Tell me a little about your family/child.
I have two children who attend Galvin Therapy: Ady, age 2, who has an expressive speech delay, and Ava, age 7, who is diagnosed with ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder).
When and why did you start to notice a difference and seek support from an SLP?
Ava has been seeing an SLP since she
was 3 weeks old for a mixture of feeding and speech issues. Her original SLP who was a godsend retired when she was 4.5 and we struggled for a few years with “fill-in” SLPs and programs until we found Galvin Therapy. When Ady started showing similar signs I knew right
away it was time to get help from an SLP and turned straight to Galvin Therapy for help.
What are the most challenging aspects as the parents of a child with developmental/behavioral challenges?
Right now some of the major issues include navigating pragmatic speech while we are fairly isolated. COVID has certainly brought new challenges to the table, but our medical team and our therapists have been supportive and risen to the unique challenges. Overall, one of the hardest challenges to daily life is subtle differences between our lives and those of our friends which also is being accentuated by COVID. Our daily lifestyle is much different than that of our friends and family, and at times it can be overwhelming.
What have you found to be the most beneficial part of therapy? What has been your child’s biggest achievement?
Right now it is easier to see the large
leaps that Ava has made given she is older and has basically been in therapy in some shape or form since birth. She has transitioned from an anxious, speech-delayed child with severe feeding issues to a child with no social fear and plenty to say (too much
at times some would argue hehe). While feeding remains an issue heavily influenced by her medical history, she is more willing to at least try new foods, and with the help of our treasured SLP, she has adopted a few new food items which help tremendously with regular meals.
What message would you like to share with other families considering speech-language/feeding therapy?
Trust your gut. If you think that you
need help, get the help because it is not just about you. It is about your child and the benefits are tremendous. Someone once told me you will never read about a child who grows up and regrets being in therapy, but you will read stories of people who wish they had help at a younger age. I think there is a lot of wisdom in that statement, and I can easily see the huge influence that therapy has had in our family’s life.
Is there anything else you’d like to add about your experience with Galvin Therapy?
Galvin Therapy was a lifesaver at a time when we were flailing and every day felt like a battle. You can sum up the world of developmental diagnosis and treatment with two words: waiting lists. Galvin Therapy not only made the transition process simple and clear, but they were able to immediately address my concerns with Ava which was frankly nothing short of a miracle. They also utilize modern feeding methodologies which is hard to find in the traditional world of feeding therapy.