Struggling with Speech Delays, Strabismus and Amblyopia (lazy eye)

Our son just turned two and isn’t speaking yet. We are in speech and occupational therapy once a week and he had bilateral surgery last fall to correct his strabismus. (This straightened out his eyes as one was turned inward.) We have also been patching his eye for 2-4 hours a day since 7 months old and are finally getting evaluated for vision therapy next month.

Seeing him so far behind his peers is devastating. He’s just started to play with toys properly as he demonstrates sensory seeking behavior and prefers more physical activities over, say, a shape sorter. He goes to a parent’s day out program twice a week and I dread pickup where I hear about his struggles. 😭 He either doesn’t engage with the crafts or gets overwhelmed in the big playroom and gets upset. Thankfully, they allow him to have his paci as a comfort item in those situations and they do tend to his emotional needs.

I am home with him and we do our therapy practices everyday… and I just feel like a failure. I’m trying so hard and I feel like the progress is coming at a snails pace. I worry about him every minute and I cry after pickups from parent’s day out and therapy sessions. At least his time at Bible study childcare goes well. 🥹 Those grandmas only have good things to say about him.

Can anyone relate?