So Busy, I'm Dizzy!

Wow, I can't believe it's already half-way through September. Alex started back to developmental preschool and is going three days per week in the mornings. He's having a blast, and this school year he's riding the bus to and from school, which he loves! With one in Kindergarten this year and one in special needs preschool and speech therapy, we have been keeping pretty busy since school started. I'll have to admit that I have enjoyed every minute of it! I love packing their lunchboxes with a special napkin or note from Mom, and going through their folders each afternoon to see what all they did at school that day. We hold hands each morning and say a prayer before the kids are off for school. Alex is so sweet as he bows his head and prays. God hears his sweet voice and knows exactly what he is saying.

Alex's private speech therapy is going very well and he is making great gains in his speech production. During his evaluation in June it was noted that he could not produce the /n/ and /t/ sounds, both of which he has been using now for many weeks as a final consonant. He is using them in words such as "o-pe-n, a-ga-in" and "ge-t, ou-t", etc. He still has to be reminded quite often to use all of his sounds as he tends to drop the ending sounds altogether, but he's trying so hard and putting more and more words together. I am so thankful for the speech therapist he has been seeing. She is just awesome and I believe God hand-picked her for Alex. I have really enjoyed being able to observe his therapy sessions through a two-way mirror so not to disturb them. It has helped me to understand better how I can continue to work with him at home.

Our ultimate goal is to make such gains in his speech intelligibility that he can communicate successfully with others. Though as his mother it is such a blessing to be able to understand his speech more and more each day, even at this point where I'm still having to translate much of what he says to others. There are still many "mountains" ahead, but I'm confident that given Alex's young age and early start at therapy, his willingness to participate in therapy, and now having a proper diagnosis with an appropriate treatment plan, his prognosis for communication is looking good for his future.

As for the insurance, I have filed a grievance for the denial of the initial speech therapy evaluation. I should hear from them within 60 days of receipt. In the meantime, we have sent in our co-pay portion of 10%. We were told we would continue to receive calls, letters and bills until payment in full was received. As for the therapy that now racks up $139 per session twice a week, we have appealed the insurance company's denial for coverage of speech therapy. The speech therapist Alex is seeing wrote an incredible letter to the insurance company describing apraxia as a medical condition which requires medical treatment (a.k.a. speech therapy). The financial advisor told me the appeals process generally takes 30 days, so hopefully we will know something within a few weeks. In the meantime, we are walking by faith and continuing to take Alex to his therapy sessions. I love how excited he is about his therapy. Sometimes I wonder if he even realizes that he is a little different from other kids.