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Parenting

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Original poster

2.5yo with speech delay - did nursery really ‘bring them on’?

44 replies

November2018 · 02/02/2021 22:11

Has anyone got their DC a place in nursery/preschool whilst working on a speech delay? Did it really ‘bring them on’?

2.5yo DS’ health visitor wants him to start at preschool to help with his speech. His inability to verbalise his needs is making him anxious and frustrated.

I’ve found a preschool (it’s been highly recommended) which has plenty of SEN support staff, visual tools and encourages basic makaton.

I’m just nervous they won’t be able to meet his needs and he will feel anxious there. Will the excitement of being somewhere new completely outweigh his anxiety? Did your DC come on ‘leaps and bounds’ by being around other children?

OP posts:

campion · 03/02/2021 00:06

You must be more than a bit overwhelmed but you're very wise to keep an open mind and pursue several avenues. If he does have asd speech delay then good SALT will be very helpful, as it would be if it was anything else too.
Yes,the reading was a bit surprising but also useful as he could read Thomas the () Tank Engine to himself! When he started school his teacher thought I was exaggerating but soon realised I wasn't. So she concentrated on helping him develop his verbal skills instead and was very empathetic which was a bit of luck,to say the least.
I'm sure your DS's speech delay will improve as he's still very young but getting the right help is also important.

Ticklemynickel · 03/02/2021 06:54

It's hard to say - for my DD I think going to nursery coincided with an explosion in language but I do think it's beneficial for her to have more people to interact with and as a PP has said, not just being with 2 people who can usually know what she wants.

ThenCatoJumpedOut · 03/02/2021 07:01

Is the HV qualifies to diagnose him with speech delay?

My DS1 has delayed speech development, he was very quick to learn to walk, and do things but slow to speak. At age 2.5 he knew 3 words (ma, da and no)

He went to play group and got quite frustrated and would sometimes bite kids

What a worry

Then we saw a paediatrician who said some kids develop speech a bit later and to kept calm and carry on

He turned out an average kid at primary, and quite academic at secondary

Am a bit worried about your DS being “diagnosed” at such a young age by someone who is not a paediatrician.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

2 year olds Behaviour & development Childcare & nursery Families

WhoseThatGirl · 03/02/2021 07:06

Some children are really motivated by communicating with other children. Also putting them in a situation where people don’t always know what hey want can be beneficial. Why not try it for a while. He is going to get plenty of 1-1 still. You seen anxious about him not coping without you but have you ever tried?

Rainallnight · 03/02/2021 07:06

My 2.5 year old DS has speech delay and his speech therapist is strongly of the view that he’s better off at home and that nurseries are over-rated for this idea that they help to bring children on.

One to one support from an adult works best.

Have you been trained in Parent Child Interaction therapy? That’s what I had to do with DS and it’s helped a lot.

Get cracking if you want a referral, though. Our area isn’t taking on new kids after they turn 3

Fucket · 03/02/2021 07:10

It’s interesting you mentioned epilepsy OP as my dd had benign infant epilepsy and I was told that it could cause developmental delay. As it happened she did have speech delay. Because of her epilepsy she was invited to do speech therapy from 2.5 years up until she started school.

She did used to go to a childminder and then a fabulous preschool with a teacher who had speech therapy training so got some 1-2-1 support there too. She is now 5 and still has her moments of incoherence. Mostly babbling too fast and mispronouncing some sounds. It’s a lot better but speech therapy was definitely the key to improvement.

Original poster

November2018 · 03/02/2021 07:10

@ThenCatoJumpedOut

Is the HV qualifies to diagnose him with speech delay?

My DS1 has delayed speech development, he was very quick to learn to walk, and do things but slow to speak. At age 2.5 he knew 3 words (ma, da and no)

He went to play group and got quite frustrated and would sometimes bite kids

What a worry

Then we saw a paediatrician who said some kids develop speech a bit later and to kept calm and carry on

He turned out an average kid at primary, and quite academic at secondary

Am a bit worried about your DS being “diagnosed” at such a young age by someone who is not a paediatrician.

The biting must’ve been a difficult one to deal with. I’m glad that your paediatrician told you to keep calm and carry on. That must’ve been reassuring to hear. He has an early intervention professional assigned to him. She spends 1.5 hours every fortnight assessing his language and behaviour etc. I call her a HV because she’s part of that team. She works with SEN children and has qualifications in speech and language assessment. She, herself was the one who said he has a speech delay and that he needs a referral etc. One of his paediatricians also confirmed he has a speech delay last week based on the early intervention professional’s findings. Thank you for your concern though - I will keep my guard up regarding this diagnosis being made at such a young age

OP posts:

Fucket · 03/02/2021 07:12

I think often the children know they can’t speak properly so don’t try in preschool settings. So i agree with others this won’t help for kids who are really struggling.

IdesMarchof · 03/02/2021 07:16

I think you are spot on with your plan op - that sounds incredibly sensible. It might be worth going to private salt for the assessment as the nhs salt provision has been heavily cut in recent years.

In terms of what you can do at home I would go for a book by Hanen the speech therapy charity, which is available at the best price from the Wilmslow Press (it’s pricey from Amazon). This is called more than words and really helps you to help them. Our slt recommended it.

My dc also had some asd traits and with grommets and slt and lots of work by us based on the hanen book speech had really got up to age norms by age 4. Dc is in mainstream school and good at school work and has friends, but may get some kind of proper asd dx in the next term at or so. We would only do it to help dc understand themselves and others get them better.

candlemasbells · 03/02/2021 07:25

I sent my basically non verbal 2 year old to preschool as in our area if they are not in a childcare setting they don’t even get put on the list for help. We are still waiting nearly 18 months on the list.
It’s a preschool as part of a primary school with a high staff ratio. He absolutely loves preschool but it hasn’t brought his speech on.
His speech progressed hugely during the first lockdown because we spent hours doing things to try and improve it.
Preschool is great for socialising, getting used to the school environment, school dinners as I didn’t want him to have to deal with everything at once when he started school.
Speech issues run on both sides of the family for us with no clear reason why although dyslexia is common in our families.

DiamanteFan · 03/02/2021 07:30

My DC had language delay, at a similar age and I followed the advice to send him to nursery but it didn't help. Nursery was a well meaning private mainstream nursery who were a bit clueless tbh - at one point the nursery worked wailed at me that she couldn't tell if he didn't understand what she was saying or was not obyeing what she was saying!!!. He was also a whizz at jigsaw puzzles. When you say how good his understanding is, do you mean understanding of what you are saying? As despite my ds being good at puzzles etc, his understanding of language was delayed. IME it's vitally important to know whether his understanding of language is behind or not for his age.

Agree that the Hanen books are very good. YOu might be able to pick them up cheaply on ebay. Other Hanen books are "It takes two to talk" and "You make the difference".

nettytree · 03/02/2021 07:35

My son had sppech delay and was seeing a slt before starting nursery about that age. They really did try to help. But then he got transferred to a nursery with a slt unit built in. He saw the therapist once a week and had 1 to 1 sessions every day for the nursery years. Then in years r to 2 in the school attached.

Rainallnight · 03/02/2021 08:47

OP, 2.5 year olds can absolutely be diagnosed with speech delay and early intervention is best.

IdesMarchof · 03/02/2021 08:48

Yes we were told the earlier they get treatment the better the outcome

SusannaSpider · 03/02/2021 09:00

I know you've got a plan now, but I just wanted to add our experience.
DD started nursery at 2.5 she had no coherent speech, but communicated very well and could sign. Nursery just said as she could communicate and was sociable etc, they weren't worried, HV said the same, I was made to feel I was fussing. Her speech didn't really improve. On the first day of primary school induction, when she was just 4, the school referred her straight to a speech therapist. It took 2yrs of speech therapy to get her speaking well and this had a knock on effect on learning to read (couldn't copy phonics etc) and her vocab.
She's fine now, in top streams at school, but I still think her vocab has never quite caught up.
I found out years later that I could have self referred her for SLT, I really wish I'd done that.

SusannaSpider · 03/02/2021 09:05

Also DD's problems were muscular and motor control. We had no idea she couldn't stick her tongue out, for instance. So SLT also consisted of lots of tongue exercises and blowing ping pong balls with a straw etc. We had an exercise booklet called Mr. Tongue, it was bloody hilarious, but worked.

Amber2019 · 03/02/2021 09:17

My son started at 2.5 in September, 2 mornings per week in a nursery recommended by the health visitor. I was worried as id tried him in a private setting previously and he wouldn't settle. They are wonderful with him. He was due to start 5 mornings in January but nurseries are closed in scotland. His speech has come on, i think the interaction with other kids massively helped, he is joining in playing with them now too. He is now 3 but is staying in the age 2 room as they said he would be overwhelemed in 3-5 and isnt ready. There is a maximum of 10 allowed in his room with 2/3 teachers so he always has someone there. He actually has his audiology appointment today. He was referred to salt but they didn't feel they needed regular input as I was already doing all the things they recommended. He is also being assessed for asd and the nursery are helping do that too.

Busygoingblah · 03/02/2021 09:33

Have you got portage or similar in your area? You might find there’s alternative early education support for you can access if he’s not in nursery and already has recognised needs.

Dazedandconfused28 · 03/02/2021 13:10

My 2 year old also has a speech delay - we are moving him from his childminder into a bigger nursery, where there will be more structured activities & where they follow a curriculum.

Our little boy struggles with social interactions, but our SALT has recommended trying s nursery where he needs to get his voice heard & help prepare him for school.

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