Still not talking after grommets?

[Hillstreet]

DD is 2.5 and had grommets fitted two months ago. So far she has tried to say 1-2 new words, but they have replaced the words she already had (she says less than 5 words on a regular basis, but these sometimes change).

We are currently waiting for another hearing test and a speech and language assessment (it looks like around a year’s wait for an NHS SLT so exploring private options). In the meantime, I’m so worried about how far she’s falling behind.

Has anyone experienced similar? I’m really starting to think that glue ear might have been a red herring and something else is at play but I’m not sure what else to look at. Any tips or advice would be so appreciated.

Is she communicating her needs? Does she point, gesture, make choices, verbalise?
Does she get frustrated if you don’t know what she wants?

While waiting for assessments there is no reason why you can’t use communication systems or methods to help. These can of course and should be accompanied by speech.

You could try baby signing/ Signalong and visuals. Depending on her level of understanding these could be objects of reference e.g a cup to request a drink or a backpack to indicate going out time, photographs for her to make choices or requests or line drawing symbols which she probably isn’t ready for yet.

Has your Health Visitor been able to advise? Is there funded nursery provision for 2 year olds in your area for children with communication difficulties?
If her hearing was impaired it is probably early days.
You can also scaffold and model language during play and every day activities.

So she knows a few basic signs (things like eat, drink, hot, cold etc.) and we are working on more. At the minute she prefers to point and physically take us to what she wants, but will sign as a last resort.

She avoids vocalising at all unless very comfortable in her surroundings. Except for really good days, this means she only really babbles around me and DH.

The health visitor was good at referring her for grommets but isn’t able to do anything about the wait time for SLT, and isn’t helpful in finding resources for us to use in the meantime.

Her attitude is very wait and see which I understand, but it’s frustrating knowing she may need support that she’s not getting.

She does go to nursery 1.5 days a week but I’m not aware of any funding we’re eligible for. I’ll check that out though, thanks. Nursery are lovely but have said they can’t put more support in place until they know more.

Look on the Local Offer for your authority online. You could contact the Early Years team too.
Our authority provides funded 2 yr old nursery provision for children with communication difficulties or additional needs and Early Years Inclusion Supplement / funding for children in Nursery/ Preschool but some authorities only provide this over 3 years.
Nursery should be putting support in based on need not diagnosis.

Focus on functional signs and words e.g.don’t worry about please and than you. Signs are easy enough but not functional help and more are useful.
I’d get a laminator and velcro. If taking photos for communication try to take pics on a plain background.

Verbally use ready steady go activities pausing to see if she will say go or g or a sound. Use repetitive rhymes and instruments for rhythm drums, tambourines etc. Make personalised books with photos of family favourite toys etc.
Make animal and toy noises to see if she will imitate.

Have you considered using makaton ( a simple form of British sign language) to aid her to express herself ?My youngest son used this as he had a tracheostomy from 15 months for ten months and couldn’t speak during that time.. It allowed him to communicate and we had great support from a speech therapist. Once the tracky was out his speech caught up in just a few months. I hope everything works out well for her.