DD speech delay - not glue ear, so what else?

[TootaLaFruit]

My DD is 2.4 and has very few words. I've always felt a niggle that something might be up but didn't want to be an overly anxious parent, especially as everyone always says "kids develop at different rates/one day she'll wake up speaking whole sentences etc"

But, her nursery (which she goes to 3 morning a week) spoke to me and suggested we have her tested for glue ear as they felt her speech was very behind where it should be. By that I mean it's not that she's not trying to speak, it just all comes out completely babbled. She really, really tries but is pretty much incomprehensible. My DH and I are pretty much the only ones who get what she's saying, and a lot of the time I have no idea. She doesn't make sentences either, or use verbs. It's all 'more, eese (please), nanoo (thank you), mummy, dada, no, inder (in there), dees (this)'. That really is about it. A few animal noises and grunting sounds to convey pretty much everything else.

Anyway, sorry for going on, I will get to the point! Her hearing test came back perfectly fine, no glue ear or liquid at all and everything normal. I'm taking her to see a paediatrician to rule out anything else, but can anyone give me any advice on what it could be. I'm worried that if I don't push for her to be tested for the right things then they'll miss something and she'll end up even more delayed.

Sorry for the length of post and thanks if you're still reading! She also drools a lot - painting a gorgeous picture, aren't I?

[BalloonSlayer]

I think perhaps you need to look at it like this: is she managing to communicate her needs to you adequately?

It sounds like she is. It really isn't all about speech, it's about communication, is she trying to communicate, does she know she needs to communicate? Sounds like yes to all of those.

I often wonder what it is I do wrong which has made my DCs have speech delay, still grunting when other DCs are talking in paragraphs. I sometimes wonder whether I have better-than-average ability to work out what a indistinct word actually is, and therefore to understand my DCs grunts and squeaks; which may have meant they did not have as much incentive to improve.

I used to say about DD, who seemed to have her own language, that we were like Luke Skywalker and R2D2.

DD: An ee ooo ahh olly ee ah

Me: No you've had a lolly already, you can have another one after tea.

(Incidentally - brag alert - both DS1 and DD are now considered vey bright children. Don't know how DS2 will turn out.)

[randomimposter]

takes 2 to talk book here - much cheaper. Was recommended to me last week Will read thread so far and post later when I get a minute.

[TootaLaFruit]

I just can't believe how expensive those books are! I'm in the wrong business

[musicmaiden]

They are, but they are really good and will change your whole thinking on communication, I think. I am in the early stages of looking at Two to Talk (DS is only 18mo but so obviously behind his peers, I figure it can't hurt to learn to communicate the best way with him from the outset.)

If you think of them as 'textbooks', they aren't that badly priced compared with some of the ones I bought for university [cough] numbers of years ago.

[AdelaofBlois]

Sounds very simialr to my DS1, who has verbal/oral dyspraxia. He also drools a lot, and love shaving wet fingers! Mind you, he also has glue ear. You may find many more words in the next few months-things get just ab it clearer and its obviosu all that babling was something, and that vocab is building well.

You need to get a referral to SaLT for investigation. You've had a hearing test, so that's ace. Nursery, GP, HV or all three should help.

[TootaLaFruit]

Thanks everyone - I didn't expect such a great response. You've really managed to help me sort out in my head what my next steps are. Nursery are on half-term this week (which I remembered as I walked up to the entrance this morning with DD and satchel in tow ) so will see paediatrician this week and speak to them about SALT when they're back in.

Really big thanks to everyone who replied with their suggestions/reassurances/advice

Here, have some un-MN y'all xxxxxxxxxxx

[CarGirl]

I just want to add that my youngest pass a NHS hearing test twice. By chance we had one done for free privately. Okay so her hearing wasn't bad enough to be hearing impaired BUT she didn't have a "normal" hearing curve.

Her hearing was too sensitive to the low frequencies, was okish for the mid frequencies and not sensitive enough in the high frequencies. She was 3 and unintelligible to me for about 70% of what she said - she gibbered away but it was so hard to understand and she is my 4th so it wasn't like I didn't have previous experience of toddlers including one with glue ear and speech delay.

For her it was an audtiory processing problem and we got it sorted using johansen sound therapy. It cost quite a bit of money around £600 in total BUT she started recepion just turned 4 hardly being understable and on the SEN list needing lots of support and finished reception with near perfect hearing and speaking normally.

I am still fuming that they told me twice that her hearing was fine when it was clearly not and what speech she did have was difficult to understand and sounded like a hearing impaired child - just saying the middle sounds of words etc. She was 5 before she could actually say the word "yes" it was "neh" I think she was probably past 4 before she could say the sound "s" on it's own and "y" and a whole load of other sounds many of which should be the first sounds they learn to pronounce notthe last!

[TootaLaFruit]

Actually Leonie I'm not, purebred british bulldog... I think I have an aversion to the word 'backpack' though thanks to Dora the feckin' Explorer!

Cargirl she sounds like my DD (only saying the middle bits of words) - I will mention auditory processing to the nursery, see what they think. DD's hearing test was done privately as it would have been weeks and weeks for an NHS one, was slightly that she ended up passing it (I know it was a good thing, but £££ for something she didn't need!) I'm presuming the private test would have covered the auditory processing though?

Glad to hear she's pronouncing all her letters well now - certainly gives me hope. Am still stuck on whether to just wait and see what happens, or press for more testing and speech therapy...... she's been talking way more than usual in the last few days and trying new words, but they're all pretty unintelligible

[ShoeJunkie]

Just wanted to add to what others have said - please go and get referred to Speech and Language Therapy. You can refer yourself, don't need to go through the GP/HV. If you google it you should be able to find your local NHS SLT.

Not all SLT depts have massively long waiting lists either - whereabouts are you OP?

In the meantime I would also second looking into Makaton signing as an extra way of communicating with your DD. Something Special on Ceebeebies is fab! May also have some signing classes at your local Sure Start Centre if you have one?

[hatsybatsy]

dd had similar issues. made virtually no consonant sounds when speaking when she had her 2.5 year review.

we were referred to kids speech therapy - took a month or so i think? and from then on we received a huge amount of help. she had speech therapy sessions and went to a speech therapy play group for a while.

the speech therapists also worked with her nursery and they came up with a book of sounds that they practiced with her daily.

everyone was v proactive.

by the time she went into reception, she had no preceivable speech issue

so - i don't have any bland platititudes for you, just a very positive experience of the nhs in action. once your dd has been referred, hope the system works for you too

[ragged]

See what the Nursery SALT says, OP. They will be in the best place to advise you. SALT is a big area and you could waste a lot of energy charging in the wrong directions without the expert guidance. The SALT should give you lots of homework and other guidance, which (ime) is as much as you can reasonably do, anyway (getting a book would have been both overkill and overwhelming for me).

FWIW I think 3 DC and me all have APD to some extent, but it's something no SALT I've spoken to has mentioned.

DD was very similar, OP. Her speech problems resolved themselves when she got to school (phonics).

At 2y2m check DS3 had 13 words, btw. I have a few recent threads about him on here. He is whinging at me now, so must dash!

[TootaLaFruit]

ShoeJunkie I'm in SW London. Something Special is on now! DD playing with my iphone

hatsybatsy and ragged thanks for sharing your experiences [sound like I'm in a therapy group emoticon]
It's good to know that the nhs system is working well, and that speech problems have started to resolve with the right input. Ah, 'tis a minefield.

[ShoeJunkie]

The 'nursery' SLT is likely to be the NHS SLT visiting a child already referred in nursery and won't be able to anything about your DD until a referral has been recieved (for issues of consent, getting a good background history etc).

Get a referral to SLT, they will then be able to point you in the right direction, speech, language whatever and involve specialist colleagues as needed.

[ShoeJunkie]

Ah, not my area! (May as well out myself as one of those Speech and Language Therapists ) so not sure about waiting lists etc.

Good website for Something Special too - if DD would rather be at a computer!!

[TootaLaFruit]

Sorry, I'm being a right old dunce here but how do I self-refer? I'm looking on the nhs website but going round in circles and not really sure what I'm looking for.

I'm seeing a developmental paediatrician this Friday who I'm hoping could refer us, but he's a private gp and I'm not sure we can afford to keep going the private route Would he be able to refer us to an nhs slt? [new-to-this emoticon]

[TootaLaFruit]

We're Kingston-upon-Thames btw

[ShoeJunkie]

From google;


Speech and Language Therapy

The service provides help for children with communication difficulties, and their families. The aim is to help each child develop their understanding and their ability to express themselves, and use these skills as successfully as possible. This will always involve key people in the child's life, and may require the use of signing, symbols, and other communication aids. Therapists may also work with children who have feeding difficulties.

Service Manager: Rebecca Lacey

Principal Therapist: Amanda Christie

Address:
Elmside
1 Oakhill
Surbiton
Surrey
KT6 6DU

Telephone: 020 8390 8252

Email: [email protected]

Give them a ring/email. They may send you out a form, or they may do it over the phone/from your email.

I would always advise at least being in the NHS system even if you do decide to go down the private route at a later date. Plus it's free

I would agree with Leonie - better off doing i yourself than waiting for somebody else - you know it's happened then!

Any other questions - just ask, I'll help if I can (though all depts work slightly differntly)

[TootaLaFruit]

That's brilliant, thank you so much for taking the time to help! It's a little scary to think how clueless I would be right now if it weren't for the advice and experiences of those on MN - I feel so better-informed and plan-of-action-y than I did this time yesterday.

On behalf of my DD and I, a great big Nanoo! *







*thank you

[ShoeJunkie]

[ErnestTheBavarian]

that 'it takes 2 to talk book' is 32 dollars in amazon.com?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21, which is about £17.50. so might be best price? hth