Talking not a problem now for young girl

After a slow start, Cathy Arreola’s daughter, Emma, can’t stop talking.

“She was 2 years old, and she wasn’t talking. When she needed something, her brothers would tell me what she wanted. I think she was just being lazy because they talked for her.

“When I took her to the doctor for a regular checkup, they asked how many words she was saying, and I said, ‘None.’ The same thing when we went to the doctor again. That’s when they finally said, ‘OK, you’ve got a problem.’

“They suggested we have speech therapy at home. Instead, I decided to go to work as a teacher’s aide at Wee School so I could bring her with me. Since then she’s made a lot of progress. Her first word was ‘purple.’ She’s 4 now, and she talks a lot. We can’t get her to stop.”

— Cathy Arreola