ASD, stammering and SALT

[Widemouthfrog]

After failing to assess DS for his statement review, the SALT turned up at school unannounced today. She is very concerned about his stammering and wants to start him on a weekly programme at clinic, that hasn't been tried to her knowledge on autistic children!

Right, call me sceptical but does she know what she is doing? has anyone else received SALT for an ASD child with a stammer. Should I be accepting this, or do we risk causing more harm than good if it is not appropriate.

We are still awaiting referral to an autism specialist SALT, but I was told today that she has no specific stammering expertise. I have insisted that she is consulted before we start any programme.

Please help - I don't know what to do!

She has specifically suggested the Lidcombe programme.

so how concerned are you and school about his stammering? I think you are right in wanting to speak to an ASD specialist SALT about the stammering treatment. Can't offer anything more helpful as I've no experience of stammering, I've googled the Lidcombe programme, and it seems geared towards getting the parents to work with the kids in the home environment, if that's any help to you?

Yes, I googled it too. It is a parent based programme, with weekly appointments with the SALT. The stammering is becoming problematic, though at home we never make an issue, and allow him time to speak. In the school environment i suspect it is more of an issue. It is quite painful waiting for him to speak at times, but i assumed it is because of the ASD, and his processing of language is slow.

I don't know about the lidcombe programme but DH had a very bad stammer as a child (and was also probably on the autistic spectrum but undiagnosed) and speech therapy really worked for him and is in fact one of his more positive memories of school.

Thats interesting Allytyd. Perhaps I shouldn't be so sceptical .

I think DH was virtually a selective mute at school until he got his stammer sorted, he did have a particularly nice SALT though (unlike DS2 whose SALT is a bit sharp). An unforseen side effect is that he had an English SALT and ended up losing the broader elements of his Scottish accent so that people assume he is ex -public school (he was in fact brought up on a council estate), in fact i was accused in a light hearted manner of marrying above myself once!