My daughter is 2 1/2 and having some speech issues. Although she understands commands and has a wide vocabulary, she is still only speaking in one or two word phrases. Her enunciation is poor and it is hard to understand what she is saying. Can anyone recommend a good speech therapist near the Bartlett area? I'm going to get a Dr.'s. evaluation first, but would appreciate any help.
Thanks!
I had the same problem with my son. I mentioned it to the pediatrician 3 times but he kept saying not to worry about it. It was not until I brought it up to my neighbor who said her son had gone through speech therapy. She referred me to Child and Family Services. It's a state run program and they have many locations throughout the region. You can contact them and request a testing for your child.
Hi-
Definitely call the Early Intervention System. You do not need to wait for your doctor to refer you. Parents, grandparents, caregivers, etc. are all eligible to refer a child for evaluation. Both of my children were evaluated by EI; my daughter didn't qualify, but my son did, and has been receiving services since he was about 15 months. I believe you can call 800-585-1953. If this is not the correct phone number, they should be able to give you the correct one for your area. When your son turns 3, the school district should pick up where EI left off; I believe you are in U-46. If your son qualifies for speech services, make sure that you request that your service coordinator forward his file to the school district within a few months of his third birthday because EI covered services end the day before your son turns 3.
Also, if your son qualifies for speech services, give your service coordinator a chance to find someone, but do some looking on your own as well. Some therapists won't do EI because they have to travel, so make sure to ask that when you're calling around. (EI services have to be provided in natural environments-home or daycare, etc.) If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to contact me. We have learned a lot through this process.....
Aks your pediatrician to refer you to Early Intervention. It is run by each county and funded by the state. Services are provided for children up to 3 years old in the home. All the evaluationa are at no charge and therapy is provided on a sliding scale fee. My son received speech therapy weekly from a top notch therapist. We are still in touch with her. After the child turns 3 they can be evaluated by the school district for speech therapy needs. My 3 year old just started weekly speech therapy with school district 300. I don't know what county you are in but Early Intervention in Kane county is Dayone network ph: 888-282-0997. Unless your health insurance covers speech therapy, it can be pricey (around $140-170/hr). So checking with Early Intervention and the school district first can save you a lot of money. We paid $30/month (for 4 sessions/month) for speech therapy vs. the therapit's $140 per session normal rate.
I just wanted to let you know that I am a speech-language pathologist....I have worked in the schools for 8 years, and I also did early intervention for the state for a few years. Now I am working one day a week at Northwest Pediatric Therapy in Algonquin, and I also do private therapy in people's homes. If you take your daughter to a clinic, then a doctor needs to refer you. If you go through the state (or her school once she's 3), you don't need a referral. I just also wanted to let you know though NOT to always go by what your doctor says...Many doctors say "She'll just grow out of it" or "She's too young for therapy..." etc...Many doctors don't even get it that children CAN be helped by EARLY intervention....
Anyway, if you want immediate assistance, I would be happy to do an evaluation and possibly treatment, but I don't know if you want to spend the money. You may possibly be able to submit it to your insurance, but I don't directly handle insurance myself. There are so many free services (and DEFINITELY take advantage of the school district when she turns 3)but I just thought I'd let you know that I am available if money isn't an issue, or if the other systems take too long. If you're interested or have any other questions regarding your daughter's speech, you may feel free to email me at ____@____.com luck!
C.
Mother of a 19 month old son
H.,
i agree with the other posting that your doctor may not take your concern too seriously. The early intervention program does offer free evaluations at no cost and you do not need a doctor referral. If she does qualify for services, they will help you transistion to the school district. Hunter Therapy does have some GREAT speech therapists that your in the Bartlett area - ###-###-####. Sharon is especially wonderful. I would recommend that you get an evaluation, if just to ease your mind.
L.
Go through the child and family services through your county - the doctor should actually give you the referral for them to come out. Don't wait the earlier the better. My son started at 2.5 and I wish it was sooner. The therapists are hard to come by - I had to wait two months before we started therapy. Your daughter will go through an evaluation with a speech therapist and if you like that person and they have availability you can use them. If you are not happy with them you can inform your service coordinator and they will find you a new one. I was very happy with the person who did the eval as well as our therapist. She lives in Aurora I don't think she goes to Bartlett. However, my friend lives in Bartlett and she had a therapist by the name of Susan Major come to her house and loved her. You could request her. I think she lives in St. Charles. Good luck
H.:
Check out the website for Easter Seals. I know they offer a myriad of services for early intervention. Also, you can call your local school district for some services.
I would call the 0-3 program through the county. All of the evaluations are free. If your daughter needs the services, you pay based on your family income, then she will continue services through the school district when she turns 3! Good Luck!
I'd recommend taking her to easter seals for a screening. They have excellent staff to evaluate her speech and will do it free of charge too. I doubt if they will do anything for her at 2 1/2 though. My 8 yr old was evaluated at about the same age and they said that at that point as long as she clearly understood what was said to her and could respond then she was fine. She was also checked 3 times by school speech therapists in kindergarten, first and finally 2nd grade. Each time I was told that they had to wait because her speech issues were things that could be just developmental in nature and would clear up with time. She is now getting speech therapy because they it didn't clear up. btw- my daughter was like your daughter at that age. She could understand things but spoke only a couple of words clearly. Her pediatrician told me that when she was ready to speak she would and would probably start with complete sentences and he was right. One day her speech just suddenly skyrocketed.
I have my 19-month-old in the Early Intervention program through the state now. It's great and our coordinator is wonderful. They'll walk you through it.
Here is the website:
http://www.state.il.us/agency/dhs/earlyint/earlyint.html
Good luck!
