Interesting. . . or maybe I should say "I knew it!"

For all you who thought I was crazy, let me just clarify that I am NOT, I'm proactive (just read on)! My background in early childhood education has really been a benefit while raising Joshua. Joshua has always been slow when it comes to his development - for heaven sakes he didn't crawl forward until 9 months and he didn't walk until 15 months! So when his expressive language wasn't growing by leaps and bounds I wasn't surprised. However, I have grown increasingly concerned over his lack of expressive language in the last few months. And trust me, I have also taken into consideration that he is a boy and a first born so this may have something to do with him developing some skills at a slower pace. However, I also know due to my education and experience with children that when it comes to their development it is better to be proactive instead of reactive. So, being the proactive parent and educator I am I called Early On (a free program that services children in Kent County regarding developmental delays and things) back in November (I said I would give it until he was 18 months old to see if there was improvement). Today was the day an Early On person came out to do a full evaluation on Joshua. And surprise, surprise Joshua has a language delay (he is in the 12-15 month range in this area) and is a bit behind in motor skills. I'm obviously not shocked since I was the one that called them in to do the evaluation! I'm so glad that someone else has confirmed what I have thought for a while now. The evaluator said that there was a huge discrepancy between Joshua's understanding of language and his expressive language. Joshua understands almost everything, but yet doesn't use many words to express himself. The Early On evaluator is coming back in January to do some more testing and to get him officially enrolled in the Early On program. For now she has given me some tips as to how to help Joshua and that is just what I was looking for. Hopefully with the help of these specialists and resources Joshua's language will begin to flourish in the future. While many people thought I was nuts for worrying about Joshua's lack of language and calling for an evaluation, I know it was the absolute right thing to do. How thankful I am that we have resources like Early On available for our children to benefit from!