When Katrinna Carter noticed that her young son was slow to speak, she and her mom, Liz, a retired speech-language pathologist, turned to FHN for an evaluation – and ultimately, help.
Baby Bryant was a happy boy, but by 18 months old, he didn’t seem to make the sounds of a typical toddler. Katrinna was eager to hear “mama” and all the other words usually spoken in a child’s early days. They asked for an assessment from FHN, and met with SpeechLanguage Pathologist Beth Smith, MS, CCC-SLP, who recommended speech therapy right away. After just a few months of treatment, Beth suggested that Bryant be screened for autism. Her intuition and training proved to be correct.
“Beth identified the signs and suggested we see a spectrum disorder specialist for a comprehensive evaluation,” shares Katrinna. “Bryant was diagnosed with high-functioning autism at age two, as well as apraxia, a speech disorder that affects the brain’s ability to plan and deliver words. Beth has worked with him for five years now, and his progress has been nothing short of phenomenal.”
Treatment Has Been a “Touchdown!”
“In the early days, they mostly worked on tongue movement to make certain sounds, and he was excited about his progress,” Katrinna accounts. “When new noises came out of his mouth he looked at me with big eyes, pleased that he could mimic his therapist. But it could be frustrating at times, and Beth knew when to push and when to go slow.”
This year has been especially rewarding, with Bryant, now age seven, regularly learning new words, using them in context, and enjoying communication.
“He has really blossomed,” says his mom, “and he just loves both Beth and Kaitlin, who are his primary team. He feels so comfortable with them, and they meet him where he is – he doesn’t feel pressured. They do a great job incorporating play – especially basketball and football – into his treatment, and work on words from the sport, like ‘tackle’ or ‘touchdown.’ Bryant is so excited to be able to yell those words out at the right moment!”
Dramatic Progress
Bryant uses an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device that Beth facilitated acquiring, which also helps him communicate, and has started to text if he struggles to get his words out. He has learned to read and write, and now he can truly converse most of the time.
His cousin, Grayce, has worked with him to reinforce what he learns at therapy, and she was actually the one who drew out his first word: NO! His mom understands his language the best, though, and she says his progress in the past six months has been particularly dramatic.
“One day, he really just started speaking,” says Katrinna. “Instead of mastering one or two new words at a time, he has lists of words getting added to his vocabulary. I can’t keep up … and that is wonderful. I didn’t know what he would sound like, and now I am blessed with the sound of his voice.”
Katrinna is grateful for her son’s progress and says their lives have been “drastically improved” by their speech therapy experience, both through FHN and through their school. “I cannot give enough praise to Beth,” Katrinna enthuses. “Bryant gets so excited to go in for his therapy. He really enjoys his visits, and his bond with Beth is strong. I could not have picked a better person to lead his speech therapy team.”
FHN Rehabilitation Services
Speech Therapy
815-599-7060
Read more of Bryant's story in FHN's Insight magazine.
