Speech Pathologists? NWMR really

[nixwi]

I'm lurking, but have a question if there are any SLPs on here. DS turned 4 in December. He is 100% completely normal in most ways and has always had a great vocabulary/was early with talking. However, since birth, he has had issues with eating and some related things. As a baby he was super hard (we thought it was reflux but frankly I don't know if we ever figured it out), spit up all the time, and would never take a bottle (I was working FT at the time). He didn't want to eat and would fight it and cry. Never took a paci. As a toddler, gagged on foods all the time and would throw up. Now, is a super picky and very slow eater who still gags sometimes and won't eat things with "lumps." Complains that he has "too much spit" and is a tiny bit...spitty...but not actually drooling or anything. Does great at preschool. He has stuttered on and off but is not doing it lately. Due to the ongoing issues with food and "too much spit," and the past stuttering, his pedi suggested going through the schools for a speech eval to see if he has oral motor issues that have contributed to all this. I got the forms from the school district and frankly it seems geared to kids with actual big speech delays/developmental issues and I am wondering if pursuing the eval is a good idea. Is looking for oral motor issues something they can do?? Any tips? He's 95% fine so I feel silly in a way pursuing this, but on the other hand, I know he still has something not 100% "normal" with the spit and textures issues (no other sensory issues, by the way).  Thanks.

[mustardseed2007]

I'm not a speech pathologist, but we're having DD evaluated by a speech therapist (at 12 months) and she was also seen/treated by a speech therapist in the NICU. None of it was for talking, obviously, it's all been for eating.

The speech therapists at the therapy center we go to (she's already in physical therapy for torticollis) all recognize speech and eating issues to be all part of the same stuff. So my thought is that even if the program that the therapists are hired for through the school are speech related, the therapists that actually do the work will probably understand why you are going to them.

The other route that comes to mind would be to go to a therapist on your own using your health insurance. Speech therapists at a center may be more accustomed to treating people who have food issues.

Perhaps what you could do is go ahead and start with the school and see how the therapists react, and then if they seem not to understand what you are getting at, go to a pediatric therapy clinic that does speech, physical and occupational therapies.

[ndm410]

I don't know where you live and this may just be a Texas thing but here kids can actually be evaluated and treated for things like this through the public school system. It's called Early Childhood Intervention. They send someone out to your home for the evaluations and treatment sessions. A good friend of mine's son had trouble eating things with lumps and wouldn't talk and they worked with him for about a year I think, starting around age 3.

[momofcatan]

Obviously the majority of what they see in the schools would be eval for actual speech problems, but a good SP will also be able to help/evaluate the problems you are describing. I wonder if you would need to see someone outside of the school system because they won't have enough experience with this situation, but I think it's worth starting out with the school eval and going from there.

FWIW my MIL is a SP and works almost exclusively with these sort of "outside the box" scenarios.

[doodler]

Feb 26, 2015 1:36:08 GMT -5 ndm410 said:

I don't know where you live and this may just be a Texas thing but here kids can actually be evaluated and treated for things like this through the public school system. It's called Early Childhood Intervention. They send someone out to your home for the evaluations and treatment sessions. A good friend of mine's son had trouble eating things with lumps and wouldn't talk and they worked with him for about a year I think, starting around age 3.

I think there are early intervention services everywhere.  I would start with the website of your local school system.  They should have information about the local program online.  In my system it is called Infants and Toddlers.  If you can't find it, place a call to your Board of Education and I'm sure they can direct you to the right person.  

Also, you might have a better chance of finding a SLP on here if you post on the Special Needs board

[rubberchicken]

DD had similar problems as what you're describing. At 18 months, her pediatrician recommended she be evaluated by a SLP. Our insurance covered the evaluation, and she was diagnosed with dysphagia. For treatment, we then went through Early Childhood Intervention. After an evaluation, she was treated twice a week at daycare for 3 months. That's all it took in terms of therapy, and the differences are night and day. She can actually EAT now, and eats lots of foods she didn't. She's gained weight and confidence.

Have your son evaluated by ECI -- it's not silly at all, and it will make a huge improvement in his life.

[b0710]

I'm not a SLP, but I am in the camp that it can't hurt to have him evaluated. Even if the forms seem geared toward a more serious problem, having information to go on cannot hurt. If you do not feel that you get any help, or results that you want, you can always see another therapist later.