The Parent's Guide to Speech and Language Problems Book

I'm so very grateful to have come across this book when I did. I bought it when my two sons started to undergo testing for speech problems and autism. Not only did this book give me clear insight into what lay on the rough road ahead, it was my companion through the darkest days of the long process of finding help for my children.

In her very thorough book, Debbie Feit gives a detailed list of different kinds of language and speech problems that exist, what the possible causes are, and most importantly, what therapy is available for your child. I can't begin to express how helpful this was to my family when our sons were both diagnosed with Mixed Expressive/Receptive Language Disorder (MERLD). I was prepared for this diagnosis from reading this book, so I knew what to expect moving forward. In another chapter, Feit walks parents through the process of finding the right speech therapist for their particular situation. She reassures them that it's OK to not fall in love with the first therapist they meet. She says it's best to keep looking until they find one that their child not only responds well to, but feels safe with also. I happened to be reading this chapter as we found our older son's speech language pathologist (SLP) and thus felt very confident in our decision to stick with her. For parents who may be in tight financial situations or without good insurance coverage, Feit dedicates a solid chapter to helping parents understand their rights and options when it comes to matters of payment. There is a wealth of knowledge here for parents who are just entering this world of language disorders and for parents who are already submersed in it.

My favorite part of this book were the little quotes and personal experiences from parents who have children with speech and language problems. One woman speaks of the hardships involved in having children with disabilities, but faith in God helps her through every single day. She realizes that raising a special needs child is truly a calling from God for special parents. Such an outlook is very encouraging, and it is a reminder to me that my two special boys are not burdens but blessings of the highest kind.