There were times when silence filled our home—not the peaceful kind, but the kind that left me devoured by my uncertainties of whether I’d ever hear my son say the words “I love you” or even something as simple as “Mommy.” For years, I held on to hope that one day, he’d find his voice. And now, I can shout to other parents that are walking in my shoes—“It’s coming!”… Don’t give up!”
He’s not only saying new words every day, but he’s stringing them into little sentences. I first realized that he had words when he showed signs of communicating through his tablet. I’m not a huge fan of excessive screen time, but I saw the importance of striking a balance. So, it wasn’t just always books and educational stuff; I thought he should learn the world for what it really is.
Quick story: A family member was visiting one day, and it was their birthday. My son saw me hug and heard me say “happy birthday,” and right there and then—something unexpected happened. His tablet started singing the Happy Birthday to You, song. My family member turned to him and thanked him for the song, and that’s when the light bulb went off. He understands! He’s communicating…through his tablet.
Did something like that ever happen again? Of course not—no matter how much I prompted it. But my determination skyrocketed like never before. Because I realized he understood, I spoke with him more and more—about everything! I continued to ask him questions even though I knew silence would be the answer. But, it got better! Everything he interacted with, I attached a name to it, so he’d understand. I found putting names to his favorite things helped tremendously. He started to repeat the words as he associated them with the item or verb, like—coloring book, tablet, go upstairs/downstairs, go outside, playground, potty, etc. I even taught him the ASL motion for food/eat, and he now knows it fluently, which addresses the elephant in the room. He can learn!
His vocabulary has grown immensely, and now I have a six-year-old who is reading books! Sure, he struggles with some words and communicating fluently, but each struggle is a sure sign of his fortitude to get it right.
