Can you recommend where we can get advice?

[stevieknicks]

DH and I are getting a bit worried about DS. He is three next month and massively behind in communicating. He has been assessed by a private SALT in April of this year and she said a mild speech delay but he has barely progressed since then. We are waiting for yet another assessment on NHS, but I don't feel like we are being listened to - we have concerns not about how many words he knows (answer=plenty) but in how he uses communication. For example he:
Never, ever says yes
Doesn;t answer questions/make
Uses stock phrases rather than using words to make new sentences
Repeats questions that I ask
Doesn't interact 'normally' with peers, stands staring at them, seems to dislike having other toddlers in our house
Still babbles especially when with people he doesn't know so well

Just a few things that we have noticed that are a bit unusual. To me if it were just a speech delay he would still be following a certain pattern of developing speech, this seems to be different communication behaviour. He is a funny little man with a great sense of humour but I can tell his personality is now being shaped by his communication problems.

I know some of these traits are mentioned as symptoms of autism but he does not have repetitive behaviour, or some of the other more obvious well known characteristics like eye contact - and would it have been noticed by HCPs by now?

Basically we would like someone experienced to check him out. He was born with talipes so I often wonder if this is linked but getting a bit fed up being told that he will catch up when my instinct tells me it is something more....

Thanks in advance

The key bit of your message is the last bit about your instinct. If your gut feeling tells you there's something else going on then don't rely on HCPs - you are the expert in your child so act accordingly.

I think you need a further assessment by a SALT at least to identify if this is a delay or a disorder.

You can self refer to NHS SALT usually
Also need to go to your GP and ask referral to paediatrician to consider if ASD
ICAN and AFASIC are sites you might want to look at

word of caution on Bibic though- it is taking us ages to be seen, so may want to do in tandem with SALT drop in etc. I phoned them them back in May I think. The first appointment for the telephone interview was September, and now there are no assessment dates before March- so all in all a 10 month wait (nothing like the wait for OT and some other help I know, but still frustrating if you just want to get to the bottom of your DCs difficulties and start some sort of plan to help them!).

Would agree with bdaonion about the waiting times for BIBIC and to get onto them asap. We phoned in June and have the telephone interview next month. Sounds like we will have a longer wait for the assessment.

He also sounds like my DS1 at around that age. He has been diagnosed with ASD but he does have repetitive behaviours too. Communication disorders are often mistaken for ASD because children withdraw if they don't know how to communicate. DS1 is slowly getting better communication skills and his interactions have come on a mile in the past few months. Does your DS use other non-verbal forms of communicating - eg. pointing??

I would say hassle hassle hassle the NHS SALT department and ask for cancellations to try and get an appointment earlier. If you are at all concerned about his development then I would ask get him referred to the community paedatrician. There will be a wait but it can't do any harm to get the ball rolling now. Either your GP or health visitor can do this.

Is he at nursery, and if so, what do the nursery staff think?

Would definitely second taking him to a prviate SALT if you can afford it as we have much more help from them vs the NHS SALT (worse than useless).

Thanks for all the advice. Just to clarify, we saw a private SALT in April for an assessment and she said first language delay, then at a follow up, a speech delay. We also went to an NHS drop in and he got very little time with a SALT there, but again , they said speech delay. I just didn't and still don't think this covers the range of communication issues he has.
His playgroup staff obviously notice his speech delay and say he does interact with others (prefers his own company though) there and has his own way of communicating and making his needs/wants known. Luckily they have good links with local SALTs so he is being seen there again next Thursday. Therapy round here is well funded but very busy so I am worried that he might still slip through the net.
I would still like him to be seen by a developmental paed and will pay if necessary - any recommendations in central/north London would be really welcomed!
Loueytbg he does point, for example an orange bin lorry just went by and he pointed and said what dat mummy. VERY rare that he asks a question like that!