3 Year Old Might Need Special Education Services

Question sent in from a parent:

I hope you keep informing people of the services provided through our schools!

My son, at age 3, couldn't speak, or so I thought. Due to his numerous ear infections as a baby/toddler (most of which I knew nothing about unless his sisters would have one, then I would be told my son was the WORST OF ALL), he was partially deaf. I didn't know! And I was home with those children 24/7! (His brother, age 2, was already speaking! His sisters, age 4 and 5 had no problems, either!)

Through an outstanding pre-school teacher, I was directed to having him taken in for a hearing test (all covered by the school) and on to speech therapy (still age 3) where he stayed until 3rd grade.

FAST FORWARD TO NOW: he is the most wonderful child (along with my other three!)! Former Student of the Year in grade school, he is now is a 4.5GPA Junior at Redondo Union High School, plays football, soccer, and lacrosse (so far), and is a tutor on the side, in addition to tutoring all athletes who may be in trouble of not making grades. Who knows what would have happened if we had let that go? Kids were already starting to make fun of his speech (he could not pronounce any consonants, so his speech came out "oo" "ow" (you get the picture).

Please keep directing other parents to programs provided through the schools!! Our experience was wonderful - frustrating at first, but look how it all turned out! My thanks to all teachers for the amount of work they put into our children. They are the best!

My Answer:

It is always nice to hear a positive account of the help our schools can provide. I also appreciate the detail in your story as many parents will find they can relate to the struggle with speech.

Many parents wrote in with questions about seeking help for their young children over the age of three. If you and your doctor are concerned about your child’s progress (not only in speech, but other developmental areas as well), you should contact your school district for an evaluation. Your pediatrician can help you decide when to seek help. You do not need to wait until your child is enrolled in Kindergarten. There may be services or preschool programs, offered through your public school district, which can benefit your child.