Hi there. I know it's pretty late but I'm sat awake thinking! I don't do it often but I am tonight.
My DS is 3 years and 7 months old and doesn't talk. He says daddy, that's all. His understanding is ok but limited I would say. He was referred to be assessed in February 2019 so almost a year and a half a go when he was 2 years and 3 months old but that has been, without sounding ungrateful, pretty useless. We've seen the paediatrician 3 times and she pretty much says the same thing each time, that there's no point putting a label on him if we don't want that (we don't but now I'm thinking we need to know). Got assigned a speech therapist that couldn't be bothered really. She never actually met with DS, she just worked with me and did a more than words course which she pretty much left me to do myself then phoned to say she thought I didn't need her help anymore because I had engaged well and was proactive so sent me some leaflets and left me to it!
There was a speech therapist set up to observe DS at nursery but she only managed to go once then lockdown happened. We don't know when that will start again but likely not until nearer the end of the year when he will be 4! This speech therapist seems keen though.
The health visitor has never been interested. I've only met her twice at DS's 1 year review and 2 year review. I've never actually asked her for any help but DS's nursery teacher did phone her to see if she could push to get DS some more help with his speech etc but she wasn't interested. I think I would be better off playing dumb and acting like I don't care about my DS because as soon as these people meet us and see us together and see how much I want to encourage him, they seem to think that's enough and I don't need any help but I do.
Obviously nothing has happened since lockdown started in March. I can't actually believe it's June already! We haven't had any letter from his nursery to say he has a place for his preschool year yet (usually hear in April) and if he got the sessions we chose. Haven't heard anything and the summer holidays start in 3 weeks. I will have to phone them and find out what's happening. I know they probably can't say right now what days etc he can attend but knowing he has a place and it will be part time/phased at least after summer would help.
Does anyone have any tips they could give me that I could use to try and get his speech to come along and just to help him understand a bit better? I got a fair bit out of the more than words course but it is really aimed at children with moderate to severe autism I would say so there's only parts of it I was able to use with DS as he really isn't far onto the spectrum if he is autistic. I want to use the time we have left of me on furlough and him at home to really do everything I can and also toilet train him. He will sit on the potty but he has no bladder control and with the speech barrier and a bit of a lack of understanding, it's hard to teach him. I feel we need some conversation to be able to move towards fully toilet training him.
DS also struggles with wet foods and won't use a knife or fork or drink from a normal cup, he needs a straw or a sports bottle type bottle like the bottles fruit shoots come in.
DH is really good with him and they go for long walks together (I sometimes join if I've not got housework to do), they play together etc but DH works full time so no interaction through the day really on weekdays, just with me.
I wish there was a magic wand! I'm worried he won't be ready for school next year but I'm trying to stay positive. Right now I wouldn't even leave him alone in a room alone for 5 minutes so I can't imagine him in a playground without an adult solely focusing on him, it's scary! He eats grass and flowers which I have to constantly take out of his mouth. He also eats hair off the cat. If our cat has some loose hair on him, DS will take it off and eat it! He also kisses me and DH a lot. If he thinks someone is even remotely upset or not smiling, he tries to kiss them to make them feel better which is lovely but in a covid-19 world at nursery, I'm scared!
Thanks for reading