Can anyone help - SALT and paed stuff?

[larnysky]

New to this. I wrote this last night and didn't even manage to get this on the board the first time. Hopefully will manage this time. No worries if not something for your board haven't been on this site before.

Ok, here goes. Iam writing about my lovely DS2 who is 3.3. Until recently I just thought he was a bit behind with his speech. Now I don't know any more. DH thinks he is doing just fine. I feel like I can't trust my judgement as I didn't have any major major concerns.

He was referred to speech therapist at 18 months as no words. Saw one at 2 1/2 who said he would be seen in community by salt at 3. At this first appt he was referred to Paed as she was concerned about some developmental stuff like putting stuff in mouth, ability to understand simple instructions, frustrations and no imaginative play. Saw Dr a couple of weeks ago and he said he would prob need 1-1 in new nursery and he is doing an assessment next week for grey areas? Didn't help that DS2 was under my chair, not interested and pushing a button repetitively on a baby toy. Had to talk to new nursery and so asked old nursery who said they had concerns about his ability to understand and he mainly did his own thing apart from did fit into routines. Quiet and smiley. This info would have been a bit useful as i just see the amazing welcome I get maybe it wouldn't all be a shock. Took a long time to settle in nursery as doesn't like change that much.

DS2 is 80% of time is happiest doing his own stuff, moving things into bags, pushing pushchairs, playing cars, watching his favourite dvds (which he finds slap stick and them funny). He doesn't like to play with me very often and likes to do things his way. Language has improved in last few weeks and he is saying more three word sentences but not ckearly and has a lot more vocab. Recently started saying what's that? He has familiar children that he is very fond of and we have to do a list of them each day and where they are. He relies on one of them to copy in gym. Oh yeah he is like a monkey in climbing ability. He has a lot of older girls that mother him and runs around with other boys. He just doesn't really play with them directly on the whole but likes their company. However he is more attatched to my good friends and says little things to them. He loves music. He loves pressing buttons etc. Likes doing the things he wants to like going the direction he wants. Has much more spectacular tantrums than DD1. Can't get him out of them and getting him to say sorry can take an afternoon. Phobic about dysons. Hides upstairs and shakes. Affectionate to DD who is 1 likes her hair. Random hitting and lot of disrupting games he can't join in. Really affectionate.Selective listening. Lots of eye contact with his beautiful eyes.

What do you think the grey areas they are looking into? It ++is really dominating my thoughts as I really was suprised that they were not dismissive, now maybe I am over analysing everything. DH just thinks he is bright as a button and will catch up Don't know if anyone can help? Know I just need to wait till next week but kind of need to prepare myself for other things.

He sounds similar to my DS (3.9) in many ways. The grey areas are probably to do with social skills and communication, whether any problem there is caused by the speech delay or is present anyway. My DS has a diagnosis of HFA (high functioning autism) due to his language delay/disorder and poor social communication, although he does have imaginative play and has very little in the way of repetitive behaviours or need for routine. Sorry if this is not the answer you wanted, and best of luck with the assessment.

Hi Larny
I'm a salt
Your little boy sounds lovely and is doing a lot of the stuff he 'should' be doing.
Paed is probably referring to an in depth developmental assessment (we use one called the Ruth Griffiths assessment which isn't great tbh..) or a multi disciplinary assessment.

You are obviously an observant person.
I would type up your observations here and give them to professionals you will meet.

It is good to have intervention at an early age and lots of children have in depth assessment at an early age and turn out fine too.

Hope this helps.

Thanks it is reassuring that there are other understanding people out there. It really is a shock. Don't know anybody in the same position so it is nice to come here and have some chat with people who know stuff - more than me and my unknown worries.

I got to admit I am really scared even though I know I love him so much and somehow now more than ever if you know what I mean.

My husband isn't going to the appoint as he thinks he is fine. Now you say it that ruth thingy is the test he is having.

It's fine.Very low key and unstressful
Basically involves asking you lots of questions and giving him various objects to play with.

Completely painless.

Hang around this topis if you need support and advice. Some terrifically on the ball people post here. I always want to recommend it to families i work with but am in two minds about then bumping into them when off duty!

Ok that assessment doesn't sound too scary. Also what is HFA and does your DS cope in nursery and with life in general and did you realise that something was up and I know it is early days but i just want so much for him. Were you a bit sad because I am but also am a getting on with it person so flit between the two extremes. Lots of questions, sorry but this is an outlet for all my head stuff.

Hi larnysky, my take on it that there is nothing WRONG with my DS, his brain is just wired up differently. HFA is autism without mental retardation and in fact my DS is considered to be exceptionally bright by nursery (he has been attending for nearly 2 years). All the stuff like reading and maths that other children have to be taught comes to him naturally (he read his first few words before age 2 and long before he talked in sentences), but the stuff that comes to other children naturally, like how to play co-operatively, he has to be taught. My DS has some extra support in nursery for social stuff (nursery have applied for some one-to-one for him to facilitate joining in imaginary play scenarios) but generally copes well (largely because the nursery have a good understanding of how he ticks) and now joins in with activities at social occasions. He has become MUCH more social since his language has improved.

My DS (3.4) sounds very similar to yours and LGS' boy. Unfortunately he isn't due to be seen by the paed. until next Jan/Feb. I agree with LGS' comments re:grey areas.

In terms of nursery - I've been told that he manages fine, that he joins in with/copies what the other children are doing, so if he doesn't understand an instruction, say, he works out visually what is expected of him. He doesn't have any 1-1 support. Fortunately nursery staff are all very caring and patient types.

In terms of the language - have you been on a Hanen course? Surestart or Children's Centre's often run these, they provide lots of use advice about helping bring children's speech on.

MTS, my boy is just the same with instructions, if he doesn't understand he looks around and copies someone.

Hi all I am in a wobbly mode so apologies if I am not measured with my words. LGS you gave been really reassuring.

I really relate to that nothing wrong bit because there isn't is there when you love them so much, nothing changes he is still exactly the same to me as before.

I will look up Hanan course, thanks. Also very glad that they are being really proactive where I live, MTS that is a really long time to wait.