This is the message I got tonight from the speech therapist who works with Max at his school:
Hi Ellen,
You probably hear this a lot but it's always nice to hear -- Max is an absolutely amazing kid. He lights up when he sees me, but he always brightens my day. This week, he's been trying so hard to not side swipe the spoon on his cheek, but pull it straight out. He feels so happy when I get excited for him. He amazes and is so smart. He found Sesame Place by showing him 1 time on the ipad. I just don't think I tell families enough how special (in a good way) their kid is and Max is definitely one of them. I'm lucky to work with him!
I bawled.
I have to admit, I tend to take Max's therapists for granted. This e-mail reminded me what a special breed of people they are, and how much of a difference they have made in Max's life—especially his quality of life. He would surely not be doing as well as he is if it weren't for the thousands (yes, thousands) of sessions he has had in the hands of passionate, caring, dedicated, enthusiastic, knowledgeable, resourceful therapists.
That's baby Max above at a holiday party with Nafeesa, the occupational therapist who started seeing him when he was a month old and has been coming to our house twice a week ever since. Back then, she and Max's physical therapist were often my therapists, too. They'd patiently hear out my anxieties and while they weren't ever falsely optimistic, they gave me hope. And told me how cute Max was.
This speech therapist at Max's school is the one who got us to trial the iPad and the Proloquo2go app. She typically answers questions I email her the same day she gets them. If she doesn't know an answer, she researches it. She is open to suggestion, but also has firm opinions of her own. She is a huge champion and cheerleader for Max. Tonight, I feel so grateful for her.
Which therapists in your life do you most cherish?
