Speech and language - what the **** am I meant to do?

[FrustratedSycamoresRocks]

Sorry me again.

I have no idea what I am supposed to do.

Dd (4.7) has a huge speech and language delay, just seen a S&LT, who said dd was currently at a 1 word level, her understanding is very limited, and she (dd) is working on the basic pre-verbal level of language development, akin to that of a 2yo. She has no concept of prepositions, although has some basic understanding of action words, and naming words.

S&LT said that in a formal assessment dd would be unlikely to score very highly, because the basic understanding isn't yet in place. Although S&LT is going to try and get dd formally assessed by our normal S&LT. who has been very uninvolved for the past year, in which time dd has made little if any progress

It feels like dd has been repeatedly screwed over for her entire life, by health-care professionals, and nobody is willing to help her, everyone seems to want to pass the buck onto someone else, which doesn't help dd.

And I don't even know what if anything can be done. I just want to cry and throttle the appropriate people I'm half way between angry and depressed.
We can't get S&L written properly into dds statement with out a S&L assessment, dd can't access the curriculum if she can't access even basic language skills.
Dd doesn't have any learning difficulties past the S&L delay, but the more everyone fanny-arses about the further behind she gets. I feel so helpless.

Do we even have any options left?

er.... what's the issue getting her assessed? Surely they just need to crack on whatever the level (and S&LT dept seem to pretty much know already). If language is THE issue requiring SA then it's a farce not to have formal S&L assessment, surely? How will they know what to write into statement (sorry am I getting this wrong?).

I was in a similar position to you (dd 4,1 language level of 18month-2yo) I didn't bother with NHS faffage. I went straight to private S&LT assessment followed by private S&LT for 45 min sessions weekly for 9 months. This basically resulted in a transformation in my dd2's language skill, unlocking the foundation stage curriculum for her. She would have been left high and dry without it. Provision from NHS was laughable (quite literally).

If SA has been agreed then I am not sure what the delay is on assessment. What needs to be done is therapy. Can you beg, borrow or steal the funds for private therapy? If you can find a therapist as good as ours, it will be the best money you ever pay.

Out NHS S&LT is crap part-time non-existant laughable.
There is no way on gods earth that we can afford private.

The S&L should make up part of the statement. Other needs make up the statement we already have. The delay in the S&L assessment seems to be purely NHS S&LT incompetence.

I could try and recall what we did at home for dd2 but it's 4 years ago and your issues may not be the same as our were. With a bit of guidance we were able yo help a lot with visual timetables, prompts, and books aimed at two year olds (Spot books are brilliant). I think some assertive phone calls to a manager are in order. To say the least. Really frustrated for you it's not good enough. Grrrrrr

Visual timetables already in place.

Would a few phone calls have better and quicker effect than a letter? How do I find out who the manager is?

Deffo find out who the manager is (call them) and make contact by phone and dont let them fob you off any more....

Always follow things up in writing - email if possible. Then you have a record of what you have written to them, and clarification of whatever they have agreed to.

I complained to the chief executive of the PCT about my daughter's lack of SALT. This did result in her visits increasing from 3 a year to 6 (still inadequate). We later had an independent SALT report written into her statement and found a school that could meet this need.

I would write to the manager initially and then try this. You need to come across as very determined, calm and reasonable. Don't be fobbed off with the lack of provision of other children, you just need to get the best possible service for your child.

Where in the country are you?

ICAN schools do very throrough private assessments. There is some funding available I believe.

Some ideas:-

1. If you are on a very low income then both Cerebra and Caudwell children's charity have some funding available for SALT. Worth googling and then giving them a ring methinks?

1. The education system has legal safeguards to ensure kids get SALT that the NHS doesn't. This is the route I was forced to go down after years of trying to get blood out of a stone via the NHS. In the first instance apply for a statement using the model letter examples on the IPSEA website. It's a heck of a long winded of going about it and will take minimum 6 months and possibly up to 18 if you are forced to Tribunal (LEGAL AID is available for those on a low income and pays for private SALT reports to use as evidence). The upside is that you wind up with a legal document that you can then use to hold the child's LA to account if the SALT doesn't happen.

If your child is this far behind with their expressive speech then you stand a very good chance of getting that statement at the first attempt so long as you clearly state in all correspondance that her speech is a barrier to accessing the National Curriculum. Do not rely on anyone but yourself to make that initial application for you, or you'll find the process delayed beyond what you can tolerate and still stay sane. You also have a right of appeal if refused which the school does not.

People assume the statement is ONLY about getting so many TA hours, and forget it can have no TA hours at all but SALT, special equipment needed etc as it's all about accessing the curriculum.

1. Do a search on the forum for case studies of similar children to your own and see what other parents have done. Many have gone on training courses themselves and then implemented DIY programmes at home while waiting for the professionals to pull their fingers out (I certainly did!). Hanen more than words, PECS, sing and sign are just a few I've seen used by amateur Mums.

It's a flipping marathon, not a sprint and I've come the conclusion that only the children of the most bloody minded stubborn parents stand a chance of getting any support. No matter all the rhetoric we hear about early intervention etc, the reality on the ground is very different for many of us

My own son didn't get SALT for his receptive speech till he was 7 and I can't tell you how guilty I felt that he might have missed the boat. Nearly 18 months on and the difference is phenomenal, so please don't give up fighting for it! We worked really hard to find the best motivators for him which meant he's really managed to extract the most value from his SALT sessions and the results have been beyond my wildest dreams.

Thank you all for your suggestions.

starlight were on the edge of the south west, in a county that has a dry poor record of S&L provision.

bochead we have a statement already, sen at lea are on the case, because of the fuss we've made so far and it is being reviewed. We're already using basic speech supported BSL, and pecs time-tables.
Will look into cauldwell and cerebra..

Dh phoned S&L today and was told that an assessment would be done in school ASAP. i shall be phoning them back tomorrow to give them a date and time by which they need to supply me with an actual date for this assessment.
Will also be demanding requesting full copies and records of all intervention that they have had with DC.

That's not too much to ask is it?

My SALT for my son was utterly shit.
sorry I've got not information other than you have to fight for everything.

Go to your GP & demand a referral.

My nursery has told me to expect to fight for EVERYHING.

It's so bloody hard

Take care op x