A Mother's Intuition

Why do we discount it? If we sense that something is wrong with our child, why do we turn to others to verify our intuition? Because we don't believe in ourselves. We want others to tell us we're right. Unfortunately, others often discount our intuition about our children, so we don't act on it either. We'll postpone those evaluations that may be so crucial in getting the help our children need to succeed in school. We wouldn't do so if our child ran a low fever or complained of pain. But when a child is not succeeding in school, or doesn't seem up to age-appropriate levels developmentally, we'll often wait for the teacher to note our child's problem before we act on it. And, if a child behaves well in class, then it may take years - years! - of subpar achievement before someone notices. Meanwhile, the child may be acting up at home or increasingly sensitive to peers.

I recall a young mother who told me that the school was shocked (and gratified) when she asked for a language evaluation of her first-grade child. They said it had never happened before. So trust yourself! You know your child best. Prevention and early intervention are highly effective. Act now!