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SN children

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Original poster

Anyone have a child in a language unit in school.

23 replies

snowfalls · 14/12/2005 16:22

DS has been referred to the language unit, and will start in January, he will ettend each morning and will go back to reception class in afternoons(it is based on the school grounds}

Does anyone know what it entails, I got a very vague answer from his teacher.

I assume it is very much like SALT.

OP posts:

RnB · 14/12/2005 16:32

Message withdrawn

Original poster

snowfalls · 14/12/2005 16:34

Oh, thanks

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mizmiz · 14/12/2005 16:36

I have a 5 year old dd who I very much hope will attend a language unit from 2006 onwards,as she has a language disorder.

I am also a salt.
They are generally run jointly by teachers and salts.The latter can modify lessons to make them more appropriate and accessible and also do group and 1:1 work with children.

It is basically salt in a real life setting,not the artificial environment of a clinic.

Consider yourself very lucky.Places are few and far between.

Original poster

snowfalls · 14/12/2005 16:40

Thankyou very much, I have been told the classes only have a few pupils in, that should help ds too, as he struggles in a crowd

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Blossomgoodwill · 14/12/2005 17:46

Hi Snowfalls

My dd (6) has been in a language unit over 2 yrs and has come on so much.

As Mizmiz says it teaches children communication skills to help with everyday life.

I am hoping dd will go on to the language unit at a local high school too.

Please ask if you have any questions

Original poster

snowfalls · 14/12/2005 18:38

Hi Blossomgoodwill

It's nice to hear positive stories, I am glad it's working out for your dd

My only worry is that ds will soon begin to realise he has a different routine to all the other children in his class, as he will still be attending mainstream class in the afternonns. I am also hoping the change in routine does'nt upset him to much, but I do think he will settle quickly as it is a much smaller class and he will feel more settled.

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Blossomgoodwill · 14/12/2005 18:47

Snowfalls as my dd copes so well she only does 10% unit now and has support for a fair bit of the time in ms.

Original poster

snowfalls · 14/12/2005 18:53

It obviousley depends on the level of needs, but how soon did you see some improvement

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Blossomgoodwill · 14/12/2005 20:05

In her behavious almost instant. However she still has some really good and really bad days. All part of the communication disorder really.

QueensSpeechEagle · 14/12/2005 20:13

snowfalls - ds2 was statemented before he started school and attended the language provision unit. Can't remember exactly what it was called now as this is now 5 years ago.

It meant he had a one-to-one helper to encourage and help him to sign for a certain amount of time each day in the classroom and also he was taken off with a handful of other SALT kids for group sessions. So many times per week he also had one-to-one with the speech therapist.

It was fantastic for him, in fact the SALT provision in my area is excellent - there is even a playgroup specifically for SALT kids which ds2 also attended. He is now almost 10 and speaks perfectly fluently with no sign whatsoever of the (very significant) problems he had.

nutmeg · 14/12/2005 22:13

I am really interested to read this. We are hoping that ds will get a place in a Language unit next September. The statement is looking good for that. I know that there can be an overlap in symtoms between language disorders and asd. I am slightly worried that ds might be asd and that a language unit might then be inappropriate. What are the main differences between a child with asd and a child with a severe language problem?

Blossomgoodwill · 14/12/2005 22:17

nutmeg - the thing with language problems and asd is that they do overlap.
I remember once reading something like if you put in line at the start the children with mild language impairments and at the end of the line severely autistic children it would take Solomon to know exactly where the language impairment/disorder stopped and the asd started. Always helped me when I thought of it like that.
My dd has a language disorder but also has asd traits too.

nutmeg · 15/12/2005 18:03

Blossomgoodwill, is there any particular thing that makes the diagnosis one thing and not the other?

sphil · 15/12/2005 18:26

I'm interested in this discussion too and hope this isn't too much of a hijack. My 3 year old hasn't got a diagnosis yet, but we are expecting ASD. However, his main problem is language (BIBIC SLT thinks verbal dyspraxia a possibility). He doesn't have any real behavioural problems apart from a short attention span. However, our local Language Unit doesn't take children with autism. Having been to visit, we feel he would probably fit in very well and would get the concentrated language work he needs. Has anyone here got an autistic child at a Language Unit?

BoozyChristmacwoozy · 15/12/2005 18:41

I've also been following this thread with interest. My ds's SALT has discussed with me recently about an appropriate school placement for ds when he moves up to Juniors (he's currently in year 1 though so no rush). She spoke about a local school that has a language unit, but she warned me that as ds hasn't a language problem as such but more a social communication problem(her words!) that for him to be able to attend will be all down to the amount of children who will be applying. Seems places are really limited.

BoozyChristmacwoozy · 15/12/2005 18:43

Forgot to say he has ASD.

Original poster

snowfalls · 15/12/2005 20:13

sphil
Yes, my ds is still under assessment but Autism looks very likely, he starts in the language unit in January.

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nutmeg · 16/12/2005 00:31

our ds has diagnosis from one paed 'severe language delay' and from the other paed 'asd'. I know where you are at. We are following the language unit route at the moment but I don't want to think that there might be something he is missing out on that might help him with his asd traits.

Blossomgoodwill · 16/12/2005 07:12

nutmeg - I do know what you mean as I have always said to dd's school that what would happen if she did get dx with an asd (which she may do).
They said that nothing would change and they would carry on treating her exactly the same. They do have children with mild asd in the unit and the majority of the children in the unit (all with seech and/or language disorders) who haven't got an asd dx have traits anyway. I guess it's all linked with communication.
Language units tend not to take children on the moderate to severe end of the spectrum as they usually have units for children with autism. I know this as a friend of mine tried to get her ds into dd's unit. The school said that they couldn't give him a place as he would have to do a fair bit of ms and they felt he couldn't cope. He is now a small unti with 8 in a class and is being slowly intergrated into a ms schools (prob. abotu 1 hour per week as that's all he can cope with)

nutmeg · 16/12/2005 09:36

thank you blossomgoodwill.

maddiemostmerry · 16/12/2005 10:02

My ds was refused a place at a langauge unit as he was considered too autistic(moderate).
I think if I'd have known what I do now, I would push for a langauge disorder dx and then maybe an asd dx after he had placement. This is what families with mildy autistic children try to do where I live.

If you have a asd dx and a language dx I would also say that langauge is your childs primary need as this seems to help access SALT placements.

sphil · 17/12/2005 00:08

Thanks - this is all really useful as we have our first family meeting about DS2 in Feb when we are going to discuss statementing. I am hoping DS2 will be on mild end of spectrum but am not sure how it's judged - he doesn't have any of the more 'challenging' autistic traits (yet) but his language delay is severe and social skills not always great.

Original poster

snowfalls · 17/12/2005 00:18

I know what you mean, my ds is thought to be on the mild end of the spectrum, though he seems to be getting worse, is that possible, can mild autism become more severe??

When I picked him up from school today he was sat on the floor with a ta sobbing, it was the christmas party day today and it all became too much for him to handle............I have never seen him sob like the way he was today

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