Finally!!

We went back in to see Dr. B (ENT) and she has finally recommended getting the boys in to be checked for their speech. I have been increasingly concerned about their lack of speech for the last six months. At that point, no one was hearing too great, so Dr. B (Family doctor) said to wait three to four months and see how they were at that point. Well, life happened and between Hannah and multiple visits for various illnesses, it never got brought up.

Lately, I have been extremely concerned. Dr. B (ENT) asked about it at their appointment this week and I said they say very little. She wants them to be seen by the AEA for a comprehensive evaluation. I am so thrilled this is getting done. She said even with the massive ear problems we've been dealing with, they should be hearing fine because it's all draining out and not sitting behind the ear drum. She said she definitely thinks it's a speech problem at this point, but it could be compounded by the fact that they are triplets and have developed an extensive language amongst themselves already.

We know they hear. They follow commands, they interact with each other and us, and they jabber. They have talked to each other since birth (literally) and they truly understand each other. I feel that could be hampering their speech, but they still should be saying something. They say very, very little.

Noah says hi, ba (bye/nigh-night), this, that, see, oh, yeah, and no (A LOT). He will occasionally say "sister," but is hard to understand when he says it. He uses all of those appropriately also. Nathanial says ba (bye/nigh-night), da (dad) and mom. Bye and da he uses appropriately, mom he whines for me, mine, mom, and just about anything else. Ethan says ba (bye/nigh-night) and mom for everything Nathanial uses it for. Noah will tell huge stories, though, and really thinks you understand him. He's hilarious to listen to.

They are doing a hearing test first then they will be evaluated by a Speech Language Pathologist, child development specialist, and some other specialized person. They said those three will go together because one will pick up something in their area while another will pick up something different. This is especially good for Nathanial. Ethan and Noah I believe are neuro typical (if Ethan is a little neurotic and OCD). Nathanial I am almost positive is somewhere on the spectrum. He does not interact as often with the other two, he is often isolated, he smears, he is very sensitive to lots of things, and he is just "different." While he may just end up being a quieter little guy, I would like to know now if something is different and if he is on the spectrum rather than wait.

I am very excited for the 23rd to get here so we have some answers soon, even if it will be a very long day!