She's only 3!

Our daughter, who has PPD-NOS, would not speak. After early intervention services which didn't help, we were persuaded to put her in speech therapy in the local elementary school. After all, we paid for it, might as well get some benefit from it.

For weeks nothing happened. So I thought I would stop sitting with them. Maybe it's me. By this time, she was talking a mile a minute at home; but nowhere else. She had a breakthrough that day and came home like a decorated hero - stickers everywhere!

But it didn't happen again. Her IEP team wants to put her in the Early Childhood Class next year. As veteran homeschoolers we balk at this. We compromised by trying the class for the last nine days of school. My biggest problem is being tied to someone else's schedule. I'm told there is a bus for my convenience. SHE'S ONLY THREE! Why would I put her on a bus? Her security is more important than my CONVENIENCE.

Now how do we turn it off?

Our daughter turned three still not talking. This concerned us, so we took her to a developmental pediatrician. He told us she had PDD and she started speech therapy immediately. We also began iron and omega 3 supplements. Her vocabulary bloomed!...at home. She wouldn't speak in her therapy sessions. We had a happy girl, adding 3-5 new words to her repertoire DAILY, but had to go back to the Dr. to discuss selective mutism.

Turned out the problem was me. I had always sat through her sessions, but one day I dropped her off and left the building. I nearly cried - she is my baby after all. The therapist, on the other hand, was delighted. Caroline talked! To everyone! That child came home loaded with so many stickers her shirt dragged down in the front!

Now we can't get her to stop talking. Or singing. Or humming. We always know where she is, at least. We worried, we primed the pump, now how do we turn it off?