when she was three. It was shortly before it was time for her evaluation at the base elementary school where she would attend a special ed preschool program. My father has been a special education teacher for most of my life. I knew that when she was three years old, that the school system would provide services for her so we gave it a shot. I scheduled the appointment for testing, it would be done over several days. They were so nice and understanding about her issues and my concerns. She was evaluated by a speech pathologist, an occupational therapist and a physical therapist. They scheduled my daughter's first IEP meeting. This is where people that sometimes don't even know your child talk about test results and present their plan of what should be done to help her. I think that I cried through the first four or five that we had over the years. Especially this first one. The guidelines for my daughter to recieve services would be for her to have a 20% delay in more than one area tested or a 33% delay in only one area. So they all gave their observations and explained the test results.
She would have a more than 33% delay in speech, she tested at 1 yr. 1 month (she was over 3) so that would qualify her for the program. There were also significant delays in other areas, and she would be recieving speech, occupational therapy and speech therapy. What a relief. She was going to get help. There were other things in their reports that were interesting. Words like "hypotonia", "joint hypermobility", mention of her dental problems as well. The speech pathologist observed that she couldn't move her tongue independantly of her jaw, in other words she wasn't able to move it from side to side. If food became stuck to her teeth, she was unable to move it away with her teeth. She couldn't lick her lips. She couldn't lick her lips? Maybe that is why they were always chapped no matter how much lipgloss we used. I took those reports straight to her doctor so he could see what these professionals observed. He had to listen now, right?
Leaving her at school on the first day is about the hardest thing I've ever done. She couldn't speak. She couldn't ask for a drink, or tell them what she needed. She communicated non verbally at this point and used some signs. I was so scared that she wouldn't be okay, but she was. That first day, I made it out of the classroom, but sobbed all the way to my car. I went back early to watch through the little window in the door. She was just fine. She would be in that classroom with those teachers and therapists for two and a half years. That's where she "found her words". I couldn't thank them enough. How could I? They were my hope of getting her help and they delivered in every way. There were bumps, but she got help. It was still difficult to understand her at times (especially for other children), but she could speak.
My husband was leaving the military after almost ten years. He hadn't been overseas since we had children, and it was reaching the point that he would have to go. They wouldn't send us as a family because they couldn't provide services for our youngest daughter. We decided that it was time for him to make the transition to civilian life. We prayed and asked God to give him a job and show us where to live. He did all that and then some. We learned from that situation that if you really give something over to God, and give Him all the glory, that He gives you way more than what you expected. My husband was working (still is) for a new company two months before his leave was up from the USMC. He has worked so hard and done so well. We believe that God gives you opportunities, but it's up to you to work your tail off and make the most of it. That's what my husband did. It is a great job, brought us closer to our extended family, good benefits including medical insurance. That's right, guess who gets to see her first civilian pediatrician? Finally!
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