"Word Finding Difficulty" and speech therapy in South Bucks for DS

[Mamaharry]

Hi - my first experience of Mumsnet after registering yesterday - this looks great! My question is whether any of you have experience of "word finding difficulty". My 5 yr old son (Year 1) recently started (private) speech therapy for this. I have a meeting on Thursday 6th March (this week!) with his teacher and the school's Head of Special Needs to discuss the problem and how they are going to support DS with this in the classroom. I have been highly frustrated with trying to access information from the speech therapist in question and so if any of you have any advice on what I should be looking for from the school I'd be delighted to hear.
Also, any of you know of a really good private speech therapist in the South Bucks area?
Many thanks

I do not know of a good speech therapist, but I wonder if it's worth your googling verbal dyspraxia, or apraxia as they call it it in the US. One of the features of it can be poor retention of words, also problems with consonants (though ok with vowels usually). TBH, not many of the speech therapists over here are experts in it, but I ordered quite a good book on Amazon about it from the US. My DS is autistic but I'm pretty sure he also has verbal dyspraxia. Worth a try for you to have a look into? There isn't a cure, except lots of practice at sounds and oral imitations, but it sounds like your DS may need something a bit different, maybe little ways of remembering like clues to himself? like Dog is Scooby Doo, both beginning with D, or something like that? Good luck anyway!

Thanks v much for this tip. Actually the speech therapist says she doesn't think he has verbal dyspraxia, just word finding difficulty, but that this is still going to hold him back with learning to read and write. I have this meeting this afternoon with school so any last minute advice from anyone most welcome!

My son was seeing a speach therapist when he was 5 for unclear speach. In the speach therapists report they said he probably had word finding difficulties.I think it just means that they do have the vocabularly, but can't always access that word in their brain IYSWIM.

He is 12 now and has dyslexic problems with mainly spelling, but other than that he is doing brilliantly. He g&t in several subjects. Even in english his comprehension skills are excellent,although they are keeping an eye on the written side of it.
He didn't get reading until he was 7, but now reads well but reluctantly.

Hi, new to mumsnet but fantastic to see other people with the same problem as me. My son (age 5)has been diagnosed as having word finding difficulties. Speech therapist post is currently unfilled and therefore no help is available. School say my son is not statemented and therefore does not qualify for any special help despite speech therapy sending them an information pack for that very purpose. I don't know where to turn for help. Am also worried that this is an indicator of further problems e.g dyslexia later on. I cannot just sit back and do nothing. Can anyone give me any help or advice? Would really appreciate it.

Hi rivchdesigns67 and mamaharry

Would suggest you both put your postings also onto the Special Needs forum of Mumsnet as you may also get more replies that way (that forum does get traffic throughout each day).

HTH

Attila