FA!

Need I say any more?????
Fought for ds to get SALT through tribunal....what a WASTE OF SPACE!

SALT didn't even want to meet my child! WTF????

It's only that I kept on to her.....!!!!

Oh dear.

Our SALT was great, and very on-side.
DS2 loved her, and responded really well to her.
She also helped greatly by writing very detailed reports, which meant we had plenty of ammo for appealing a statement rejection.

Sorry that you had to encounter someone who didn't help your DS. Can you ask for an alternative SALT?

Many are crap with autism. They don't have enough hands on experience, especially for the more complex cases. One told me there was no point giving ds1 SALT he he wasn't capable of anything and another told me he was impossible to teach because he wasn't interested in anything

We did employ a private SALT for a while with lots of hands on experience who was excellent.

Agree with Yurt and I am a bloody SALT (albeit one with a strong interest in Autism, Challenging Behaviour and non verbal people)!

The way the NHS is going,most SALT spend an ever greater proprotion of time completing meaningless paperwork designed to prove they are busy, while they are actively encouraged to do less and less clinical work of any meaning.

However, theretically they do this...
Here.

Right, off to tackle monutain of meaningless paperwork. Ho hum.......

Have to say my experience of NHS SALT with more bog standard speech delay/SLI has not been terribly inspiring. Experience with Private SALT has been vastly better.

March 07 - finally get a referral
Nov 08 - assessment appointment.
Feb 08 - nursery visit (one month delay caused by US to be fair). DS supposedly referred to early intervention team at SALT who deal with social communication difficulties inter alia. NHS SALT writes uber bleak report, and puts the wind up me unnecessarily about DS having learning difficulties over and above the language problems.
April 08 - joint clinic appointment. After 1 hour, conclusion being DS probably isn't on the spectrum, and will have speech therapy at nursery after a "meeting in 4-6 weeks". Am still waiting to see if this materialises, and if not I will put in a complaint to the PCT.

Got sent away with some spectacularly dull exercises (put BIG doll on the chair) etc, which is about the entirety of the therapy DS has been given.

I feel that they are more geared up to deal with relatively minor phonological difficulties. Because DS has receptive speech difficulties he is being referred on to a different SALT team within the department - early intervention at 4 years old . Which makes me feel that anything out of the norm language wise is seen as "specialist" and not their day to day work.

I agree that they seem to deal with the minor stuff. Take verbal dysraxia- for a straighforward case of verbal dyspraxia the child should have other learning abilities intact- i.e they shouldn't be that hard to work with. But they do need specialist input and lots and lots of SALT. Can they get it? No. And as for someone like ds1 with huge verbal dyspraxia problems - no chance of ever receiving even an attempt to deal with it from a SALT.

PipinJo-Is it possible to get another SALT assigned to your DS?

My DS has a phonological disorder and also has been dx with selective mutism which I think partly arose from his awareness that he could not prononuce certain words so therefore got anxious and does not speak at all.

Obviously assessing him was a non starter so his SM was concentrated on and his speech we have dealt with at home and he is now 6 and is coming on really well.

How old is your DS?

As Humphreycushion said getting someone on board who can relate to your DS is invaluable if you ever need to apply for a statement.

But we found you have to push for these things and make a nuisance of yourself as you have found out.

At least I know I'm not alone

DS discharged from SALT before 3yrs and non verbal as I was embarking on ABA (I had to pay for it, its not that it was instead of SALT).

Oct 07 Private SALT who said ds needed ABA in her report for tribunal

Feb07 won tribunal SALT should see son 6 times a half term.....seen him once and thats cause I only insisted she go into the therapy room ds Should have had 4 SALT by this time!

Moondog wasn't attack at you...think your one in a zillion....the private SALT I was also good. I am sure they feel threatened by ABA!?

I said ds has a lisp she said not to worry ...I can't understand a word he says....outside VI of course! I am worried about this but she isn't going to help with it!

tell me about it. DD is 4, non verabl with cerebral palsy, eating issues and we never see a fucking SALT. The women just keeps caneclling, never responds to phone messages etc. I've asked for a differet one but getting nowhere. No communication aid assessment, no help with alternative forms of communication, no help with this drinking problem.
I want moondog. Bet she wont keep cancelling on me. Been 8 months since we last saw a SALT!

Riven that is disgusting...how your dd has been left.....ds left for a year only that i have forced them via tribunal!

One thing I have learnt in this f*ing country is if you have not got the money to sort your child out with ANY needs ...then forget it......he hasn't had OT the tribunal ordered also. I phoned them today (tribunal) they can't do SWA either about it.....oh my language! Well that's what SALT make you say!

Riven, why aren't yopu putting in a formal complaint to Chief Exec. then?
(Wont take long-a quick e mail to Complaints officer then it is logged and HAS to be dealt with.)

Pipin, it's ok, I agree with all of what you are saying.It's a bloody joke.

I have done MD and asked her paed for a refferal to a different SALT and the months roll on.....

I have a son with Verbal Dyspraxia - very bright and no other issues. And I have to say a couple of SALTS have made a huge difference to him - at very nearly 6 he is almost always intellible, although his speech is not exactly "standard". But in the last 3 years he has now seen seven different SALTs - there seem to be constant re-organisations going on. And since he started Yr1 it all went downhill - he saw a new stressed, very young woman a couple of weeks ago, and that was the first time he had been seen since January (and he's Statemented). That was only because I had a tantrum.
I think some SALTs are absolutely amazing - but they are so over-stretched it is crazy. This new young girl is SALT for a giant school cluster, and she's expected to deal with it singlehandedly.

..did you have a response Riven?
I suggest younow ask for formal review (as outlined in complaints procedure.Takes no more than a letter-Community health Council will support you.)

Moondog I think it is great you are giving advice to Riven as who to complain to seems like banging your head against a brick wall sometimes as no result!

I am about to go to high court I don't take no sh** and know ds has to have this now as small window of opportunity IYKWIM being nearly 4 years old ....maybe I will include SALT and OT if it is worth it from What I have had.... SFA I fight all the way and always will!

Keep up youe excellent advice Moondog!

no response yet MD
dd starts at a new mainstream school in september for reception and it has a resource base for severely physically impaired children. I have high hopes.
But have left 5 messages on SALT's voice phone this week and she's not called me back. ffs, kids with a slight stammer get help every fucking week, and dd with no speech gets none. Or help feeding.

My ds's first SALT was a lovely lady but she was only interested in assessing him...but as ds would never comply with her at all, this was impossible. His second SALT at nursery was very geared up for SN kids and I think it may be her main priority as she visits the special schools too. His third SALT (at school) observes him now and then (I'm guessing it's about once per half term) then passes on her recommendations to the classroom staff, who then implement them. My ds, btw, is totally non-verbal!!!