A SALT whyohwhyohwhy?

[needmorecoffee]

Why do kids with slight speech probelms get SALT every week, but dd who cannot speak at all due to her CP gets it one hour every 3 months?
DD is vocalising like crazy and attempting to speak but with that wide open mouth can't form any sounds. I am going crazy trying to help her and yet she gets almost no SALT input. She's down for a communication aid assessment at some point in the distant future. Another thing, why should a 4 yo have to wait months and months to be able to communicate?
I'm so

my dd who has mild to moderate speech problems gets one half hour every half a term

it is very maddening

oh nmc - my thoughts entirely this morning. Have been talking on another thread to someone (an ABA therapist) with lots of advice on ways to try and get ds1 talking. She talked about the need for an onboard SALT. We don't even have a SALT at the moment, let alone an onboard one!

yep. feel there is more interest in easily fixable kids. some of the weekly salt is probably not 1-1 but big group sessions if that's any consolation.

I think they rule kids out just because they have CP. In my opinion they think 'well we won't get a good result so we won't bother'. My son has had more speech therapy from his specialist independent nursery than he has from SALT. Have you tried holding a mirror up in front of her and asking her to move her tongue to specific places around her mouth - eg. touch her top lip, bottom lip, side of mouth etc. If she can become more aware of her mouth and how her tongue can help to make different sounds, then you might start to get somewhere with her.
Good luck
Nat

A good SALT will look at a wide range of communication possibilities, so if verbal speech isn't possible they will try to help with other areas. One hour every three months is disgraceful.

DS3 gets occasional sessins at school (first centile for both receptive and expressive)- seems to be once a month?. DS1 has SPD and some speech issues now with confidence (well thats what i think it is), and hasn't seen anyone since the report 2 years ago that identified it. DS2 has a pronunciation issue due to his glue ear and can't even get a referral.

TBH not sure who these kids who get help weekly are- my friend is a SALT in Exeter and reckons it would take a few years to give everyone on her list an hour!

(definition of weekly SALT here btw was to give us training for an afternoon and we give it- that never happened either, mind you )

We were just told that we are getting all the help that is available at the moment. Our neuro put us forward for a SALT when ds was 5 months old. We first saw her when ds was 1, and have only had 1 follow up visit (he's now 15 months old).

My dd in school has a milder speech problem and is getting an appointment in school every week or so. I wish I could take some of her time and apply it to ds!

Our SALT was also supposed to be ordering us some switches to try... still waiting, so I ordered some myself.

DH and I were just talking about all of this recently and I'm not even sure who to complain to about the lack of everything at the moment.

I'm for you as well. It's rubbish, and there probably isn't much hope that SALT appointments will start picking up.

There's no weekly SALT here. At the clinic you get 1 session a month for the more needy cases. When ds2 stopped needing as much help he went every 2-3mths.

It's a bizarre system really. The more help children need, the less they actually get.

NMC, have you tried the local media? I know you shouldn't have to resort to putting your daughter in the paper (although i'm sure she's beautiful) to get what you need.
A mother of a young boy with downs syndrome wrote to our local paper about the lack of SALT for pre school children.
I'm sure it helped move him up the waiting list!

Needmorecoffee,as you knowe,I can only agree.

The way forward is to

1.) Make a formal complaint to your Trust.They will have a complaints manager.Just needs an e mail

If no luck then you

2.) Ask for a formal review (for which you will be supported by the community health council)

If no luck then yuo

3.) Get the ombudsman to look at the case.

Meanwhile a visit to yuor MP deffo in order.

Don't bother complaining to the salt or even the dept. manager.They can't do anything. go higher.

It's a bummer i know.

Get onto your trust and ask for a complaints procedure leaflet.It is quite straightforward.

I've already contacted the PCT and they claim there isn't enough money to employ more SALTS and thats Guvmints fault.
They also said it wasn't possible to prove that SALT helped kids with severe physical issues!
As usual, along with her physio etc etc, I do it myself but any techniques would be good.
She's down for a communication aid and switch assessment but the waiting list is months. Argh.

Have you asked for an independent review as outlined below?
Have you seen a pamphlet outlining formal complaints procedure?

will try the complaints route.
But its not just me is it, there just aren't decent services for disabled kids. We get one hour physio a month for a child at very high risk of contractures. Rarely see a OT.
dd's NHS physio works 8am till gone 7pm when she's only paid 9-5 trying to cover her caseload and has been trying to get more funding for another paed physio for years. She's at the end of her tether too.
Its insane cos hip surgery or communication aids cost waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more than a decent level of service.

I know NMC. I know.
Believe me,most of those in the nHS would agree with you on every point.

My bugbear is lack of resources to address challenging behaviour. If unaddressed it gets worse and worse usually and ends up costing millions more than it would otherwise (ie when a head banging 5 year old eventually turns into a dangerous 6 foot table throwing man.)

Flag it up with the people who hold the purse strings.

I do, in a personal and professional capacity.

Do you have contact with your local SNAP or Parent partnership project?