Most parents would agree that toddlers can be picky eaters. However, there is a difference between a selective eater and an outright aversion to eating. That was the case for two-year-old Isiro and his parents Xyare and Jordin Patrick. If it did not pass Isiro’s “smell, feel, and look” test, he would not even try it. This was a job for Easterseals Children’s Therapy services.

”Feeding therapy has helped Isiro try new foods. He even tried a strawberry for the first time,” Xyare says. “I can tell the therapists love what they do. They care just as much as I do. They are there to make a difference in his life and in mine.”

Isiro, who has autism, receives speech therapy combined with feeding therapy, occupational therapy, and early childhood education services with Easterseals. His therapies are all in the home, which has been beneficial for Isiro who can become overstimulated when going out. He is now able to communicate, try new foods, focus on activities longer and have less energy outbursts. The therapists have also helped his parents learn how to redirect Isiro and offered suggestions to help him.

“Therapies give us a better experience in the world. Isiro struggled before services,” Xyare shares. “Now we have settled into who he is and who he needs me to be, all with the help of Easterseals.”

May is National Speech-Language-Hearing Month. Although more than 5 million children in the United States have a speech, language or hearing disorder, parents are often unsure about what to do when they suspect their child may be affected. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, nearly 1 in 12 (7.7%) U.S. children ages 3-17 has had a disorder related to voice, speech, language, or swallowing in the past 12 months.

Easterseals therapies have given Isiro’s parents the confidence he will be thrive in preschool in the fall. In the meantime, they are working on using more words to help him follow directions and communicate and play with other children. 

“Easterseals has been a great opportunity for my family. Since day one it’s always been about our son and making sure he gets the proper sessions. We’ve seen so much progress,” Jordin says. “I really appreciate both therapists as they give us ideas as to what we should work on throughout the week. They’ve been consistent, supportive, and innovative to find new ways to reach Isiro’s goals. I am very pleased and grateful for this opportunity from Easterseals.”

Families with a concern about their child’s speech or feeding development should contact Easterseals for information on acquiring a full evaluation. Easterseals’ has a team of master’s level, certified and licensed Speech-Language Pathologists who are available to provide services to children of all ages in our locations in Delaware and Maryland’s Eastern shore.

A trusted provider of children’s therapy services for more than 75 years, Easterseals Delaware & Maryland’s Eastern Shore specializes in treating children ages birth through eighteen years with a variety of challenges, including developmental delay, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, speech, and language delay, feeding and swallowing difficulties and others.

To learn more about Easterseals, call 1-800-677-3800 or visit www.de.easterseals.com . 

Photo: Isiro Patrick is trying new foods with the help of Easterseals’ dedicated therapists.

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