I’ll never forget reading my son’s first speech report...

I’ll never forget reading my son’s first speech report.

Page after page, the same word covered the report.

“delayed, delayed, delayed”

• Delayed in expressive language.
• Delayed in speech perception.
• Delayed in speech comprehension.
  

Delayed, delayed, delayed.

It was like a stamp on every part of him, almost like a flashing red light saying, “something is wrong.”
And I sat there holding it slowly getting more and more upset (mostly because the kid in front of me with beautiful, rich signed language did not match the language in this report)

But here’s the part that messed with my head the most:
At the same time I was reading these reports and being told about his "lack of speech"

Audiologists were also telling me,

• “Let’s just wait and see.”
• “He’ll probably start talking soon.”
• “This is common. Give it time.”
• And the worst one - "Auslan is a nice backup, but he won't need it"

And it drove me absolutely wild.

Because I could see something that no-one else seemed to be talking about.
My son wasn’t receiving adequate access to sound.
Every single hearing test showed a conductive component.
He was literally unable to access language through that avenue - it was clear as bloody day!

Yet, professionals were telling me to wait…
And instead of acknowledging it, they just kept handing me reports that labelled him 'delayed' -
like the delay lived inside him.
Like he was the problem.
Not the system.
Not the lack of understanding.
Not the fact that they were setting him up to fail.

And yet - despite it all - he was thriving.

He was social. Playful. Curious. A superstar communicator. Loved a joke and diving into imaginative play.
He was kicking goals.
But because he wasn’t speaking in the way the report expected…
That was marked as “delayed.”

And the upsetting thing is, that for a parent who doesn't have the prior knowledge I had - that report could’ve completely derailed them. Could've made them question everything. Made them wait and see past the early years period. And then it would've been too late. All because they were given a very narrow view of their child's actual potential.

If you’ve ever felt this— If you’ve ever been handed a report that made it sound like your child was falling behind,
while professionals told you to “give it time”...

I just want you to hear this:

• You’re not overreacting.
• You’re not being difficult.
• You’re being a parent who knows what your child needs.

Trust your gut - it's the most powerful resource you have!