Therapy

Most speech and language therapists are not specialists for hearing impairment. They are great at speech delay in children or post stroke adults, but the child with little hearing is a different skill. Lay on top of this the child with no hearing and Alice needs very specialist help. We now have two SALTs (speech and language therapists) one given to us by the PCT who will come every 3 weeks and one that we will pay for privately (Christopher Place). In time, Alice will also have therapy as part of the CI programme.

So what do they do. Ultimately, they are looking at communication. All agree that Alice has no speech currently and is unlikely to develop much pre-implant. So we need to work on her non-verbal communication (playing, sharing, pointing etc) but also giving her a framework to communicate. We need to teach her “signs” for things she needs and wants. It will be a bastardised version of makaton and cued speech and will be specific to Alice. We are also putting together Alice’s book, which will have all of her favourite things, so that when she wants mummy, daddy, joseph, milk or mouse she use the picture as well.

Signing is not our long term solution, speech is, but we want her to tell us if she’s hungry or thirsty and we want to “talk” with our daughter.

Now I would be the first to admit, that with my friends I am generally rubbish. I don’t call, I don’t have dinner or lunch out much and I mostly forget birthdays….

In contrast our friends and family have been amazing. Grandparents are all taking cued speech lessons with us, brother and sisters have all been sent their homework, as have various friends.

The emails, texts and phone calls we continue to receive are not only extraordinarily kind, but also just what we need to keep going. We can not be strong without them.

In addition, our friends know some amazing (and incredibly useful) people, they have gone out of their way to exploit contacts in the hope of trying to help us make the best decisions we can. People we have never met or don’t really know have offered support, kindness and fantastically useful advice.

The best I can offer in return, is I know a good ironing lady in surbiton…..So this goes out to everyone, thank you. We wouldn’t have got this far without you.

xxx