Wentzville Teacher Goes ‘Above and Beyond’ for Student with Speech Disorder

Jacob Kirkwood is a reserved yet inquisitive five-year old who enjoys playing with trains.

He is also a student in Cindy Lumia’s class at Quail Ridge Early Childhood Center (QREC). His parents say that the work that Mrs. Lumia and speech-language pathologist Amy Doorack have done with their son is above and beyond anything they could have imagined.

In 2010, at the age of three, Jacob was diagnosed with a speech disorder. Jacob’s parents, Bill and Becky Kirkwood, enrolled him at QREC and Doorack began assisting Jacob with his speech therapy. After working with him, Doorack recommended that the Kirkwoods take Jacob to a specialist.

Doorack suspected that Jacob may have had a structural issue that was the cause of his speech disorder, but the specialist told the family that Jacob had no such issues and they should simply continue with his speech therapy.

After working with Jacob over the summer and doing additional research, Doorack suggested his parents consult another specialist. She recommended a group at St. John’s Mercy that she knew had helped another child with similar challenges. Jacob's parents agreed and after a variety of tests, Jacob was diagnosed with a cleft pallet and underwent corrective surgery in December.

Bill and Becky say they are extremely grateful to Doorack for her persistence. "She went above and beyond the call of duty," said Bill. "This is someone who did everything in her power to see that our child would succeed."

Doorack says the difference in Jacob's speech since the surgical correction has been dramatic. “He couldn’t pronounce the letters F, S, or K prior to the surgery. The results were almost immediate—it’s been amazing!”

Doorack added that she simply wanted Jacob to be ready for kindergarten so that he would be able to effectively communicate with his teachers, which is something she strives for with all her students.

The Kirkwoods want everyone to know what she did for their son. “She is an awesome speech teacher and person,” they wrote in an email to the district. “With her guidance Jacob will now have a voice for his future.”