ds2 has a speech disorder!!

[Jimjams]

And a delay- but particularly a disorder. Well what a surprise! And it's a completely off the wall one as well- what another surprise! Everything else is fine though (social skills, language comprehension etc).

I think someone should study our family-- we'd make a great research project.

I think I should probably be more worried than I am (just can't get worried though`). Our SALT seemed a bit fazed by it- aparently he's all over the place. Loads of sounds missing, and a few later sounds in place (apparently they should develop in a set way).

Anyway our main concern is to get his speech advanced enough that we can avoid having to see the awful NHS SALT who deals with all the weird pre-school speech disorders. I don't think I could bear being in a room with her again! This time waiting lists may be on our side. He's been referred to a community therapist (although he's going to be out of her league!) and god only knows when he'll be seen so the referral to the awful SALT is at least a few months away phew!

Think it might be best if number 3 is a girl

Oh bugger, I looked at this thread thinking I really hope this isn't Jimjams.... If everything else is fine then this is something that can be sorted, isn't it? I don't know any adults with real speech problems, and having the later sounds already sounds quite promising in a way. You could do without something else to worry about though

Oh Jimjams - I thought the same as tamum with the thread title, but you've proved us both wrong At least you've 'caught' it early, which has to be a good sign. Luckily you already know the SALT, so that is also a help. Sending huge hugs.

I was soooo hoping it wasnt you aswell! hopefully it is a fixable problem, the only adult I know with a speech problem is myself so he should be fine ........................................................fingers crossed for a girl then

Oh Jimjams, sorry to hear this - I wish, I wish, I wish there was something more constructive I could say/do though - you are such a mine of information for me and I would love to be able to reciprocate. I hope your ds2's sounds get better soon.

You're all very kind, but I'm not bothered about this at all (I nodded when I read that bit in your post the other day Fio2). I have a feeling I could be expected to be more worried about it but with ds1 providing lots of perspective I can't summon up the worry from anywhere really. I just can't see a speech problem (even a major one) as a big problem when everything else is so in place. Also I've suspected his speech to be a bit dodgy from about 8 months old. And at least it will stop my mother saying at every opportunity "oh there's nothing wrong with his speech he's absolutely fine". My mother is wonderful and is a great fantastic help to us all, but she has been driving me mad with that!

ah mothers. u gottas love them. my mum suggest lots of potions for the dd's to try but most contain lanolin, so i kindly turn down her offer.

sorry to hear about your ds2, i bet u just nodded along with the SALT when they said it, and they were a bit shocked by your reaction. its a case of 'yup i can deal with that' isnt it? maybe the bump is a girl, any differnece to the previous 2 pregnancies?

SALT's known me for ages- she's ds1's private SALT- so comes to the house weekly. We were kind of laughing about it most of the time. I've been asking her about him from before he was 2..... If bump is a boy then I think we'll be employing her for the next 20 years

think positive

are speech/language disorders more comman in boys? i know i read somewhere that more boys are on the spectrum than girls. is that true as well?

4:1 ratio. Girls are always streets ahead of boys in language anyway. Not a guarantee- I know enough autistic girls to know that, but I think we have a much better chance of avoiding another child needing SALT if we have a girl! Don't really care about the SALT, but also nice to have an increased autism safety margin!

can u find out at scans what you are having? not allowed to here, but i would want to know (only because i have piles a baby girls clothes and no boys, so would be stuck for clothes and bedding if i have a boy). and have u thought of any names yet?

Hardly thought about this baby other than to think "heck I hope it doesn't need SALT as well". So no idea about names. If it's facing the right way I'll ask about the sex. Like you I want to sort out the stuff- if it's a girl I'll be getting rid of a lot on ebay.

I think you should be negotiating a discount with the SALT. Does she do any 2-for-1 offers? Seriously though, hopefully little ds2 will soon be making lots of progress and in Feb 2006 you'll be posting a thread called "Help! dd1 won't stop talking and it's driving me insane!"

Mind you I could say that about ds2 he doesn't shut up. It would be a novelty to be able to understand what was being said though!

What I should have done is negotiated a pay off for referrals- I've referred 3 people onto her now! She's very good though- really knows her stuff- just pleased to have found her otherwise we would have been stuffed with ds2 as well!

Sorry to hear this Jimjams although I know its not a surprise to you. I think the rest of us are more upset at the moment than you are but do let yourself be upset when you need to. I didn't think there was any point finding out if No 2 was m or f as it was coming anyway. Mind you, stopped saving DS's stuff after he was about 2 so not tons of gear to shift. I expect you know plenty compared to the NHS SLT!
Hugs anyway (only my second MN hugs in a year!)

Aww I'm touched Davros. Actaully the reason I'm not that fussed is because a) he doesn't have a language disorder and they scare me far more , and b) I'm pretty certain his speech will be pretty clear somewhere between age 5 and 8. (oh god me and my age 5's again!). I will get depressed if number 3 overtakes him, but maybe less depressed than if no 3 doesn't???

jimjams, I'm really sorry you have yet more on your plate. Trying to think of positive things so here goes: your ds 2 is not yet three is he? as you know, so much can happen in the next few years. Many children at my sons nurseries couldn't speak clearly or extensively when they started age 3. I know it's not quite the same but it's not as if all 2 and 3 year olds have perfect, clear speech.

At least you've caught it early and you say it's not a language disorder and your ds is fine in other ways. So lots of signs that it will not be a permanent problem.

Both your ds's sound like lovely boys. I don't think I've actually said that to you, so wanted to say it now.

Hugs Jimjams, only just seen this. I don't have any great advice but just wanted you to know that I was thinking about you.

Message withdrawn

Jimjams ... I don't think dd2 uttered a word 'till she was well over 2 1/2. How did they measure it? All hugs XXX

I just want to add my thoughts to everyone else's, Jimjams. Best wishes, I hope it all turns out well in the end.

carla- he's easy to assess as he doesn't stop talking. The SALT had a bit of trouble recording it all as he was so all over the place. She wants to video him soon so she can get a clearer idea of what he's doing and also keep it as a record. I guess that'll make it easier to see what's happening after therapy - and then she can get a better idea of whether its verbal dyspraxia or not.

She recorded the sounds he can make and where he makes them. He's delayed as a lot of sounds he should be able to make he can't-or can only make them in certain places in a word- and disordered as he can make some later sounds (and apparently they should develop in a pretty fixed pattern). For example on of his first sounds was ch and that should develop quite late in the hierarchy.

Personally I think its verbal dyspraxia. However I definitely saw worse cases on the recent verbaly dyspraxia conference I went on.

If I had to rely on the NHS at this point I would be tearing my hair out, but I think we have the right materials, and with some input from ds1's SALT (not too much or its going to get ridiculously expensive!) I think we can give him the help he needs. Maybe why I'm not remotely panicking- I feel very in control of this (in complete contrast to how I feel about ds1).

Jimjams, where can you get lists of private SALTs in each area? We tried one, but I wasn't impressed, and now the SALT at The Nuffield who was helping with ds's verbal/oral dyspraxia has said she isn't seeing him again until after Christmas. Is there a website of private therapists?

Try ASLTIP We've used 3 from there now. First 2 were fine and helpful (2 because one went on maternity leave), then we moved and third has proved to be absolutely excellent. She is fantastic. And has become a friend I think (which is good as we're going to be seeing her for goodness knows how long!)