What I will tell the SALT on Monday

[2006hildy]

"Here are some things I'd like to discuss with you."
As far as I can tell within the triad of impairments he has made least progress socially, then imaginative and then communication.
He is repeating everything you say as well as trying to say his own incomplete sentences. His speech just recently has taken a jump for the better.
Would like:
To know is he still considered as emerging speech.
Intensive help. I don't think 10 hours a year is enough therefore more therapy surely in view of the difficulties?
Assessment. I understand that ?it is very hard to assess how well a child is understanding speech without testing because they will follow a lot of non verbal clues. Therefore it seems quite likely that LSA will not have the skills to know how significant a child's difficulties with receptive language are and so children with comprehension difficulties may never even get to assessment.
SALT can do a range of tests; there isn't one standard speech and language assessment,
For example CELF, Derbyshire Comprehension Test, and STAP (phonology/speech sounds production test).
A speech therapist can do a full assessment and that would flag up if he has any difficulties understanding and/or expressing language as folk can have difficulty understanding social use of language/ semantic pragmatic difficulties.?
Can you to target and test certain areas to get a better picture of G's speech and language disorder and where it stands. The reason why I want is more assessment/tests for G to determine the correct techniques to be used with him. I feel the not just Autism Advisory service but other services involved have just thought oh classically Autistic, emerging speech we will start on PECS and turn taking. Instead of really bothering to find out his strengths and weaknesses are. I thought all Autistics were different so using this blanket approach to me is odd. I am sure you can offer lots of good tools to support and assist G, some of which work a little, a lot or not at all. Consider the iceberg effect. Most of what you see is hidden; it's only the very tip that is obvious.
To know if he has delays and problems across the whole range with speech and language.
What about the LSA? Are they working with the you? Who is delivering the programme? When? How often? Weekly, daily, what?
Strategies and support appropriate to G?s age and needs now, to enable G in making him social. G is without friends and skills that would improve his life greatly.
?AAC is an AMAZING thing, it can be many different things too such as electronic devises, PECS (good old velcro) and more!

I dont know much about what is offered to kids these days as I am not an adult but I do personally use various AAC things. I have a PECS book, folder. I can do sign lanugaue and I have things like a program called Proloquo2go on my iPhone (hoping to get an iPad). I also have communication grids on my laptop (powered by Widgit) and have had experience of GoTalk devises, one called vox as a child and The Grid.?
Abilitynet and Cerebra have great technology knowledge (including funding!)
To know what we can do to support him. Feel totally out of our depth at times. Basically all the information we need to move forward and re-assure us. Then as usual offer a list of recommendations to the school on how best to help him. If the label isn't there, you cannot access the support and help that will lead to 'solutions'.
Can we have copies of any recommendations or social programmes to be emailed to us as well as school so I could have it on record and is really useful if I need to share with other specialists. Can we have your email address then which is really useful if I have any queries or concerns I want to follow up with you at a later date.
Worried:
His gap between him and his peers is getting larger I was hoping there would be some kind of intervention to teach him skills he could use to keep up not just reading, writing and spelling.
He has several needs, is not reaching his potential and all the time the system is failing my son. I see it as a 'team' thing, all working together to get G the best possible life.
I don't want any problems to become entrenched.
I also worry that County Council staff do seem to have standard answers (eg you have given him a label now) brainwashed to them to save money or avoid timewasters or whatever.

G?s Autism check-list
G knows how to navigate his way around Google for Thomas the Tank Engine only, as that is his interest. He is always watching you tube videos with Thomas in of course. I think he thinks he can speak a lot more now because he copies everything that is said on these videos. Then mostly appropriate phrases do come out.
Has little interest in mixing or playing with other children. He does not understand helping , sharing, donating, cooperating or volunteering so his Prosocial score is low.
Has difficulty in expressing his wants and needs. Reliant upon pulling adults to what he wants.
The tantrums seem to come out of the blue.
He does not always meet his IEP targets.
Failing to access the curriculum in group situations.
Conclusion
He has become a loner, not much interaction, everything has to be routine because surprises or different plans upset him. I understand children with language problems can have a hard time socializing.
What will happen next if you do think there are issues?
If you have anything to add or comments gratefully received thanks.

I can try and help (I'm an s/lt) but I can't really understand your email.
Who are you quoting?
Are you trying to differentiate between what you have been told and what you want as well as how you want to say it?

If you could repost, clarifying these things it would help us to help you better.

I am quoting other informative posts.

Not trying to differentiate, just using the information for our needs and /or using them to say what we want.

I have rewritten it without quotes since posting.

Moondog how do you get the most out of these meetings as I feel they are so precious and want to make the best out of what we have?

From what you are saying, I think your main concerns are:-

1. you want an up to date SALT asssessment of receptive and expressive language, as his speech has recently improved

1. you are concerned that the TA may need guidance as to how your child may mask their receptive language problems. (bear in mind that for day to day purposes your child may need visual cues etc gradually decreasing, as his receptive language improves)

1. given his recent improvement in language, you would like to move away from PECs/Turntaking, and have more advice about the next steps language wise, and improving his social communication.

1. your DS needs help verbalising his needs

1. you want copies of advice/programmes sent to school.

I don't quite undestand your wishes re:AAC, whether you want that to be explored more?

Moondog maybe you could help with what Lightpassenger has suggested. It sounds reasonable. Sorry I barely scraped a C at Eng Lang and cobbled together my post with advice from other posts.

I am always happy to help but it takes time and effort on my part and I am not sure I want to expend it on people who can't be bothered to formulate their own queries.

oh dear

2006hildy, to be honest, I think that you won't have a useful and informative meeting with the SALT if you try to tackle so many areas at once.

I think you need to think of specific things about your child and work out what the most important thing to tackle is.

For example:

-Has G recently (within the last 6 months, say) had any assessments for SALT? If so, did they give you a good understanding of his current stage and his next steps? It sounds like the answer would perhaps be no, to the second question at least.

-If G hasn't had any meaningful assessments (by that I don't just mean 'tests' but also more general pinpointing of his current language skills and deficits), what assessments would be helpful?

-If you are unclear on what you should be expecting, that might be a good thing to start with.

-Children don't always progress in a 'linear' way - they can have jumps in progress, then a period of consolidation. Especially true if there are general learning difficulties. For example, my DD has had an explosion of vocabulary and sentence length, but is much harder to understand. It is as though she is able to 'say' more, but 'communicate' less.

The SALT will only have a narrow window to see you with your son. Unless you are clear about your goals, you will leave frustrated. Your overall impression will be that the SALT hasn't done a good job, whereas the reality will be that the SALT was pressured to do too much in one session.

2006, from what you have written, I'd bet £50 you're in Herts!

How did you guess? Herts

I agree with Lougle, try and have a few v clear points in your head to discuss with SALT on Monday. Am I correct in recalling that Herts don't do any of the Hanen courses?

It's hit and miss. The main thing with Herts is that they deny provision even when they have it, so you may get told there is nothing when in fact you know a child that is getting it. They also have a lot of unwritten policies like only giving you a particular provision once you have written x number of complaints letters or have been through a bunch of other ineffective provisions first.

OP. Be factual and unemotional in you complaints and always do it in writing. Request expected Outcome for every provision or meeting to be sent to you in advance. Completely ignore any personal criticisms or attacks and don't defend or even address them.

That would be my advice to anyone dealing with Herts.

Herts didn't do Hanen course for us even though begging and pleading when DS was still emerging speech. Children who we went to same special pre-school who were all Bucks were all offered Hanen and all their children are talking now. I think they are only available for the minority that fit criteria.

I wonder if he is still emerging speech if he copies everything you say and then sometimes coming out with appropriate phrases.

Should I expect a written summary for every visit? The EYFS SALT did because she knew I was keen to collect evidence for statutory assessment but our new one is more laid back!

If anybody has anything to add or comments gratefully received thanks.
H

2006, The criteria for Hanen course is to make a bloody nuisance of yourself.
Send in a FOI request asking how many ran in the last two years, how many are scheduled to run, the admittance criteria, where they are, percentage attendance etc.

Write to your own SALT and ask them to out in writing why you are being refused Hanen.

OR

Buy the book. It's pretty self-explanatory.