Michael's ECI appointment

We finally had Michael's ECI (Early Childhood Intervention) appointment this morning at 8:30.  Ben and I were joking in the morning that Michael should qualify with flying colors ("Zeroes across the board") because he still doesn't say anything--not even "Mama" or "Dada."  (The "cheese" incident appears to be a fluke, I am sad to say!)

After spending an hour and a half with the case worker and speech therapist assigned to our case, I got a total shock:  Michael didn't qualify.  He needed "33%" to qualify, and he was at "22%" (I put it in quotes because... percent of what?).  The tested him on a number of issues and his speech was the most troubling, but apparently the next worst was his sensory processing.  His pediatrician made a note that she was worried about his sensory skills, which she never mentioned to me, and they were asking me if he doesn't like the feel of certain things.  (He always kicks the bed sheets off himself, and doesn't like touching grass sometimes.)

Anyway, despite the fact that he doesn't say anything yet, apparently he still got some high marks because he communicates with gestures.  (He takes Ben's hand and walks to the door when he wants to go outside, or he hands me his bucket of snacks when he wants something to eat, or he pats me when he wants to nurse.)

They apologized profusely that he didn't qualify and explained they tightened the restrictions because they were told to take on less cases.  "Call again in three or four months if he's still not talking and we'll reevaluate."  But don't worry too much--he's still communicating, just not with words.

I'm going to look into private speech therapy though.

My little boy is so sweet.  They kept handing him toys to see how he interacted with them, and he kept handing them back because they weren't his.  After about 40 or 50 minutes he got comfortable with the idea of playing with their toys and impressed them with his stacking-cup prowess.  Michael is a clever little boy who just happens to be very quiet.  He can go hours without a peep!  He didn't utter or babble a single thing the entire time they were here.

Random anecdote:  we went to Kohl's today (they periodically send $10 gift cards in the mail) and we got in line behind a very kind woman, Mrs. Hudson, who was enchanted by Michael.  I asked her about her family and we talked a little and then she said she was going to buy Michael one of the stuffed animals by the register.  (I tried to get Michael to pick one out, but he kept handing them back to me, since, you know, they weren't his.)  We got a baby bear designed from Eric Carle's "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?"  She was so sweet and she said a blessing over Michael!  What a lovely woman.  Her son and daughter-in-law are suffering from kidney and liver failures, so say a prayer for her family.