Improving receptive language

[Saker]

I am sure my ds2's receptive language is behind his expressive language at least in some ways. We are still waiting for a proper SALT assessment but I wondered if anyone knew of any exercises or books that could give me suggestions on how to work on this. I guess it is the harder part of language to work on?

Mizmiz

Thank you so much, that is really helpful. I am comforted in that I am already doing some of these things and I will look into the others and see how I can incorporate them.

Now we have started on the road with the Dyscovery Centre which is a private centre specialising in DCD / dyspraxia etc then I won't look for a new private SALT immediately, because we should get some SLT advice from there. But as they are in Cardiff I may have to find someone locally in the long term and I may well seek your advice when I do. This particular SALT came recommended by a couple of people - I suspect the problems arose because she was offering assistant led therapy and the assistants were too busy / AWOL etc but I do think she could have at least called to say so.

Thanks everyone for all the brilliant advice. I feel quite inspired that there are things I can do. Ds2 is very keen to talk and communicate so it's not unrewarding (it's much more difficult to get him to practice anything physical).

Saker, where are you? There's also the ACE Centre in Oxford, not quite sure if they're the same or similar to Dyscovery but certainly Communication specialists, also the Wolfson in Central London (prob long waiting list).

East Cambs, so Oxford probably isn't a lot better than Cardiff in terms of accessibility. I chose the Dyscovery Centre because I think that my ds2 is most likely to get a diagnosis of dyspraxia if he gets a diagnosis of anything. At the moment he is just classed as global developmental delay. He has language problems as you can see but in fact his speech was assessed in a schedule of growing skills (very approximate test) as 36months (he is 3.5y) so it's not like he has no language but it's disorganised like the rest of him. But his self help and motor skills are assessed at around 18 months so they are way behind and he needs help here as much as with language.

Might be worth trying the Wolfson, they are excellent. Tel: 020 7837 7618, sorry but I don't know the mechanism for referral, we went via our Paediatrician.

Saker, i have been reading your posts from last july about your child. Wow, have you been through it. Just like me. I was hoping by reading all of what has been happening, that i could gain some insight as to what to do with my 2 yr ds.

I have come to the conclusion that despite all the "help" out there, in terms of assessments, slt, etc, we as parents are still on our own. I was elated to see that you did not get the autistic diagnosis as my son is so similar to what you describe your child as being. But i feel very depressed when i read of how you have been put through the hoops with no definitive answer.

I suppose time will tell, but this limbo period is as you know, excruciatingly difficult to go through. I just wanted to say thank you for bringing up your child's difficulties, because i have learned a lot from it.

All the very best to you!!

Hi Mamadadawahwah

Sorry have been away the last week so didn't see this until today. I'm glad you found some of this interesting. Having said that ds2 is not autistic - since I wrote that the clinical pyschologist reviewed him again and has started suggesting autistic traits although she has not decided whether he is on the spectrum. Which he does have, but my opinion is that while he has some traits he is not actually autistic or only very mildly. He is doing well and coming on quite fast at the minute. We have been on holiday last week and we ate in a pub one lunchtime. Towards the end of the meal a couple at another table got up to leave and the lady came over and congratulated us on two such well behaved children and what a credit they were! I was so chuffed especially for ds2 - that he was able to sit so nicely and actually be noticed because of it instead of his problems being picked up on first. So it is not all bad .

We are going to the Dyscovery Centre the week after next for a SALT assessment and I am hoping that might help to clarify things a bit.

We have had the NHS salt assessment I was waiting for but she said quite openly that she didn't know what to do with him. She made no suggestions - she is going to talk to her boss. The suggestions in this thread have been so much more help to me and I am so grateful for them because otherwise we would have nothing.

I hope you start to get things sorted out for you.