To be annoyed, re speech therapy

[99problems]

Ds (4) has been severely let down by speech therapy service in our area. We have therefore decided to pay for a private assessment of his needs. This was supposed to take place in school as he would be tired after school and she wanted to see how he interacts with other kids. I mentioned this to his teacher at parent's evening recently who said it was fine, she was aware of the situation and had also felt ds had been let down by community speech therapist.

I have just had a phone call from the school office telling me they 'can't accommodate' the private speech therapist - who is due to be assessing ds on Monday. When I asked for further details as to why not the receptionist didn't know, she said because she's a private therapist it's an issue and the teacher is still off sick so I can't ask her. Ds is working a lot with the TA with his speech and lang anyway so it would be in this time she was due to assess him - not standard lesson time.

I could cry! We have been messed around so badly already, I have saved up for this assessment as I don't want ds to suffer any more and now this. The private speech therapist can only do Monday at 4pm (if not in school hours) and ds will be knackered by then.

Tell HT to speak to the local council for guidance, a list 99 check would be sufficient in those circumstances. Ds advises schools on safeguarding and that is his advice.

I just wanted to say that the fact that your DS's speech is not easy to understand is not necessarily going to prove a problem in his interaction with other children. Many adults found DD was impossible to understand for years, but she still had friends at school who seemed to know exactly what she was saying!
I am not trying to minimise the issue you have with speech therapy or the school, but did want to pass on a message that children can be surprisingly flexible and accepting of what to adult ears are significant speech problems.

Occasionalposter is right, but that is exactly why it is the ideal scenario that the SLT observe peer interaction as well as interaction with adults.

I am a safeguarding officer in a school and no one has to have to have a crb to come in, although ultimately there is always the get out clause of the decision being at the head teachers discretion. Obviously as general good practice crbs should generally be in place for regular visitors. However in this case a risk assessment can take place and as long as the child is not alone and vulnerable with a trusted adult then procedures can be put in place. Being observed in a busy classroom is not a 'regulated activity' therefore it does not apply in this case. Hth.

I spoke to the speech therapist who reckons there's something else going on, so now I'm going crazy wondering why the school are being so difficult. Speech therapist doesn't think wecan do speech therapy if not oin school as it would be at 4.30pm each week and that's too much for a 4 y/o after a busy day in school

Take him out of school to do the speech therapy if they won't accommodate you.

We had to pay privately for S&L after getting messed around for 2 years.

Currently have a block of 8 sessions through NHS, really piss poor compared to our private therapist.

I work full time so can't, going to have to try to get the day off on Monday for the assessment to be done at home. Livid