AAP News Vol. 13 No. 5 May 1997, p. 12
© 1997 American Academy of Pediatrics
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Success with speech disorders: An early start can make all the difference

Laura J. Rongé

Five-year-old Ricky Nogal recently sang in the musical "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," memorizing 23 songs and performing in six shows - remarkable for any pre-kindergartner, but a tour de force for Ricky, who has been in speech therapy for three years.

Ricky's parents first suspected an impairment when comparing his speech at age 18 months to that of his twin sister, Katie. They discussed their concerns with the family's pediatrician, who advised them to continue observing their son's speech. A family friend who was a speech-language pathologist helped them monitor Ricky's progress.

They often noticed Katie interpreting for him. "If she could see by the look on our faces that we hadn't understood something he said, Katie would fill it in for us," said Kris Nogal, Ricky's mom.