David

My son David began speech therapy with Ms. Allison in the spring of 2021 to work on correcting his production of the R sound. A previous experience with speech therapy closer to our home was not positive and so we explored other options which included Pediatric Therapies, a 45-minute drive. From the time of my son’s initial evaluation to this day, I have never one time doubted that the move to Pediatric Therapies was absolutely the right decision and worth every minute of the drive every week.

The administrative staff has always been friendly, helpful, and accommodating from day one. And Ms. Allison…well, she has been nothing short of phenomenal. At 12 years old my son isn’t one of her typical speech patients which maybe would have presented a challenge for some but not for Allison. She found ways to engage with him that were developmentally appropriate and fun.

After a long day at school, David usually didn’t want to drive to Franklin for speech but every single time on the way home he would tell me he was glad he went. Allison found ways to connect with him that were meaningful and that helped him grow to trust her. He told me many times how much he would miss her once speech was over. On the days when he was sluggish and tired from school, Allison was patient and understanding but also didn’t let him get away with being lazy. She challenged David every week and gently nudged him to do the mouth and tongue exercises that he didn’t much care for. Sometimes he got frustrated but those are the times I believe he grew the most.

During his times of frustration Ms. Allison was there to support and encourage him through it. Gradually our drive home conversations grew to be less about the frustrations of trying to learn the R sound and more about how easy it was becoming for him to do it. David was learning to recognize his own growth and improvement. He pushed through the challenges and now he can produce the R sound confidently and accurately almost 100% of the time. Ms. Allison has been David’s advocate, his cheerleader, an encourager and teacher, and even a friend.

He has made tremendous strides this last year and now is at the point of discharge. We will both miss not seeing Ms. Allison every week but I so appreciate the enthusiasm and confidence with which she is letting David go. She never fails to let him know how proud she is of him and all his hard work. I’ve never met a healthcare provider as caring, understanding, kind, supportive, and enthusiastic as Allison Henry. I would recommend her to anyone! Thank you, Allison!