Micah’s mother Rosemary Smith, of Nollamara, said she was shocked to hear her son had been diagnosed with the condition and sought help to help him develop.
‘I always thought Micah’s silence meant that he would be a late bloomer, but when we were told that he had a severe speech and language delay, I just cried,’ Ms Smith said. ‘It is very isolating to be told that there is something wrong with your child but that there is no official diagnosis for it.’
Because a speech and language delay is not classed as a disability, Ms Smith said Micah would not have any allowances made at school, meaning the family needed to look elsewhere for support.
They found the Telethon speech language program.
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READ NOW‘I heard about the Speech and Language Program through another mum and when we arrived, I was instantly relieved to see other children and families in a similar situation,’ she said.
‘I felt like Micah belonged somewhere.’
Ms Smith said when Micah was four, his language skills were only at the stage of a 2