When you find out that your child has a problem, you promise your child you will find them the best care to make things right. This goes especially for their health and well-being. We were surprised when our otherwise healthy fifteen-month old son, Jonathan, started having problems with transitioning to solid food. He had no issues with his bottle or puree, and was otherwise seemingly healthy and strong. Up until that point, every milestone was met on time. He was a beautiful, happy baby. The pediatrician suggested feeding therapy. I remember being shocked that there was even such a thing. Feeding therapy??? Yes, I was told. I need to get him eating right. If he is not eating right, he will have trouble with speech because the same muscles are used. That began my search for answers. My free-time became consumed by internet searches. This led to my realizing that not only did my little boy have feeding issues, but he was becoming autistic as well. A visit to a developmental pediatrician confirmed my worst nightmare. Almost overnight, our lives went from relatively carefree to darkness. When something tragic happens it is normal to weep and angrily ask ‘why me?” But it is so important to quickly pick up the pieces and use that energy to be proactive to search for solutions. In my search to help my son, I went from speech therapist to speech therapist. It was apparent that the traditional speech therapy methods were not enough. He needed more. He had low tone in his mouth as well as motor planning issues that verbal modeling was not addressing.
Along the way I came across information about apraxia/dyspraxia. In reading, I found that there are specific therapy interventions for children with apraxia and low tone. However, most speech and language therapists are not trained in these techniques. It was up to me to find someone for my son who was. This search is what brought me to Jenn Buck. What impressed me about Jenn is that she is PROMPT trained, uses Kaufman techniques and well as Talk Tools for oral motor therapy. Furthermore, she has knowledge of applied verbal behavior. I was so excited to have finally found a specialized therapist who is trained to work with the sub-set of children who have low-tone and/or motor planning issues!
My child has made great progress using the approaches employed by Jenn. He is now biting and chewing foods appropriately. His articulation is improving daily as well. It is a long road, but we are on our way. Jenn is the perfect therapist for those kids who need just a little bit more.
- Michelle N.