Have you got a child in your class who seems a little 'odd'? It could be a language processing problem

I have just observed a boy in a class room I was visiting, (I was there for another child). He had, what to me, were obvious signs of a processing problem.

Due to these problems he had devised strategies to cope and there were  certain associated factors.

1. He follows other people's lead physically i.e. he sees the rest get up to carryout what the teacher has said and then does what they do

2. He verbally copies what others have said e.g. Madison before him said she went to the cinemas so when it's his turn, he'll copy that. 

3. He just picks a random sentence if asked a direct question and he has no lead to follow. He knows they want an answer and he wants to do that quickly

4. He has diversion tactics i.e.  he'll discus what he's interested in, in the hope that whoever has asked him something will be distracted down that road. These are usually verbal but sometimes physical i.e. kicking the table in the hope we'll be irritated and stop placing demands on him. He hasn't yet used aggression or other behaviours which would get him removed from the classroom. I fear that's only a  matter of time.

5. He is frustrated as he doesn't understand what's happening.

6. He is being teased about his problems

7. He is becoming anxious and as we know anxiety blocks understanding in children and adults

8. His self esteem is affected

The staff are kind, caring, capable and want to do their best. However, no-one has picked him up and no-one is worried. How many more children are there in our classrooms who are also struggling but the staff haven't got the knowledge, training or experience to identify them? It's very sad! The staff need so much more help as they just don't know what they need to be aware of.

If you are worried please give us a call 0844 704 5888 www.private-speech-therapy.co.uk

Parents! What would you like to see included?

We are developing a  new website with our friends at Devmac especially for parents. We are told so often that parents want to help their children but don't know where to look. The internet is a fantastic place to source information, in fact, we reported recently that this is exactly where parents are looking BUT how do they know what they find is any good?

We will have lots of free downloads for information and simple games as well as resource packs, books and games that we have either written/devised or have reviewed and recommend.

There will be videos showing parents exactly how to use them. We have lots planned!

What would you like to see included? Please let us know, as we would welcome your ideas

info@smalltalk-ltd.co.uk

Double competition time!!

   

Be in with a chance of winning a year's subscription to S &  L World: the global bulletin from SLT/P by commenting below.


The August issue is out and is full of news, articles and features all about our favourite topic!The on-line magazine comes out 4 times a year. It's an excellent CPD opportunity.

We are happy to include any of your news, examples of good practice, things you found useful (or those you would never repeat!), articles, success stories and features. I am always looking for interesting personal stories or people to interview too.

It's the best job in the world so let's come together to share what we are doing!

For subscribers only!

We are  also giving away an ipad 2 to a lucky subscriber, so subscribe today to be in with a  chance if winning. Closing date October 31st. The lucky winners will notified by email.

www.slworldbulletin.com

Children and families bill: is it good for our children with SLaC needs?

The Communication Trust yesterday welcomed the Children and Families Bill, 
highlighting that the proposed changes with the right implementation could positively impact on the 1 million children in the UK with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN), and their families. 

The Trust has welcomed the emphasis on joint commissioning of services, the introduction of Education, Health and Care Plans, giving parents more choice through personalised budgets, as well as through a local offer to parents of children with SEN, including those with SLCN. However, it has highlighted the challenges and difficulties in implementing these. 

Anne Fox, Director of The Communication Trust, says: "The Children and Families Bill and the good intentions enshrined within it are welcomed, the devil as always will be in the detail. The Trust is working with its consortium members and partners across the private and public sector to ensure these proposed changes make a positive difference to families. 
"We know that children and young people with SLCN are at risk of being under-identified and not having their needs met because of a postcode lottery of services. It is imperative that they do not lose out,particularly because their difficulties can be 'hidden' or because they slip through the gap between services with no-one taking responsibility. This is why joint commissioning is so vital for these children but legislating for the NHS, local authorities and schools to work together to commission services won't be a silver bullet." 

Linda Lascelles, Chief Executive of Afasic, says: "We welcome the government’s commitment to improving the SEN system. The proposals alone in this bill will not address the problem of waiting times or assist the children's workforce to access specialist support such as education psychologists, speech and language therapists or SEN advisory teachers." 

In the UK today, one in ten children have some form of SLCN that can affect them early, severely and for life. SLCN is the most common type of primary need  for pupils with SEN statements in maintained primary schools.  

As with any new legislation, we will have to wait and see what actually happens!

Too much pressure on our children? Yes, sometimes!

Any one who knows me, knows that I go on about children not having sufficient stimulation these days and I have even been heard to say that there is no such thing as 'too much'. I now wish to amend that somewhat following a meal out on Saturday night.

The next table had two parents and an obvious 'only child'. The poor girl aged about 4 years was constantly taught and tested throughout the meal. The parents said absolutely nothing to each other through out their prawn puree starters and chicken kormas, they just bombarded poor Victoria with question after question after question.

There was no encouragement and occasional undeserved criticism. 'Lets play Ispy Verity, you go first,' said Daddy. 'I spy something beginning with pink,' said the poor child. 'Clever', I thought for a pre-schooler but Daddy didn't think so. It was met with scorn and derision.

'What letters can you see on that sign,Victoria?'  asked Mummy. 'I can't see a sign', said the poor child hoping to avoid the lesson'.

'What does 'stunning' mean asked Daddy?'. 'It means really good', said the child. 'No!', scoffed Daddy ' it doesn't. If I called Mummy stunning would you agree?' At this point the poor child just wanted to escape and so did I!!!

When a man collapsed on the floor, they ignored her questions about it and re-directed her to her food. This could have been a really good discussion topic as the para-medics arrived and began to minister to him but they were too busy 'teaching'.

There were lots of lessons the child could have learned about social language and conversation at a meal table. The parents could have been good role models and demonstrated the etiquette of eating out and how she should behave. They could have enjoyed her company and each others but they obviously thought the tirade of questioning, is what they should be doing. They even kept giving us smug looks as if they were showing  us how it should be done (We were without our 6). How I kept my mouth shut, I don't know!!

My book, 'How to prepare your child for school' isn't ready yet but when it it is I'll keep a copy in my bag... to give to parents like them? NO, to smack them round the head with..... hard!!

Is it ADHD, ASD or SLI?

The overlap of ADHD symptoms and autism symptoms have confused many families. When a child can’t sit still for homework or a meal, or stay in his chair in class, when he fidgets or talks too much and too insistently, most parents and practitioners think, “This child must be hyper-active!”

The first explanation most doctors arrive at is also attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The condition is familiar, it’s been around for a long time, and there are effective strategies to manage it. It is important to remember, however, that almost any psychological or developmental disorder of childhood can look like ADHD, with or without the hyperactivity. Children under stress, due to learning disabilities, anxiety, depression, communication based difficulties, specific language impairment (SLI) or sensory integration problems, may exhibit the same symptoms. It takes a skillful evaluation to tease out explanations for the behaviors.

The biggest part of our case load have had an ADHD query at some point but with time getting to know them, listening to parents and careful assessment show those who do and those who just have attention control issues.

www.private-speech-therapy.co.uk

Hanen: A tip for parents of young children who communicate without words

Take a look at this tip from Hanen

They offer sensible, practical advice and programmes to help parents and practitioners. Communication opportunities are everywhere. Have  a look at this one:

Sing songs with your child and build in opportunities for him to take turns

Sing simple songs with your child, especially ones with actions, like “Row Row Row your Boat”, and build in opportunities for him to participate. This is a fun way for him to learn to take his turn in an interaction, as well as to learn new words.

• Sing a new song the same way a few times so your child learns the song and its “high point”. High points are the most interesting parts of a song. In “Row, Row, Row your Boat”, the high points are the rocking back and forth while you and your child sit on the floor, holding outstretched hands, and saying the last word after a long pause – i.e., “dream”.

• Once your child is familiar with the song, pause before a high point and wait for him to respond.

For example, when singing “Row Row Row your Boat”, sing the song through once or twice and then, still holding his hands, WAIT for him to ask you to sing it again (he will probably make a sound or rock back and forth to ask you to do it again).

Or, you can start to sing the song while rocking back and forth, pausing mid-song so he can ask you to continue.

Or, you can slow down and pause before the last word (“dream”), so he can make a sound - any sound - to end the song.

• To take his turn during songs, your child may wriggle, make a sound, look at you, point to something or perform an action. Accept anything as his turn and then continue immediately. The most important thing is that he takes a turn and has fun while doing it.

Small Talk are licensed Hanen Trainers www.private-speech-therapy.co.uk Please let us know if you would like to know more about the training we could do for you