Salt etc. Starlight's Baby DS. Please help.

[StarlightMcKenzie]

For those that know a bit about my story please help me not to get all shakey over this.

Baby DS has no ASD. Confident and certain in that. However, he does have articulation issues and lack of words. Yes, he is 17 months and I know this.

I also know he has posterior tongue tie (confirmed by LLL tongue-tie specialist but denied by GP and HV) and grade 4 upper lip tie (not denied but significance denied).

I have no idea what, if anything I need to be doing. I think probably I need to build a case for surgery. Possibly I need evidence from SALT.

Now I have called HV. NN phoned me back wanting to visit. I ask why she says to observe and give tips. I say no tips thanks, what next? She says wait until 2.5 development check. I said no thanks to waiting, what next? She said HV come to house to do missing 1 year developmental check. I said what for? She said because they like to do them.

So I asked how that would address issue and she said it would record my concerns but then wait and see until 2.5 developmental check. I asked why we'd have to wait and got the response that they like to do it just before preschool so they are where they need to be to learn.

I asked if she believed no learning could occur before preschool then?

We ended it with her giving up and telling me that a HV would call me tomorrow to book an appointment.

I am not happy with the challenging nature of my side of the phone call. I don't know how to stop it. I didn't attend the 1 year check because I hate their service for the way they have repeatedly let us down, even in baby Ds' early days, forgetting the whole thing with Ds.

There is no self-referral to SALT, though I'm not sure if that would be the right place anyway.

Any kicking into shape will be welcome as well as flowers. I finished the phone all in tears.

Ha! Am doing the parenting course now (again). In fairness, things slipped a bit massively when at tribunal etc. and big DS isn't the ideal behaviour role model.

Cool! Do pass on those essential nuggets.

Grrr. Still can't download it... trying since you posted x

So, I went to clinic today with ds.

Following on from this thread, dh & I have been watching ds more carefully, and noting things in preparation.

Spoke to the hv, who was eyeing up ds as he cheerfully explored the room, and giggled his way around everywhere. I managed to strike it lucky, and get the efficient hv, so that was a bonus, but even then, she was looking a bit dubious and starting on the usual 'well, he is young' platitudes, until I mentioned I had an older child with ASD. She cut off abruptly, and said 'do you want a referral?'

So, there you go, ds is in the system. Am relieved it was so easy (but so it should be, given family history). She did caution me that the referral might be rejected, but went on to say if it was, she would just send it straight back, or refer via GP, or find another route.

It is definitely right that ds is inthe system. He is lively, curious and sociable, but has little in the way of imitation skills, and no words at all. his gestures (waving, clapping) are inconsistent, and he doesn't point (he has jsut started whole hand pointing to distant objects, which may or may not develop into a proper point. I can always cancel if it turns out we don't need the appointment when it comes through, but I doubt it will get to that point, tbh.

Ah New, good you're in the system. I'm sure you don't need to be from what you have written alone but it just makes sense to get the niggles checked out so you know what you're dealing with.

Typically, now ds has been raised as a case he appears to have got more approximate at words.

oh, he does need referring. who knows what for, but something isn't quite right.

time will tell, I guess.

I saw a mum from dd2's school on the way out of clinic, and chatted ot her for a bit. she ws that i was so pleased to get a referral - gotta laugh, that would have been me 8 years ago