Speech Therapy under/around 2yrs old

[DizzyCow63]

My DS has been referred for speech therapy, and his first appointment is on 26.3.13. He is 23 months. I am just curious as to whether anyone else?s DC have had speech therapy this young ? I am curious as to how much they will actually be able to work with him (not least because he is very very shy) and I am worried about being sent away for a number of months simply because of his age, when he already has a marked delay and I don?t want it to get any worse.

Any advice etc very gratefully received!

[CognitiveOverload]

Take a look at the hanen book, its simialr to the approach slt takes and you can practice the techniques at home as exposure and consistency is key.

[kelda]

I think that would really depend on the SALT.

My ds didn't start speech therapy until the age of 3.5 and even that is considered young here in Belgium (usually not started until the age of four).

I do understand your concerns though. Have you had his hearing checked?

[Crocky]

He may not need speech therapy if he is anything like my ds. They may just Assess him and monitor his progress. My ds was referred at this age. He was just a lot slower to pick up speech than others around him. He had issues with recurrent ear infections and his hearing was affected because of this. They continued to monitor him and gave me a few hints and tips but he got there in his own time.
I remember well the worry I went through at the time but it can turn out just fine.

[HormonalHousewife]

My son went for the first visit at 23 months (they later admitted it was an error it should have been 6 months later)

It will be just observation really, pass me this... can you show me the cat... etc

my son was terribly shy and has on several occasions just clammed up and refused to cooperate. Its good just to give him experience of the room the therapist etc. Its frustrating but They have seen it all before.

you probably will come away from it thinking 'wtf was all that about... waste of time'

[HormonalHousewife]

Oh and also, One time in the early stages it was recorded and the SALT left the room and so we just chatted normally. DS opened up normally and gave the salt a good idea of what the issues were.

[SummerRainIsADistantMemory]

Ds2 was assessed at 12 months and started treatment at 18 months due to tongue tie and oral dyspraxia. He started speaking at 2y10m largely thanks to SALT helping us learn Lámh (Irish SN sign language)

Most of what they did in the early stages was physical exercises to improve his oral motor skills, actual speech work came later.

[coppertop]

My ds2 started speech therapy just after his 2nd birthday. He'd already been assessed so went straight into monthly appointments.

Your first visit will probably just be an assessment to check his understanding of language and his spoken language (if any). It usually means playing with the child and talking to them about the toys/game. So lots of "Where's teddy?" and "Give teddy a drink" instructions.

You may find that even if your ds needs actual therapy, he will have to go on another waiting list before he gets it.

My own ds had language difficulties due to autism, so his therapy was about building up his understanding of language as well as his spoken language. Again this involved using toys, and sometimes cards with pictures on them.

[Sleepstarved]

My DD has been on the waiting list for SALT from 15 months, other delays were also present early on. She has not just turned 2, was assessed and triaged before Christmas and we hope to start some form of gentle therapy after Easter.
2 is a little young and some say there can be big advances in speech at this age so some SALTs are unwilling to start anything too intense for another six months.
Better to be in the system though I think. Keep pushing, IME SALTs are very slow and lax.

[lljkk]

Early SLT is about improving their listening skills, making sure they can hear the different parts of English speech, helping them to distinguish the different sounds. It's about receptive rather than productive speech. There may be a physical problem such as the tongue not acting as it should, or a language disorder problem, but most early SLT is about them listening.

[DizzyCow63]

Thanks all, my battery died so sorry for abandoning the thread! Some very helpful posts at first read, will read them all properly and probably be back with more questions tomorrow!