Waiting For Years
She had been kept waiting for so long now. It had been years of unease and unrest, she had almost given up at this point.
But there was something to keep her going in this struggle. She wondered what he would say about her and their struggle if he could speak?
Cute
Storyblocks Video
Judith gave birth to a beautiful boy at 26-years-old. Everything was looking good in her life.
He had the most adorable smile and glowing brown eyes. Everyone in the room basked in his cuteness. But a year later she would realize something was far off.
Late Bloomer
babydelight.com
Little baby Evan hadn’t been talking yet, they thought he was just a late bloomer. Most children would have spoken a handful of words by now but they weren’t worried just yet.
Their doctor told them that they’d have to just wait and that he’d talk eventually. But at two years old Evan still hadn’t uttered a single word. He was now classified as a “non-verbal”.
No Words
Freepik
A “non-verbal” is a term that Judith was unfamiliar with. That’s because most people never have to learn what that term was.
She didn’t want to believe it was true. They said he could speak, but there was a form of social anxiety that was holding him back.
Clever
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It was plain to anyone that looked at him – Evan was a smart kid. But he could utter so much as a single word.
Judith felt that somewhere along the way she must have let him down and it tore her apart. What could she do to fix this? She’d do anything.
Getting Help
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Judith wanted to speak with her son, have a back-and-forth conversation with him. But all education systems that they had gone through couldn’t help them. Evan’s situation was just too unique.
So Judith did her research, she needed to find specialty help if she wanted her son to ever speak. But so far, none had worked.
A Specialist
Delaware Online
Then, Judith found Diane Logan, she was a specialist when it came to non-verbal children. Hopefully, she could help Evan where everyone else had failed.
Evan was already five and not improving. Hopefully, this would be the solution that Judith was searching for.
A New Method
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Using bright, friendly images and keywords like “here” or “thank you” was the perfect place for Evan to start. Judith hoped this would work.
She just wanted her son to speak, she would be able to better understand him and help him as a mother should. When Evan was finally ready for the big test, she couldn’t help but feel hopeful.
The First Conversation
practices.learningaccelerator.org
Judith set up her camera in anticipation. She wanted this to be a memory to never forget.
The test used touch-practice and recollection exercises. This was going to be Evan’s first proper conversation in his life. Everyone waited with baited breath.
One Question
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Diane pointed to Judith. It was the cue she had been told to wait for. She leaned in and kissed her boy’s head.
“Honey, is there anything you want to tell me?” There had been no rehearsing. Whatever button Evan pressed next was entirely from his own mind and heart.
One Answer
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Evan looked at the screen, as if evaluating each phrase.
But when he finally touched one of the text buttons, and the corresponding sound came out, Judith felt the world crumble away. “I love you.” But it didn’t end there.
Overflowing Joy
Bright Horizons
Evan pressed it over and over again.
She tossed away her phone, ending the recording, threw her arms around her boy and cried rivers of happiness. Despite every reassurance through the years, she couldn’t help but feel like she was failing as a parent – that she was a terrible mother.
World Changed
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But hearing those three simple words changed her entire world.
It had been a heart-breaking, and expensive, journey to get to that point, but it was worth every moment and penny. There had been many lessons along the way, however there was a new one.
Beautiful Soul
TES
Personalities are not just limited to the words we speak.
It’s so often that people don’t mean what they say or use their words to harm others. It showed just how beautiful a soul her boy had if these were the first words he wanted to use. That wasn’t all, though.