Any SALTs about who can offer me some advice? Or anyone with experience of this?

[BuckBuckMcFate]

We went to DS2's nursery parent's evening last night. All well with him although they are concerned about his speech.

DS2 was a late talker and for a long time we have had to translate what he is saying to other people but since he started in nursery last April his speech has improved greatly and he has a really good vocabulary.

They said his understanding is fine but he says 'My' instead of 'I'.

His teachers said they are a bit concerned that if he continues to say My then it will confuse him when he starts to do Jollyphonics in reception.

Is there anything we can do to help him? I don't want to continually correct him and make him scared to open his mouth

TIA

Have had two go through Speech Therapy and they agree that constantly correcting can be negative. They suggested rephrasing what he said using correct language.

I'm a salt and they are being ridiculously picky to focus on this. It's perfectly normal at this stage.
Rephrasing as sdr sugggests is a good technique.

Sorry to gatecrash but I wonder if you can answer a question for me please MD, i know a child who is having difficulty pronouncing words, he is 2 and a half and does try to speak but the words just don't sound anything like what he is trying to repeat, if for eg i say hat he will say ha or sometimes the word sounds nothing like the word i just said.

What is the usual process for children having difficulty with speech? I've heard of speech therapy but who refers them etc?

We have been told to repeat back what our DS say but correctly, iyswim. So if your DS says 'my want a biscuit', you would repeat back 'I want a biscuit?' and then carry on with the conversation.

Thanks everyone

I'm not sure if they were just using the My as an example of his speech as he still says W for L, D for Th sounds, D for B

I have been rephrasing with him but it gets confusing!

DS2- My want a drink please

Me - I want a drink please

DS2 - No My want a drink please

Me - I want a drink please

DS2 - You want a drink Mummy??

So can I say 'Do you mean I want a drink?' After nearly 2 years of frustration for him not being able to communicate beyond immeadiate family I don't want to do anything that is going to knock his confidence.

Lovemy, an HV can usually refer.
Buck you are quite right in pointing out that it is incredibly difficult to correct personal pronouns and I agree with yuo re knocking his confidence.

Another way to do it would be to get everyone in your immediate vicinity to reaaly emphasise use of 'I' in quite an artificial way.

eg
'I want an orange juice. What about you?'
'I'll have a Coke. What will you eat?'
'I'll have a sandwich..'

Get my drift?

Thanks Moondog.

We've all been doing the Big I thing and it's already having an impact

I'm pretty relaxed about his speech normally but didn't want to do something completely different than a SALT would do just in case the nursery think he needs to be referred.

Thanks again

Oh glad to hear it!
Like a lot of stuff, much of salt is common sense.
I suppose people feel better hearing it from the mouths of those who have training in the filed though.

can he pronouce words that begin with I like it in ?
if so the first few stages of jolly phonics will be no issue as they learn I as i -i -i - not the long -eye-

the nursery do sound picky indeed

Too true, I think once the nursery pointed out that it may cause a problem then all the Big I's started but it's so reassuring to get confirmation from someone who has the certificate that we're doing the right thing.

Shall I make a contribution to the Anti Nestle Fund in lieu of a fee for your SALT services?

Oh yes please!!

My ds2 had speech problems for a long time. If anything, the learning-to-read process in school helped him as it made things clear in a way they obviously hadn't been before.
Ds2 is now just 6 and still doesn't get every word/sound right, but he is happy and confident

Yes Ticky.Reading provides something concrete to 'pin' sounds onto.
I've found doing phonological work is especially successful when children have grasps rudiments of reading.

Yes he says 'My like apples don't I Mummy?'

So he gets I in that context just not at the start of a sentence

Moondog, let me know how....

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Have sent an email.

I've got playgroup tomorrow and I know a few other mums there would be interested in this

Cheers

Thank you