to ask for your SALT experiences?

[ItWasABoojum]

I've just been offered, and accepted, a place to train as a Speech and Language Therapist. After years of worry and uncertainty over what to do with my life, this is a dream come true, and I'm determined to be the best therapist I can be.

I'm sure there must be parents here who have experience of this kind of therapy, and as my eventual aim is to work with children, I'd love to know any of your experiences that could help me - anything that's annoyed you, anything you've found especially helpful, anything your children have said that could help me avoid pitfalls or just to do that little bit extra that would be appreciated and make a difference. Thank you in advance, a very excited and happy SALT-to-be!

'Stickers, and bubbles work wonders'

Except for when they don't. Don't get frustrated and blame the child if they don't. Find something that DOES or ask the parents.

Miss M - I'm in Scotland so requirements may be different, but I don't have any physics or chemistry either; my background is in linguistics, which I came to via the English Language and Lit route. Okay so linguistics is still a science, but it's one more in tune with a wordy rather than a numerical brain, so perhaps that's an avenue you could explore. Good luck if you do decide to retrain!

Littleducks - thanks, I will. I'm going to Queen Margaret (Edinburgh).

Everyone else - thanks so much for all your input and good wishes. And I will investigate the SN boards, definitely. I love Mumsnetters

StarlightMcKenzie has hit the nail on the head, involve the parents as much as possible.

If I have an English Language and Literature degree (2:1) what would you have to do to train in this area?

I also have a lv2 TA qualification that I did in my spare time. I'm really interested in this.

Stickers don't work for my ds. Bubbles do. But if you use them too often he thinks he gets them for free and refused to do anything.

He works best if they play a game and he gets bubbles every 2-3 goes rather than every go... but he really doesn't have to win every game every time.

Other thing he loves to do is correct the SALT. They make a mistake and he'll correct them with lots of giggles.

Oh well done OP, apparently the QM course is really tough to get into

We use SALT services in the care home for the elderly people who are having difficulty swallowing. They have been very good, but we could do with more support and quicker follow up for those people who are chronically aspirating. Something more proactive would be helpful.

'I'm going to Queen Margaret (Edinburgh)'

Yay, that's where I went A few years ago now though.... Edinburgh is such a fantastic place to be a student - you will have a brilliant time OP. Good luck!

Although campus is actually in Musselburgh now... still, there's always the night bus

Kayano - with that degree and TA experience I'd say you're well on the way (QMU entry requirements are here). I have little direct experience of the kind they ask for - a bit of Sunday School teaching, tutoring and auxiliary nursing, that's it. My degree was in language and lit but 75% language, and I concentrated on phonology and have done some since. If you're really keen and can show that on your application, though, that seems to count for a lot, even if your degree isn't in their preferred subject.

Thanks all you lovely people :)

My frustration is that the NHS waiting lists are ridiculous. It was decided my DS2 needed speech therapy at about 2.5yrs, we had an assessment where the woman got frustrated that he got bored and waan't cooperative after an hour. Anyway the upshot was that he needed therapy but the wait was 2-3years. We were offered 4 group sessions a year later which z then nothing until he had finishes reception and was going in to year 1, whih was far too late.
Thankfully we could afford a private therapist who was very good at dealing with DS2 and we worked together to do the work required. He saw her for about six months weekly with us working every day on exercises and was fully 'normal' after that.

our SALT was abolutely dire.
My advice is good for anyone, not just a SALT:
If you say you are going to do something, BLOODY WELL DO IT.

Sorry. As you were

Don't think the OP can do much about the NHS waiting lists sadly.

You've really got me thinking. Discovered that my nearest course is Birmingham City and you can even get funding. Thanks for bringing this up OP, you could have created a whole flood of new speech therapists!

I agree she can't do anything about the NHS waiting lists but it may help her to appreciate how desperate parents are by the time they get to see her.

Our salts were very smiley, jolly, nice, smiley. Really upbeat. I used to get very upset but they were always super positive.

Lots explained to me, the technical stuff, which i still find really interesting. ..... Consant reduction, consonant cluster, flat tongue for s, lateral lisps ... To name a few!

Congrstulations on the place. What a fantastic job.