Non-Verbal 4 Year Old

[Leia1992]

My youngest turns 4 next week and is still non-verbal, he doesn't say any words at all. He is currently under SALT and Paeds and was due to start Reception this coming September but we have deferred his place due to his developmental issues. Instead he will stay in school nursery/pre-school for 1 year. He is on route to go for an EHCP and he has recently been awarded DLA to help him. He is still in nappies also. SALT have advised PECs to help him communicate, stage 1 he breezed through but since we started Stage 2 he's just had no interest in them at all.

Has any got any advice at all? I find it hard to hold out hope he'll ever be ready to start school and my mental health is up and down constantly for the constant worry I have for my son.

TIA x

Sounds tough OP. I havent got much advice but I didnt want to read and run. My DS is speech delayed at 2.5years and one thing helping him is makaton. Could that be an option to help with communication?

@Leia1992 hi, my little girl is 3.5 yo, and exactly the same, doesn’t speak at all. She’s due to start school nursery in sept I’m hoping this also helps with her speaking. She’s been seeing a SALT since she was 2 (missed a year tho due to covid) but had weekly sessions for a few months, she’s on a break at the moment as she was losing interest a little, so they are revisiting her once she’s settled in nursery.
She’s on a waiting list for an autism Assesment also. I understand how it will be affecting your own mental health too, as I constantly torture myself that I haven’t done something right or not done enough of something for her to be this way.

Has he got a diagnosis? (I.e. autism) where abouts are you based xxx

I'm similar to u. My son is 3.5 and he does have single words and copies lots but u can't really have a convo with him and he isn't putting 2 words together. I too am anxious about school even tho for us it's a year away. My son is under speech therapist care and has seen Paedtrician who thinks he is autistic but just waiting for the official diagnosis.

@Leia1992, l have recently been reading through threads for speech delay and came across yours which is very similar to mine. My DS has no speech, still in nappies, very little listening and understanding. How is your ds now? Have you received any advice that you maybe able to share? I'm trying not to dwell on it but it's so hard.

@mondler

Sounds tough OP. I havent got much advice but I didnt want to read and run. My DS is speech delayed at 2.5years and one thing helping him is makaton. Could that be an option to help with communication?

appreciate your message, thank you :) we have just started with makaton and much easier to fit into daily routine. No noticeable signing back from DS but early days yet.

@Bombleton

Has he got a diagnosis? (I.e. autism) where abouts are you based xxx

Not yet but myself and Ed Psyc have strong beliefs he is autistic. Been on waiting list for CAHMS for over a year now. We are Staffordshire Moorlands area. Trying to get one through Cauldwell now he is 4. XX

[quote Mumdiaries]@Leia1992, l have recently been reading through threads for speech delay and came across yours which is very similar to mine. My DS has no speech, still in nappies, very little listening and understanding. How is your ds now? Have you received any advice that you maybe able to share? I'm trying not to dwell on it but it's so hard.[/quote]
Hi, thank you so much for commenting on my post I appreciate it. Your DS sounds similar to mine. My DS is still the same, should have started school September just gone but as he is late Aug baby we delaying him his Reception start. I think a special school setting would be better for him long term, we are just going through EHCP at assessment stage so should have this all done by April.

Is your DS under any professionals? Get hearing checked first just to rule anything out. Get any settings go to like nursery to support you too if not already. Fight your GP for a referral to Paeds if you haven't already and make sure they listen to you, you know your DS better than anyone and trust your instincts. I was fobbed off so many times and kept pushing. Covid delayed us a lot but you are both entitled to the support if its needed. Speech and Language are a good support too. I'm here if you need anything :) X

@shapes1

I'm similar to u. My son is 3.5 and he does have single words and copies lots but u can't really have a convo with him and he isn't putting 2 words together. I too am anxious about school even tho for us it's a year away. My son is under speech therapist care and has seen Paedtrician who thinks he is autistic but just waiting for the official diagnosis.

Thank you for your message. Hope your son is ok :) and you are too :) Have you been told a wait time for diagnosis? Have they advised on an EHCP for him yet? He can go through getting one of them without a diagnosis.

Thanks for your response @Leia1992. So my DS has had his hearing checked 3 times. He started nursery in September last year and am so grateful as they have been so supportive. Nursery is applying additional support for him so he can access the nursery environment with purpose. We are also waiting on EHCP. He is due to start school in September- very anxious times.
The one thing we haven't pushed via our GP is a Paediatrician assessment, will get onto it today thanks for the advice.

@shapes1 and everyone else do you have an update on your littles ones as i am in a similar positiin

Please do you have any updates how ur little one is doing am on exact same shoes now

Hi, I have not viewed my original post in a while so here is a little update:

My son is 7 now, he was 3 back when I posted this.

In April 2022 we finally got Autism diagnosis and within the next month we got a EHCP and an offer at a special school setting. He has just started his 3rd year in special school. He is still non verbal, although when we say hello to him he will reply with 'iya, iya, iya iya'. School are amazing with his needs, they have recently managed to get him to swap pecs cards when he wants a snack or at lunchtime and he has used them a few times at home. He still wears nappies, no change on that, school put me in touch with the incontinence service and he gets nappies through them now they are delivered to our home. Still very difficult to measure his level of comprehension as he is quite stubborn but he seems to have an understand of most simple things we ask him. Still needs support dressing himself but he will put his own shoes and socks on if prompted.

Concerns for us at the moment is dentist. He still will not let a dentist look inside his mouth. School nurse has advised people to get in touch with but the support is not great with dental service.

How old is your little one?

@Leia1992 can I ask how your son is getting on now.. and did he have any speech before age 4 ie speech regression. Thanks