shocked and upset apparently ds 5 has developmental delay what does this mean please, please advise me???

[Nointhemood]

he's had problems with his speech and eventually saw the speech therapist a few months ago. She's been carrying out assessments these last few months. I eventually met her today and we had a little talk and them she dropped the bombshell that its become apparent that ds 5 has a developmental delay.Well im shocked and upset as i wasn't expecting it. I came not really asking any questions or understanding what this means in terms of his schooling or future.She says he seems to find it hard to process complex instrutions i.e he can count 1-5 but not 5-1 backwards.Ive just come home through the door and its just hit me!!!! What do i need to know or ask her anyone have any advice i mean will this be a long term thing or will it get worse or better.

And also why didnt i notice it!!!! feel like an awful parent-i mean i know he doesn't always listen to me and i get angry when he doesn't do something but i thought that was a typical boy. How do i really no that this is a delay or him just not being interested? Im finding it difficult to believe he has a delay. She sais she did one test i.e 'i went to the shop to buy some bread' which ds had to remember and repeat she then would add on various items and he would need to remember and repeat she said he could n't do it as it got more complex.

Dont worry, tbh i couldnt do that excercise (I have dyslexia)and I have two degrees one is an MSc so dont worry.

I am sure that with the right help and support your ds can fulfill his potential, for me I was assessed as dyslexic at 19 and have the maths age at the time of a 9 year old. I went to uni did a BA (hons) in Psychology with a good result, and I have an MSc too. I was rubbish at school and did not get the support that i needed until later on as an adult dont loose heart. I was a late developer too btw.

Try to look at it in a positive light not in a negative way good luck with it all!

Hi, you poor thing!!! Well tbh, I could br wrong but I don't think a SALT can diagnose development delay. I would have thought that would be a paediatrician. A SALT could dx a language delay though. I also agree with op that that is/could be a tough exercise for a 5 year old, depending how many things are added on the list. Has he only been assessed by a SALT? There will be lots of other posters that will be able to help you loads but wanted to reply.

Thankyou for the replies im hoping that she has worded it wrong and ive got the wrong end of the stick. I knew he had a speech delay which is why i referred him in the first place but she said developmental delay as if this was something else that they found. She said he can't process complex instructions so is thislanguage delay as well im confused . And if so what does it mean longterm how will it affect his schooling???

I agree with Charlie.......I really wouldn't have thought a speech therapist can diagnose a developmental delay (unless it's relating to speech!). Personally i would go and have a chat with your GP or Health Visitor, explain what has been said and ask if you need to have a referral to a paediatrician.....at the end of the day 'developmental delay' is not a proper diagnosis imo and it could mean anything!

As for the shop excercise I would be useless at that! I would probably only remember a few of them and I am educated to degree level.

It must have been a huge shock to you, especially when you weren't expecting it. I also would like to add that if there was something significantly 'wrong' or 'different' about your DS I think you would know something was up without having to be told.......obviously just my opinion, I'm not a professional.

Hi, A speech therapist will be able to tell you about a language delay. Developmental delay is usually diagnosed by a paediatrician and means difficulties in several areas. Sometimes speech therapists suspect there's more going on than a language issue and will suggest referring a child to a paediatrician or educational psychologist who would look at other areas of learning; it sounds like you need to clarify whether she means this or was just talking about language difficulties. Whatever it is, try not to worry. If you haven't picked it up by now, it means it's not very obvious and therefore probably not serious! About 20% of all children have some form of special educational need, so your son is in good company. For most children with special needs, it just means they need a bit more help to get there. His difficulty has been picked up at the beginning of his schooling, so there's plenty of time for him to have the right help to catch up. As you can see from the other posters, finding some bits of school difficult doesn't mean that you can't have a happy and successful life. Lastly, if you don't feel the therapist has been clear, ring her up. Health and education professionals work for us and so if they haven't been clear about something, you have every right to ask for it in writing, or maybe just a chat over the phone will set your mind at rest.

I agree with the other posters, have a second opinion from the Paedratrician (sp) I do not think that the SALT is qualified to make such diagnosis onlny referring onto a professional that can. Those IQ tests that they give do not accurately intelligence just the ability to do IQ tests sucessfully. I am sure that if i was confronted with psychometric tests I would score very low despite me completing degrees to MSc level. I am not trying to boast just to get some perspective and to use my situation as an example.

Your ds might not even have developmental delay could be spld if he is of average or above average intelligence overall but have difficulties in specific areas. You really need a professional in that field to make a clear diagnosis such as a Paedritrican or Educational Psychologist.

I would not say that not being brilliant at one game of I went to the shop would qualify as developmental delay

She possibly means that the language delay is a type of specific developmental delay, rather than saying that he has a generalised developmental delay.

It does sound like she is suggesting that your DS' overall development of language skills is delayed, rather than him simply having a difficulty with speech sounds, for example.

To give you an example, DD1 has "Global Development Delay", so is delayed in development across most areas, physical, emotional, speech etc.

I complained that the SALT had said there were no specific concerns about speech clarity, which I thought was not true. But, she was saying that DD1's speech being unclear was in line with the rest of her speech and language development, as that also is behind.

The SALT is less worried about her clarity because it matches the delay in language skills.

Language skills are broad and wide ranging. It seems that your DS is perhaps not able yet to process sequences in language, so that is one example of why the SALT feels his language development is delayed.

hi my son and daughter see the SALT, my son for language therapy and my daughter for speech therapy which are both completely. My son who has DCD has delayed development in language, he cannot carry out complicated instructions, any more than one or two small clear instructions and he is lost, he also struggles to link words, the language therapist had done amazing things through mental exercises, word linking etc., so don't worry to much, the language therapy probably meant a delay of some sort of his understanding of language and will work with you on exercises to help him, if you are concerned call her and speak to her, ask her to explain again, they are used to this as many mums are shocked to hear there child may have a delay and are used to explaining things over again, my salt had to explain a simple thing to me about 5 times before it registered,

Hi, I agree with Unipsychle. As a SALT the question we would ask when presented with a child with language delay is 'is this specific or part of a more general delay'usually we would then refer to a joint assessment clinic paediatrician/SALT.Educational psychology would also be involved if the child was in the education system.
The paediatrician's assessment would then be compared to the SALT, OT and if they were all delayed it could then be described as a global developmetal delay ,if not it would be specific speech/language delay.
each area is different but if a child was presenting with a marked global delay the health visitor/ community medical officer at their check ups would have picked up on this .I think you need to take a step back and think about the specific areas that your child has difficulty with and how this could be explored further. I think as a parent we notice much more than we give ourselves credit for, go with your intuition.Hoping this concern is resolved, I totally understand your anxiety as a SALT and a mother of a child with ASD.

Hello, I agree with Unipsychle and lily93. I'm a teacher who works with Special Needs Children and I'd advise speaking to the teacher in your ds's school who is responsible for Special Needs. I don't want to scare you any more but they will be in the best position to help as they know your child and the local systems for assessment,- as everywhere is different. Your anxiety is completely understandable and in my experience no one person can decide that about your child.