3yo lacking expressive language

[Ebnf]

My DD is just turned 3 and so far we’ve had no words. She absolutely understands language. We can ask her to do things, get things etc and she follows instructions well. Has picked up Makaton for “more” and uses it to apply to different situations eg more food, more back tickles, more puzzles etc.

She will babble, and talk away to herself/us but it doesn’t have any clearly defined words. Shes waiting to have a tongue tie snipped but I have read this may not have anything to do with speech.

It’s so hard as I’ve been a parent for three years but I’ve never been “mummy”. Which sounds so dramatic but it’s hard.

I need to know if there’s any light at the end of this scary tunnel.

she’s had a SALT assessment (it took 58 weeks) and they’re saying they’re going to close her referral after a nursery visit, which doesn’t seem right.

Thanks in advance.

Challenge the decision to discharge DD from SALT.

What other support is in place?

She is under paeds and we’re into the teen weeks for her EHCP so that should cover some intervention at nursery, I hope! But that’s a whole other kettle of fish with regards to hours.

Is the LA undertaking the EHCNA correctly? Has all the necessary advice and information being sought? Depending on what week you are on, have you already received a draft?

With an EHCP, SALT can be included in there even if DC don’t meet the NHS criteria (although I would challenge the decision DD doesn’t) and it can be more provision than is typically available on the NHS.

Is the nursery providing support now? If your area still has one, is the special sit teaching service involved? If the nursery needs advice to know how to support DD, have they approached the Area SENCO? Is the nursery in receipt of early years inclusion funding? If DD is already in receipt of DLA, is the nursery receiving Disability Access Funding?

Yes. We had our consultation with the Ed psych last week as part of our EHCP assessment. Our draft will be due September.

I did wonder if SALT are waiting for there to be more expressive language before they intervene or not. New to all this so not sure how it works.

she has early years inclusion funding yes. We don’t claim any DLA for her. They said they’re going to seek advice as they aren’t sure they can “keep her safe”. It’s a very long story, but she went for two one hour visits and put something in her mouth and it went from 5 full days to 2 hours per day 🫠

Has advice and information from people other than the EP been sought? For example, has advice from SALT and OT been gathered?

If DD needs 1:1 support, that can be in the EHCP.

The SALT may be waiting for there to be more expressive language, but they don’t need to wait for that.

Claim DLA. Call for the form, then it will be backdated to when you called as long as you return it by the date given. The Cerebra guide is helpful when completing the form.

You posted another thread about the nursery situation, didn’t you? I commented on that. You don’t have to accept the school’s behaviour. Have you spoken to the headteacher? As a state school nursery, the statutory suspension and permanent exclusion guidance applies. Most of the statutory guidance applies to those below compulsory school age. The parts that don’t, e.g. alternative provision for longer lawful suspensions, specifically say they don’t apply to those below CSA/only apply to those who are CSA. The school should not be unlawfully informally excluding DD. As a state school nursery, they also can’t lawfully refuse DD a place because of her disability.

Yes I did see your post. It was so helpful! We spoke with our local send advice service who said that nursery can if it’s short term transitional and we can absolutely hold them to this with a paper trial to prove we agree it’s transitional but they impetus is they are assessing need and will then have to meet it.

yes, multiple agencies have been contacted for her EHCP, Ed psych was the last one so shouldn’t be too much longer! Hoping to get it agreed then we know what we are dealing with support wise. It’s just frustrating as old nursery have removed Velcro support, new nursery say she needs it 🫠 and there’s ALOT of “keeping her safe” being batted around like, surely that’s the minimum of your job 🤦🏻‍♀️

You absolutely can force the school’s hand from the beginning if you want to. You don’t have to accept it even short term.

Look at the statutory school suspension and exclusion guidance here. Most of it applies to those below compulsory school aged. Where it doesn’t, it explicitly says so as stated on page 6.

Some bits you particularly might find helpful are:

“19. Suspending a pupil for a short period of time, such as half a day, is permissible but the formal suspension process must still be followed. Each disciplinary suspension and permanent exclusion must be confirmed to the parents in writing with notice of the reasons for the suspension or permanent exclusion.”

Also of interest may be:

“20. Any exclusion of a pupil, even for short periods, must be formally recorded. It would also be unlawful to exclude a pupil simply because they have SEN or a disability that the school feels it is unable to meet…An informal or unofficial exclusion, such as sending a pupil home ‘to cool off’, is unlawful when it does not follow the formal school exclusion process and regardless of whether it occurs with the agreement of parents.”

And

“30. A part-time timetable should not be used to manage a pupil’s behaviour”

Be careful with SENDIASS. Some are good but too many repeat the LA’s unlawful policies.

Velcro support

Don’t fall for this. LAs and some settings like to portray 1:1 support as Velcro support and not in the child’s best interests. This misrepresents the research and is based on money/resources. A good 1:1, trained right and deployed correctly does not have to lead to dependence.