Speech Therapy Through State

My son was only saying 5 words at 2, so we had him evaluated through AZIP on the pediatricians recommendation. They were out within a couple of weeks for the evaluation, but the actual services didn't start until 2-3 months after that. The person that came out was nice, but I couldn't see that it was doing anything for my son. Luckily for us during this time, my son's vocabulary suddenly exploded. We were reassigned to a new speech therapist recently who reevaluated him. He is now in the normal range for his age, which is a HUGE improvement. That being said, we are going to keep him in the program and have him retested by the school district when he turns 3, just in case.

Personally, I found AZIP to be very slow and bureaucratic. However, I never really pushed them because I could see that my son was making so much progress on his own.

On a sidenote, have you considered teaching your son sign language? I did that, and I think that helped him quite a bit. That way, since he couldn't make his mouth say the word, he could still get his point across to me. Once he learned a sign, I would make him use it before I would respond. I used a book called Baby Signs, and also there are a couple of Baby Einstein DVD's that teach sign language (we have the one called Baby Wordsworth).

I know this was a long response, but I went through a lot of agony wondering why my little boy just would not talk. It turned out that he was just a late talker. All kids do things at their own pace, but it's always good to be proactive about it just in case.

My son had the same problem. I am in the Higley dist and I called the dist office and asked about a speech program for preschoolers. They got me to the correct person and I was all set up for an evaluation. My son did not need any special help (just time)so we did not continue. If he did need help they would have set him up on a weekly schedule for free!! From what I am told all public schools have a program you just need to find it. Start at the dist office of your school. Good luck! If you need more info let me know.
J.
____@____.com

Hi EC,

My stepdaughter has special needs and we have had a wonderful experience with the public school districts. She was already 3yrs old by the time we got her in (issues with mom, mom was fighting us on it and insisting nothing was wrong). However the public school district was wonderful, they did in-depth testing and got us into EMECEC (special needs preschool) right away. Then when she went to public schools, they do a series of tests in kindergarden and they set her up right away with all types of services. She received physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech, special education, all very expensive services. The public school system has been wonderful for her and she has progressed so much. My brother also has ADHD and went through several tests as a child. Both my brother and step daughter were evaluated at the Melmed Center. I am sure if you ask your pediatrician they will know who he is and recommend him.
I just wanted you to know there is help out there. Hang in there. You are already being a great mom by trying to get your child the help he may need. Best of luck to you. If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask. I have been through this twice.

e.c.

if its the same website i just filled out a referral on, AzEIP, it took about 10 days to hear back from them and we got an appointment right away. so from first email to first home visit was about 2 weeks. i did find out there is only one person doing the evaluations so give it a little time.. also, good luck, i pray everything works out for your little man.

B.

I am an occupational therapist and have worked for state agencies, clinics, etc. and there is a LONG waitlist for speech therapy unfortunately. I know you are just getting started but the squeeky wheel gets the grease...keep calling yourself and call various agencies until you can move forward. Good Luck

You may be best contacting a Developmental Pediatrician who is trained in this. Melmed near Tatum and Shea is where we went. There is also a Dr. Timothy Jordan (I hear mixed reviews) and Dr. Kessler at St. Joe's. I would have a full eval before doing ANY therapy. You want to focus any insurance or funds to the right avenue, but only after you know what you're dealing with.

Also, know it could simply be a speech delay, not marking anything else, but if autism is involved at all or other disabilities, there is a new law about insurance covering disabilities' therapies. Formerly, any therapies we did came out of our own pocket. So first get the diagnosis, ask the doctor about coverage laws for it (he should be up on it, but may not), and you can call the state's DDD (I believe that's the Dept. of Developmental Disabilities) for coverage info. Then you can contact your insurance company to see what your plan covers and who is on their list (they can't refer or recommend, but they can give you names). You may be able to do all that via the internet. Note, however, that the Dev. Peds usually have a waiting list, so ask to be put on a cancellation list.

Good luck to you. Once he's 3, the school will have early intervention testing and programs that will help you. However, they do tend to be focused only on the educational side of things. But it makes a wonderful addition to other therapies.

My son also got evaluated after his 18-month check-up. The pediatrician's office made the initial contact with the state for us. Don't fret too much about his not speaking yet -- you have a 4-year-old who is probably talking for him. I have 3 kids, one was evaluated but determined to be not in need of speech therapy, and the other two were late talkers as well. (It was determined by the therapist that his siblings were doing all the talking, which remains to this day.) I found with my 3 late-starters that their speech bloomed between 2 and 2.5. I hope all goes well for you.

I have had two kids use AzEIP services. They should have contacted you within several days. If it has been more than a week, call ###-###-#### is the number for the state AzEIP office - all of the people there are helpful - Karie would probably be the best for your situation. They contract out locally (all across the state) to providers who should have already contacted you. The process of application/evaluation/eligibility takes 45 days. They have recently streamlined and redesigned the system so that you should have a therapist at the end of the 45 days (assuming that you live in Maricopa, Yuma, Apache or Navajo - they are phasing in the new redesign and started in those counties). Don't feel like you would be getting anyone in trouble, they are concerned about reaching the kids and improving the system to be better. I happen to know a lot about this particular agency.

I agree with the other mom who suggested that you teach sign language (if this is something that you could be interested/support yourself). Kids need a way to communicate if words are not working for them they will find other ways. Biting was one of the big ways for my oldest son. It took us a while to get him off of the biting, but it was after he learned a new form of communication sign language and then English. Some will tell you that sign language will prevent verbal language, that is not true. It has been proven to support it and when a child is having difficulties with verbalization, having another form of communication is important.

Good luck in things with the kids. It is challenging raising kids, and even more challenging when one is having difficulty communicating(or at least for me it was).

I live in Gilbert and if you want to contact me I am often at home. I will send you my contact info privately if you would like to talk or email.
KP

My son's doctor made the call to Az Early Intervention for me and I got a call within 2 days. You might ask your dr to make the referral for you. When I got the phone call we actually talked over the phone about my son and determined that no further action was needed, but if I wanted them to come and make the evaluation they would. They were super nice to deal with.
Just a side note...At my son's 18 month check up he only had 3 words at his 2 year check up he had about 70! And the month after he turned 2 his vocab really exploded. It was crazy. He was considered behind in his speech until he got past 2 years. I know it is hard, but try not to worry too much.

I believe we were contacted within 1-2 days of completing the form with AZIP (the early intervention with the state).....
I think there is a contact number to call on the website

I think most, if not all school districts, have integrated preschools. Half of the kids in each class are "typical" and the other half have development needs. The developmental ones go for FREE. It is for 3-5 year olds. I know that is a year away, but it is definitely worth it. We are in Kyrene's preschool program. I had my son tested at 2 y 11 m and he was placed in it for speech and language development. He started last October and absolutely loves it. We have seen a huge improvement too. His articulation still needs work, but he has already met his language goal.