Any other GC SALTs out there?

[PermanentTemporary]

Just wondered.

For me, I like Sean Pert's emphasis on diversity as the new president. I'm just nurturing a young woman from a demographic I don't see much in the profession to support her to apply to train. I hope I'm thoughtful about acceptance and inclusion.

But I'm also GC in my way. My older colleagues who I know had both feet in reality have retired. There are times when I feel I just want to make it through to retirement and get out, but I also feel protected working with much older adults as a client group. I wonder what it's like working with younger people and with autistic people now.

What is her demographic?

I'm not a trained SALT but I've worked in a SEND primary school for well over a decade for pupils with MLD and autism. Some pupils are mainstream academic ability but autism and emotional regulation is the main barrier.

It's of vital importance that SALT get clued up on all this.

I'm slowly working on the SALT education team for my area. SLT are now on board. (Thank god!) but - my LA are not in stonewall. And we aren't overrun with academies. We are still relatively centralised compared to some areas.

That doesn't necessarily make it easier as I recently found out that a member of staff on the LA behaviour team is quite starry eyed captured and has no sense of what is appropriate for pupils with trauma, learning difficulties and autism.

One of a family of more than ten children living in social housing, young carer, EAL.

What is a SALT?

@WarriorN that sounds like a really challenging but interesting group of children. Over ten years you must have seen changes! I think perhaps that's what feels odd - seeing knowledge that things weren't always like this draining away.

@Meadowfly speech and language therapist.

Regarding that member of staff, they're not SALT and I'm not sure if even teacher trained. Potentially social work background. But she has the ability to bring outside orgs into work 1:1 with children who are very vulnerable, who are under SALT or who are placed in SEND settings where the emphasis is on SALT, with the intention to help them. But the organisation is captured.

Same is happening with NHS; I hadn't realised till a few years ago that commissioning drs can find the funding for things like the proud trust rainbow flags for schools and youth clubs - this has happened locally in response to increasing numbers of teens going to gps asking for help with identity and sexuality.

Some SALT are LEA based (highly trained teachers), some are NHS fully trained speech therapists. I feel we can't win against the tidal wave of where this shit is coming from.

My own school is safe for now. I know of two other local send schools who I also know will be safe based on snippets I've heard about the slt.

BUT the big issue is that as cohorts of pupils needing SEND placements and SALT support and increasing, the pupils we used to have are now in mainstream settings. Because our cohorts are changing and we don't have space.

There's an URGENT need for more special schools to cater for growing numbers of pupils with more severe physical and learning difficulties, as well as those with moderate learning difficulties who really do need smaller classes to meet their needs.

Sorry I sound so negative but I really don't think people are aware of what's coming.

I don't have evidence, just what I've been observing.

Yes - what I've seen is that the funding for teachers and TAs to have some of those really helpful SALT Linked approaches for autism stopped a decade ago.

TAs who were trained as nursery nurses in the past had specific useful training that TA courses don't have (teachers don't have!) such as observation skills. They were taught a lot about Piaget etc. I don't even know if you can do nursery nurse training now?

Send relies on highly skilled TAs. The pay is crap.

More and more teachers are coming in via schools direct which is slightly less academic. Early educational development is not being taught as in depth as it was.

We are loosing so much knowledge and good practice.

Can recommend this tweeter whole heartedly- another professional who's been silenced. Who understands early developmental theory.

Not SALT but it's all so interlinked.

Would I be able to pm you @PermanentTemporary ?

Yes of course.

Speechie here but not with children. There's lots I could say, but so tired of it all just now. I have several colleagues who are GC but mostly I think people are either well meaning and caring (like most AHPs) or afraid to say anything.

@halfabluetoe got it. Thanks for posting though.

Im a SLT but not currently practicing. I worked in Early Years and I'm staunchly gender critical. I get the impression that a lot of people, HCPs included, haven't given gender ideology much thought beyond being 'inclusive' and 'be kind'. I don't know what I would have done if I had ended up with a 3-4 year old on my caseload who had been socially transitioned because of the colours they liked and the toys they played with