The Not-So-Speech Therapist

In Alex's Daily Communication Log for today, I asked if it would be possible for them to let me know when Alex had his one-on-one speech therapy sessions and for how long, as I was under the impression that he would be getting therapy twice a week. Remember, it's now been six + weeks since he has had any one-on-one therapy. The speech therapist (ST) was not in today, but the special education teacher talked with her on the phone and mentioned my note to her. I appreciated that the ST called me this evening. This was the first time I had actually gotten to talk a bit one-on-one with Alex's new ST about his disorder and my concerns for him, since he started the developmental preschool. I was relieved to know that she was familiar with apraxia and had worked with other apraxic children. She said that at this point she's working at two schools and has too many students to handle to give Alex the true appropriate articulation drills he needs, but she plans to work on oral/motor skills with him as she can and some signs. He's only been getting group therapy at this point. She told me that she felt he shouldn't have been in the preschool program in the first place, but only getting one-on-one speech therapy for articulation, since that's really his only significant "disability". During an initial meeting with the school psychologist, I was told Alex would only be offered 15 minutes of speech therapy twice a week, OR we could look into the preschool program where he would receive therapy in the classroom and he could go up to four days per week. He was receiving two hours of therapy a WEEK at that point through Early Intervention. I didn't want to go backward. It seemed to me that he would benefit from a variety of group therapy, one-on-one therapy, and oral/motor exercises in the classroom setting, more so than the two hours of therapy he would get in a whole MONTH in the other situation. When I told the ST about this on the phone, she said it was not the school psychologist's place to tell me how much therapy he would receive. She said that the speech therapist would be determined herself and that it would be based on his individual needs, but more than likely it would be the standard 30 minutes twice a week. She told me that she would really like to see Alex involved in BOTH programs, and she would check to see if this was possible. That sounds ideal. But, it may come down to me having to choose between the two programs. I don't know which one would be better. I think one major thing that will help me make my decision is if this speech therapist is familiar with how to treat apraxia appropriately. I will definitely want to interview her before making my decision. She told me she would get back to me about the ESY (extended school year - summer) and whether he can participate in both programs during the regular school year. She said she has no problem with Alex having therapy during the summer. This just HAS to happen, even though the school psychologist says "NO WAY". I'm doing everything I know to do at this point at home with his therapies, but I'm not a speech therapist and I can't give Alex the appropriate therapy he needs. I have to be the best MOTHER I can be right now, and I have another child to think about too.