05/09/2026
💛 TODAY NYATSIE HAS HIS FIRST SPEECH & LANGUAGE THERAPY ASSESSMENT! 🥹
Our little man is 23 months old now, and today we're adding another member to Team Nyatsie a Speech and Language Therapist. 💛
I'm excited!
Not because I expect someone to magically make Nyatsie start talking today 😂, but because early intervention matters.
We want to understand where he currently is with his communication, what he's doing well, where he needs support and, most importantly, what we can consistently do at home to help him.
But let me share something else with parents and caregivers.
Please don't be shy to ask the people treating your child about their qualifications.
Before booking today's assessment, I asked:
"What are your qualifications?"
"Where did you train?"
"Are you registered with the relevant professional council?"
"Do you have experience working with toddlers with Down syndrome?"
"What exactly happens during an assessment?"
"Will you teach us what to continue doing at home?"
"Do you work together with occupational therapists, paediatricians and other professionals?"
And I asked these questions politely and unapologetically.
A genuine professional shouldn't be offended by a parent wanting to understand who is caring for their child.
You don't have to interrogate anyone. 😂
Simply say:
"Before we book, may I understand a little about your professional qualifications, registration and experience with children who have my child's particular needs?"
That's it.
And please remember a beautiful social-media page, lots of followers, recommendations from other parents or somebody being called "Doctor/Therapist" online doesn't replace checking professional credentials.
Ask questions.
Understand the proposed therapy.
Ask what the goals are.
Ask what you should be doing at home.
And if something doesn't feel right, ask for another professional opinion.
For Nyatsie, I'm particularly interested in much more than simply counting how many words he can say. I want us to look at his understanding of language, gestures, imitation, joint attention, communication, oral-motor development and eventually expressive speech.
And Tendai, his nanny, will be part of this journey too because therapy shouldn't end when the therapist walks out the door. The people spending every day with the child need to know how to reinforce what is being taught.
So today we learn. 💛
No pressure on our little man. No comparing him with anybody else's child.
We simply meet him where he is and give him every reasonable opportunity to become the very best version of Nyatsie.
I'm ridiculously excited. 😂💛
I'll come back and tell you how the assessment went!
Early intervention. Informed parents. Supported children.
