....to ask you to sign this petition to get Government to implement changes to provision for children with Speech & Language Impairment

[SandunesAndRainclouds]

My ten year old daughter has Speech and Language Disorder. Her ability to communicate, understand and access education is severely impaired by her disability. There is currently no specialist provision for her going into secondary school within an hour of home. She cannot cope in mainstream school. We risk being one of the thousands of families with children with SEN being displaced from education. It’s terrifying.

Without significant intervention, children like my little girl are going to continue to be overlooked. They are going to be continued to be labelled as ‘difficult to assess’ and not given correct and appropriate diagnoses for their difficulties. This means they cannot access support and therapies to help them reach their potential and become an integrated member of their communities.

I’m 2012, The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists shared a research paper undertaken in 2007 that showed over 60% of young offenders had difficulties with speech, language and communication.

Bercow: Ten Years On is a report on the state of provision for children’s speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) in England. The report has been published by I CAN , the children’s communication charity, and the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT).

Through extensive evidence gathering, I CAN and the RCSLT collected the views of children and young people, parents and carers, speech and language therapists, education professionals, commissioners and many others about the reality of support for children and young people with speech, language and communication needs in 2018.

The report shows poor understanding of and insufficient resourcing for speech, language and communication needs. This means too many children and young people receive inadequate, ineffective and inequitable support, potentially impacting on their educational outcomes, their employability and their mental health.

We desperately need to highlight their cause, and this can be done so by signing this petition to get government to implement the recommended changes.

Please sign it. My little girl deserves so much better

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/215643

Bumping

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Signed. It’s a shameful situation. And, as a PP says, the OT situation is even worse.

OT? What's that?

It is a shameful situation though. And services seem to be cut by stealth. We've had to have a massive bunfight just to get anything.

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9,927!!

SO close!!

Bumping for the lunch crowd!

Signed.

9,981.... let’s get this to Parliament!

Appalling. Signed.

10,003

YES!!!!

Signed. We had to pay private for weekly speech - £65 a time - for our son despite him being classed as having a severe speech and language delay due to ANSD and hearing loss. The free stuff including a parenting class - which told me to turn off the tv and talk to him

• and termly visits at school. Tbf the school have been fab and worked with the private SALT. They have a TA who has done courses and she has worked so hard and made such a difference. But we should not have to find the money. Many can’t and it is such a waste of talent.

Signed. Both my DCs have had need of SALT, and we wouldn't be able to afford it privately.

Signed.

My ASD son gets far more help through ABA, which we pay a fortune for, of course, than from the NHS/Virgincare SALT . It's unacceptable that the provision isn't available for all who need it.

One of my twins has just been diagnosed with visual impairment, unsure of the severity. There’s already talk of vision teachers and all sorts.

The other potentially has a hearing issue and they won’t do anything regarding his speech because he’s not two yet, even if he does have a hearing impairment. It’s disgraceful.

Bumping to get this onto I'm on when I'm at a pc to do.

Only reason dd2 is speaking as well as she is (verbal dyspraxia) is school cobbling together what they can from previous kids workbooks - cos we're a year on wait list with no money to go private so far

Signed and shared. Currently waiting for SALT appt for my daughter

Yay!! Great news OP! Hoping that they get 10,000 more signatures.

Signed and shared, it's now at 10,045.

The ‘difficult to assess’ label is so hard when trying to get help for my oldest son who was under that for years. Some of the ridiculous things we were told (like the tv thing, also I kept getting comments that my accents was to blame, like having a Midwestern American accent affects a child's ability to understand or ask questions ). All of us deserve so much better.

My ds still seems to have the 'difficult to assess' label. No diagnosis after 5 years in the system.

Signed. My 4 year old had a speech delay but he has used our local provisions since the age of 2. He is lucky enough to be moved to our local School in September with no further assistance needed. But I understand how hard and difficult this can be, I'm thinking of your family. And I hope that by signing and sharing that this all helps