I have to hand it to EI: they were much faster than I thought they would be! Once I was able to do the phone interview, we got an appointment within the week...to tell me what I had pretty much figured out.
Yes, he's a little behind in articulation (you can't always understand what he's saying), but he is communicating. What's more, he's TRYING to talk. So, early intervention is out of the question, though he may do well with private therapy. I'll talk to the pediatrician about it next week.
In the meantime, the evaluators gave me a gentle kick in the ass for another summer plan: weaning off the bottle and the pacifier. YES, he still has them--don't judge. But they reminded me about oral muscle development and speech. So Monday afternoon, I cut off the bottles during the day; if it's time for a snack or drink, he can have them, not a bottle.
It was ugly. Milk in another vessel was rejected with force. There was screaming and flailing. I really wanted to capitulate. But I didn't, and by Tuesday afternoon, he was asking for snacks and juice. He seems initially devastated, but when he still gets SOMETHING to consume, he gets over it.
His temper is a squall: fierce and furious, but fairly short-lived.
Next it's the bedtime and wake-up bottles. Then the pacifier (which is already limited to certain locations and times); I figure it's "pacifying" and comforting him through this transition.
Step by step...
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