Language unit

[Gorta]

My son has been assessed and has been diagnosed with SLI. His receptive( understanding of language) is worse than his expressive. He has been going to slt from 18 months old and now he is nearly 5. His receptive scores are in the 1st and 2nd percentile. I am waiting to find out has he gotten a place in a language unit. There is about double the applicants for the places available. I have read up a lot about receptive SLI and it is lifelong and difficult to resolve. I feel very anxious at the moment l have around 5 more weeks to wait before the decision will be made. Is this normal.? Have you ever felt like this? It's just in a language unit would make such a difference to his outcome. I'm preparing myself in case he doesn't get a place but it's just all l can think about at the moment.

Gorta I really hope you get a place for him. My DS (11) moved to one and I have to say it's been a good move on the whole. I'm not sure what the outcome will be for him, but in the meantime he is happy to be with other children who he says 'are the same as him'. DS being happy was our main aim in him moving schools.

Fortunately I knew there was a place available so I pushed for him to get that place.

I would have thought that given your son is on the 1st and 2nd percentile (as is mine), he should have a good chance of a place, surely?

Thanks for your reply. I have been told that there is no guarantee he will get a place. The places are offered on priority of need. If he doesn't get a place this year it doesn't give him any advantage if we apply again next year. He fits the criteria for the class but the private Slt told me today she has seen children as severe as him not being offered a place. He would be completely lost and misunderstood in mainstream. It breaks my heart to think of him being so completely out of his depth. So is life..

Don't have any advice but my son was diagnosed with receptive SLI yesterday on the first and sixth percentile. He is 4 and a half. The SALT who diagnosed him said provided he gets all the help he needs (a big if I know!) the long term prognosis should be good. She recommended a language unit for my DS too but our closest one (several miles away) has an inadequate Ofsted rating so I'm going to push for a statement with lots of speech therapy.

Hi girls,
Thanks for replies. Where we are living he will only receive 6 sessions of public slt per year maybe 9 if I am lucky. The rest I will have to access privately. I am taking him privately at the moment once a fortnight. His public slt who has worked with him for 2 years kept fobbing me off. "he is making progress" so I asked for an assessment and when she saw the results it was"oh!" it was just bad luck to get the wrong therapist.in a language unit he would get at least 2 sessions per week one to one. He would progress a lot faster.

Have you got a statement? It sounds like we have been similarly fobbed off. My son's public SALT only assessed him on his single word understanding - as that came out as average and he made progress after each visit - he was since in March, August and October 2011 - that was basically it. Started VBA thinking he had autism in November which has improved his speech enormously and my consultant said she had a feeling he might have a language disorder rather than autism, had him privately assessed and here we are.

Feeling pretty pissed off at the way I've been fobbed off and DS has been failed by the system. I am applying for a statement asking for 30 hours a month of speech therapy plus maximum time for VBA with a board certified analyst. I will no doubt be turned down but will keep appealing until he gets a statement I'm happy. Please just don't accept that your son is only entitled to 6 sessions of publicly funded speech therapy a year - this is not true - he has a severe language disorder and the LA are under a duty to help him. If you really like the school with the language unit then push for a statement including that - but that isn't your son's only option.

Would the SALT who diagnosed your DS be prepared to attend a tribunal if his statement gets turned down? If not, you need to find one who will.

Thanks for that recommendation, I'll definitely read that thanks.

I'm not in the u.k.so I won't be able to go down that road. Im living in Ireland and my son started public slt at 18 months and then moved into early intervention services at 2.5 years where he was diagnosed with severe Sensory processing disorder. I am currently only being offered one session of slt and ot per month so I started going privately in January I just regret l didn't do it earlier. Soutty I am going to read up on VBA I hadn't thought of going down that route. I have used the hanen book more than words and will get their book called talkability. I found it very good. SLI and autism can mirror each other to a certain degree. Zzzz I have looked up the language for learning and I will check it out.if any one else has any other suggestions I would love to hear them. Thanks.