I've just spoken to the SALT about DD2, finally.

[lougle]

So, report should have got here but hasn't. Apologies.

Verbal Report:

Vocab 'average'
grammar 'fine' (this is the child who said she was 'colding up' yesterday )
Understanding of general concepts 'average'
subset of sequencing commands 'below average but if she'd scored just one point more it would be average so I'm not worried and it was probably just concentration.'
Lovely turn taking conversation and eye contact (interesting, not at home)

She did notice a tendency to literal thinking.

She's suggested ELSA and a narrative group. Not of course because DD2 needs a narrative group, but she'd be a good model for other children and may pick up some useful practice of pragmatics while she's there.

Discharged but feel free to re-refer if she has problems in year 3 or 4.

I relayed our conversation regarding the lunch trolley to her. She said 'yes, she's taken it literally, hasn't she?'

Oh Lougle. What was the test. CELF?

Dunno. She didn't say. I think it probably was though. Meh.

I told her how she latches on to concepts. Such as:

We visited her cousin in hospital. Floors A-G. DD2 asked why. I explained that they refer to the first floor as floor A, then 2nd floor is B, etc.

Now, every single day she says to me 'Mum, I going to floor A now...' if she's going to go downstairs, or 'Mum, I'm just popping up to floor B.'

It.Is.Not.Normal.

No Lougle. From everything you have written about her it looks like she needs some targeted support to have a good chance at 'playing normal' to access her education/independence etc.

Grrrrr.

The more a child can pass for normal, the less willing people are to provide help, or even dig enough to see a problem that might need help. It is perfectly feasible that the SALT wouldn't have a clue how to address your dd's difficulties and so did the professional equivalent of a shrug.

The SLT should have a clue. Is there anyway you could get another opinion?

To be honest, I would consider the "colding-up" type error to be a semantic/vocabulary type issue, rather than grammatical too. But from everything you share about your dd it is really clear that she has big pragmatic issues. And that they impact upon her learning, and her social experiences. If I was her SLT I would want to work with her. I'm independent though, so have the luxury of not juggling an NHS budget/priority list.

You'd think.

My ds was discharged from SALT based on her assessments and professional opinion. He scored 'average' or 'just below average' across the board on her chosen test.

She was aiming to have SALT removed from his statement. We appealed, did more thorough assessments, found his difficulties were extremely complex and now he's in an independent SALT school.

Lougle's dd probably doesn't need anything like that now, but with ongoing unaddressed difficulties she'll need much more expensive provision later or develop confidence problems when she realises she isn't getting things the same way as her peers.

Singy, there is a difference between saying 'we can't afford to address your child's needs' and 'your child doesn't have any needs'.

I do agree Starlight.

Thanks for your support.

SingySongy, it's nice to hear that you would want to work with DD2.

Star, you've summed up my conversation with the SALT. I said 'it's not a major issue now, but I know it's going to be a big issue in years 3 on, because everything gets more abstract and I'd quite like to address it before disaster point.' She'll send me some information sheets

I agree she needs support lougle She's a few years younger than my DS (9) who spoke like this at her age and still does.

This is the boy who will say:

"I helded it up high" and then in the next sentence "Its extremely interesting observing something from someone else's perspective"

(tonights 2 gems within 5 minutes of each other!)

He's been referred to SALT so we don't have any reports or assessments done yet but the SALT at my school has been giving me advice and totally agrees he should be having SALT support.

I wrote on your other thread re lunchbox a minute ago. DS takes things literally and needs to give a full explanation to "what happened" that he never gets given the full chance to get his point across. I worry that when they don't they lose confidence in wanting to speak. He is also very 'negative' to suggestions with the "we can't do that because " answers too.

He is being assessed for SCD or ASD.

My dd2 (8.6) just described our neighbour's VERY PETITE 2yr old (whom she spent time with his evening) as 'elderly'.

Have you been able to stash any cash towards private assessment?

Thanks YAW, that's helpful.

Handy, no not yet

On the subject of 'age' I have been explaining to the girls that we don't ask people their age when they get older, because lots of people find it rude. I explained that to them when DD1's carer's DP had a birthday (he's in his 80s).

Today, DD1 said to me earnestly 'and, Mummy, do you know what DD2 said? She asked Jenny how old she was That's verrry verrry rude, isn't it?'

DD2 rolled her eyes and said 'It wasn't even her birthday!!'

She had absorbed the 'rule' but because I had told her the 'rule' on this man's birthday, she decided that it was only rude to ask someone how old they had become on their birthday!

Did she say she would write anything to support further assessment by Paed?

Yes polter and I find it works the same way when I relax 'rules' too. If DS is given an inch and let off some things he then thinks the behaviour is OK and repeats it despite previously being told its wrong iyswim? He can't differentiate when things are OK to do and when not.

I'm fed up of people thinking DS behaves worst when not with me because I'm strict and he's letting off steam.

Can you not simply re-refer straight away, saying that she has problems NOW, so you're not blimmin waiting until year 3 or 4.

(and SALT provision is dire in the infants but you should see it in Juniors as practically non existent in most LAs)

No, handy. She says that she gave 'some lovely eye contact' .

Polter I did say to the SALT that I have long accepted that it's likely to fall to me to meet DD's language needs, but that I am a little at a loss, because I simply can't be on hand to break down every nuance of language in every situation and create a 'rule' she can follow. I also pointed out that as she is so passive, she will not tell the teacher that she hasn't understood. She'll just smile, nod and suck her hand

I had a kind of friend at school who didn't do very well at all. I say kind of friend because I liked him, but when I showed him he became a bit clingy. He didn't understand boundaries and thought if I spoke to him a bit in a lesson we were then best friends iyswim.

Anyway. What he struggled with most was annoying the teachers. Because Sir was buddy for a bit, talking about the latest football score and joking with the kids, and then he switched to being serious and trying to teach the lesson, and sometimes disciplining, and then sometimes he'd joke again.

My friend couldn't keep up with the changes. He never knew whether it was 'jokey' time or 'serious' time or 'told off' time and laughed in inappropriate places, came across as cocky when he joked during discipline or serious time, and got into trouble a lot, whilst all the other children groaned and basically wished he'd just shut up.

Needless to say, he struggled with friendships and with education.

As an adult he is doing okay though I have to say, though he has a variety of odd piercings and pink hair. He has a job as a caretaker so is pretty much able to get on with the job without too many social interactions that aren't formal or business-like (i.e. ordering stuff).

That's encouraging. Good man.

That sounds pretty positive Polter.

Ahhh, I'd so swoop down and hug him if he said that near me. What a refreshing self-awareness.

Is he strange? I bet he's just a cool Goose

My son was discharged about four times from salt in short life so far. Each time I said nope, he's not being signed off. Result was at almost three he has a severe vocab delay. Just don't trust the difference between a child needing help, a child who needs it, but other need the service more. There is a finite pot of money to spread around. I keep being told that's not true, but is so obviously true

What I mean is a refused his discharge every time and he never got signed off ( until he hit year 1 and became someone else's budget problem)