Hello !
Every time DS and I go to this particular shop, the owner has to ALWAYS comment on DS lack of speech and language skills...ALWAYS has the need to test him and ALWAYS has to advice me what I should be doing to help with his language skills ( like I already don't know !). It's probably coming from a good place but I don't feel like the owner is sensitive.
To give a background, DS has severe language and communication difficulties (his 7) and verbal dyspraxia... he talks loads but this particular speech disorder makes him sound young (and garbled) due to the consistent phonological errors. He only said three words at Five ! But do to his fantasies current school and my efforts his speech as come a very long way.
Earlier this morning, I had to go to the shop to collect something ( I rolled my eyes as I knew what was going to happen). I said "Hi" to the owner and told her I was here to collect X Y Z. She then sees DS (🙄) and proceeds to ask him a series of questions...she does it to test what his gonna say or if his speech is coming along. DS didn't say much, he nod his head to a few of her questions, replied briefly and continued to look at whatever he was looking at.
The owner then came up towards me and told me "Awww he can only say two words" (🙄). He says a lot more that that. She then asks me...in front of customers ! (I don't like people who I don't know knowing my business). "...How is his speech coming along....? " I replied "it's fine". She then proceeded to tell me that "You can tell his speech is bad .. he needs to mix with other children so he can learn to talk more/communicate more and talk to him more".
DS is always around children, I arrange several outings in order for him to see his friends over the holidays. He has mixed with children since Nursery... been mixing with other children at his school and goes to the parks/ play centres and I talk to him LOADS. He Currently participates in group swimming lessons and Football. Guess what ?! He didn't learn to speak from mixing from the other children. He couldn't as he didn't have the skills to. It's like he had to be specifically taught on how to communicate/ speak use other augmentative methods to bring his speech and language communication needs.
I wanted to say all the above. But I smiled and nodded me head...didn't have time to get into a heated debate.
She also mentioned to me that "she feels sorry for DS and I should be doing more to help" ? . I then replied "He attends a specialist provision which help with his language skills... I use and model a high tec AAC system... he attends private speech and language sessions.. I work with him loads at home...". The owner kept quiet and didn't say much else... I collected my stuff and went.
Every time I go there, it's a downer, DS has progressed a lot and to the people who he doesn't know or see him...they just pity him or expect me to (like pitying anyone helps?!!) they think I'm not doing enough to help him otherwise he should of been speaking properly by now. Not only that... she does this in front of the customers every time and I hate the need to feel like I have to tell people, who don't even know me, what I do with DS.
Should I just avoid going to the shop all together. Should I say anything when the owner starts again ?