Nursery

[MamaAl27]

Hi all,

I just wanted to see what everyone’s thoughts were on what nursery said to me today.

So I am aware my LO has a speech and language delay and although says LOTS of words and can put some sentences together, nursery have said he still isn’t where they would like him to be. He doesn’t really communicate with nursery and let them know his needs. They then said he doesn’t really interact with his peers or the adults at nursery apart from one girl who is his best friend. This really surprised me as at home he is always asking us and telling us his needs and will interact with us all. They said they are up and down whether he could be on the autism spectrum.

Now sometimes I think the same but I was thinking about the things he does do, like joint attention is excellent at home, aware of someone leaving and entering the room, gestures, communicates, understands instructions but shocked he doesn’t do this at nursery.

They have asked whether his hearing has been checked and it only has at birth.

Do you think it is because he is overwhelmed and maybe just feels comfortable at home because he is slightly delayed with speech and communication or do you think it is worth us referring him?

Sounds like my child.

I would get the referrals in, there's a long wait.

Get his ears checked.
Is SALT involved?

My child is also great at home but more quiet in nursery and tbh we are still trying to figure out why as he has the words but doesn't use them there. So I'm interested to see if anyone else has any experience of this.

We have had an ASD assessment already and they don't think he is on the spectrum, and if he is it's very mild. We are back in afew months for another app.

I would ring your HV and ask for a meeting with nursery so you can talk about concerns and referrals can raised.

Thank you @Raindropsdrop. We have a speech group we are attending but at his 2 year check, the HV felt speech therapy wasn’t needed as he had lots of words and trying to string the sentences together. Nursery are going to refer him for SALT today but did advise it can take over 6 months, so I am thinking of booking a therapist in privately in order to avoid a waiting list should it be needed. Would be interesting to see what others say in regards to the confidence at home to not being so confident at nursery. HV is visiting in Feb so going to raise it all then and also the hearing test as sometimes you do have to shout to get his attention.

I’d definitely check his ears. I know a little boy who was fine at home where there’s less background noise and he was being spoken to directly so could lip read, but nursery was a whole different story. Hearing check revealed glue ear, worse in one ear than the other.

Thank you @FlounderingFruitcake. We do have a HV visit in Feb so will raise the hearing with her when she comes. I had bad ears as a child also, so I do wonder if that could be it. But was just also shocked that they said he doesn’t really interact with peers and adults because up until now they will say how much of a good day he has had with socialising with the others in there and that they have very up and down days with him where one day they think he could be on spectrum and then next day they don’t because he is completely different!

OP, could have written this myself, down to the one best friend lol.

DD 2.5 also goes through every long stages of hating being near children, gets visibly distressed and ist almost always started by them making noise, which made me join the dots and wonder if its related to her ears.

We are on wait list for SALT and we have a hearing test referral being made.