find the contact information for the Center in IN, let me know and I can see if I can get the information for you.

Stephanie said...

That's really cool! I'm excited for you guys to have another possibility. I need to stop by soon and visit with my most adorable nephews!

Jenna said...

That's great Alaina... things work out for a reason!

Amy K said...

What fantastic news. God indeed cares about every detail of our lives!