Luella Grossnickle has been receiving Rainbows’ speech support services for the past 2 months. At 22 months old, Luella qualifies for services due to speech delay. While having only been with Rainbows a short time, Luella’s family is amazed with her noticeable improvement. “Luella is starting to use words, has learned sign language, and her attention span has improved,” said Luella’s mother, Vannessa. Before Rainbows, the biggest struggle for the Grossnickle family was being able to communicate with their daughter. “With Luella now knowing a little bit of sign language, I can at least get an answer when I ask her if she’s hungry,” said her mother. Vanessa is confident that her daughter is getting the help she needs. “Luella is so smart. Even though she is not talking fully yet, you can tell she is taking it all in.”
Luella has been working with Rainbows’ early childhood special education teacher, Melissa Baumgartel. According to her mother, Luella looks forward to her Tuesday sessions with Ms. Melissa. “Melissa has been wonderful. She is very calming and listens to my concerns,” shares Vannessa. Ms. Melissa enjoys their therapy sessions just as much. “I am really enjoying working with the Grossnickle family,” she said. “Luella is an adorable little girl and is truly is eager to learn. She is finding out how to communicate with her family.” However, Luella is not the only one learning something from Rainbows’ services. “I have personally learned tips and ideas to implement in order help improve communication with Luella,” Vannessa said. Moving forward, Luella’s mother knows she is in good hands as she progresses towards her goals. “The staff is super supportive and they talk to you at a human level,” she said. “Rainbows is a wonderful organization.”
