Speech visit

Back in January, Ian met with the speech and language pathologist(Dr. Riski) at Scottish Rite. Dr. Riski felt Ian needed to be seen in his clinic at least twice a week to reach his speech goals. He also recommended Ian have the pharyngeal flap procedure to help produce the pressure sounds.

Today, a little over two months after surgery, we saw Dr. Riski for our post-op follow-up. He was very pleased with the results of the surgery and even more impressed at the progress Ian has shown. He recorded Ian with a machine that measured the amount of air that came out of his nose and mouth when speaking. Although it is not exactly where it needs to be, it was an improvement from January's visit. Dr. Riski said that with his current therapy through Babies Can't Wait and working with us at home, Ian would be just fine. No need for extra speech! Through repetition of using the muscles necessary to make pressure consonants, Ian's speech will improve. Dr. R felt that Ian's language skills were way above average for his age. We know Ian's a smart little guy, but it doesn't hurt when a doctor agrees.

On the flip side, Dr. R is concerned about the amount of air Ian is able to breathe in and out through his nose. His nostrils are very small. Add the fact that his nasal cavity didn't form correctly and we have breathing issues, which can lead to both feeding and speech issues. When we go back in November for a team visit, Dr. R wants to see if the plastic surgeon feels the need for changes in Ian's nose and possibly soft palate. The thought of another additional surgery does not make me happy. Of course, it is our decision whether or not to do it. We'll see what the next few months hold.