My Open Letter To EI

While Belle fell asleep on the couch for a nap after having a busy morning with her Mema as well as waking up very early that same day (the stars were aligned), I decided to take some time and finally write an essay to enter into a contest describing my experience with Early Intervention Services. The winner will receive a gift card so the way I look at it, why not try and see what transpires. If I win, great. If not, it was a nice reflection piece.

I want to share with my fellow readers my essay and for you all to know that what I wrote about truly describes my experience with Early Intervention Services. I couldn't focus on just her one DI therapist, but she's the inspiration behind my reflection piece. Without getting too mushy here, Belle's DI has become a good friend to me. She will probably be the only one I stay in contact with on a regular basis after EI is over. It's not that we've become friends, she truly cares about my daughter and family's well being, always thinking of alternate ways to help us engage, even moreso with little Belle, in order to bring out her best. Thus, I am extremely grateful for her timing in our lives. 

Before sharing my essay, this is going to be a very busy week. I may not post much on my blog or Facebook page. I will try to check in from time to time. I hope everyone has a great week. 

So here's my piece, Enjoy!

An Open Letter to Early Intervention Services

By: Trish

 

Dear Staff at Early Intervention Services:

 

Words cannot express the true gratitude I have for the early intervention services that my daughter Autumn has received since April 2013. From the very first moments of making the initial phone call to the evaluations, meetings, therapist assignments, etc., every experience regarding early intervention has surpassed my expectations as well as been a positive one for my family. To begin, Autumn was around eighteen months when I started to notice that she wasn’t meeting some of her developmental milestones. Being that I work within the mental health field, I knew that I needed to get early intervention involved in order to best support Autumn’s future. At first, it was very difficult for me to hear that Autumn met the criteria for EI services. I had believed that perhaps it was my fault as to why she was delayed. Luckily, the team of therapists who did the initial evaluations alleviated my fears, comforted my tears, but most importantly, reminded me that I wasn’t alone and that my daughter’s delays were NOT a reflection of my parenting.

Once Autumn started to receive her therapies, I portrayed an active role during her sessions; learning and relishing in the knowledge gained from each one of her therapy sessions. Her therapists taught me skills such as providing PECS, sensory input, functional play (to name a few), that I never even imagined could help my daughter begin to speak, focus and attend. They listened to my concerns, gave their professional advice, accommodated our busy schedules, and have always been a phone call away. Her therapists have become more like family over the past year. Even with our move to a different county, they still continued to see my daughter because of their true dedication and determination to help her achieve her goals. In addition, our service coordinators (in both counties) have taken personal time to discuss my concerns about Autumn’s future, were emotionally there for me when she was first diagnosed, and have also worked to accommodate our needs, especially during the move. We have been truly blessed to have a team of professionals who seriously love and I mean LOVE what they do for a living: they adore our children and have a passion for helping them reach their full potential. Bottom line, they care.

When Autumn originally started EI she wasn’t saying words, didn’t make eye contact, etc., and was disconnected from the world. Because of the services received through EI, my dedication and determination to follow-through as her parent and primary caregiver, and our overall family support, Autumn has made leaps and bounds throughout the past year. She is now labeling everything (words), her sensory issues and negative behaviors have decreased, her attention span has improved, but most importantly, she now greets her dad when he comes home from work daily. Two months ago, she wasn’t doing that. The goals initially set forth when we first started EI have been met. Autumn is communicating with me! She is talking! She is growing into the little girl I’ve always dreamed of having as my daughter. As a parent, I couldn’t be more ecstatic, proud, and grateful for everything I’ve experienced throughout EI, as I know that because of her therapies, my daughter is who she is today: full of unstoppable potential.

My continued goal is to share our success story and to advocate for the importance of EI services. I understand that for many parents, this road may seem long, tiresome, and full of anxiety, but I often wonder where we’d be today if I didn’t put my own pride aside to make that initial phone call. Would Autumn be this happy, sweet little girl or someone entirely different? Thus, I will never regret the choices I’ve made as her parent. EI helped create a new path for my family, a new vision on life. I will always be imbedded to her therapists for the support they’ve given my family and for the chance of a bright future they’ve helped weaved for my daughter to experience. 

EI will soon be coming to an end, and despite how painful it will be to move forward, I am ready to see what else my daughter can do. She’s become this amazing butterfly under our wings and now she’s getting ready to fly on her own accord. So with much love and appreciation, thank you early intervention services for everything you’ve given our family. The one-time impossible has become the possible, full of endless opportunities, all because we had support; we had you (our EI team) by our side.

 

Sincerely,

One Satisfied Parent for Life