Speech Therapy

beachbeth

scrimpingbadger wrote: »

Thank you again - I think that they have painted the worse case scenario to prepare us for a rocky road.

I don't think they actually do this. They just say it as they see it with no thought to your feelings. It doesn't mean they are right though.

I cant believe that things are just the same as when I was going through this 15 years ago. They may even be worse! It also makes a difference what area you are in too. Once they got on the case my daughter was given a statement of educational special need and this, by law, has to be followed. She had to have one-to-one teaching in some lessons and help in others. She then had to go to schools that had special provision for this kind of thing (they were mainstream schools but were set up with a speech and language unit). Because these schools were out of my area a taxi used to fetch her and bring her back, which was paid for too. The only trouble is, we live in a nice area and the schools she went to were in a rough area and this really upset me at the time that she had to go there. But I must say they were brilliant with her and she came on in leaps and bounds. She was never bottom of the class either.

Ive heard that in other areas they wouldn't have set things up quite as well as this so we were lucky.

When she left school she didn't do very well in her exams, although she tried hard but she is now in college studying childcare and really loves it. She may not be academic but she is quite artistic and has a lovely singing voice too! Just because your child has certain problems doesn't mean they won't excel in other areas. I think you celebrate the things they are good at - not everyone is good at maths/english/science etc.

Keep badgering away to get your son the help he needs. I always say its the squeaky wheel that gets the oil!!!

wornoutmumoftwo

I have two sons, neither really spoke until they were 4. My eldest is 5 now and is possibly on the autistic spectrum but he doesn't stop talking now from the minute he wakes up until the minute he goes to bed (and sometimes in his sleep).

Both my boys speech seems to improve in spurts, they had a few words at four, then a few months down the line I realised I was having a verbal argument with them - there speech just seemed to improve suddenly, then just when it seemed they'd be no furhter improvement I noticed they would suddenly be speaking in sentances.

All children do thinks at their own space, but with the help of speech and languange and the influence of other children's speech it should pick up, the important thing is not to stress yourself, though I had problems with my youngest boy's tantrums when he was non-verbal and I didn't know what he wanted, I started using visual signs for him to point at, like a picture for juice/milk etc etc and when he pointed to the milk I'd say the name on the picture which seems to encourage the first speech from him.

I found Nursery rhymes and rhyming words good for my boys, I walk down the road singing away to them and eventually they started joining in (even if I did look a bit daft when I was still singing them walking home on my own).

Although my two boys were non-verbal at 3, going on 4 I did not worry becasue I knew they would talk in their own time and they did, but I was fortunate to have a good nursery and haven't had to fight for extra help.

halia

DS has expressive speech delay and possibly some other developmental delays. he is bright, curiuos and can be very clever at doing certain types of things but he was 28 months old before he said mama.

We have had SALT visits but to be entirely honest they seem completly pointless, maybe if I hadn't any clue what to do they would be more useful but all the SALT girl does is turn up and repeat the same advice - repeated below;

look at your child when talking to them
speak more slowly and clearly than you would to an adult
use simpler words
use their name alot, so say would 'Joe' like a drink rahter than would 'you' like a drink
if they say anything, repeat it with correct pronunciation and expand on the sentance eg; "ship" "yes sheep, sheep go baa"
Use gesture and sign language to communicate

thats it! I guess I was expecting something a little more structured and personalised.

DS (34 months) has started talking now, he is still behind but not as much as he was. I'm not sure what was 'wrong' but it was like language just didn't switch on in his brain, you read baby books and they give the idea that babaies are born with a curiuosity about language, that from 3 months on they will try and communciate with you - ie you talk and pause and they will babble back at you. DS didn't do any of that!

He now has language about equivilant to an 18-24 month old. Its hard work, you really have to find whats right for your child. DS hates songs and rhymes and until 3 months ago he didn't like books either. But he loves diggers, tools and trucks so we concentrated on using words that related to those things. I'm not afraid to say we used TV programme alot too, he learnt his first 5 words from bob the builder and teletubbies (cat, car, baby, bob, ball)
He would simply throw books away if you tried to show him pictures but he will sit on my lap and watch an episode of bob or teletubbies while I point and repeat the words.

Good luck and if you want to vent/ share experiences then feel free to pm me

halia

beachbeth wrote: »

some of these professionals treat everyone they meet as though they are the same. The amount of times I had to say that I wasn't a one-parent family (even though there are some excellent single parents!), wasn't in a council house and owned my own home and that I had a lovely family behind me you wouldn't believe! I can honestly say that some of these people looked disappointed that they couldn't pigeonhole me in the same way as everyone else!!

oh yes, I thought it was just me!

I've ended up 'dressing' for each appointment and making a real point of mentioning both my own and DH backgrounds/work means I get less of the 'you are stupid' treatment but it still happens.

amazamum

My son wasn't and still isn't where he should be with his speech,but he is improving(he is 3).
DS has been under the speech therapist since he was 2,we noticed that he wasn't talking as much as other children his age and mentioned it to the health visitor,who to her credit had him assessed for speech therapy.
The lady used to come to our home once a week,and play with him to try to bring his words on,this did help a little,I was worried that he would not be able to go to the mainstream school that his sister goes to,but he started just after his 3rd birthday and although he still has problem he is coming on leaps and bounds,and some of the kids can understand what he is saying.
We have noticed a big change in him and his stringing or words into a sentance is getting better and better,
We do however have an appointment with the hospital in February to see whether his tonsils and adonoids are effecting his delayed speach in anyway(he drbbles quite alot when he is concentrating and apparently this is a sign there may be something wrong with his adonoids).
Good luck with your son

stolt

hi, something has been worrying me for a bout 6 months now with regards to my middle daugter who is three, she understands things particulary well however she she to clam up when talking and struggles to put what she wants to say in words, its not a stammer or stutter but she does struggle when talking, even sometimes not concentrating enough on what she is saying and totally going off on one. I dont want to let it lie and i think sometimes my concern with her may well be making it worse. Is this something the doctor can check out, ive always had reservations about my doctor being useless but if it means helping my daugher then I'll take her.

anyone got any suggestions as i say i dont want to leave it another year or two and someone turn around and say it would have been better if you had brought it to there attention earlier.

thanks

Katgoddess

Is she at a nursery or pre school? Do they have any issues with her speech?

You could speak to your health visitor. (the one you see for your youngest) She would be able to advise you and refer you on if necessary.

Keeping_Positive

Health visitor is the one to see they can refer her for tests (be prepared to wait). They may also check her hearing as that can affect speech development as well.

I wouldnt worry to much as alot of the time children grow out of it. Three is still very young. All my three were slow on speech but are fine now.

DD2 needs some speech therapy at school because of having a dummy for too long but her actually word knowledge is fine.

DD1 was refered by her school at 4 (we though everything was ok) but after an anxious wait found out she had slight loss of hearing but that her speech was fine. A couple of problems she had were very common and she would grow out of it, which she did.

morganb

DS2 went through a phase of stammering, which I know isn't what you're concerned about, but it really helped him when he was talking if I knelt down on the floor and held his hand, so that I was on his level, and could then listen very obviously and attentively ... does that make sense, and because he knew he had my undivided attention he didn't have to rush and could slow down .. in fact, I used to tell him very gently to slow down.
I find that children learn to use many different words through songs - this applies to teaching foreign languages as well, and they can greatly increase their range of vocab this way; we're always making up daft songs in this house.

Kaz2904

My DS has real problems with saying S D & G. He speaks through his nose. I'm not overly concerned by this because he has said the letters properly once or twice and he can make himself understood but I keep thinking he may need some speech therapy.
I am going to have to go through my Health visitor but I will check with his pre school first to see if they think I need to get anything done.