Speech and Language Therapy....or lack of

[donkeyderby]

Can anyone tell me what is the minimum amount of Speech and Language Therapy I should expect for my DS (12) who has SLD and is at a special school?

I have only recently found out that DS has not had SLT for one year and 3 months. No direct SLT contact and no programme in place for the teachers/TA's to implement. He has SLT in his statement, but not a specified amount of hours, (I know that so few children get this, that I would not consider fighting for it).

I finally got a reply from the therapist yesterday. She said she had assessed him in October '07 and found that his speech had improved so much that she didn't need to see him or do a programme for him. His needs 'could be met through the curriculum', which means in reality, SLT was being withdrawn.

I'm don't think I'm demanding when it comes to SLT, (I have other battles that take priority). I know that other kids need more than he does despite his SLD. His language IS improving, though it is unclear, obsessive and random. But I do think that he should be seen once a year at the very minimum and some sort of programme put in place, if only to measure his progress.

It seems unreasonable to have so little input, but the therapist made me feel unreasonable for questioning her.

Am I being unreasonable? Any SLT's out there got an opinion as well?

Well the fact that he loves it is very good.
First port of call is SNAP (Special Needs Advisory Project).It is a statutory sort of watchdog attached to every Education Authority.Google your authority to find it and organise a meeting.

As I have stated through this thread mogwai, my annoyance and confusion about this situation lies with these issues:

. The SALT has never informed me of her existence.
. She has discharged my son without notifying me.
. She failed to reply to a (civil) phone call when I finally realised that she was not seeing him, and no-one was delivering a programme, (she responded when I wrote to her).
. She has failed to explain why a child with 'a development spurt' has SALT withdrawn, and even when the teachers identified a change in his SALT development (only occuring at school), did not see him.
. I have never asked to see a SALT. As stated before, a couple of lines in the home/school book and a copy of a programme would have sufficed.

Unreasonable expectations?

I never have high expectations of my son. I am completely aware that no therapy is ever going to 'cure' him, that all development will be slow and greatly limited and will plateau at some point. That is why I have never been the sort of parent who pushes for therapies with delusional zeal. However, on his statement, which is updated on an annual basis, it says he needs the services of a variety of therapists, including SALT and he has not received it for a long time. I think he should. Once a year.

I am more than willing to have an honest conversation with the SALT about the limitations of their discipline for my son - after all, I was a nurse for a number of years, and I have a good understanding of the importance of establishing a scientific rationale for interventions so no-one's time and energy is wasted. However, that honest conversation has not been offered. That you feel you have to be dishonest, is not a problem for parents to solve. Good communication will help. I recognise the training and skills of SALT's but shrouding it in mystery as somehow ungraspable for the average parent does us a disservice.

I believe that most parents have the sort of expertise about their children that most therapists would do well to listen to. After all, they are with them many more hours and day of their lives than any therapist. Listening to carers can cut through a whole lot of c**p.

Donkey, once again, I agree with you whole heartedly.

45 nanny - did you see my link lower down re:cerebra - if you don't sort things out with school and NHS SALT, you may be able to get £500 towards more private SALT.

When it is said that it is important that children benefit from therapy - is that from an ethical stance or from a financial stance?

TC will check out the website.
Moondog, good idea re parent snap , sometimes it takes an outsider to remind you of places to try to go to help your child.
DD, i know completely where you coming from with the lack of cooperation with SALT. Its been an ongoing battle with my son , i have come to the conclusion , its all to do with his disability , and the fact that as he is never going to talk properly why spend more money on him . The fact that we had to seek extra help in the first place and the fact that the private SLT got him futher in 6months than his LA SALT , did in years . Sorry, to go on, it just i get so upset that he just has been let down.

we don't deliberately shroud ourselves in mystery.

It just takes a long, long time to explain what we do.

People don't often give much thought to communication. Most of the population take it for granted. To start explaining our science is daunting. It took me 4 years to train in the basics and I find it impossible to explain to my family and friends in a way that truly makes sense.

SLTs are often thought of as "precious" or "shrouding themselves in mystery". Many SLTs know from experience of having tried that even professionals who work alongside us will misjudge us or misunderstand what we do. If only we had the money to train parents in what they truly need to know - but of course that will never happen.

Perhaps we'll always be "shrouded in mystery". I'm married to an anaesthetist but I don't understand anaesthesia because I lack the basic science. I don't have any hope I'll ever truly understand it without going back and doing three science A levels, a medical degree and several years training. For me, it will always be shrouded in mystery.

I will never understand exactly what a SALT does....or an anaesthetist, and I don't want or need to, but I do understand what an anaesthetist is trying to achieve. If a SALT can implement a programme that is delivered by TA's, and a basic idea of what they are trying to achieve, then that surely can be passed on to a parent? Parents with children with special needs often give more thought than others to communication because we live with children with communication difficulties. Giving no information is to shroud it in mystery.

I need to ask again, do you think my requests in the previous post are reasonable or not from a professional point of view? I don't want you to respond defensively, just honestly, and I appreciate your postings. It's the nearest I've got to a SALT for years!!

DD, I'm not a SALT and my arguement has always been that if my daughter has a reasonable level of SALT and makes little progress at least we've all done everything to help her reach her full potential. I think your requests are reasonable and we will be in a similar position soon.

We have had 2 SALT visits in 2 years - only one of which included DS1 (ASD) but that did not stop the SALT writing a report about him which included many inaccuracies (I am not a 'mad mommy in denial', other professionals agree with me). The worst part of the report was that it gave the false impression that the opinions were based on a close working relationship. Would it be so hard to give an indication in a report that the SALT has not really had much contact with the child?

As I have said repeatedly, the peopel that are unhappy with SALT provision need to

1. Write to salt and manger explaining their views (copy in directorate head and chief exec.
2. Go to SNAP and ask for help with this (they can even write a letter on yuor behalf)
3. Go to Community Health Council and ask for thier help
4. Ask for a meeting with their Education statemneting officer as ultimately they are legally responsible for providing salt. What this means in practical terms is that even if SALT dept. say there is noone to do the work, if you have a specified amount of SALT time written into a statement (and statements should always specify and quantify or they are of no use) then Education dept. will have to pay for someone to come in privately.
5. Contact IPSEA and SEN SOS for further guidance.

It's tedious and time consuming but can be done. Low level grumbling and verbal expressions of dissatisfation will get you nowhere. Follow the appropriate procedures and get it down on paper.

Good luck.

Sorry to keep this one running! Moondog, your advice has been particularly helpful and I for one will pursue it through the appropriate channels. However, I do feel this forum is for 'low level grumbling', parents comparing notes and talking through our experiences, something which is is helpful and necessary and often cathartic. I can see from this that I am not the only one with this dilemma. With our lives, we need an outlet for our frustrations, which is not readily offered to us in the real world! Mumsnet is great for that.

Yes to both.
Low level grumbling very therapeutic it's true.
Come to think of it, major grumbling also most cathartic.I am pretty foul on MN (as an antidote to a life in which I am measured and polite-most of the time!

Anyway, what i am saying is that unless the people who formulate policy know about these things, they can't change it so get those letters typed.

I've had a result!

SALT contacted me to say that she has assessed DS, agreed his speech is improving, is going to see him once every two weeks for this term and create a programme for him to be delivered by teaching staff that I will receive a copy of. She'll work on emotional language and will try and tie it in with behavioural management just as I asked. She seemed totally happy to see him once a year or so to reassess and measure his progress.

I'm delighted. Thanks for all your suggestions you lot!

oh great, glad you managed to get a satisfactory provision for your DS.