The Growth You Might Miss

By: Amy McDowell MS, CCC-SLP/L

I am definitely an over-celebrator.

Sometimes my speech students look at me like I am a little bit crazy—Why are you so excited?!

You got your /r/ sound right for the first time? Huge celebration.

You’ve worked on that sound forever and suddenly you’re using it in conversation?

Huge celebration.

You used your communication device independently to tell someone what you wanted or how you felt?

Huge celebration.

You followed a direction independently?

You worked for 10 minutes without needing a break?

Huge celebration.

I know some of these things may sound small from the outside.

But when you know how hard a child has worked for something, they don’t feel small at all.

That is one of my favorite parts of being an SLP. I get to see the practice, the repetition, the supports, the attempts that didn’t quite work yet—and then I get to be there when something finally clicks.

How could I not get excited?

And what we celebrate is different for every child.

A skill that comes easily to one child might be something another child has been working toward for months. We aren’t comparing one child’s progress to anyone else’s.

We’re celebrating their growth.

Their next step.

Their moment.

To me, any growth is worth celebrating.

And really, what fun is life if we don’t get excited about the little things?

I recently listened to an episode of The Inclusion Podcast about Success Minutes, and it made me think about something I already try to do with my students in an even bigger way.

We naturally spend a lot of time trying to understand the moments when a child is struggling.

What happened?

What are they trying to communicate?

What support might help?

Those questions are important.

But I also want to know about the moments when your child is doing really well.

Maybe they helped someone without being asked.

Maybe they made a sibling laugh.

Maybe they joined in on something they usually avoid.

Maybe they tried to tell you they were upset instead of only showing you through their behavior.

Maybe they finally asked for something independently.

Maybe they were simply happy, comfortable, and completely themselves.

Those moments matter too.

For example, imagine a child becomes upset and throws something. Then they use their communication device to tell us, “I’m mad.”

We still help them work through the throwing and figure out what happened.

But I am also going to celebrate the communication.

They told us something important.

Maybe we don’t know why they are mad yet, but we know more than we did before. They found a way to share what they were feeling.

That is growth.

As an SLP, I also know that I only see one small piece of a child’s life.

I may see a student for a short part of their school week, while parents, teachers, paraprofessionals, and other people who know that child well see so many moments I never get to see.

That is why collaboration is so important to me.

If your child did something amazing at home—even if it seems tiny—tell us.

If their teacher discovered that they love being the classroom helper, I want to know.

If they connect with people through humor, I can use that.

If there is a certain activity, interest, routine, or person that helps them communicate and participate, that is valuable information.

And if I discover something in speech that makes your child light up, communicate more, or feel successful, I want to share that with you too.

Because the hard moments are never the whole story of a child.

Neither is a test score.

Neither is a diagnosis.

Neither is the thing they can’t do yet.

I want to notice the moments when they are communicating, laughing, connecting, trying, learning, helping, and growing.

Those moments teach us so much about who they are.

So yes, I will probably continue to celebrate a little too loudly.

Because when you have watched a child work toward something and then finally see it happen, it doesn’t feel like a little thing.

It feels huge.

And I think our kids deserve people in their corner who recognize just how huge those moments can be.

Let’s be All In on noticing the growth, celebrating it, and helping our children experience more moments where they feel successful, understood, and proud of themselves.

And parents—I would love to hear yours.

What is something your child has been doing at home lately to communicate, connect, interact, or show growth?

It doesn’t have to seem big to anyone else.

If it is a big deal for your child, it is worth celebrating.

Tell us your celebration-worthy moment in the comments.

This post was inspired by Drs. Julie Causton and Kristie Pretti-Frontczak’s Success Minutes framework, discussed on The Inclusion Podcast. Their episode encouraged me to think even more deeply about how the small successes we notice can help us better understand and support the whole child.

Podcast Link: https://www.inclusiveschooling.com/tag/episode77/