Please or to access all these features

SN children

Here are some suggested organisations that offer expert advice on special needs.

Is this Selective mutism?

3 replies

Mintyfreshtulips · 20/02/2024 08:15

DD is 3.5 and has speech delay although she really is coming on leaps and bounds at the moment. She has been accepted onto the ASD diagnostic pathway for speech delay and noise sensitivity as the primary indicators.

She used to not speak in public places but is MUCH better now. However, she has never spoken at nursery. The most she has done is making animal noises on command.

We did a course of private speech therapy last year and the therapist said that children with selective mutism do not have speech delay. But there are still a few things that make me feel like she does?

For example. as SOON as we leave the room at nursery, she will start speaking including to children and workers in the corridor after seven hours of silence in the room.

We had a playdate with a nursery friend this weekend at a location she is normally verbal at, but as soon as she saw her friend she stopped talking and was visibly anxious. After about 30 minutes of trying to regulate her she started to relax and for the first time ever, her friend heard her speak.

We had the speech therapist go to nursery and she had no luck getting any speech from her there.

A colleague had mentioned their daughter was completely non verbal but as soon as they started school, started talking, however when she took her back to nursery to pick up a sibling, they stopped talking while in the room.

Curious as to others thoughts here!

OP posts:
SearchingForSolitude · 20/02/2024 10:52

Yes, it sounds like SM. Have a look at SMIRA’s website. Does the SALT have experience of working with DC with SM? What support is the nursery providing?

Mintyfreshtulips · 20/02/2024 13:13

SearchingForSolitude · 20/02/2024 10:52

Yes, it sounds like SM. Have a look at SMIRA’s website. Does the SALT have experience of working with DC with SM? What support is the nursery providing?

Nursery support is patchy - since she moved into the preschool room, the larger ratio is evident. We hopefully have some inclusion funding coming in soon. I am due to talk to her keyworker this week to put in a new IEP to focus on speech.

Thank you for the website link!

We stopped working with the private SALT as we were not happy - NHS one on one therpay starting in April.

OP posts:
SearchingForSolitude · 20/02/2024 15:38

The nursery should be providing more support. You should consider whether an EHCP may be required. If so, you can request an EHCNA yourself - IPSEA has a model letter you can use.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page