School want to refer DD for speech therapy 2 days after starting reception?!

[Faith77]

I don't know whether anyone has any experience of this, but after two days at school, DD's teachers have announced that they want to put her into speech therapy. We haven't had any input into this decision, and feel that two days is pretty quick to make such a big assumption about her abilities, given that she hadn't even met her teachers prior to starting at the school (no settling in, home visits, etc) & is still getting used to her environment, which is a huge jump from the (non-State) nursery she attended previously. We've got a few other concerns about the school, too, but this is the big one - can they really do all this without any discussion or proper assessment after only 12 hours with her?! Her speech is a bit behind in terms of clarity, but over the past 2 years, we have spoken to those who cared for her at nursery regularly, and their response has always been that she is progressing rapidly, is understandable when her confidence has been gained, and that she picks up more by being around her peers than being taken off to work separately. However, the teachers haven't been open to our input and have basically told us that this is how it is going to be. We're not opposed to our daughter having speech therapy, but surely we ought to have been involved in the decision process and there should have been a proper assessment done over a certain amount of time?

TBH that sounds like fantastic support, and if her speech is behind I would be grabbing it with thanks.

I would bite their hands off for state speech therapy, I wouldn't worry as the queuing time is probably a year anyway and by then it will be obvious if it is really needed or not.

Ds school have a visiting speech therapist that assess all the new reception children when they start and refer as needed.
Fantastic to have been assessed so soon.

My ds needed speech therapy for just under a year and has caught up completely now :)

'is understandable when her confidence has been gained' - I think that's key. They haven't got to know her so they can see how her speech is objectively. I think yes actually a bit more assessment would be good but I wouldn't dismiss the intention here. Speech therapy is not an unpleasant or invasie traetment. it wil just help your dd learr and communicate with her teachers and peers.

"surely we ought to have been involved in the decision process and there should have been a proper assessment done over a certain amount of time" - but if they have suggested it then you are being consulted

Getting SALT is harder than finding hens teeth around here if our school recommended it I'd be biting their arm off. I don't don't think the school do "a proper assessment" that's what the SALT does isn't it?

It's actually more that she doesn't talk at all when it's people she doesn't know, or, if she does, she mumbles and is shy. Like I said, we're not opposed to the idea itself, and if she needed it, we would get her a speech therapist even if it involved paying for it, but I don't understand why we haven't been involved in this decision at all. Given that the only times the teachers have spoken to us so far has been to tell us about the speech therapy and to ask if we wanted a free school meal form (repeatedly), we're feeling a little confused about how much input they actually want us to have in DDs schooling. We don't know whether this is a qualified speech therapist who has decided this or just a teacher's first impression - they won't tell us anything, and that's more my concern. Should we have been told more about what's happening and why?

Take the referral with open arms, even if it helps with confidence.

When my DS started school I knew there would be problems with his speech, behaviour and social skills but no one would do anything until he got into year 1. Now he is at least a year behind his classmates and it shows!

Take it, if the SaLT comes back and says she's fine then that's it, if not, at least it's been picked up early. Sounds like a good school imo.

Good luck.

And it's not that they have "suggested" it, it's that they have TOLD us that this is what is happening, with no other information, and apparently it's not up for discussion - which is what is so confusing! If it's true that a) she needs it, & b) there is a year's wait for it, then we need to know so that we can seek help elsewhere if need be.

A teacher can only refer a child. You will need to agree to it. A teacher also has to have good reasoning before the referral will be considered by a therapist. I'd be pleased they've acted so quickly and take it as an indication of how obvious the speech delay actually is. Hope that doesn't sound harsh but it's really easy ti get used to and understand your own child's speech.

Bear in mind as well that you are getting these responses because lots of us have speech delayed children where you bang your head against a brick wall trying to get some help. You know they are well behind their peers but the lack of support and funding mean that nothing happens.

Where's the like button on this forum? @ youbrokemysmoulder

My DD waited 13 months for SALT, and everyone was in agreement over her referral!

If the SALT assesses that she doesn't need intervention, she won't get it. The service is (in my area at least) stretched beyond belief.

And if she does, well, it is invaluable. My neice had SALT in school, and it was hugely helpful in a number of areas. Her reading for example progressed very rapidly.

DH and I were concerned about DS's speech but the nursery assured us everything was fine. However, as soon as he started school, the school (which is a very good one) picked up on it straight away. I think as a parent you can usually tell if your child's speech isn't the same as other children's and teachers usually can too as they obviously work with children all the time.

I'd take the referral in your position but just be aware that from referral, it can take upwards of 6 months to actually getting the therapy. We ended up paying for private speech therapy as we wanted to put things right asap and for him to have the therapy at a weekend for example. With private speech therapy and the support of the school, his speech has improved tremendously.

PS you could pay for an assessment by a private speech therapist. Think it costs in the region of £60.

I think you have to take the view that -
Yes, it sounds like they've been a bit heavy-handed and crap in teh way they've gone about it. They could have handled it better and that's maybe something you should raise with the Head.
BUT
If there are Speech and Language issues then early intervention is key. Take the referral, see what happens. It'll be something or nothing - if it's nothing, no harm done and you all know what's what.

And it was about £30 per session but we only needed about 10 sessions in total (approx one per fortnight).

That leaves us with a dilemma then, because we don't want our daughter at this school (as I said before, other problems - which range from witnessing a teacher at the school screaming at a reception child during a tour of the school to them not giving DD water which resulted in her coming home dehydrated)

I think you need to clarify exactly what they mean by "speech therapy" and how they are planning to do it. It may be that the school has regular visits from a speech therapist/SALT and they would like the SALT to see your daughter next time she is in - so not actually launching straight into therapy, more getting a better insight into her needs. A teacher can't just refer a child for therapy immediately, she will need to be properly assessed. Make a appointment and have a proper chat with her teachers.

I feel very jealous - I had to keep badgering to get anywhere and then there was a huge shortage of speech therapists. Just say 'yes please - when?'

Its understandable that you feel shocked and hurt that the school says there is something wrong with your child. I think its important to resist the tempation to "shoot the messager" just because you have had bad news about your daughter's development.

A referal is constructive and hopefully your daughter will be assessed by an expert asap. In the meantime the school will devise some activites to help your daughter's speech based on past experience they have had with other children.

I'm a bit torn here as I think it's great that the school have immediately seen that your daughter's speech could need a second look, and I also think that it's the teacher's job to let the SALT do the full assessment, and I also think that it's OK for the school to refer...

but I also think that they must have assumed you'd be happy with this, which they shouldn't have done.

I would also say that they are probably aware that the SALT is coming in for her one visit that term (possibly two visits) either this week or early next week, and if they don't refer now, your daughter will have a whole term without any input. So I would hold on the annoyance for now and just ask when the SALT is attending, take the day off if you can and catch them either at lunchtime or end of school (depends if the SALT is doing mornings or pm). There's no faster way to get the measure of the SALT and what they think, and you'll get the information a lot faster than the report they send, and the SALT will also see that you have no intention of being a sleeping partner in this arrangement.

Mmmmm I'd definitely raise the issue with the head about the teacher screaming at child. And a word with the TA about the water thing, maybe DD was to shy to ask to get some water so to ask the ta to make sure she drinks. At our school all reception children are supplied with their own water bottles each day in addition to what they have with lunch and milk at snack time. Obviously don't know what it's like on other schools though!

The waiting time for SLT is shocking in our area, so you may find her speech proves while you are on the waiting list.

In my experience, and not wishing to attack you personally at all, OP, I have found a lot of parents don't hear their own children's speech difficulties, as you are so tuned into how they speak. It's sometimes a fresh set of eyes (or ears) can tell there is a problem.