he's eight. genuinely one of the most observant, thoughtful kids i know. the kind of kid who notices everything and has opinions about everything.

but somewhere along the way, speaking became hard for him. not dramatically — just quietly. he'd hesitate before certain words. choose silence over risking getting it wrong. stopped volunteering to read in class. got a bit stiff around new people.

the speech stuff was one thing. but watching his confidence shrink with it — that's what really got to her.

she went back and forth on therapy for a while. i think there's always that hesitation, like is this necessary, am i overthinking it, will it make him feel like something is wrong with him.

eventually she found a mobile speech therapist on the gold coast — someone who comes to your home instead of you going to a clinic. and that detail ended up mattering more than she expected.

he didn't have to walk into some unfamiliar office and perform. he was just... in his living room. with his stuff around him. and apparently that made him a completely different kid in sessions — relaxed, engaged, actually willing to try things.

she kept telling me "he actually looks forward to it" which honestly wasn't what i expected to hear.

it took a few months. it wasn't linear. but slowly he started trying words he used to avoid. started talking more at home. started joining in at school.

then one day he volunteered to read out loud in class.

she texted me about it like it was the biggest thing that had happened all year. and honestly? it kind of was.

i don't think i fully understood before this that speech therapy isn't really about pronunciation. it's about whether a kid feels like their voice is worth using.