On Behalf Of My Daughter, Amelia
Dear Speech Therapist:
I am writing to you today on behalf of my daughter, Amelia.
It took me a long time to admit that the birth defect that my daughter had been born with had caused her to develop abnormally. No one wants to imagine their child has problems and all that we’ve dealt with in Amelia’s short life have been problems. Potential problems. Wait-and-see problems. Real problems, too.
Thanks to an improper aligning of cells around 28 days gestation, my daughter’s brain developed (in small part) outside of her head. At three weeks of age, she had surgery to remove this brain matter and fix the skull that hadn’t properly formed.
In her short life, she’s dealt with more than most and she’s handled it with more grace and dignity than I ever could.
So today, I write to you on her behalf.
You are her second therapist, hired by Early Intervention to help my daughter find her words. I like to picture them floating around her beautiful brain like fireflies, someone like you hired to help her find and catch them. If I could have done it without you, believe me, I would have. Accepting help is not something that I excel in.
But I have realized that you have a talent that I do not and I reached out and asked you to help my daughter, the girl with curls like a halo, to help her find her words.
The first therapist Amelia had was fantastic…but was allergic to my cats. She stuck it out and worked with my daughter as long as she possibly could, attempting to EYE OF THE TIGER through it until my daughter was able to find a replacement.
Then we found you. Therapist Number Two.
I’ve met you twice now. My daughter likes you. That says a lot. Amelia is rather picky about Her People.
Three weeks ago, you called off services, claiming you couldn’t make it. Some sort of meeting you wouldn’t be back from. How you didn’t know that ahead of time, I wasn’t sure, but I tried to give you the benefit of the doubt. It happens. Things come up.
Two weeks ago, you called off again. Sick this time. Again, that’s fine. Sick happens. I’d rather you not bring sickness into my home anyway. I’d just had surgery and needed to be sick again like I needed to be kicked in the face by a donkey.
Yesterday, you had your scheduler call. This time, you claimed that you were allergic to my cats. You wanted to continue services by meeting at the mall. THE MALL. Along with the Mall Walkers and teenagers, we were somehow supposed to meet with you at the mall. Right. That makes sense. Because the entire point of having services in the home is because children my daughter’s age learn better in their own homes. The mall is not an environment that is conducive to learning and as an “educator” you should know better.
What offends me most about this is not that you wanted to meet at the mall. It’s that you are lying to me. If you had such a problem with my cats (I have 2 cats, not 23), you should have said so three weeks ago when I had the ability to start the search for someone new then.
Instead, you’ve given me three flimsy excuses and now my daughter has had no therapy in three weeks. Three. Weeks.
While that is not a long time to an adult or even, perhaps, a three-year old, this is a huge amount of time for a child her age. You should know that and you should be ashamed of yourself for putting her in this position.
You left me no choice but to fire you. So I did. I can’t have someone so obviously flaky trying to teach my daughter to find her words.
But I’m hurt that you’d do this to her. She’s had a hard life. You’re not making it any easier on her.
My daughter, though, she’s a fighter. She’s doing just fine on her own. She’s come up with a number of words you never taught her because you’d never bothered. Really, it’s your loss.
You’re lucky I’m too infirm to hunt you down and make you blow bubbles with her.
I honestly hope that your other patients are treated with more respect and regard than my daughter has been.
Sincerely,
Aunt Becky
Livid.
I’m so mad that I am in tears. Which is saying a lot. Since I have to hire a stunt double to cry.
O.M.G. That is beyond negligent. I would contact Early Intervetion (if you haven’t already) and let me know how horrible they are! Geez.
Sounds like the was getting ready for the holiday season.
Irish pox on her.
I just called them. Will be calling again and again and again. NOT OKAY.
LOL. I am looking at all the horrific misspellings in my original comment.I was seriously TICKED OFF for you guys. I hope that you get them on track! I loved the video of Amelia saying HI to all us Pranksters. She is beyond adorable. 🙂
What an inconsiderate and selfish bitch.
I’m sorry.
: (
Sorry your daughter’s therapist sucks ass! I’ll find her and kick her in the taco for you.
I want to hunt her down so badly. I love you.
Be-yotch. That sucks Aunt Becky. Really.
Boo hiss to that therapist. Or perhaps a big ole mushroom print. I hate it with every fiber of my being when people who are employed in jobs in which they work with children suck. Because it sucks enough to suck at a regular old job, but when the job involves kids? Oh, no, no, no. Then you are held to a much higher standard. Especially if you’re working with my kid. Or Aunt Becky’s. Or *any* kid, for that matter. And now my dander is all up.
If I could, I’d package up the speech therapist my daughter had when she was 3 and mail her to you. She was full of the awesome and loves cats. (I know, ’cause we had two at the time, when she’d come to our house twice every week and never once in 2 years had a flimsy excuse for the very rare times when she couldn’t make an appt – which she’d then reschedule asap.)
I hope Amelia has a new, full of the awesome speech therapist very soon.
MAN, I want your therapist. NOW.
Heather, you called it on the “Because it sucks enough to suck at a regular old job, but when the job involves kids? Oh, no, no, no.”
It makes my heart so sad. Because obviously this woman does not care, and Amelia is likely not the first, nor the last child to suffer because of it.
*bitch slaps speech therapist (hard)*
Sucks. Sucks hard. You shouldn’t be allowed to be a flake when you’re in a helping profession like that. Kudos to you for not naming her and releasing the wrath of your Pranksters on her sorry ass.
Just reported her to her boss. She shouldn’t be around kids if she can’t do this.
Fuck.
You know what really sucks about it? Early intervention workers have to go into crazy, crazy, CRAZY homes. She clearly hasn’t faced the crazy if she’s spooked by your two cats. Just wait until she walks into a house where the parents are blowing smoke into her face and the dog’s humping her leg. Or worse. Jayses.
I think that’s what offends me more. My house isn’t gross or dirty and I KNOW how grody the homes can be. 2 therapists annoyed by my cats? The first was awesome. This one can suck my nuts.
That blows!!
I am furious for you. I know how hard it is to ask for help, to accept that help and to rely on someone else’s expertise to help your child. And then, to have that idiot let her down…unforgivable.
Way to go, Amelia, for being as kickass your Mama!!!
Her behaviour is shameful. I’m so sorry your babe has to suffer as a result of her assholeness. Yes, that’s a word.
Also, she needs a visit from the face kicking donkey. She sucks.
UNBELIEVABLE. My son receives therapy for walking and I understand the difference three weeks makes. But you know what Aunt Becky? Fuck that therapist. She wasn’t worth a shit anyway, and you’ll find someone that will not only make up for three weeks time, but one that Amelia loves, and hopefully some of her first sentences include “Fuck Therapist Number Two.” What kind of therapist is that self-centered? Can you call Early Intervention and complain about her? She’s screwing other families too.
Much love, AB. Amelia has a whole band of Pranksters behind her and we’ll bring this bitch DOWN.
what a bitch. good for you to fire her!!! i can’t stand stupid people.
You’ll find the right fit; it’s important. I blew through three physical therapists after my ortho surgery before I found one I could work well with. There has to be the right chemistry between your daughter and a teacher, and when it happens, she will flourish. Good luck and lemme know if you need a hit woman in the meantime. 😉
Well that just sucks ass. I know if I had sucked it up and accepted help then I would fully expect and require the best of the best. Also, if you consistently work in other people’s homes…get that allergy shit out in the open right away.
Fuck ’em. Amelia deserves better.
It was so hard to ask for help and I’m so tired of things being HARD for her. GAH.
Also: I have cats. That’s the end of it. Why can’t that be something the therapists can opt out of up front?
What a cunt. I would have LOST IT after the third no-go.
Oh, I DID. You should have SEEN me. It was a SIGHT to be seen. You can fuck with me but do NOT fuck with my children.
That’s one thing I think almost any good mother has in common, I know it’s a warning I’ve given many times. Fuck with me all you want, but fuck with my babies and you just messed with mama bear I’ll tear your ass apart, then when I’m done chewing it up I’ll serve that shit back up to you and shove it down your pie hole.
What. An. Ass. Shame, shame on them. I hope you find someone worthy who will help Amelia release her words.
Sorry you and your daughter have to go through this. I also had to deal with Early Intervention speech therapist crap with both of my sons. I hope they find you a new therapist soon.
What a stupid,irresponsible human being! I would definitely be on the phone with IE bitching up a storm. Good for you for firing her, many would just put up with the excuses. We lucked out, my son’s therapists were all fantastic. I hope you find another therapist soon and that she’s amazing and appreciates Amelia for the rockstar she is 🙂
I am SO angry for you. Hot. With anger. I have dealt with weirdness about my cats before, how irritating! However, this? Affects YOUR DAUGHTER.
That blows! And totally inexcusable. My son’s former speech therapist was the most professional and kind person ever. If she had conflicts, she had her calender out a month earlier. She emailed me and called me to confirm any schedule changes. She had incredible hay fever once and still came.
Having speech therapy at the mall is not acceptable in my opinion. Talk about a few distractions!
I am so sorry!!!!
I’m so sorry that this is happening. You and your daughter both deserve much more than this.
I am so sorry you had to go through that, besides what is up with everyone saying they are allergic to your cats? Has nodody ever heard of Clariton? I mean, if you go into people’s home for a living, you would think you would be prepared for everything, animals you may be allergic to included. Glad to hear you fired her, your daughter deserves much better than that.
I hate this woman with the white hot intensity of a thousand suns. How DARE she treat beautiful Princess Amelia this Way!! She truly is an Asshole. I would like to hunt her down. How she can consider herself an educator is beyond me. And that she actually tried to use a lame excuse like she was allergic to your cats. She totally ripped the other therapist off, AND the first therapist suffered through it till you found someone new this one just LIED! I am so upset for you. And that she let precious little Amelia go THREE MOTHER FUCKING WEEKS without therapy, that is inexcusable. I want this ladies head. LIVID!!
When we were having such troubles with Cam’s middle school, the feeling I felt most was ANGER. ANGER that people in the education field weren’t doing what needed to be done. ANGER that I had to fight, almost daily, to get the school to do what they were legally bound to do. ANGER that my son was losing three years of education because they were inconvenienced. ANGER that the very people entrusted to teach him how wonderful learning is were, instead, making him hate everything about the educational process. ANGER that I had so few option and still, to this day, feel that *I* failed my son.
I’m so sorry …
This makes me soooo mad! How someone in a field that is supposed to HELP people could blow y’all off week after week is beyond me! But you know what they say–3rd times the charm. So I bet speech therapist #3 is gonna ROCK! Hang in there, girl.
You tell her, Bex! It’s too bad you don’t live in Arizona, my mom is friends with a couple of wonderful speech therapists who’d gladly help Amelia find her words.
Every time I start to regain a little faith in humanity, dumb ass pieces of shit pull stunts like this.
Ugh.
exactly what i was thinking…..
Pirate Fairy can do much better. I’m glad this person won’t be taking up any more of her time. I’m hoping that the next speech therapist is worthy of the girl with kick-ass sparkly shoes!
I fucking hate flaky people. And I hate flaky people who treat kids like they aren’t real people even more. And you know who I hate even more than that? People who are supposed to be TRAINED to work with kids, who are supposed to understand and love and help children, and yet who are flaky and asshole-y and big fat liars just the same.
It makes me so sad that anyone could look at a child, know that the child needs help, be capable of providing that help, and then still not come through for the kid. What the fuck is wrong with this world?
So sorry that you, and Amelia, are having to put up with this bullshit. I hope the next person you get is a little more reliable and a lot more decent.
What an unprofessional sack of crap.
Here’s hoping third time’s a charm. May the next speech therapist be in for the long haul.
I am aflame with indignation. Its like the babysitter who felt it would be “best for her family” if she didn’t watch my kids…because they’re apparently a bad influence. She quit via email. I was so chokingly angry over that. The kindergarten teacher who doesn’t have time to “trouble shoot” [sic] my ADHD/Bipolar son. Yes, that’s a direct quote.
After reading the above, though, I’d like to hire you to write a couple of letters for me to the above-mentioned people. Because you simply rock the page with your righteous and passionate anger.
Therapists who don’t do their job are the suck (and I say this as someone who has done in home ABA therapy with autistic preschoolers). The first year that I worked for the school system we had two little ones in our class with severe speech issues (as in they were almost completely unintelligible). The school’s speech therapist visited our class exactly twice the entire year even though they were supposed to get 90 min of therapy a week. Luckily for them their teacher had been a speech pathologist before she became a special ed teacher so they got the therapy they needed but it was still unacceptable.
Here’s hoping the next therapist is a good fit!
I’m sorry but WHAT!?! This is the THERAPIST!?! How fucking awful. I know case workers can be a bit flakey but the licensed special little therapist?!?
What have you said to her boss? If you weren’t so damn far away I’d send you my son’s ECI ST. He likes her more than me and cries bloody murder every time she leaves.
That is SO RUDE! (Her, not you – obviously.)
I hope you find someone good soon. x
That suuuuuucks. There’s a total shortage of pediatric speech therapists, but I hope EI gives you top priority.
What a strong letter. I hope you actually sent it to her and I’d send it to whoever is in charge at EI, too. I know of a great speech therapist out here, too, but that doesn’t help you. I’m so sorry this happened. You’d think this idiot would just tell the EI people up front not to send her to homes with cats so they could send someone else.
Hugs to you and precious Amelia.
Alphabits cereal. In her gas tank.
Good luck with the therapis hunt, AB.
That bites. I’m hoping the third time is the charm when it comes to speech therapists.
Ugh. People like this should not exist. It should be a RULE that if you are going to work with kids, you must be super awesome. Seriously.
Having dealt with medical issues from a young age myself, I never realized just how much work my Mom was putting into all of it til I started dealing directly with some of the stupid health “care” people out there. Amelia is super lucky to have a mommy who is so determined to get her the best of the best. I know it sucks, but it makes you that much more awesome.
If I ever get around to patenting and producing my “health care jackass punching bag”, I will make sure you get one.
Um. Wow. My aunt did Early Interventions before she retired, and she always had horror stories about rodents running around and couches that were too dirty to sit on. The MALL?!?! As an educator myself, I’m livid. Give me a fucking break. How can anything of value be accomplished in a place full of so many distractions?
Aunt Becky, your Princess of the Bells deserves a therapist who is full of The Awesome. Don’t quit screaming until you have one. Hugs.
Dearest Aunt Becky, I want to know what the fuck kind of mutant gorilla cats you are hiding on up in there that scares people off like that.
I’m sorry your daughter isn’t getting the care she deserves and that your Early Intervention experience isn’t the best it could be. I hope they find you someone quickly who knows how the fuck to hit up the CVS and buy some Claritin D.
My cats are actually tigers. And by tigers, I mean LIgers (it’s a lion and a tiger!)
I want to punch that therapist right in the vagina!
I am so pissed after reading this! I’m sorry this has happened.
I love love love how you think of Amelia’s words. The firelies is a beautiful description.
I would love love love to unleash a hive of killer bees on that damn therapist. Shame on her. Hope you find a great one quickly!
Hugs!
Jess
Holly shit, 3 weeks is forever when you are trying to get someone developmentally delayed back on track! Did you call her supervisor? Does she know you have an internet full of pranksters to back you up?! *SHAKES FIST IN THE AIR*
So sorry you guys are going through this right now. *big hugs*
Oh, Auntie Bex … this sucks balls all around. Dipsy #2 is lucky you’re temporarily not fightin’ fit at the moment; I would have gladly held her head in the toilet while you shoved decongestants and cats down her pants!
I’m going to forward your letter to my bud, Sue, whose daughter Samantha is mildly autistic. Sue scares the crap out of not only Sam’s therapists, but heads to her school with torches and pitchforks periodically to fry a few fannies there, as well. She frequently reminds these so-called “professionals” they’re not doing their jobs until they tune in, turn on, and get results from these special children. And if they’re NOT committed to this kind of input and dedication, she’s made it clear they should get the hell out of everybody’s proverbial kitchen.
BTW, I loved your analogy of Amelia’s elusive words floating like fireflies in her mind, awaiting capture and release. Beautiful, tender poetry from a truly loving heart …
Wait’ll I tell Sue about meeting at the Mall for therapy; she’d probably arrive with a bazooka to blow the bitch away (after safely depositing Samantha at Build-a-Bear…)
You’re Not Alone, Honey — Keep the Faith *
– RS –
I’m so sorry. It’s really hard to find good therapists, but when you do, it’s THE WORLD. I was really lucky with Early Intervention. Definitely discuss this with your caseworker.
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Aunt Becky I so want to smack that beotch for you, like hella bad. You just don’t do that to children. Stupid, stupid people like her are one of the reasons I recently decided at 30 I’m going back to school to be a teacher, to many of them just don’t care, and when working with kids you need to love everything about it but most importantly you need to care. She’s clearly in this profession for all the wrong reasons. I hope like crazy you find therapist #3 quick and she’s everything that Amelia needs and wants, because she’s deserves the best!
I often say that if someone hurts my child they won’t need a lawyer, they’ll need a bodyguard. Here’s hoping she has one, because I’m betting she’ll need it.
Oh! WHAT a cocksucker.
I’m sorry. That is Just. Not. Professional.
Oh, no. Not at all.
[[[[Big hugs to you and Amelia, however. You will prevail.]]]
I would like to invite her into MY home. That way I can RUB ALL SIX OF MY CATS ALL OVER HER!!! Stupid fucking cunt.
You should send me her address and me and my cats will invade her home. Mwahahahaaa!
Today sucks here too Aunt Becky.
Come on down – bring Mimi, Alex and Ben.
They can stay with Pop and the dogs and we will go out and find Vodka.
Love,
Niece Dorothy
P.S. Amelia?? Your Mom rocks and you are under 18. Kick ass and take names after. Aunt Becky will bond you out – hell any of the pranksters will bail you out. You go little one!!
That is appalling! My son has had plenty of therapy and tutors in his life and if the tutors did not come to the house they at least offered the library!! I can’t believe either that this woman would even consider the mall to be an acceptable meeting place. Is there someone you can make a complaint to? I know I would want to.
That is appalling! My son has had plenty of therapy and tutors in his life and if the tutors did not come to the house they at least offered the library!! I can’t believe either that this woman would even consider the mall to be an acceptable meeting place. Is there someone you can make a complaint to? I know I would want to.
Oh yes. It’s been lodged. And will be until someone listens.
We SO need to hang, yo.
Which city are you in? My mother-in-law and a good family friend are both American speech pathologists – I could check to see if they know anyone in your area who would be good/able…
that is terrible. i Have had my sahre of ei and i HATE them. they are a huge waste of time, most of the time. i only had one good experience with them, and only with one agancy, all the others NOPE! now in yet another state, im yet in a different type of ei, called a different name, same concept. they are sort of ok, but the behavioral comes bi-weekly, and she doesnt work well with our style, she tries so hard to impose HER style on us. the ot is better though. but this company is mainly from private sorces, but yet for public or low income people which i am low income people, not public aid.
thats terrible they use the cats as excuse, i have also heard of people making excuse they are “allergic” and they are not, it just uz they dont like animals, which is fine, but just say you dont like animals and dont take on that job, kwim lol. people i tell ya, and its the children whom suffer.
Ugh – flakey, awful, person. Time for a new therapist.
Grr, *junk punch*
My best friend is allergic to my cats and she just takes some benadryl and sucks it up. And she is here for days at a time…
Alright, I’m resisting the urge to take the train to Chicagoland just so I can kick this womans ass. She is an idiot on so many levels. To flake out, let you and little Amelia down, not be honest… and then to suggest meeting at the mall? Is she just out of college and afraid she’ll miss the next sale at Aeropostale?
We have been blessed with wonderful therapists the past 13 years. I’m hoping that after these two, you will have the same luck.
So not okay. I hope you find the speech therapist of Amelia’s dreams soon! The one who will show her where her words are, how to unlock them and then give her the key.
I SO want to punch her. I agree, she fucking LIED about the cats because she knew about Therapist #1. The MALL? Like the pranksters above me said, how about the LIBRARY? She totally wants to get her shopping done. Bitch. I want to rub my fluffy cat on her (that sounded bad) but I would bet $1000 she isnt allergic.
I can think of some choice words Amelia should learn…
Can I kill that fucktard for you? And, honey, why didn’t you say something to me while we were talking? Friends listen when they are needed and I ALWAYS have time if my friends need me.
Amelia, cover your ears, “FUCK YOU!” cowardly therapist, there’s some words specially for you.
OK Amelia, you can listen again. And when your mom finds the perfect person to help you pluck your words out as needed from your beautiful brain, I can’t wait to hear them and see what amazing things you use them for.
Hate that it’s a fight Becky, but I know you are the one who can do it and win. Fingers crossed that third time is really the charm.
xxoo
They make allergy medication, you know. Good stuff, too…these days, it doesn’t even make you drool or anything!
Meanwhile, boo on a selfish cu…uh…cow…who can’t even be bothered to TRY and come up with creative reasons why she can’t DO HER FREAKIN’ JOB!! I mean, the least she could do is invent a sickly Aunt in Kalamazoo or throw an alien abduction in there to keep things interesting.
Good grief.
Your little Amazon rocks…she’ll be teaching THEM a thing or two in no time.
Shade and Sweetwater,
K
Hey you, I have been a avid reader of yours for some time and always enjoyed your posts since they make me piss myself most of the time. But this got me. I have a now almost 8 year old daughter who was born with serious kidney issues. Along with all the goings on with that we noticed that she wasn’t speaking cause she couldn’t hear and was assisted with Early Intervention as well. We also had a terrible experience and reported them. We were forced to hire a speech pathologist privately because I was sure I was getting what I payed for with the free crap from E.I.
I am writing to assure you that your daughter WILL find her words and believe me when she does, SHE WILL NOT BE QUIET…EVER! After years of ear tubes and many days spent practicing words and repeating things…she does ok. So, Don’t let it get you too down…kids are resilient and before you know it you will be standing next to me in the hardware store looking for more duct tape and wondering if she will ever stop talking….not that I would really want her to stop talking i admit, i mean at this point we are vested!!
Oh no, the fuck, she didn’t. Please send her that letter. Please. Then she will honestly have to face her own douchebaggery and feel like the complete taco sauce (and I don’t mean that in a TexMex kinda way) she really is. Argh! The nerve! She should totally be forced to sit in a room full of cats for days on end as they rub their fluffy tails upside her nose. Grrrrrrrrrrr. Please also send this letter to her supervisor.
It’s a shame that Amelia really liked this woman. How a grown woman could take that and, well, piss on it makes me furious. I would suggest that you bake the next one some cookies when you are feeling better, but we all know
how that will turn out. Kidding. I’ve been away for a week or I would have retweeted this for you. You have a lot of followers who could use as a hashtag the name of the agency. How many other people go through this?
With you as a mother, therapists are only icing on the cake. Or shall I say AMAZING therapists are only icing. This one was more of a mold spore.
Dear Aunt Becky,
Ever since the day I found your site, you have been a bookmark of mine. I have never met you but feel that I honestly care for you and your family. The first part of your post was so poetic and beautiful and made me think, “YES! THAT IS WHY I WANT TO BE A SPEECH THERAPIST!” I wish I already was because I would love to help your angel!!! After reading the rest of your post I was livid. Three weeks is an eternity at this stage of the game. I am so appalled. Again I am thinking, “THIS IS WHY I WANT TO BE A KICK-ASS SPEECH THERAPIST!” because even in my classes I see too many future therapists who do not care about the client. Too many children aren’t getting the help that they deserve. The only thing that makes me feel better is that if the therapist was that big of a fuck, she would not have been focused, and tuned into Amelia and her needs. I am hoping that the universe puts a kick-ass therapist into your life! I am proud of Amelia for learning the words she has in the past three weeks! You were right that it is the therapist’s loss!
Wow, I am super pissed off for you. I wonder what the real reason is? Maybe she saw your bushes and thought you were a serial killer?
Oh yeah, the worst part is the pass off to the scheduler. She didn’t even have the balls to call herself. People like this make me so angry. If you don’t want the job, be a grown up and say so! Frickin’ loser.
Holy McShit Farters. How unprofessional. My son has received speech therapy – through his school – but he’s in first grade, so I realize this doesn’t exactly work for you. I think it should be MANDATORY that anyone who has “issues” (e.g., “cat allergies” or whatever fake bullshit they want to make up) should put this in their portfolio UPFRONT. If you are in a profession where you do home visits – you should never, ever enter into a treatment situation where you will be unable to follow through. That is straight. up. bullshit.
What a whore. Approximately 2 1/2 years from now…when I finish law school, I’ll represent you for free and sue the bitch for…uhm…something good!!!!
I wish I could mail you my son’s former speech therapist. Even though we saw her at her office and not at home, it was still awesome. He loved speech. This is just so wrong. . .how do you flake for 3 weeks and then suggest the mall? If you want to move to Kansas City, I know about 3 speech therapists who would LOVE to work with Amelia. 🙂
You’ll find the perfect person. . .it’s just not fair that you have yet another problem to solve. I’m sorry.
Oh Bex, please, if they give you any more trouble or crappy therapists, let us all know what the phone and internet contacts are for your local EI. We will DELUGE them with hate mail until they do right by Amelia! What they don’t realize is you have a very loyal and super outspoken ARMY behind you! Woe to anyone who doesn’t respect teh Aunt Becky!
BRILLIANT IDEA! Auntie, I’m on board with this. Give us the goods and let us LOOSE!
First of all, that just pisses me off. How someone could do that to a little kid is amazing. Second of all, how someone could be so irresponsible with their career in this economy is insulting to other people who do have a passion for that line of work and can’t find a job. Third of all, I am new to this blog and didn’t know about everything your family had been through and I am still trying to get the damn lump out of my throat thinking about what she has been through. Now I need a cigarette to keep from crying.
How irresponsible and rude of her! You don’t mess with a kid.
That is absolutely unacceptable. I think that the pranksters should band together and each write a letter to the douchenozzle speech therapist on behalf of Amelia.
mutant tiger cats or not, she needs to be a professional, which she clearly was not. The mall? You’re not thirteen and just taking care of your little sister. Three weeks can be an eternity in therapy-time. As the therapist, she should know this more than anyone. Is there a way to report her?
It is sad sometimes how few people truly understand children.
*long, uncomfortable internet hug*
Based on my SIL, I’d say all speech pathologists are flakes. But I hope you can find a good one who is not allergic to cats. Can you seek one out privately and have EI pay for it? I know it’s hard, but you can make it work. Keep up the good work (from the cockroach position, of course).
What a fuckwit! That’s an amazing letter considering how enraged you must be. Big hug for you and Miss Amelia.
Extremely not cool, I know a couple of redneck boys if you need her taken out behind the woodshed.
Words are like fireflies and I hope Amelia catches them all.
SHIT! FUCK! Another worthless “human”…who is a waste of space and breath….may she choke on her lies!
I’m hoping that the supervisor at Early Childhood Intervention called her ass up and told her that all children were allergic to bad therapists and that she should just go hang out at the mall. By herself. Without a paycheck.
That being said, I do know that when I was working with young ESL students, I would often arrange to meet them in places where language would be more useful (like the mall, restaurants, playground, etc.) But there was an actual EDUCATIONAL purpose to the location- not just a lame excuse about cats.
Jeez…. like the cats deserve the hate. That’s not right, either.
Goddammit that is ridiculous. Who does that TO A CHILD? Did she not feel obligated to perform her job to help Mimi? I’m glad to hear that you reported this person. Isn’t that basically job abandonment? Fucker. I hope that you can find someone good. Also? Maybe lose the cats. Cats are shitty anyway.
P.S. Just kidding about the cats.
P.P.S. Okay, not really. I fucking hate cats.
P.P.P.S. But I’m sure your cats are important to you just like your kids are.
P.P.P.P.S. Wait, you’re not an animal hoarder, are you?
P.P.P.P.P.S. FECEEEEEEEEEEEEEES!
what an effing beotch.
oh, did I just say that out loud?
Holy shit. That’s nuts. I hope you called and said something to the service that sent her.
OMG, here I haven’t read here in a million and finally drop in and get THIS?! I’m spitting fire into my SpecialK. My babysitter — not agency, just a nice responsible kid in my neighborhood — is allergic to some subset of my pets and you know what she does? Takes a Benedryl before coming over. I know. And when I found out that she was doing this I felt horrible, and got really apologetic, and asked if she wanted to continue and I totally understood if she didn’t because I didn’t think taking medication should be part of our arrangement, and she looked at me like I had three heads and hugged Bella and said, “Call me soon!” They should know, as in-home therapists, that some homes will be nice, and some won’t. Some will be clean, some won’t. Some will be nicely appointed and quiet, and some won’t. And some will have pets, and some won’t. And a quiet office with a carpeted floor and toys is one thing, but the FUCKING MALL?!
There’s gotta be someone else Becky. Someone who will not only adore you and your sweet Amelia but will do it with a kitty in their lap.
Do you tell the agency you have cats? Do they only hire folks who are allergic? I’m having a problem here with folks and their allergies and not being able to do the work. Don’t these people take meds, have checklists? I missed out on my the mom and daughter time at my daughter’s wedding because her hairdresser forgot to take her allergy pills and was allergic to perfume! Did she not know that before taking the job? Had to sit outside for two hours while she did her thing. My daughter was furious. BUT, that is nothing! It was just a wedding thing and we would be able to talk, later.
Amelia was having THERAPY to help her speak. Aren’t these intervention people trained? Isn’t that their job to go into different environments to work with their clients? WTF? I’m all confused. Are they just volunteers? Could I be a speech therapist? Did you pay in advance? Get your money back? I need help, here, because this is not something I’ve ever had to deal with and I’m in shock that a therapist would pull this behavior, knowing how important it is. Aunt Becky, I’m in pain, here, and wish there was something I could do, other than commiserate. Do you have her address? Could I send a bomb? A tongue-cutter? I’m so sorry. {{{HUGS}}}
What a douche-canoe! Say the word and you know we’ll kick his ass!
While we’re talking about speech therapy, this is the age where Amelia should be vacuuming up words daily. Isn’t once a week speech therapy a little lame? It should be much more frequent than that. I don’t play one in real life but I do have degrees in Linguistics.
Well, that’s just crap. You did the right thing.
I hope beyond all hope that A)That bitch reads this and B) She never ever gets to work with a child again.
I’m really sorry you and your daughter had to even meet such a person. Hope things get better for you.
My daughter has been receiving Early Intervention services for a little over a year, both at home and center based. We have team meetings in our home as well as evaluations… in fact just this past week, we had 4 evals and a team meeting. One of the evaluators was allergic to my cat, prior to making the appointment she asked if we had an animal and if there was a way to put it in another room. She took a benedryl before coming over. Had that not been enough, she’d have sent another evaluator. I’m know that some of my daughter’s team members aren’t “cat people”, which is fine… they come to team meetings anyhow for an hour per month, uncomplaining. If they asked me to put the cat in another room, I would. The level of unprofessionalism with which this woman treated you AND your daughter is astounding… On a hard day, a hard week, when therapists are supposed to help… this has me nearly in tears for you. A word of caution: Make sure that in firing her services going forward will not be affected. Because it was totally her f-ing fault.
Aunt Becky, That is just rifuckingdiculous. My youngest has been in EI for 2 years and her therapist has had to deal with a dog, a cat and an occasionally full cloth diaper-pail. Life happens, grown-ups have to just suck it up and breath through their mouths sometimes.
Since EI is federally mandated, that your child is specifically entitled to special education services IN HER HOME, that her IEP is binding, you may just want to think about forwarding th
at beautiful letter to your state board of education special education director…I’m just sayin’
Yes – exactly what I was going to say. That IEP is a CONTRACT, legally-fucking-binding CONTRACT. Hit ’em hard or she’ll still be employed. Her ass should be at the mall, working at McDonalds or wherever the hell, but she should not be working with children. Ever. Anywhere.
I am seeeeething . . .
What a bitch!!! I’m furious with you too and I don’t even have kids yet!
I’m sending the best possible vibes I can your way while you search for a new therapist. And I’m absolutely glad you reported her to her boss. Good on you.
Aunt Becky, That is just rifuckingdiculous. My youngest has been in EI for 2 years and her therapist has had to deal with a dog, a cat and an occasionally full cloth diaper-pail. Life happens, grown-ups have to just suck it up and breath through their mouths sometimes.
Since EI is federally mandated, that your child is specifically entitled to special education services IN HER HOME, that her IEP is binding, you may just want to think about forwarding that beautiful letter to your state board of education special education director…I’m just sayin’
I am so sorry that Amelia’s therapist was such a flake, and if you would give me more information, I would help you hunt her down since you’re infirm. Seriously. You don’t mess with kids like this. That sucks donkey balls. Big ones.
Hoping you find a new, amazing therapist soon!!
This flake is not the kind of person you want helping The Princess. She doesnt deserve to help her…. But still, you dont flake out on a child that is depending on you! What a selfish bitch! This is not acceptable, I hope that you get her ass fired, before she does this to another unsuspecting family, Or, put her name out to the Pranksters….. we will take care of it…
I love the firefly analogy!
Dear Becky – people just suck – period! That woman doesn’t deserve to work with your dear, sweet Amelia! Amelia is too good for that whench! I hope you complained loudly and get a superstar to work with Amelia – keep fighting for her – you’ll find the right one – and hopefully they’ll tell the therapist you have cats BEFORE they take the case! Dumb asses!
You’re a lot nicer than I am. . .I would have posted her NAME in this entry and then let the Fire of A Thousand Pranksters rain down on her head. What a bitch.
Also? If I were up in that area, I’d come blow bubbles with Amelia ANY FUCKING TIME.
That is completely unprofessional and not okay. What the hell is wrong with her?! Hope that you find a new and way better therapist
What a crock of bullshit!! I may be a bit unfirm myself, but I would gladly hunt her down and bring her ass over to blow bubbles with Amelia. She REALLY should not mess with the Pranksters!
My twin girls were born at 27 1/2 weeks and spent 93 days in the NICU (story is here: tubalub.com). As a result, they qualified for services for 3 years by Early Intervention – sometimes twice a week. While I will admit that we had some very inexperienced therapists at our home in the beginning but we eventually had a team of THREE therapists coming to our house sometimes TWO times a day AND they attended a “play group” for EI kids on a weekly basis.
What you experienced is bullshit and you should most certainly demand from the Director of your EI program to not only get someone in her home ASAP but for them to make up those sessions that were missed.
A severe taco kick is in order.
Amelia deserves better than that. And she has the right.
I meant TWO days a WEEK… not per day. That was just dumb. Ooops.
This is a really beautifully written letter. You should sent it directly to the therapist, and a copy of it to his/her supervisor. Seriously.
I vote a copy of the letter is sent to the “therapist” and her supervisor in addition to all of the comments that have been made here.
From the great film Slapshot: “That cunt is no good.”
I work in a similar field, and rarely do we look at our services from the client’s point of view. With your permission, I would like to share this post with my staff. I want them to see what an impact that have on their client’s lives, ESPECIALLY when they don’t show up for appointments as scheduled and do not fit to what the client’s needs truly lie.
Please do. I’d be honored. I hope that it helps.
Nicci- that awesome that you are wanting to share this with others. I am a nurse, and sometimes it is forgotten what the other side has to deal with.
I hope you sharing the story prevents it from happening in your staff.
We had the twins evaluated by EI back in March. We finally got speech services in August. Luckily we have found a great therapist – however, I can’t help but think of how much further my boy would be verbally if they had just found someone sooner. I told them we needed someone on either Mondays or Fridays. 3 people called me to say that they could do Tuesdays. Our EI services are based out of Geneva, so I am not sure if that’s the same place you use.
This is seriously one of the shittiest things I’ve read! What the hell??? I can NOT believe someone entrusted to hep children is can be so awful! Well, I can, but it makes me want to cry when it it’s actually for real. I’m sorry!
Wow. I could totally kick her in the taco and not feel bad about it. I’m so sorry. *hugs*
That whore-mouthed therapist should have her license revoked. Who the hell DOES that?!?!?
I’m gonna punch her square in the taco. NOT OKAY.
total fucking bullshit. amelia deserves way better. (((hugs))) for you and amelia.
What a complete unprofessional bitch! I am shamed that I share a career path with this therapist…please write a letter of complaint to her boss and to her state organization…heck tell it to her national organization (American Speech and Hearing Association @ASHAhelps @ASHAweb are their twitter accounts.) ASHA convention #ashaconv starts today…and as a professional the people we serve come first.
OMG im SO PISSED
(((Becky))) I would look for it myself but I’m lazy (=D) – how old is that beautiful girl of yours? Is she almost three? When she turns three, you remember me because I want to be her kick-ass preschool teacher (I teach early childhood special ed for St Charles. She WILL be mine!!).
I’m sorry that EI is screwing you over. Speech therapists are so hard to find. I totally get wanting to have services in the home (my oldest as autism and we are EI graduates) but have you considered center based therapy for her? At least they will be consistent. You can email me if you want to talk. I really am a special ed teacher and I really do teach early childhood special ed for St Charles (you can find me on Ferson Creek’s page). I’m happy to talk to you and help you in any way I can.
Tracey
PS: I had my first Uncrustables for lunch today and thought of you. It was quite tasty!
Maybe the cats should go and the therapists can stay.
That’s so unprofessional-it’s good that you called Early Intervention and if there is another agency involved-I would also call them. It’s a shame that this therapist is not able to consider the problems she has caused by not following up with your daughter. As someone else said-she’s obviously not cut out for home visits and really should go back to a more structured environment. Anyway-there are lots of good therapists out there and I’m praying that the very best one is the next one for your daughter-best wishes;)
Ruh-roh. It’s been a while since we’ve chatted, but as I recall, Larissa is just a couple of months younger than Mimi. Larissa just got approved for speech therapy once a week. She’s about to be on round 2 of ear tubes, and we have no clue if any of this (ear infections, speech delay) was part of her cystic hygroma drama, but watching your video, it doesn’t seem like our girls are too far apart in their speaking abilities. I know you are about 30-40 minutes away from me ‘burb-wise so I wonder if the speech therapists cover the same area. Based on your experience, I hope not!
WTF is her fucking problem? I am a nurse and would LOVE somedays to be like “yeah, mr jones is hocking up too many loogies and I am going to gag so I quit”, but I also know I CANT DO THAT! aren’t these people professionals? karma will come back to her, dont you worry….
I am sorry that is just plain RUDE I had a run in myself with Early Intervention. I ended with a private therapist. Is that something maybe you could try for her?
She is ADORABLE by the way as all of your kiddos are. Can we arrange a marriage for her and my son? I mean who would not want Auny Becky as a Mother in Law you would be awesome yo!
Oh Aunt Becky, as an educator, I am angry on your behalf. That is ridiculous, and if I had gone into Speech Therapy, I’d fly down to help your little fighter find her words.
Though I will admit, when I was in college, I had to tutor a girl as part of my teacher preparation, and they gave me one of my professor’s daughters (because for some reason they didn’t make plans for me to have a student to tutor?). Anyway, I really *did* get sick two times because my immune system is just awesomesauce like that, and my had car trouble a third time (hello, flat tire). The professor (who I kind of secretly hated anyway) pulled her daughter out of my tutoring, so I was left with no one to tutor for my requirement. Fortunately, I was tutoring another child at a school I was working at, so I was able to combine my experience to make one complete assignment.
That’s pathetic. She should so be ashamed of herself. Amelia could so show her a thing or two and she will, damnit!