September 23, 2025
Hello friends! Today is about how much I love partnering with Parents! I have known today’s Team Up guest Lakisha Chaffin-Hickerson and her son Charlie for almost 4 years. Charlie’s family has a special place in my heart as I had the privilege of helping Charlie learn to communicate first with signs then AAC and now he is talking in full sentences. Lakisha enthusiastically collaborated with me as we problem-solved Charlie’s communication needs and we made an amazing team! Charlie is now a thriving kindergartner. I am so proud of who he has become and so grateful to have been a part of his communication journey!
Vanessa started seeing my son when he was 14 months old in 2021. Most of our visits during that time were virtual and we eventually went to in-person visits. She was initially seeing him for difficulties with feeding (chewing/swallowing). With her help, he made great progress and pretty soon he was tolerating all textures of food with no difficulty.
When my son was around 18 months old, he started having these “episodes” of imbalance and, after the first one, we noticed a decline in his ability to speak. To say he is medically complex is an understatement, but Vanessa’s pivot seemed effortless. I was very worried about him, but having Vanessa here to help him really helped my entire family. She introduced sign language and AAC devices and programs. She helped us do all kinds of things to make sure he was able to communicate his needs. We made posters and placed buttons around the house with pre-recorded messages for him. Vanessa tailored her treatment strategies according to things he was already interested in, and it really made a difference in my son’s participation.
Vanessa is extremely knowledgeable and she loves continuing education. My son benefited greatly from this! She took time out of her schedule to attend an IEP meeting with me. This was uncharted territory for me, and I was extremely grateful. She also came to a playgroup session with us.
My son’s pause in verbal speech lasted from the time he was about 18 months old until he was about 3 and a half years old. I feel like Vanessa helped build his speech skills over time, and she addressed whatever he was struggling with . He is 5 years old now and his verbal skills have increased exponentially with her help. He can verbally communicate his needs and have conversations with us. It has just been an amazing journey. Vanessa literally helped my son find his voice, and we will be forever grateful for her presence in our lives.