I wasn't sure if I should post this here...or in the abuse section, but I'm trying here!
I am a mother of three little boys 8, 4, and 3 and I am also a foster mother to a 2 year old boy and a 1 year old girl. My problem is with my 2 year old.
He is developmentally delayed (16mo) in areas of social and language, but has caught up on fine and gross motor skills. He now says 5-7 words. The thought is that the delays are due to his neglect. He has been with us for 9 months now and I'm starting to get worried that there is a deeper problem.
For instance, if food is falling out of his mouth, he uses the side of his fist to brush accross his cheek and push it into his mouth, like a baby. He has learned to feed himself, but recently has begun refusing to do so. He gains a few words and then seems to "forget" them. He is two and cannot (or will not) repeat "mama" or "dada". He will ONLY repeat "more", "car", and "ball" successfully.
I'm getting frusterated because I feel I should be doing more for him. Currently, early intervention services provide speech and a para comes out weekly to work with him for an hour...of which only 15 minutes of his time will he part with! lol
I am constantly repeating words to him, encouraging him to at least TRY to say them..which he won't do. He constantly has his mouth gaped open and thus, drools. I've successfully made him aware of the drooling, so he will wipe his mouth, but it's just frusterating...I feel there is either something deeper wrong, or else we need to provide MORE for him--but I'm unsure what more to provide!
Anyone who has any experience with a child of neglect, please help. I have three boys, I use attachment parenting techniques, I homeschool, I'm a stay-at-home mom...I really feel like I have a large resource to pull from, but NOTHING is working to get this child up to speed.
He was 16 months when he came to us, could not even chew and swallow, tried to eat from the trash, would stuff his mouth, would eat until he would throw up, had to wear a bib at all times because he drooled so excessively, didn't know how to hug, didn't like to be held...a lot of this has changed or gotten better, but he's still not where he needs to be. Any advic?
