Support thread for speech and laguage delay toddlers...

[Orangeflower7]

Hi, I have a little boy of 2.5 and we have just today had our first speech and language referral appointment as he is not saying many words yet. I thought maybe other parents might be in the same position and would like to share experiences for support?

It took a few weeks for the appointment, which we were referred to by the health visitor. The therapist told us he has a moderate language delay and has given us ideas of some signs to use with him, she has advised us to keep language clear and simple and we will get a place at a toddler group run by speech and language therapists who will observe and support us. Not sure how long that will take as they only have 6 children in a group but there is an option we can go to the next town if necessary. He also had his hearing tested by the hospital audiologist last week and they said his hearing was fine.

for those who already know that their child has a problem understanding language, the DVD called (and don't be put off by this title please) "Teach me to Listen and Obey" is one of the few decent resources aimed at helping you work on your child's understanding (as opposed to talking).

You can get it from the www.teachmetotalk.com site. Volume one is basics. Volume 2 is more advanced things.

it's very positive and she has a wonderful Dolly-Parton-like accent.

Weird, I thought I posted on this previously, but maybe not!
Had good news I hope I may be forgiven for sharing. May even encourage some.

3.5yo DS3 just got an all-clear from SALT, 1.5 weeks ago. He had about 12 words at age 2y3m, and only a very limited range of unclear 2 word phrases just about on 3rd birthday, when SALT gave us many exercises but to be honest, most were too difficult for us both (he didn't know his colours, for instance). Instead I reverted to the standard simple advice about how to encourage speech: looking into his eyes and speaking slowly and explaining things clearly. The SALT homework I had to do with DS2 came in handy, just in terms of how to talk to DS3. His speech suddenly improved, mostly over a 3 month period, the SALT overheard DS3 in the supermarket a month ago & said she knew from hearing him there that he didn't need to see him again. DS3's vocab is huge, now.

That said, I've asked her to keep him in the system for a review in 8 months, in case of difficulties with specific speech sounds (problem that DS2 had). DS3 still not as clear as I'd like, but is now well within normal, at least.

Thanks for sharing ragged. Great news about your little boy. My DD sounds a lot like him. She is 3 at the end of this month and has just a handful of quite unclear words. Some are joined up for example "there he/she/it is!" but the majority are unclear single words.
It is lovely to hear a positive outcome.

ragged I know what you mean about some of the SALT excercises being too hard and choosing to stick strongly to the more simple and basic advice. the first SALT we saw suggested activities like baking a cake with DS for example! He would have wrecked the kitchen and probably burned down the house within two minutes, I can't yet allow him in the kitchen when any cooking is on as he is a major "climber"! And colours and stuff: well he just isn't there yet. So we do what we can do...

bumping up for the evening crew.

Ragged - that is so encouraging. My HV uses a Bristol Communication tool which means you don't merit a referral it appears unless your child doesn't make eye contact or role-play. Has anyone else heard of this?

I haven't come across that, Wobbly. DS had his referral to SALT despite making good eye contact, etc.

Dd was referred to pead because of not making eye contact.

Ps Dr referred as our HVs are a waste of the money they're paid not very good at referrals. or hearing screenings, but that's another story

Have any of you had a Surestart S&LT?

We had a brilliant one who came every week for 6 weeks,
as well as having a NHS S&LT that she sees every 6 months for appointments, but also goes to observe her at nursery between these appointments.

Great to find this thread. My DS is 2.10 and has been having SALT for 7 months now. At 2.3 he could only say about 20 words, and now we'ire almost on three word sentences (all be it with rather a limited vocab, but it's vastly bigger than it was when we started). He's been diagnosed with glue ear, but paed not ruling out anything else till grommets have gone it and the adnoids out.

The uncertainty about what is going on is what I find the hardest. A fear that glue ear isn't the main thing, and something else could be going on keeps appearing. So many people tell me glue ear doesn't cause this degree of delay. Limbo is a pretty frustrating place for me. Don't know if any of the rest of you get these fear and keep hoping for more answers than are available.

CJN IMO glue ear (and indeed any form of deafness) at an age when DC should be learning vocabulary, will have a huge effect on their development of language.
Well done to your DS for the great progress he has made. :)

In the past 11 months since we first saw pead, I have to admit that the fear rarely goes away.

I have that fear and dread feeling every day, I must admit. I try to offset it with telling myself that whatever happens he is still my beautiful sweet funny happy little boy, and we will deal with whatever comes our way, but it is difficult sometimes especially when I see other mothers with their toddlers chatting away to them. cjn I also don't really buy the idea that glue ear causes as much delay as this (my DS is now 2.2 and basically can say car in imitataion, arf arf if he sees a pictiure of a sea lion and didah for a spider and that is pretty much it).

Glad I'm not the only one to also find it really hard when other mum's are there chatting away to their toddlers of the same age. Mostly it's OK, but every now and then you get a highly articulate toddler and that huge difference is quite overwhelming. It just reminds me of what isn't happening with DS's development and makes me feel rather sad.

Sometimes the other parents also seem to find it hard. One good friend from our NCT group actually said 'Oh, I'm so glad he's making progress. I was worried I was going to loose a friend over all of this' ?!?!

One thing that is probably worth noting though is quite how much progress toddlers with speech and language delay can make wiith appropriate support. I'm stunned at how far we've come. It's taken a huge effort (and can be exhausting). For 4 months we did 'games' after every meal, having watched the Laura Mize 'teach me to talk' DVDs and seen a private speech therapist who trained us up. Sometimes DS only concentrated for 5 minutes and sometimes we could keep going for 45. Since then we all talk in very simple sentences, face to face and so on. We have a cupboard with special toys we only use for SLT at home, so it seem exciting and special. We also did Sing and Sign (he was by far the oldest in the group, but the teacher was happy with that and very keen to help) and we learnt extra sign language at home. It's often difficult to get my partner on board, as he's works silly hours and is tired when he gets home. Others are great. Friends, granny and some very unexpected ones too.

So whilst I feel huges amounts of anxiety at times about it all, this whole thing has also left me with very proud moments of watching a little boy cope and learn. He's a changed person sinces he's learnt some communication, no more biting and lashing out.

cjn can I ask where you got the Laura Mize DVD from (assuming you are in the UK)? I would like to get it (it looks v interesting) but have not been able to find a site that will ship it to the UK.

Hmm, I ordered it from the US but I am in the UK. My bank rang up thinking someone was fraudulently (? sp) using my card, but other than that it was very efficient. I think there's talks by her on youtube.com.

This is one of those days when I just feel low and pessimistic about it all. DS keeps saying nonsense words very clearly and emphatically (IGA! and GOOGLEGOOGLEGOOGLE!) and I don't understand what he is trying to tell me, which is frustrating for both of us. I am convinced he will never really talk.

OK well I have emailed her on her website so hope to get it that way, thanks

theDudesmummy the one called 'teach me to listen and obey' is much better than the title suggests. One thing I noticed was DS wasn't listening at all, and that was the first step in getting him to talk. The exercises are simple (albeit repetetive). It also helps to give verbal rewards (lots of well dones etc..). We also resorted to chocolate drops. I never thought I would be the kind of mum to bribe a toddler with sweets, then again I never thought I'd be in this situation either and whatever works (we now also own an electric toothbrush?!).

PS whe you press Order DVD on her site itmake you go through Google checkout and then says that she does not ship to a UK address!

sorry it makes not "itmake" (wireless keyboard missing letters!)

Thanks for the advice cjn. My DS seems to have very little problem with understanding things, he responds to commands like "sit on the chair", "lets go out", "shall we wash your piggy wiggies" etc (when he feels like it, he is 2 after all!). He just won't talk!

cjn - just wanted to pop in and say that my dd has speech delay due to glue ear - at least we are hoping it is only glue ear. Still waiting for the ENT consult to happen grr.

I am now wondering what caused it - whether it was a birth thing or an infection or maybe me taking her on a plane too early.

My SALT appt before the hearing test signed her off btw as being at the very bottom of the normal range - had I not had her hearing tested and found out she had hearing loss, significant glue ear and the delay that it has caused/is causing then I might have accepted the SALT's decision - just a mild warning.

Lenin - if you are in any way worried then take them to the HV - it can take weeks and weeks for the SALT appt - I wish I had done it sooner.

I also bought mine an electric toothbrush! Chocolate bribes would probably result in tears as he is not good at delayed gratification...