Meet Juan: Patient Success Story

Juan is a clever boy who can usually be found enjoying imaginative play or watching Mickey Mouse, and after his time with his Therapy 2000 speech therapy team, talking up a storm! He and his family had an unfortunate experience when they attempted speech therapy services from another agency prior to contacting Therapy 2000, so they were understandably hesitant going into the process. However, they knew their little boy was one smart kiddo even though he struggled to express himself using words, so they were determined to find someone to help them unlock his potential. When Soledad and Jenna first met Juan, he was only able to say three words and had to rely on gesturing and pointing to express his wants/needs. Despite his limited ability to verbally express himself, he had age-appropriate receptive language skills, so together, they set out on a mission to find his voice!

Juan and his team initially focused on babbling, environmental sounds, answering yes/no questions, and sign language, which resulted in a gain of 15 words over a few months. With this foundation, Soledad shifted the focus to increasing vocabulary, combining two words, imitating 2-3 syllable words, and answering more complex questions. Juan’s mother was an integral part of his success, as she was present for visits, practiced strategies provided by Soledad between visits, and reported on his progress to allow her and Soledad to collaborate on Juan’s plan of care and home exercise program to support his success. He is now able to verbally participate in conversation with his family, comment and describe objects/actions, and answer and ask who/what questions with new skills developing each week.

All their dedication paid off when Juan was able to verbally introduce himself and share his new age with his guests at his recent 4^th birthday party – what a special day! Juan starts school in the fall, and because of his hard work and the hard work of his parents and speech therapist, he will be able to introduce himself to peers, communicate his wants/needs to his teachers, and tell his parents about his day when he gets home.

Juan’s re-evaluation was a bittersweet day, as it was determined that he no longer qualified for speech therapy services because both his receptive and expressive language skills were age-appropriate. While Soledad could not be more proud of and excited about Juan’s progress, she will miss him and his family, and his family will miss her, too. Juan’s mother has expressed her gratitude for Soledad and the quality care she provided. She is especially grateful that she gave speech therapy services another chance, as she has seen her son’s confidence flourish as he grows his communication skills.