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Post by Kaylis on Jan 19, 2011 15:13:29 GMT -5
I'm trying to figure out what to do. The center where Mikah has been getting speech and oral motor/eating therapy since he was a baby has decided he isn't progressing sufficiently to continue speech therapy and that he doesn't need oral motor therapy anymore. I agree that speech, for him, is coming very slowly. At the same time, though, after several years of almost no improvement we could see, now we ARE noticing definite changes and new words/sounds. The head pediatric person and the two therapists were talking as if, since Medicaid required them to show progress and they didn't have documentation of progress (ie. it didn't count unless it was enough progress on the specific goals listed, rather than being able to list what new words and sounds they were hearing or something like that) then we should just give up completely on him communicating.  His Vantage Lite has been broken since mid December and I have been trying to get the letter from the SLP that I need to have it fixed. I kept getting put off until the meeting last week. Since "he didn't use it to answer me when I asked him what he did in school" they didn't think it was even worth fixing and were not going to request that it be done. That, at least, I got them to do anyway.  Now I need all the suggestions I can get about what to do next. He is getting some speech at school, but now that is it. Kaylis |
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Post by Chris on Jan 19, 2011 22:15:56 GMT -5
I think he is far too young to give up on! My daughter is very speech delayed but I have think she has made great gains in her speech this school year. Sarah is nine and I am far from ready to give up on her speech! Chris |
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Post by Jackie on Jan 20, 2011 8:31:33 GMT -5
I agree...I don't think you ever want to 'give up' on speech. But there are many ways of stimulating speech if you meet dead ends with the established therapy community so don't give up hope.
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Post by mg12061 on Jan 20, 2011 9:18:11 GMT -5
I totally agree... Giving up is not an option. What still amazes me is that when progress is when progress isn't what is "expected" all the blame goes on the child. I have elarned to use this excuse they give to put the blame responsibility in their hands. What about the delivery of services maybe there needs to be more therapy or better/ different delivery. Maybe there needs to be a better evaluation with adequetly written goals that are measurable and documented. Taking services away is just an excuse and it makes them look better (let's get rid of the ones who don't look good on paper,who aren't making enough progress to make us look good). We've had a lot of different therapists along the way and some are good some are great and some not so good. Another thing is they each had their strong points and that's what got worked on not neccessarily what the goals where. I hope you can work this out and get a continuation of services. Cutting services could also cause regression in what has already been accomplished. My daughter is 13 and still gets lots of speech. The speech needs grow and change over the years. She still even has to work on oral motor things so she doesn't regress.
Keep us posted...
Mary Grace
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Post by Googsmom aka Jennifer on Jan 20, 2011 9:47:39 GMT -5
Never give up!!!!
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Post by Jodi on Jan 20, 2011 20:47:09 GMT -5
My son has a speech disorder in addition to having ds. He also uses vantage. His 4th grade teacher just put it on the shelf everyday. After I pitched a fit, he had a new placement and is now using the vantage daily because it is expected of him.
Each child progresses differently. Goals should be specific to the child. I do not like generic goals! My son made little progress, then he makes a large leap. That's just how he works.
Don't forget, speech output is not just verbal. Gestures, grunts, and unintelligible noises all count! As long as you see progress, keep at it.
Jodi
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Post by Jackie on Jan 21, 2011 8:59:18 GMT -5
This is not very scientific advice...but...I think that when everyone around a child is stressed out because of lack of communication the child senses it. I know when Em has a glitch in her communication processes even now ...if I press her to answer more quickly and completely...she will sometimes just shut down on me. I think the best way is to treat your child as if he IS communicating verbally...and take the focus off of what he is NOT doing. You cant have speech therapy and 'teach' him to talk. Language is an acquired skill and all the advantages to acquire it you can give him will be better than 30 min in a speech setting. Emily spent her early years in a language development program. We had those two way mirrors so could watch the class. I swear in 2 years I never heard Emily say a word! But...at home she did and when she was alone in the bathtub with assorted Barbies and bath toys she talked (yes sentences) non stop. Karen, the speech therapist, was ok with that because she could tell Em was processing receptively. She said "she will talk when she is ready" and she did. Her speech is good now but she is still a quiet person most of the time. I have also noticed that when it comes to DS it seems to me that boys speak a bit later than most girls. Not always the case ...but often. So...if you remember the title of the book I have never written on DS...HURRY UP ...AND WAIT. ;D
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