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Post by milly on Oct 16, 2014 19:47:00 GMT
Dd1 is now year 9 so GCSEs are beginning to loom large (if her social and emotional issues don't get in the way too much).
Having received such a detailed OT report via the NHS which will hopefully lead to enhanced support in school (see other thread), I am now thinking it may be time for a speech and language assessment. Might possibly give enough ammo to get her an EHC plan.
I know she has some issues though I doubt her teachers would see it that way. But when the Ed Psych described her as having social and communication difficulties, it made me think perhaps we should find out more.
So would an NHS assessment be OK (although the wait might be rather long, of course) or should we just go private? Any advice or experience? Should the therapist have knowledge of adoption issues or is that irrelevant? Finally any recommendations in the south east area?
Sorry just realised maybe this should be on a different board?
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Post by daffin on Oct 16, 2014 20:51:16 GMT
We saw an NHS SaLT about a year after Monkey Boy had been placed. The waiting list was over a year in our area. The therapist we saw was very nice and very encouraged by the improvements that we described in MBs language - and discharged us.
I still think there are some issues with MBs language, though it's hard to put my finger on what. His vocab is excellent - his fluency isn't. And I think his receptive language skill may be poor.
Personally, I'd go private. Ridiculous waiting lists and a very very high threshold before they'll even think about doing a full assessment.
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Post by donatella on Oct 16, 2014 20:52:00 GMT
I'd definitely opt for private. We've seem quite a few different Nhs therapists and only one was useful and we were only referred upwards to her following the private assessment we had done.
It was more in depth and looked at much more than just expressive speech. All the nhs therapists had done was look at the way she said stuff. It didn't notice anything wrong with her receptive speech or the strategies she'd developed to cover up her lack of understanding.
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Post by rosie on Oct 17, 2014 16:23:09 GMT
I would definitely go for the EHC plan, as you now have lots of evidence; particularly if you get a speech and language report as well highlighting her difficulties with social communication. You really need support in place before GCSEs. With the speech and language I would go private if you can as waiting lists are often very long and when you are seen they usually only provide a package of 5/6 sessions and then you have to wait again. The reports are often very unhelpful. It does depend so much on who you see.I am always so frustrated at school when trying to get help for children who really need speech and language help. We have often ended up paying for assessments out of school budget if the child desperately needs it as evidence for statements and now EHC plans. Having said that our new speech and language therapist who comes into see some children with statements seems excellent. It seems that once you get a statement the provision is so much better. Does dd's school have access to a speech and language therapist? I know some bigger schools do. It might be worth checking.
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Post by milly on Oct 17, 2014 18:57:35 GMT
Good idea Rosie. We happen to have a review meeting soon with school and Ed psych so can ask the latter - the school is very large and in a local authority we don't know well. And it's not something we've asked them about before. She is the one who described dd as having a social communication disorder (I was slightly surprised she would use that term without a diagnosis). So she ought to have some ideas about getting an assessment.
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Post by peartree on Oct 19, 2014 12:26:46 GMT
Salt assessment via school was a loooong wait and not good enough
Eventually private agency brought in
Excellent report
Very helpful
Detailed semantic pragmatic issues
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