Help understanding CELF results

[Midnightpumpkin]

Hello,

I need some help from more experienced parents or anyone who works in the SALT field - or any advice going forward.

My son 5yrs6mths has had a recent preschool CELF test after I pushed and pushed for an in school assessment. Originally he was signed off for being a little bit behind with his language skills.

Anyways he's scored:
Sentence structure: 13th Percentile (just within range)
Concepts & following directions: 1%
Word classes: 20%

The therapist noted that he makes grammatical errors. He omitted words from his sentences, used incorrect preposition and used none specific vocabulary. Couldn't recognise when adults gave the incorrect productions of words (ie mice - dice) Inconsistent in understanding blank level 1, 3 and 4 questions but consistently understands level 2 (ie what is happening?) However the therapist noted he talks expressively and intensely about his interests.

They've gave us some homework to work on at home and review in three months time. But with these results should I be pushing for more support? Or is there nothing we can do than waiting and seeing - I'm being told a lot of it is due to lockdown and his age. I'm not sure about this reasoning and something feels not quite right.

A little bit of background information:We've gone private with a OT who has diagnosed DCD and spd - they've recommended OT therapy in school, home & at the clinic. He can't read, write (mark makes okay but no forming of letters) forgets easily and doesn't seem to retain what was said five minutes ago but has excellent memory what happened many years ago, lots of clothes chewing, zoning out in lessons / general life or he'll be at the opposite end doing something repeatedly - ie shaking a curtain or running into a pile of coats over & over. Wears ear defenders for PE, softplay assembly, toilets or anywhere echo-y/ loud. He struggles in social situations with more than one child and ends up being in someone's personal space, over excited, has no concept of indoor/outdoor voices, he becomes upset easily If he thinks he's made a mistake (something like "oh gosh its messy in here today let's tidy up.") he can pretend play and make eye contact (the pediatrician signed us off at the hosptial due to pretend play & eye contact) . He very much struggles going to school but otherwise he's been very easy going and I've never known him to have a tantrum in his toddler years but only since starting school.

I really want to support him the best I can - can anyone recommend what we can do going forward?

You can work on Blank level questions at home. Google and you will get lots of examples. Just ask questions when sharing a book, nothing formal.

Writing Wizard on the ipad is a fun engaging multi sensory way to learn letter formation.
Provide lots of opportunities to mark make with a range of implements indoors and out e.g. paint brushes and water and chalks outside. Other activities to develop fine motor skills threading, large peg boards, puzzles.

I’d ask for a meeting with the SENCO in September to discuss the SALT and OT reports and his development in general. Ask what support and intervention is in place and whether they have looked at gathering information to apply for an EHCP ( they need to evidence two terms support)

I’d make an appointment with your GP to seek referral to a Paediatrician to possibly access the Social Communication and Interaction Pathway for possible ASD diagnosis.
Find out all you can about SPD books, videos etc and use strategies at home.

Definitely push for an iep when your son goes back in September.
Iep stands for individual education plan, if you haven't got one already.
2nd getting at least 2 terms of individual support to prove his need for an ehcp.
Though having reports about his diagnosis for dcd and spd should help.
How is he at phonics??
Good phonics will help him.
In year 1 dd had help from reading recovery tutor, though limited success for her.
But can make big leap in reading for most children.
They help with reading books and sentence formation.
Unfortunately a salt told me 1% would be bottom of a class of 100 pupils. Supposecthere was no easier way of putting it.😪

2 terms of assess, plan, do, review are not needed before requesting an EHCNA. That is a myth LAs and some schools like to perpetuate. The only lawful threshold for an EHCNA is - a) has or may have SEN, and b) may need SEN provision to be made via an EHCP. Anything else is unlawful.

Unfortunately a salt told me 1% would be bottom of a class of 100 pupils. Suppose there was no easier way of putting it.😪

Or, it indicates a severe difficulty - I’d have thought concepts and following directions is quite key in a classroom? Does DS have a receptive language disorder or poor working/short term auditory memory? (Sorry, I can’t remember what pre-school CELF looks like; and all DD’s files for that age are somewhere in the loft)

Yes, I had a look at the website. If the speech and language therapist was able to do the core sub tests, they should have been able to calculate the receptive and express index scores, and a language index score. Were these done; and the receptive and expressive index scores calculated?

I’d make an appointment with your GP to seek referral to a Paediatrician to possibly access the Social Communication and Interaction Pathway for possible ASD diagnosis.

Its not for me to say if DS has autism or not; but DD used to talk nonstop about whatever interested her (and she was obsessive but didn’t have ASD), because it was her way of controlling the conversation, so she didn’t have to work hard at comprehending other people. She did have a severe receptive and expressive language disorder. The head of therapy at her speech and language school told me the obsessiveness was her way of coping with the world; because her mind must have been quite a mess! Ten times as many children have speech and language difficulties as autism; yet parents often jump to the conclusion that a speech and language difficulty must mean autism. It can do, because there is an overlap; but it doesn’t always follow!

Thank you everyone for your advice and support - there is a wealth of information here and I shall go through it periodically. Thank you Thank you thank you - I honestly can't thank you enough I'm feeling quite lost and exasperated with it all.

It was his teacher who pushed for us to seek support through the pediatrician. He can't blend, remember any of the words and is still cognitively where he was in September - he can't read or write, cant spell his name or any letters. He has started mark making. The school have already had a 1:1 extra phonics lesson to help encourage & support his reading to no avail.

He'll forget words quite frequently "when...I...when I....when I......go.. cool...when I....go cool.....i eats..what eat....? What...it? What eat?...what word mm what word dat?" Im paraphrasing his speech.He'll become very frustrated he can't remember what he ate for lunch or the word for sandwich. He gets frustrated as people won't give him time to get his words out or cut in with suggestions.

On the subject of lunch he's also been sent home early (at 230) after they couldn't calm him down - he was served "bitty" yoghurt for lunch. He had made himself sick he was that upset - it was an awful experience he was soaking wet with sweating...fell asleep as soon as I got him in the car. I tried to involve the schools SENCO with little success as he "behaves well and shows no signs of distress"

Anyways we have already been to the pediatrician but we've been discharged. He made eye contact (he does this side eye thing)- the pediatrician told me he wouldn't fit the asd pathway as he made really good eye contact and this is a classic sign of autism. There wasn't any tests - it was a 40 minute appointment. My son spent the 40 minutes shaking the curtain.

The SALT hasn't done any further assessments they have promised to review in October - they told me the best way to improve his speech is to read to him at home and currently yes he is behind but it's to be expected due to covid. Can I push for another assessment?

Very grateful for the responses it means a lot- I've noone in real life I can speak too. All of his class friends seem to be so far advance & mature in comparison I find it hard to reach out to the other parents in his class.

I think you should request an EHCNA yourself.

I think it was dd salt who mentioned reduced auditory problems, has to learn everything over and over again. Tests where broken down over sessions as she got tired and distracted easily.
Nearly 22 years old now and times tables will be unachievable.??
Some speech and language therapy to get her speaking clearer around people she is unfamiliar with. Apparently mumbles, but at home can talk well on topics of interest. But can be disordered sometimes.??
Doing phonics in September to help her spelling, never been tested for dyslexia as so far behind. Sometimes can realise the letters are the wrong way round.
Dd was under 2 paediatricians 1 medical other was for development.
Have you tried the wipe clean books that he can copy letters that are dots.
Or white board cheap and cheerful,from poundland etc.
Don't know if there are any apps that are similar.
It's a challenge to find a learning style that works for you.

I also found it difficult to talk to other parents, especially when you see the gap in learning development. More so the ones that boast there child has a photographic memory and retain everything 1st go.

Nobody can do pre-school CELF again until 6 months has elapsed since the date of the last one. Well, they can do it; but can’t count the results officially. The theory is that a child might remember it from last time; which would affect its validity at an interval of less than 6 months.

However, there are always other tests, which could be done - like on word finding?

As @Relaxinghammock said, I’d request an EHCPNA, because an educational psychologist could look at memory as part of their assessment.