HI,
I am going to try and keep this as short as possible so I am going to write in kind of point form. When my ds was 1.5 yrs old he was still not talking very well at all, still not saying mom, calling everyone and everything dad. Went to Doc, said it was him just being a boy, had hearing tested turned out ok, went on waiting list for an SLP. Saw SLP, she said he was too young to tell (he was 2 at the time) but worked with him anyways, he now almost four if he was born three weeks earlier he would have been in kindergarten right now and I know would not have been able to do it. The SLP agrees. He falls in the 45% for receptive language, and has a definate delay in language itself, he cannot right a letter and has just, litterally just started to use stick figures in place of letters. When writting us a letter it is just lines. We can’t get him to sit down long enough with us for us to try and help him, he has a huge confidance problem - he won’t even attempt something once if he believes he can’t do it, if he made a mistake the first time - it takes a long time to get him to do it. We can’t understand him about 20% of the time, and even the other 80% is mostly guessing on certain subjects. He still does not colour in the lines, can’t concentrate long enough to do so, you can’t play a game with him because he gets so fustrated with having to go by rules, take turns etc. I went to our GP and said that I don’t believe this is him just being a boy therefor learning slower, I, my husband, my sister, and my uncle all have a variety of LD’s so both my dd and ds are in high risk. My GP is supposed to be getting us an appointment with a Developmental Paed, so that we can look further into this. I have to register him for kindergarten in April. I really am questioning whether he can handle going to school next year. Kids rarely talk to him because they don’t know what he is saying and he won’t play without the comfort of my dd. I plan on putting him in a school readiness community class come spring. Most of my family think that I am looking too hard into this. My husband isn’t saying anything because he says I have proved him wrong before (about my ds need an SLP). I am looking for support, input and anything else someone can give. Sorry for the grammer but I am in a rush and don’t have time to fix it :roll:
Re: Is 3.5yrs too young to tell
She wouldn’t tell me the numbers of the other scores just that he has a definate delay. I asked if they were delays or disorders and she woulndn’t answer. I don’t expect him to be colouring within the lines, my point was that he is not even attempting to try he just shakes his head, gets very angry and flat out refuses. There are many other issues that he is facing but it would take too long to explain. My SLP did say she has noted other delays but wouldn’t go into what they were. My GP, who knows that I brought up the speech thing two years ago, seemed concerned. I wasn’t saying 45% was bad, but because all areas of speech, language, communication are delayed it effects each other and becuase he refuses to try and learn and cant seem to retain what we are trying to teach him - it makes it very difficult to teach him and prepare him for school.
if he is in the 45th% cognitively...then that's a problem
I don’t think the SLP meant a bell curve with 50% being normal…I think she meant 45% when normal is 70 to 100%…You sound like you are in the UK… Some of the hallmarks you mentioned fit for a kid with low cognition…he could also have a genetic syndrome of some sort as well.
Re: Is 3.5yrs too young to tell
Patti, I was assuming the test scores were reported in percentile to the parent since age equivalent, percentile, and standard score are the usual means by which standardized test scores are reported.
But I am totally puzzled as to why the test results were not fully given and explained. Just telling a parent that there are delays but keeping the details a secret is a little strange! If there were delays, why did the speech therapist not arrange speech therapy?
Janis
Re: Is 3.5yrs too young to tell
First off, I am in Ontario Canada. Secondly, finally someone who agrees with me about the tests. I have been bugging the SLP to do the assessment since he started. I understood that he was 2.5 when he started. But this place is a well known and respected place that pushes early intervention. So I threw that back and stated the same. No comments about him being too young since. I mentioned to her about four months ago that I wanted the test completed and she said she was writting it down as she went - not good enough for me. So the last visit she started but if they get three wrong in a row then she has to stop. She stated the 45%ile as to say that he falls withing the forthy fifth percentile. The same type of percentiles they use here for when the babies are first born and they measure their weight and height. So, it’s no overly bad but not good at the same time. I would love to find another SLP but this is a free service through the government (one of a few here) and I had a nine month wait just to get one, plus my ds really likes her for some reason. This is why I am starting my “quest” now as it were, so when I have to register him for school, I can go in with what I know, found out, etc and let the school know before hand if an IPRC/IEP is necassary. For my Doctor to show concern is something that just hardens my feelings because he was always saying it was boy things. This is also the same Doctor that told me my dd had nothing wrong with her legs when she still wasn’t crawling at 9 months old - finally went in and said “look at her….” one visit to an OT and we found out she just had low muscle tone and that is why she wasn’t using her legs. And for the SLP not giving more detail. I work for an Agency for supporting people with Disabilities so she believed I was looking for something that was not there, even though upon our first appointment I told her what we noted and what we had been working on already, and low and behold, we were smack on to the delays he has. So this is long enough, thanks for listening.
I am just as confused...
as Janis now…I know Nothing about Canadian intervention programmes…and this is the first time I have heard a kids speech is in the 45% percentile like the Dr.’s chart…
The SLP can’t do the assessments she has because she can’t get a basal or ceiling on him…so either she needs to change the assessment to a more appropriate one or wait until he is older…but she can use something like the Maccarthur, the Rosetti or the DAYC or the Hawaii Early Learning Profile. I would go with the Hawaii in this case…because it does everything….and has a great chart to show where he is in comparison with his peers.
Receptive language at the 45th %ile is well within the average range. What is the expressive language score? Are you saying he just turned 4? If so, I would not expect him to color within the lines or write much with a pencil. If you have had a speech-language evaluation recently, they should have been able to tell you if he needed therapy. But you are right to be cautious when there are LD’s within the family. Is he in any kind of preschool program?
Janis