SALT appointment next week - question

[debs40]

DS has his first SALT assessment next week. He's 6 (in Y2) and bright but seems to have problems with some basic communication.

In particular, he has problems in school with doing basic things like getting his reading book out of his bag every day and putting it in the place it needs to be so that his books get changed. It will stay unchanged as he doesn't seem able to remember or be capable of doing it. Or, if he's asked to bring something in for a lesson (they were all recently asked to bring in photos for a family tree) he will leave his in his book bag and do the lesson without it even though I've reminded him of where it is.

He is also very reticent to ask a teacher about anything and will worry and come home and tell me. He worries lots about being told off especially with new teachers as he seems to have problems with understanding the tone of people's voices.

My question is, are these all things I should raise with the SALT?

hi debs40,im still quite new to SALT myself(only havin one ass under my belt), so i just asked her everything that was worrying me reguarding his speech,being hesitant even if he know the answer.
and the thing i found was that she only answered the questions that she honestly knew the answer to them which was really helpful,as sometimes i think the schools/sen can be guilty of sayin 'it could be this or it colud be that'. It felt really good to get a clear answer to my worries and questions.

not sure if this helps at all,as just read it back and sounds like a bit of a waffle,but that my view on it.
take care x

Debs40 I have found it is best to ask all of the questions. I stupidly went into my first 2 SALTs by presenting my ds to be 'fixed' and then coming away from the appointment thinking 'what was the point of that?'

I think I expected the SALT to assess ds, get to know him and his problems and then do things to help him. They were very high and unrealistic expectations. No SALT is ever going to know your child like you, or have the time or resources to remember him from one appointment to the next at the beginning.

Best thing you can do is think about the problems YOU are having with him first and ask for ideas and suggestions about things YOU can do with him to improve these situations. They might be the experts in their field but you are the expert in your ds and you should aim to get them to pass on their bits of expertise relevant to your ds so that you can use them iyswim.

I'm a SALT

Yes, you should raise everything you have written here. It helps build up a picture.

Hope it goes well.

Thanks all. SALT rang today to tell me she will see him in class first for half an hour and then see me with him. She will then speak to me afterwards.

I was quite impressed that she rang actually!