When he wants a snack or is ready to play a new game, 2-year-old Elliott Rickard has many options to communicate what’s on his mind.
He can use sign language, point to a picture or practice stringing words together to express himself.
His parents, Jessica and Matt, cheer him on every time he tries a new word and encourage him to imitate their speech and practice pronunciation.
“We’ve come a long way,” Jessica said. “We are excited that he’s using his voice.”
When their older son Glenn was a toddler, he developed speech quickly. But Jessica and Matt noticed Elliott was struggling to communicate and getting more and more frustrated.
At Elliott’s 18-month appointment, the Rickards shared their concerns with their pediatrician, who suggested they make a referral to Early Intervention.
Provided in Licking County by the Licking County Board of Developmental Disabilities, Early Intervention is a statewide program that supports children, from birth to age 3, who have disabilities or developmental delays.
The program is offered at no cost to families and services are provided in the home, where children are comfortable and learn best.
Jessica and Matt had never heard of Early Intervention but they were immediately interested.
“Having them do home visits, especially for someone as young as (Elliott), is a big benefit,” he said.
The Rickards met with LCBDD Service Coordinator Stephanie Wolfe at their Pataskala home to discuss their goals for Elliott and began regular visits with LCBDD’s Speech Therapist Janelle Pickens.
Janelle introduced some basic sign language and offered other suggestions. Jessica decided to try using small pictures, displayed on the wall that allowed Elliott to point to the toy or snack that he wanted.
He picked both options up very quickly and suddenly had ways to communicate, Jessica said. They noticed less frustration, especially during meal time.
“The first time he signed ‘All done,’ we sent Janelle the video!” she said. “He had a big smile on his face.”
Both Matt and Jessica appreciated that Early Intervention is based on a parent coaching model. Janelle was teaching them ways to help Elliott learn to communicate.
“It’s a lot more parent focused than I thought,” Matt said. “The program has helped me and Jess as much as Elliott.”
Janelle also has incorporated Elliott’s big brother Glenn into visits, and both boys have had fun learning and playing together.
With Elliott able to communicate more, he and Glenn have been spending more time laughing and connecting.
“It’s really impacted our whole family dynamic,” Jessica said.
As they plan for Elliott to start preschool, Jessica and Matt are more confident that they have the tools to help their son continue to express himself.
“EI has given us encouragement that there is hope,” Matt said. “You build hope when you have these partners, and when you see progress, it conquers your worry.”