Moondog your input please.

[staryeyed]

My son 2.3 ASD is seeing a SALT. She is currently teaching us PECS. On our first visit she was supposed to be doing an assessment but just asked lots of questions about health and background. Now I know he is young and doesnt say much but should he have had an assessment? Its just that Ive no idea about how far behind his expressive and receptive language are. all our visits are just based around me doing PECS with him at home. Is this how it should be?

[2shoes]

bump

[moondog]

Hi Stary.
Back online after a few days with computer down so have just seen this.
Fantasticthat you are starting pECS so soon btw.

As for assessment,well it is really a blanket term which covers the general idea of 'information gathering' which your salt is obviously doing so all good there.

Very hard to do a formal assessment (ie language 'tests') on such a young child,so information gathering imho is the way to go.

Btw,have you been on the 2 day introductory PECS course? That is ESSENTIAL

[staryeyed]

Thanks moondog. No I havent been on the course but I think I will- there is one coming in August.

Not much progress with the PECS at the moment.

[moondog]

Hmm,that's odd.
Emphasis is on whizzing through pECS.If not,something is often not being done properly.
I urge you to go on the course.

[Peachy]

staryeyed our son (just turned 4, sojme language but limites possibly ASD- CARS scale score of 41 apaprently) is being assessed as well, but its done over several visits apaprently (and each one you have to be placed on a waiting listfor- at least 1 month apart so far and not yet a second appointment).

Lucky that they have statred you on pecs though, ythats good going!

[staryeyed]

Sorry moondog I dont understand your post- whizzing through pecs do you mean we should be whizzing through. So far the progress has been very slow but mostly because I dont feel Ive had enough guidance o get on with it. 2x 20 mins is all so far at fortnightly intervals.

[moondog]

Oh God,that's not fast enough at all!!!

It needs to be done a lot throughout the day and the six stages need to be tackled quite quickly too.

I'm not saying this is the salts fault-time is a huge factor and a lot of the kids I use PECS with could go a lot faster if

a.) My caseload was less

b.) Parents had PECS training too.


I can't do much about the first but i can about the second and we do arrange free PECS training for parents and other professionals at regular intervals although not all trusts do this.

You really need to get on a PECS course ASAP. Noone can 'teach' you PECS on such infrequenbt visits and ignore anyone who tells you that they can. I am on really solid ground here-PECS is my speciality.

Go on a course and go now.It migt prove to be the best investment you have ever made.

[pigfrog]

Hi

I would totally agree with moondog here (I'm also a SALT). You can't expect a child to get any benefit from PECS by doing 2 sessions a fortnight. The PECS training course is brilliant and you'll most likely really struggle to fully understand the principles unless you go on it. Once you do, you'll be able to support his progress SO mcuh better and with SO much more confidence that you're doing it right!!

Good Luck!

Susan