By Leslie Lindsay [This was  previous post over the summer.  Here it is again if you missed it–or are just now joining us].  (image source: http://speechtherapyweb.com/ 10.15.12) At two years old, Kate was a beautiful, energetic, and happy toddler. With the exception of one word—hi—Kate was as quiet as a mouse. We wondered if something was wrong. Even as a baby, Kate rarely babbled and cried; she was beautiful and unique with red hair and bright blue eyes.  She was, in a word, “perfect.” So why were we worried? After all, she could understand everything we said, even the big words.  And what was so wrong with having a quiet, happy toddler?  But there were times my heart would sink. Gaggles of women who had all been in the same childbirth class a year or so earlier met up for our summer book discussion.  They were chattering about how their children were saying new words every day.  One mother proudly shared, “Oh, Maddie said elephant yesterday at daycare.  I hate that I missed it.”  I pulled …