Does Speech Therapy actually make a difference?

[Thechickortheegg]

DD3 is on the wait list for an ASD assessment. Her main signs which triggered the referral were a speech delay, not responding to her name, not great eye contact and generally just hard to engage. She has words, can request whatever she needs (“more blueberries please”, “mummy open door!”, “go outside”, “I’d like a biscuit”) but her progress has been very slow since she turned 2 and she is very delayed echolalic (quoting from favourite tv shows and books).
She has seen an NHS speech therapist as well as a few private speech therapists who have recommended the Hanen More than words approach. We have been trying this approach for months and not seen much improvement…
I’m also aware of Gestalt Language Processors which I believe my DD is and follow Meaningful Speech on Instagram - I am considering taking their online course, which leads me to my question.

For DC with delayed speech who are difficult to engage/potentially ASD, does speech therapy really make a difference? Or, assuming they do manage to make progress, would they have eventually got there on their own/progress regardless?
(I’m aware this is quite an impossible question - as if a DC, who is doing speech therapy, progresses their speech, there’s no way of knowing if the speech therapy actually helped or if it all just clicked in their brain one day. But really interested to hear other people’s thoughts and experiences)

DS is 4.5 under speech therapy, referral for ASD.

Speech therapy for us helped us with the tools to help him learn more language and understanding. The biggest thing for us was finding something that we could engage with.
Books, games and leaflets were pretty useless but the switch worked. It allows you to cover colours, speed, items, numbers, describing things as on, in or under ect.

We also incorporated sequencing into everyday activities.

@FoodWineAndSun thanks for your reply! What did you find you could engage with your DS with? What sort of tools did you learn from therapy?
And when you say sequencing, do you mean Now & Next or visual timetables, etc?

I think SALT can help. But it relies on having the right therapist giving the right support.

DD was in specialist language provision from age 4. At least 40% of her fellow pupils were on the spectrum and had a speech/language disorder. They wouldn’t have been there, if the powers that be thought intensive SALT did them no good!

We met many of her school friends at a reunion for old pupils. Having seen them regularly from around age 10 to 13, we were very impressed with the progress they’d made! We see on FB now, them having jobs, LTRs and children.

@OvertakenByLego agree, but so hard to find a great SALT who can help children with additional needs. We’re still looking! So many have just suggested doing Hanen More Than Words (which I know lots of mumsnetters speak highly of) but really not having much of an impact on our DD.

@Quisquam that’s great to hear, how old is your DD now and how is her speech?

So we have a Nintendo switch and most tech DS gets lost in. I sat and played mario kart whilst he watched and at the time I didn't think he was taking anything in but 6 months on and he uses so much of the describing words from the game. He loved sitting watching me play and I'd describe going faster, slower, left, right, different items, different things happening ect.

A lot of his sounds are delayed and speech and language gave us specific things to work on in terms of sounds. I found it easier to incorporate into songs that he sings.... Slowing those down and concentrating on repeating back the song correctly rather than uses the specific sheets provided as again he would wonder off

@Thechickortheegg

At 5, we could not understand DD unless she was describing an event we’d seen ourselves. Imagine all the words in a paragraph mixed up in random order - then try to make sense of it!

At 16, most people did not realise there was anything wrong with her in every day life. The problems would’ve only been obvious to a SALT or OT or Ed Psy; or in the classroom where people were talking in scientific jargon or abstract language.

Didn't do much for my son he's 17 December says nothing 😢

Did you do the actual More Than Words course? As the course itself is invaluable if only because you get some good one to one time with a speech therapist and the weekly check ins mean you’re kept accountable for doing things. ( not suggesting you weren’t, that’s purely a comment about my own need to be kept accountable!!)

We have a wonderful speech therapist who has really benefitted our daughter with ASD. They got her using an iPad to communicate ( she is very willing to communicate, just can’t get brain and mouth working together).

Then they moved on to things like being sent to ask another teacher for something, then higher level questions etc etc.

We’ve been lucky with a great SALT and o do believe they made all the difference.

I’m often wonder this. Some progress has been made but I wonder if that would have happened anyway in the time it has been