A Speech GRADUATE!

It was only a little over a year ago that I wrote this post. Reading it brings back the emotions I felt at that time and it is amazing to see how far Jocelyn has come since then.

Looking back, I am unsure that the diagnosis was correct. Yes, Jocelyn most definitely had a speech delay. She most definitely was unable to express herself through words that others could understand. She needed to receive speech therapy. That was not a question for me, but Apraxia was? She did show certain signs of it, but seeing now how quickly she progressed in the time since the diagnosis, I now question if the diagnosis was correct. It really doesn't matter, though. Jocelyn got what she needed and she is now our little talker. Everyone can understand (as well as they can understand any other 3-year-old) when she speaks! It seems so simple, but for us, and especially for her, it means the world. She has overcome her expressive language delay! We are so proud of her!!

On Friday, Jocelyn went to her very last speech session. It was bitter-sweet. I didn't' enjoy the long drive at the inconvenient time, but Jocelyn loved going! She loved her therapists, she liked the other kids she played with there, and she simply enjoyed having an activity to do each week. Friday was speech day!

She has come so far from that day last year in June when I cried worrying that having this "problem" was going to change her. Well, it didn't. She is still the same little girl who loves going out, doing things, and playing with other children. She is just now better able to express herself and can actually talk with other children and adults. All the changes happened before they affected her self esteem--and that was just my worry, not something that was a guarantee to happen.

It took her a little getting used to when people actually started understanding her. When they would ask her to repeat herself it was usually because she was speaking so low that they physically couldn't hear her--it wasn't that they weren't understanding her. She was set in thinking people just didn't understand her, and that made her a little shy to speak to others and answer questions when she was asked, but that has changed and now when someone asks her something like, "What's your name?" she often yells the answer to them-- "JOCELYN". She has to make sure they can hear her, and I just smile knowing what an accomplishment something as simple as being able to say your own name is for my Jocelyn.

I will never forget the first time she was asked what her name was, and when she answered, the person understood her. A single tear rolled down my cheek and I was so excited for her! I wanted to stand up, jump up and down, scream and yell. Such a simple thing, yet such a colossal moment!

As we drove home that day, I was so proud of her. She has worked so hard to speak. Something that comes naturally to so many, but just didn't happen as quickly for her. Her hard work payed off. She has graduated from therapy. The journey that started when she was 20-months-old is over. Jocelyn and I celebrated with her favorite treat--ice cream. And as we sat there eating it, a woman approached us and told me what a a beautiful little girl I had. I thanked her and she then asked the ubiquitous question: What's your name? Jocelyn looked at her, smiled and yelled, JOCELYN ! My silly little girl. My silly little girl who can say her name (and much, much more)!