Early Steps

Yesterday, James was evaluated by someone from Early Steps. That is a program similar to Early Intervention. At James' pediatrician visits I have mentioned my concern with his speech being unclear. So, when we went for his 2yr check up the Dr referred us for a speech screen. The lady that came to meet him, Debbie, was great. She was very friendly and James warmed right up to her. She asked him to do some tasks and asked him some questions. He passed the pre-screen which means that he wouldn't continue with the full screen. Debbie said that he had adequate language skills for his age but that she could tell that he has an articulation(the ability to produce sounds) problem. Early Steps does not provide services for articulation problems until a child is 3. So I will do my best to work with him on my own. Debbie recommended getting James into a playground that has kids who already have language so that he can learn from them. She also recommended having him drink thick milkshakes through a straw to strengthen his oral muscles. If I see anything in the next 2-3 months of concern she said I could call her and she would come and screen him again.