[NIFL-ESL:5445] Language delays can be very serious!

From: joann m boss (esl108b@juno.com)
Date: Thu Jan 18 2001 - 18:42:22 EST


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From: joann m boss <esl108b@juno.com>
To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov>
Subject: [NIFL-ESL:5445] Language delays can be very serious!
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Hi,
I wish to be alarmist on this idea of language delay.
I brought my child into many multilingual settings. I was concerned about
her delay. My pediatrician and peers felt that my child wasn't ready to
speak.  
I think that any parent who has concerns about their child's speech or
developmental progress should always seek early intervention
programs!!!!! 
It was a bilingual child care giver who pointed out my child's delay. I
thought my professional friends and pediatrician knew more.  Later, I
wrote to each of them informing them of the seriousness of the child's
speech delay. I told the caregiver that every state has early
intervention programs and developmental delay clinics. I told her that if
I had known about them, I would have taken my child to one. My
mulitlingual professional friends and pediatrician were wrong to dismiss
my child's delay. 
I hope that each person who responded to the original letter reconsider
their advice.
Early Intervention=Better safe than sorry!
JoAnn Boss
Lifetime Member of the Autism Society of America
ESL teacher
Polyglot

On Thu, 18 Jan 2001 17:53:33 -0500 (EST) joann m boss <esl108b@juno.com>
writes:
> Hi,
> I have a bilingual family and I had a child with speech problems. 
> She has
> since been diagnosed with autism. 
> Please refer the family to an early intervention program. They have 
> the
> expertise to determine the extent and type of language delay. If it 
> turns
> out to be nothing then they will learn that truth in a very reliable
> manner.
> I waited to long to go to early intervention. Why should they be 
> guessing
> about such an important matter as language development?
> JoAnn Boss
> 
> On Thu, 18 Jan 2001 09:50:19 -0500 (EST) Cindi Riley 
> <lvl@hargray.com>
> writes:
> > I want to thank everyone for all the wonderful responses to my 
> > original
> > question about language development in a child being raised in a
> > bilingual environment. While I have not had time to secure all of 
> > the
> > resources that have been recommended, I have learned enough to 
> > reassure
> > this family that though the child's speech may be somewhat delayed 
> 
> > now,
> > he will catch up and probably surpass his peers who are being 
> reared
> > with only one language. One reason for the concern is because 
> there 
> > is a
> > young cousin in this family who had speech problems and had a 
> speech
> > therapist at a young age (this child is in an English-only home). 
> > The
> > second child did very well with his therapy and is now speaking 
> > without
> > any problems. I suppose our society's preoccupation with children 
> > doing
> > everything earlier and better than their peers makes parents very
> > nervous about anything that sets their child apart. Thanks again 
> for 
> > the
> > help and keep up the good work!
> > 
> > -- 
> > ************************************
> > Cindi Riley
> > Assistant Director
> > Literacy Volunteers of the Lowcountry
> > 608 Bladen St.
> > Beaufort, SC  29902
> > Phone 843-525-6658
> > Fax 843-521-1945
> > lvl@hargray.com



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