Am I in DENIAL???

[GreenElizabeth]

My son has had umpteen development checks and I'm being sent on the Hanen course soon to help him to communicate verbally.

But ....Anyway, my son is 27 months old and he has only 3 words. Mama, Hiya and no.

The salt I saw this morning told me that he had a 'significant expressive communication deficit'. I think that's what she said. Deficit or deficiency maybe?? But she said that it would be very unusual for a child with such a significant deficit not to also have a comprehension deficit as well. Is this true? I'm sure he understands everything. He puts the batteries back into the tv remote control correctly. If I say to his older sibling, time to do your homework now, he comes running in with her school bag.

I felt like the Speech and language therapist was warning me that he won't catch up in time to start school when he's four and a half. She asked millions of questions and I answered them all. But I felt a little bit like I was saying "oh my son is really on track apart from not speaking, honestly".

Is it really that unusual for a child of 27 months to have only 3 words.

my step nephew is 2 and 4months and only just started saying car,key and lorry, until a month ago random thankyou and taht was it (although my brother and his gf seemed unconcerned about lack of speech)

I'm a salt.
It is something to get alarm bells ringing but in many cases it does right itself.
I can't offer more info. than that without seeing your child, but it is a good thing that they are being proactive and offering useful intervention at an early time rather than leaving it.

At 27 months my son had maybe 5 intelligible words. He actually had a lot more, but no-one could understand them. He was diagnosed with "a severe phonological disorder with elements of articulatory dyspraxia". He's just 6 now and with a lot of SALT input along the way, and effort at home, is almost always intelligible, with a huge vocabulary.
SO while it's unusual for a child to have so little words at that age, it's by no means unique.

My friend's (NT) ds had only a handful of words at 2.11, in his case, he just needed more time to develop his speech than his peer group.

Thanks Moondog and Hassled.

My instinct is that it will right itself. But perhaps I should approach the school and just say, ok, can I put his name down for Sep 11 as well as Sep 10. I wonder if they will let me do that.

Wonderwoman, had your nephew's speech delay been picked up on? Or were they so relaxed about it that they hadn't highlighted it. Just sometimes, I feel 'am I driving this problem or dealing with it?!' do you know what I mean?

Unusual? A bit, I guess. But everyone knows a kid who developed language late - bit of a cliche, actually: my ex said his first words aged 4. "Pass the butter please" or words to that effect and got a degree in Nuclear Physics from Oxford etc etc. But then again ... I'm pretty sure there is ASD on both sides of the family and though he is a wonderful and intensely charming person, I wouldn't bet my life on his being entirely NT.

Re: your SALT's comments on his communcation - I guess it depends on whether there is more to the SALT's concerns than how many words he says. That's the icing on the communication cake. If the cake is all present and correct, you've a very good chance that icing will follow in its own time. If the cake is absent, icing is going to be tricky. But it's a good sign that you think he is understanding things.

Re: cognitive development, generally - I don't know about that. There seem to be so many disorders that can affect communication in various ways, without impacting (for want of a better word) "intelligence" - and, afaik, SALTs aren't qualified to diagnose any of them.

There seem to be so many disorders that can affect communication in various ways, without impacting (for want of a better word) "intelligence" - and, afaik, SALTs aren't qualified to diagnose any of them.

You're wrong there r3.

Oh yes, just remembered, She said he was 'joint referencing' whichis a good sign apparently.

That just means pointing at the fruitbowl and then looking at me and saying eh eh eh!!

GE - as Moondog says, it may be something or it maybe nothing. Some kids are late talkers, where it all comes together magically by the age of 3. If your DS understands well then that is a very good sign. NOTHING that you do regarding Hanen or SALT appointments can possibly do any harm if he is on track to speak normally - far better to have potentially unnecessary help than for your child to slip through the system, and not receive help until later down the line.

In terms of schooling - I am a bit puzzled by your reference to "put down" for a school - do you just mean apply for a school? I really wouldn't be thinking of putting him back a year in school because of possible speech delay - since if he still has problems, then missing a year would mean he would go straight into year I, so would have to settle in to the social/conformity side of school whilst having to deal with year 1 work rather than reception work.

One thing that slightly surprises me about your SALT's comments is that she didn't try and assess his receptive language skills (understanding of language) there and then, rather than just make a generalised comment.

He is 2yrs 4 months now and they do not seem that botehred about it, he goes to nursery 2 days a week and they have said that SENCO are due to come in soon and they'd like them to observe him. My brothers girlfriend doesnt seem to bothered, although she did have his hearing checked, he ahs had a rather muddled life until 9 months ago (lived with his mum and dad but domestic violence so moved they moved back to her Mums, then she met my brother and he has had a big move to live where we are and started nursery etc as brothers gf works part time, he has a good, setlled routine now whichj hopefully will help his speech)

Totalchaos. His name is down automatically for a good school because his sister goes there. The SALT asked me when he was due to start school. I said September 10. and she said 'hmmmmmmmmm have you thought about starting him when he's five and a half.

I'm trying not to over react. It really was just a suggestion. She had said before that it is now 'too late for him to catch up in time for school if he starts sep 10'.

So I guess she's just putting it out there, to penetrate my forcefield of denial, just in case!

Wonder, glad the little guy and his Mum have escaped from that situation. I love to hear stories where people have escaped from abusers.

Hmm, well my DS at 27 months would only have had a few words too.

He is now 4.6 and due to start school in Sept. His speech has caught up. In some ways he is clearer and using more vocab than his peers now. In some ways his speech is a little 'different'. He talks way too oud and still copies quite adult phrases which sounds odd and very funny at times.

He has just been DX with Aspergers.

I am NOT trying to suggest that therefore your DS might be the same. I am just surprised that SALT thinks he won't catch up by the time he would start school, although there is a lot more to 'language' than 'speech' obviously.

what a bizarre comment for a SLT to make at 2.3 - she can only make an educated guess as to his communication skills in two years time!

at 2.3 DD2 had been started using AAC as SLT felt she was unlikely to become verbal, and if she did she would be unintelligible.

at 4 she is completely verbal, and although she does attend group SLT to work on her clarity, most strangers have no problem understanding her the majority of the time.

take whatever opportunities are offered in the way of therapy, but take 'predictions' with a pinch of salt.

i don't know what moondog will say, but i think comments like that are unhelpful.

How odd to suggest delaying entrance to school.

My son is due to start school in September and has a severe speech and language delay, alongside a moderate hearing loss. I cannot see how delaying school would be helpful unless he was not going to be emotionally ready for it. My little boys vocabulary is lots of words but all made up with vowel sounds and m, n, t, sounds also. The end result being that he is virtually unintelligable.

FWIW we found the involvement of the SENCo fantastic and she has been instrumental in ensuring that he isn't too far behind academically and emotionally.

Good luck with it all and I hope it all sorts out for you.

Thanks everybody. The last time I saw her she said it would be 'too late for him to catch up' but that was without Speech Therapy. Which he is GETTING ! So I am still hoping everything will be ok.

Sorry Romy, but you are talking nonsnse. SALT is a bit more than an 'educated guess'.

You are very lucky to have had a salt who was so switched on. Research proves that A/AC can facilitate speech which may well have happened in your case.

I would be thanking my lucky stars personally that your child is now verbal.

And if you hadn't been offered A/AC (additional/augmentative communication) and your daughter still wasn't verbal,I bet you would waste no time at all in casting aspersions on your salt.

GreeenElizabeth, compulsory schooling legally has to start the term after a child turns 5 but many LEAs intake at the start of the academic year the child turns 5. I would absolutely apply for sept '10 because otherwise you might find yourself obligated to find another form of education through the summer term. You have no way of knowing what your child will be like over 2 years from now.

My eldest starts school in September and turns 5 in December. We're working on getting him statemented right now and the LEA's ASD advisor has suggested phasing him in to a full day over the first term to give him chance to adjust socially and adapt to routines and expectations. If when the time comes for your child to start school there is a statement in place or being worked on, then you may have the same flexibility if it is needed. My youngest is 24m and totally non-verbal, but I see no reason to delay his start to school.

moondog - we've been v lucky with SLT provision, and very definitely it's been the support that has enabled DD2 to get where she is now - my real point was with the delaying school at 2.3, but I do get upset when parents are told 'your child will not x, y or z' when it's by no means definite...
and no, I don't cast aspersions about any of our therapists, whether or not they are 'successful' with whatever it is they are trying to achieve, whether it's bringing hands to the midline, or sentence construction. I believe it is utterly counterproductive - we are all working towards enabling the development of our children. In fact I'm normally the one telling folk off for slagging their therapists!! I'm extremely grateful for all of our support and have been since DD2 was born (in the 3 different areas of the UK we have lived) - my point was I was told she wouldn't speak, and we started various forms of AAC as a way of enabling some form of communication long term. At no point have I ever said 'SLTs don't know what they are talking about', and my comment about an 'educated' guess was meant to convey exactly that, ie - they have the training to be able to make such comments, but they are not always right. I'd be much happier if OPs SLT had said 'I think it is going to take some time before we see results, and our priority is to work towards effective communication before school - what year will he start?' rather than frightening her about delaying school at 2.3. My apologies if my point was not clear, didn't mean to cause a ruckus!

Thanks for that Romy.
I am glad your experience was positive.
I don't actually think all salts are saints )and am often critical of them here on MN)but they do a difficult job, juggle huge caseloads and sometimes need a bit of a break.

I think it's a hard job, I'm sure the parents often walk in thinking oh a few sessions of whatever they do here and everything will be ticketyboo in no time.