Speech Update

The last 10 months we have been passionately working to provide Chelsea with everything we can to help her develop and meet her potential. But then there are times when you feel you hands are tied. I am learning everyday from her. I feel like I could write a book on Down syndrome! (maybe I will...more on that later) Chelsea's speech therapist came to the house today and brought a tympanogram at my request. This is a machine they stick in her ears and can measure the vibration off of the eardrum. The can tell if there is fluid on the ear or not. Well Chelsea's tympanogram measured flat today. That is a clear sign of fluid on her ears. So what do I do? Nothing. Wait. Two weeks to be exact and then they will come test her again. So do you think that's good enough for me...of course not.

We know her ear canals are smaller, as small features are common traits with Down syndrome. Because of their small features, it is common for children with T21 to have fluid on their ears...which in turn means that they aren't always hearing clearly. Think about what happens when you're not hearing clearly. If you only heard muffled sounds your entire life would you be able to speak clearly? Absolutely not. That is why many individuals with Down syndrome do not speak as clearly as they could. It's all connected. I am determined to make sure Chelsea is hearing clearly, but unfortunately right now all I can do is wait. I did follow up by calling her doctor and sharing the results with him. I was able to get an answer from him today, he wants to refer her to an ENT (Ear Nose and Throat Dr.). But...because of insurance, they have to call the ENT, refer Chelsea, then we wait for the ENT office to call us and schedule an appointment. Well, I've been waiting all day, and I'm sure they'll do things on their own time. But I will have it known I want her seen soon!

So what does an ENT do? I don't really know. I've talked with many parents who have had tubes put in their children's ears because of chronic fluid. This is definitely something we'll explore. Most of the parents I've talked to here in town and via the Internet have had good results with tubes. They have seen huge improvements in their childs' hearing. Let's just hope for the best. I'll keep you updated!