If we weren't all so busy we could be a sort of equivalent to the NCT for language problems

[backtolingle]

You know how we all get on here at it's just so helpful to find someone who gets it?

And you know how a suspiciously high number of us seem to be highly educated, articulate, etc,etc.

And how we know more than we ever wanted to know about the parental experience of helping kids with language problems?

Can you see where I'm going here?

I could imagine a parent-run charity dedicated to RL home visits to families whose 2/3/4 year-olds have language problems.

We could be a listening ear and also assist parents in trying to get an understanding of their child's language issues.

Even if all we did was get a parent to the stage of realising what their child did or didn't understand, and what kind of conversation/discipline might therefore be effective, that would be massive help.

And imagine once you'd done it 50 times. You'd get pretty bloody good at it.

just a thought

My dream is to start a charity providing mentors for famillies for the first year post asd dx so related I guess.

IME a lot of any disability isnt the disability but battling DLA,schools (I ahve a feeling Starlight might agree on some battlesLOL etc and I think it would be massively great to have that sort of thing in palce

But then I worked for homestart as an Organiser so is a natural offshoot for me

I'm in !

Yeah sickof. I'll do my little town. You do yours. 500+ posts on the special needs board qualifies you!

Starlight - re the clocks - my little town would be positively Dali-esque!!!!! They'd all pray to the moondog god.

Peachy's can be a sister charity. We'll do the Haneny tea and sympathy and helping the family figure out their own personal way of dealing with it all. Peachy can knock the service providers into shape. At a certain point we'll merge.

Then we'll have a huge great typical charity fallout with blood on the floor (oh no, that's Freecycle, sorry, got mixed up).

Aren't about 10% of kids supposed to have some kind of language issue?

It would be fun!
The trouble with public sector work of this sort is that it is so bogged down by bureaucracy, absenteeism, underfunding,fear of litigation, inability to keep abreast of latest developments in evidence-based practice, and vast caseloads.

There are some great people out there battling valiantly, but more and more, I wonder what the point of any of itis, outcomes being virtually non-existent in many cases.

cheer up moondog, after all, it's not often one reads a proposal to have one worshipped as a goddess in Bradford, is it?

Very kind.
Nice to hear it after a shite week at work too.

My dream is to offer a kind of autism advisory service to people who are just pre or post diagnosis. You know how we all floundered in a vast swamp of reading, research, advice etc when our children were first diagnosed? (Well I did anyway). I'd like to help parents negotiate a way through all that - maybe even offer 'taster' sessions of the stuff I know a bit about - Floortime, ABA, PECS etc (and maybe in the future Tagteach, Moondog. Not set myself up as an expert, but more as a guide, giving parents a shortcut through the mass of info which hits you when you're not usually in a state to consider it all calmly and dispassionately.

Sphil that pretty much matches my set up doesn't it? Wanna share ?

At least my years as charity fundraiser and Organiser of mentoring thingamajogs won't be wasted experience whilst I inflate my arse further

I can see mine as a sort of local Speech and Language Club.

Were I foolish enough to post an A4 flier at the cottage hospital where the local SALT sessions are run, it would de facto start existing.
Scary!

Moony - I indirectly link my DS's progress to you - when I posted when he was young you kindly but bluntly told me I need to get him a private SALT appointment with an ASD specialist asap rather than wait several months, and where to look for the private SALT.

It's nice to hear what you have to say, it really really is.

A group like this would be great but it would ultimately need a SALT in its midst to steer a course. I am a bit down on the SALT NHS system (as you all know) but as a profession, it is tremendous and SALTs do know an awful ot about communication, althoguh not all of it, not by any means.

Charities such as this do exist-AFASIC and ICAN.

Yes sorry Peachy - didn't read thread properly and so didn't realise I had nicked your idea . Partnership would be great - shame we're not just a little bit nearer. I keep saying you should move back here!

wonder if AFASIC or ICAN has a ambassador or outreach system at all?

I think a lot could be done just by mothers.

Or I could just advertise mumsnet SN board!

i have to say am not really sure what AFASIC or ICAN do practically-lots of campaigns and petitions and so on but in terms of relevant timely support to a confused parent? Hmmmm...

Maybe something like the breastfeeding volunteer network? There would need to be some basic training/vetting though as communication is complicated and well meaning but ill informed peopel could do damage.

You ladies need to remember that most peopel are not like you-motivated to help yourselves/read/research/see k out similar people and so on.

Ah well, that is fantastic to hear.
I'm not slagging them off, just found it difficult to see what they could do to help me.

'They weren't asking for help, they were asking for someone to listen to them whinge. That a professional might have given them the wrong information is too much for them to cope with on top of it all and my suggestion that they might challenge it is taken as an slight on their parenting if they don't.'

Absolutely, particulalry that first sentence.Nail on headl

"I'm desperate to give them the next steps.
Often they just look at me in a bewildered way. They weren't asking for help, they were asking for someone to listen to them whinge"

I hear you Starlight.

It's a coaxing process - just like with the kids - almost counselling.

"well meaning but ill informed people could do damage"

Are you able to outline any particular danger areas moondog? Not meant as a trick/aggressive question. In my own profession of intellectual property law, I'm aware of several trip-wires (failing to reserve your position, communicating an actionable threat, failing to keep a patentable idea secret, spending too much bloody money on lawyers so you're IP compliant but bankrupt, etc). and try to guide my clients over them (whereas most of my colleagues relish using them as a barrier but that's another story).

some of it lingle will be about readiness/ capacity to change.(both in terms of child and parent)

Don't know about the highly educated bit/dla's/statements/ paperwork...
Errrm...i'm good at patting on back and sitting by someone side . I can do that... I can do people.
I'll be the mopper-upper of copious tears and provider of cake...every team needs one