The Tongue-tie Decision
Greetings to everyone.
A big "Thank You" to all who emailed us asking about Xavier's tongue tie and what the doctors have said.
We would have had an answer sooner, but Xavier's speech therapist (whose opinion we wanted before setting up the exam with a Children's Hospital specialist) had to cancel Xavier's appointment due to a family emergency. We never got around to rescheduling; instead, we decided to wait until Xavier's next appointment.
That appointment was today. Several good things came out of the meeting today. The first being that Xavier's tie is not hindering his speech nor his ability to swallow. Rebecca and I have thought this would be the case as Xavier has been demonstrating recently he can stick his tongue out nearly half an inch and hold it there. Having Robin's input, we decided not to seek the opinion of the specialist. There is no need to subject Xavier to the surgery. Hallelujah!
Another thing emerged from today's session. Xavier chose to be "chatty Xavier" today for a change. As Miss Robin interacted with Xavier, she noted he is making all of his vowels and consonants, and doing so well. He has the ability to make all the sounds. And, Xavier is speaking with complex sentences, though still Xavierese. Robin thinks Xavier's brain is still wiring/learning how to control his mouth and tongue. Rebecca has stated often she will be exceedingly glad when Xavier starts talking so he can tell us his frustrations and desires, rather than throw a tantrum. Looks like we are on track, but Xavier's time schedule.
Miss Robin also mentioned Xavier's understanding of complex speech when others speak to him. This is something we have seen for months, but this is the first time Xavier has demonstrated it significantly for Robin to observe. She was impressed.