After reviewing the situation today I feel totally let down by the SALT and at a loss what to do next

[emkana]

Following on from my run-in with the SALT last week www.mumsnet.com/Talk/special_needs/960063-I-am-sooooooooo-bloody-cross I have looked at the paperwork again and have realized that the SALT has not done the things she said she was going to do. She assessed his pronunciation back in February and observed him at preschool on the 1st of March. After those visits she said she would
1/assess his comprehension skills
2/assess his expressive language skills
3/send me materials for home exercises
4/push for a hearing test
5/enrol him in a SALT group that would practise pronunciation -

of those five points she has only done point 5, which is what above thread is about. Nothing else. So what to do now? Shall I speak to her again or shall I speak to somebody higher up?

I feel so utterly frustrated by the whole situation, ds really needs help and he is just not getting it. I would gladly pay for private SALT but the only one in our area does not do home visits and when we went to her house neither ds nor I took to her. Next one is over 25 miles away, is there any point even asking whether she'd come for ahome visit?

Am so about it all.

It would seem to me that knowing where your DS was in regards to 1 and 2 would be a very good idea and as for 4, can't speak if you can't hear well. & for you both.

Thank you.

Emkana, please, please contact the SALT department and 'express concern'. I had a very productive meeting with our SALT and the head of Paediatric SALT last week, after 18 Months of empty promises, chasing contact, rubbish 'targets', etc, etc.

I let DD1 down by not doing it quicker. When I finally complained, the manager reviewed with the SALT, and said to me that they have not done DD1 justice, and that they not only need to change that, but look at how she fell through the gap pretty much everywhere, not just SALT.

I wish with all my heart I had shouted sooner. DD1 will start school in September, and preschool have had no support with SALT at all. She is on the 5th centile now, and was on the 13th 18 months ago.

Can you get your GP or HV to refer for the hearing test?

For the rest, I would speak to her, then send a letter confirming what was agreed. Then persue up the chain if it doesn't happen.

Re private SALT, worth finding out about the SALT further away, possible suggest mileage on top of fees?

Must be so frustrating for you, I read the thread you linked to and I've the whole minipulating/playing stuff from my DS1's SALT but she has at least always sent stuff for us to do at home when she promised.

Hope you make some headway soon.

would you go straight to a manager or speak with the actual SALT first?

sorry x-post

I agree with notfromaround here. I would write to the SALT, and ask specifically what she intends to do with DS1, and how often you will expect contact. Crucially, is she going to do direct therapy?

Then if the reply is acceptable, let the timescale happen. But only once. Don't do what I did and get into a chase/get/chase/get cycle. You shouldn't need to chase.

If she fails, write/phone her boss. Nip it in the bud.

I'm sorry to be dim but I'm not quite sure I understand. Do you mean I should say "I expect ds to be seen this many times"? and do you mean by direct therapy one-to-one?

I hope you don't mind my last post, just want to get this right and find it tricky sometimes to hit the right note, not helped by the fact that I'm not a native speaker.

Sorry, emkana. What I mean is that I have spent the last 18 months being cross because DD1 hasn't had therapy. It turns out that the SALT never intended to do 1:1 therapy with her, and instead thought that others (preschool, portage, me) would deliver the programme she gave.

I think it is very important that you clarify what role the SALT intends to take with your DS. 1:1 therapy, or assessment and review, or guidance, etc.

By finding out what the plan is, you can then work out if it is actually happening.

Completely agree with Lou - SALT do not intend to give 1-1 to children with developmental issues. They see themselves as trainers of the people who work with the child day to day. It's not a bad model in itself but it usually falls down in that the approaches used are too generic and non specific to the child. Instead of starting with the child and working up, they start with the approaches they have available and work down from that.

I would ring and say you want to book the appointment for them to assess his comprehension and expressive language skills as agreed on the 1st March. Would you want him to be assessed at home? If you're not too worried about that perhaps suggest getting to the SALT group early or staying later so it can be done then. When you've agreed a date, write to the SALT confirming it, as then you will have a paper trail should you need it. If the SALT is reluctant to make an appt or you feel the wait for it is too long, then I would ask to speak to the SALT manager, and again follow up in writing.

For my DS1, 1:1 with a SALT hasn't been appropriate for his difficulties, it's been more important for advising preschool and for us at home to be given ideas on how to help him. I was unimpressed surprised that she felt it unnecessary to formally assess him for his Stat Assessment but that's another story.

Progress! She has dropped off the homework material at my house today, we have agreed that I will stay during the sessions but fade into the background and possibly leave the room for a few minutes in session three or four, and an appointment has been booked for a comprehension assessment. Just need to sort out the hearing test now! Much happier!