Mainstream school with delays?

[SleepingStandingUp]

I've just received DS's SN report and it states that DS, 32 months, is working between 16-26 months. I knew he was behind, he can't talk for one which doesn't help but I didn't realise he was potentially over w year behind.
Now I'm wondering if he's going to cope in mainstream school and if this gap will keep getting bigger?

I probably sound like an awful mum for not knowing he was that far behind but he's my first so I don't really know what normal is. He is him and we've just celebrated what je can do. He can recognise 1-10 visually and put them in the right order even if he can't clearly say the numbers (lots of uh and similar sounds), loves jigsaws and puzzles and gets bored by the ones with the pictures behind as too easy. I thought he was doing ok but now im wondering if it was premature to insist on a mainstream school and if ive let him down

It's worth thinking about a specialist school. Don't ever think you're a bad Mum. You're not.

He started mainstream nursery last week, he's settled in so well and has already eaten a food he wouldn't normally touch due to the other kids doing it. Now I need him to do it with words.

They've basically told me they have to bar it on his weakest bits on a bad day otherwise he won't get the help he needs, which has helped. So yeah he can count to 10 but only I can hear it and he can't do plenty the others can. Think nursery seeking you agree with him has helped massively

Thank you for your reply

Has he been referred for speech and language therapy?

Yeah, they've been out twice and weren't very helpful. Need to let them know he's in nursery and hope they'll go into school

Surely he should be having revular speech and language. Have they assessed him and given you things to work on at home?

The first two times I was just told to teach him more objects, the third time I was told to work on larger, smaller etc. But none of that makes him talk!
Left a voicemail the other day and just sent one to someone else trying to get a direct number.
He is starting to make noises that sound like words - on, oo, ee, or, ii, ix, eheh, ay, ine, eh would be 1 - 10 for example but all really throaty and similar but that's HIM, that's nothing we've done except repeat everything he says.

My DS is the same age with similar difficulties. We will be trying to get an EHCP in place for him. We will also be requested a deferred school start - children don't need to be in school until they turn 5 so we will be asking for permission for him to go into Reception year age 5 instead of (just) 4. The process to do this varies by local authority (ensuring he can start in YR and not Y1 if starting a year later) but perhaps something to consider.

Atm the opposite seems to be working, at least on half days. He's tolerating children better, he even held hands woth one when told to (huge!), and he's chatting his noises there. He'll only do 3 hours a day at 3 too so I guess we just have to see how it goes

The first two times I was just told to teach him more objects, the third time I was told to work on larger, smaller etc. But none of that makes him talk!

Yes it would. There are things your child’s needs to learn to do before he is expected to talk. I highly recommend you google “Laura Mize” a fantastic speech and language therapist site.

Please don’t get anxious about reports. Easier said than done. Take them into consideration it don’t get over anxious about them. Testing in children is tricky and doesn’t always present a full accurate picture of the child.

I will refer again to your local speech and language therapist team. You can try flexi schooling, so your child does to a mainstream class 3 days a week and a special school twice a week.

I mean it doesn't in the sense that he knows lots of words, and he still doesn't say them. I understand he needs a vocab of words and a reason to say them but we've had no other real practical help in speaking. We have sounds at last that increasingly sound like words but his sketch hasn't developed like anyone I know (I know the how doesn't matter so much as the getting there, it's just odd). Every other child I know had babble with consonants and developed baby sounds with consonants, had first word sounds with consonants. He counts 1-10 entirely without. I just feel like there's something else going on and little help.

I spoke again to SALT, they will visit school after Easter and she's looking at a possible group we can go to. He was too far along for one and not socialized enough for another previously.
'Awaiting appointment for tongue tie too be clipped.
Ent end of this week regarding his tonsils.
I still wonder if there's some damage from the intubation at 10 months

Re flexi schooling, I suppose my understanding if special school is limited but I worry that because academically he seems like he'll hold his own with some help that special school might not fit? Its really his speech holding him back as it affects so much

OP, your DS is only two so far ? I would try flexi school for Nursery/ reception. Then after, you can decide if you want him to be in mainstream or special full time. Special schools have more therapeutic input... speech and language, Occupational therapy, trained staff... your DS May progress a lot quicker.

Tbh it took from June - February to get his funding info place, whilst he's settled I don't know if I could even contemplate moving him and trying to get a 121 somewhere else for him. That doesn't mean I wouldn't do it if he wasn't coping or thriving but that where he is, I feel like they are doing good, they have proper chance to know him and he has proper time to get to know the other kids, most of whom he could know for the next 9 years if all goes well.