Speech therapists with autism experience in Herts please?

[steph007]

Hi, hoping someone can help... After waiting a year since referring my 3 year old girl to NHS in Herts for speech and receiving precisely no therapy so far (she was diagnosed with autism at the beginning but surely that's no excuse?!), I have now decided to go down the private speech therapy route. trouble is I don't really know where to start looking or who to trust.....
does anyone have any recommendation for a therapist who has plenty of experience, maybe specialises in autism, and deals with young children?
I'm sitting here in floods of tears because I just feel so useless that we're not really helping her at all and it's been going on for so long...

Someone may come along with more specific advice, but why don't you check out this page:
www.helpwithtalking.com/
It is searchable by area and by specialism. I haven't used it (yet!), but it was recommended by a mum here who is a SALT.
Good luck!

I think it's pretty universal, I'm afraid.

Best thing I ever did getting my DS (ASD with speech delay) a private SALT. Worth his weight in gold.

we're in St.Albans. feel so let down by teh NHS but just want to get on and arraneg something private now - it's just not knowing where to start is the difficult bit!

Hi Steph, sorry to hear that you're already that disappointed with Herts provision (not surprised tho'). We haven't seen a speech therapist since November but I'm hoping it'll all be ok when he gets to the MLD school because like you I've concluded the provision for under fives and in mainstream is non-existent

Hiya Steph-we are in Hrpenden so down the road and have excellent speech theapist at Halley Stewart Clinic here-we originally went to St Albans where they assessed DS and said he had no problems...I re-refeered him myself as soon as we got back from that appointment and luckily we got our current SALT in Harpenden who diagnosed moderate verbal apraxia within approx 2 secs of hearing DS...are you under the Childrens centre in St A? If so can you push for SALT via this route.
Mind you we are STILL not getting OT for DS and have had to resort to private...I feel very let down by this so feel for you...

Hi oddgirl, would really appreciate it if you could pm me the name or number of your person?!

We are already in the system for NHS, had an initial assessment last October, and an assessment by a new therapist last month, but she only works one day a week so has passed the case on to someone else, who will presumably do another assessment... not getting anywhere very fast! Have no faith that whoever we end up with will be very good anyhow, so private it needs to be.

Just don't want to have to 'interview' therapists - easy for them to say online that they have experience but how do you know they're telling the truth!! So through a clinic would be good...

Hiya steph007-unfortunatly the therapist I see at Halley Sterwart only does NHS work so you would have to go through the system to access her too and if you are St A based I presume you go to their centre so would get one of their therapists-do you go to St A Childrens Centre at all? They have OTs/physios/paed there and should be able to get you access to SALT. Who diagnosed your DDs ASD? If it was at the Childrens Centre I wd ask to go back and see the paed and push for him to re refer you urgently for SALT. Sorry I dont know any private SALTs only know of private OTS.
Hope you get it sorted..

Jumping in to say starlight I have found a private OT through this directory which another MNetter posted when I was trying to find an OT. I live in Middlesex, not far from South Herts. I haven't approached any in Herts because at the moment I need an OT to do a report for Stat Assessment by mid-August so we're going to the place in Walton-on-Thames on Thursday. I did see a lady called Marianne Harris a few weeks ago who is not far from you but she's away on holiday at the moment.

Starlight-I found OT in Berkhamsted via the same link-shes called Janet Ivin and DS has been seeing her for about 4 sessions which have been good.She charges £44 per hr-but around £200 for an assessment I think which we didnt need as DS had been assessed by NHS OT before the service was withdrawn.
HTH

Hi again - daft question but what exactly do you need the OT for? At what point do you decide you need them - to have reports for statementing, or just if there is a specific problem?!

Starlight, someone has mentioned you're an expet in Herts... do you have a statement?! Any advice for me on those lines/ school options?