'Doctors said our daughter would never communicate, but she's proved them wrong'

"Chloe will likely never be able to talk, and she will always struggle to communicate". Those were the words a doctor once said to Chloe's parents, Laura Roberts and Wayne Taylor. It's a day, and a conversation, that they will never forget.

It all started when Laura began noticing that Chloe wasn't hitting her typical development markers, between the age of around six and ten months. She wasn't making eye contact, smiling, or babbling like most babies do.

Laura and Wayne, who live in Birmingham, UK, with Chloe and their four sons, contacted their paediatrician to voice some of their concerns. They were told that Chloe was probably just "a bit behind" others, making Laura feel like she was "paranoid about nothing."

However, as Chloe neared her second birthday, she still hadn't developed any speech. "It was heart-breaking," Laura told NationalWorld, "because you could see she wanted to speak to you, she wanted to connect and communicate in some way. But she couldn't. She'd headbutt herself because she was so frustrated."

The family sought out a health visitor for further advice, but by this time the coronavirus pandemic had hit, and no one was able to come out and see them because of lockdown restrictions. This meant that Chloe wasn't diagnosed with global development delay until she was four-years-old.

According to doctors, this diagnosis meant that Chloe could never learn to speak at all, and she would always have difficulties communicating. "I was crushed," Laura said. "It was so daunting. Wayne and I were both really worried for her future."

Desperate for something to help them, Laura and Wayne turned to Sense - a charity which helps people with complex disabilities "communicate and experience the world".

With children, Laura explained, they do this primarily through 'play', encouraging parents to get involved as a way to connect. They also teach 'Makaton', a language where people use a combination of speech, signs, and symbols to communicate.

"I wasn't expecting much," Laura admitted. "But there was a centre local to us, so we thought we may as well give it a try."

However, the impact the sessions were having on Chloe soon became clear. She started responding to her name, pointing to things, and making small attempts at communication - like bringing her parents to the fridge when she was hungry.

Later, she learnt to sign phrases like "thank you" using Makaton - and even spoke a few words, such as "more" and "again", aloud.

"She's also a lot calmer," Laura said. "Because she's able to communicate her thoughts and feelings, and we - her parents and her siblings - have learnt how to understand and respond to her."

Because of the way she has "defied expectations", Chloe, now 5, has been shortlisted for this year’s ‘Young Person of the Year’ award at Sense's annual awards ceremony. Richard Kramer, the charity's chief executive, said: "Chloe’s story is exactly what Sense is all about.

"With the support of the charity, Chloe has learnt to communicate in a way that works for her, helping her to build a stronger connection with her parents and her siblings. She should be so proud and I wish Chloe and the whole family lots of luck in next month's ceremony.”  

Meanwhile, Laura told NationalWorld that Chloe being shortlisted is "massive" for the family. She explained: "It's just amazing for her achievements to be recognised like this, because sometimes you feel like it's just you noticing them. But this makes it so much bigger."

Laura also said that she hopes that, by getting Chloe's story out there, other families and children who are experiencing the same thing will "know they are not alone" - and will be able to see the "positive" side of things.

"That's something that was really special about Sense," Laura explained. "It was all very doom and gloom after what the doctors told us.

"But the people at Sense helped us see that there was still hope - just because Chloe hadn't followed the usual child development path, that didn't mean she couldn't still develop and learn to communicate. And that's exactly what she did. We couldn't be prouder of Chloe."