"We are thankful for Christine and the Rochester Hearing and Speech Center. Our son can now say, Mommy, I love you, and so much more!"

Our son Matthew, or Matty as we like to call him, barely spoke at 18- months. By age two, he said fewer than five words. He did not even say Mommy, which was so heartbreaking for me. We knew he could understand us, but he could not form the words to respond. We were desperate to communicate with him, to understand what he was
thinking and feeling. We started speech-language therapy during the height of COVID through TeleTherapy with Christine from Rochester Hearing and Speech Center.

I was nervous that our time with Christine would not be productive and keep our very active 2-year old engaged for the thirty-minute sessions. Right away, Matty and Christine made a connection. I knew everything was going to be ok. She took the time to get to know him, learn what motivated him, and create a plan to keep him engaged. She used her deep wealth of knowledge to find different and creative methods to help him find his voice. We set benchmarks that Matty continuously achieved! First, we wanted him to expand his vocabulary beyond the five words. Then, it was grouping two or three words to form a phrase, and now he is saying complete sentences!

Christine has been an invaluable resource for my husband and me too! She has taught us countless techniques and tips that have allowed us to better support Matty on his speech therapy journey. Christine is infinitely patient with all of us! She has been a strong advocate for Matty along the way with his different assessments and services, which have extended beyond speech. She cares about his developmental progress and
well-being in all areas! Christine even recognized that Matty had a lip tie that might make it more difficult for him to speak! She noted the effects a lip tie would have on Matty's speech. Within a month, Matty's surgery got scheduled. Having the surgery made all the difference to help accelerate his progress. Not to mention our other son, who also had a lip tie, had surgery.

I love how Rochester Hearing and Speech Center coordinates with his daycare and the other service providers. It helped implement a more comprehensive plan when everyone communicated with one another. The process of helping your child learn to speak can be a long journey with so many obstacles, but with Rochester Hearing and Speech Center as your partner, you know it will be a successful one. They truly go above and beyond to provide care.

"We are thankful for Christine and the Rochester Hearing and Speech Center. Our son can now say, Mommy, I love you, and so much more!"

- Shannon, Matty's Mom