My private practice is 9 years old and lately I am hearing from some former parents who are asking for a tune-up in therapy for their kids. Yesterday I did a preschool observation of a little 4 1/2 year-old boy who I had worked with when he was 2 to get the language going. He was so grown up, playing with friends on the floor creating a machine out of magnetic tubes to suck up the jar of available bugs! I got another call today from a mom of a 7 year-old girl who needs to clear up her /r/ sound. I had worked on articulation with her when she was 4 and dismissed her as age-appropriate.
It’s fun to hear how these families are doing, some have added younger siblings, moved or started new schools. In any case, the kids are growing up and it’s fun to see them! Sometimes as therapists, we are so close to what we are doing and our desire to move a child forward in his goals that we miss all the progress. I was reminded of this growth when talking to my son today about his teacher conferences regarding his boys in preschool. He was enjoying the progression of self-portraits that his son had produced from basically a circle to a very happy one-legged boy! Is there anything better than a child’s drawing of himself? I need to keep my eyes open to the precious advancements each kid takes in my care.
