tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19892598144591106302024-03-05T14:26:47.255+00:00ChatterblocksA blog about parenting a child with Specific Language Impairment (SLI). At least 3% of kids will have this invisible disability but it is little known about, not because it is a rare condition but because it is subtle and our children often go under the radar. This blog intends to give them a voice and raise awareness. Also posting useful links for parents and information about language difficulties and SCLN. Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1989259814459110630.post-50085559518039364032017-02-07T09:12:00.001+00:002017-02-07T09:12:13.920+00:00This blog has closedIt's taken me a while to get back to this, but I'm closing this blog. There is a great initiative by Dorothy Bishop and RALLI to get more awareness https://www.youtube.com/user/RALLIcampaign<br />
<br />
and they are running a crowd funding campaign to raise awareness.<br />
<br />
My daughter is now in mainstream secondary school, she still has barriers to learning and the usual battles but she's a happy person and doing ok - and it's ok to do ok!<br />
<br />
I'll leave it up here so any visitors looking for information can use it for themselves.<br />
<br />
best wishes<br />
RachelUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1989259814459110630.post-24242991082695602852016-01-26T13:22:00.002+00:002016-01-26T13:22:19.317+00:00Why it takes a year to write a blog<div class="MsoNormal">
I joined a facebook group a while back, to finally have some support and meet other parent's whose children had SLI. I thought this would help others, as I often feel the information you get should be shared and I hope I can help others. However it, like so many other groups, became more about politics than support, became more about terminology than anything else and I had to leave. It feels sad when this happens, when the 'support' you're supposed to get from others turns negative, so it put me off blogging. Who's to say what I say helps? I don't know, so with that in mind I will share my personal experience and if that is a ripple, if that resonates then I'm happy. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><br /></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Why it takes an
hour to boil an egg.<o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For breakfast you
want egg<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You say ‘e’ and
stand hands together in prayer<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Around the ‘o’ to
show<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Egg.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
‘What kind of egg?’
I ask<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Scrambled, fried,
boiled, poached? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I mime, you nod. I
repeat with whisking whirring palm. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You nod. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And when egg
arrives<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Golden whisked with
love<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Gleaming like a
fluffy snowfall<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You cry<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
‘Normal!’<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You scream <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And tears and fists
fly out <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I try to calm with
anti-intuitive whispers <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the roar of a storm<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We make signs to
each other<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hands throwing
shapes<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ravers bouncing
against<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Walls of
misunderstanding<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Please let this be
it<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hands in prayer
around an O<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tears dry as the
new egg arrives<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is boiled egg
that is normal egg <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Translated<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And another attempt
at communication<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Begins with a hug. <o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br clear="all" style="mso-special-character: line-break; page-break-before: always;" />
</span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p> Rae Sambrooks 2016</o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1989259814459110630.post-35651188339295224092015-07-07T10:03:00.002+01:002015-07-07T10:07:12.774+01:00SLI on Radio 4 with Dorothy BishopWonderful programme on the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b060zq8m" target="_blank">The Life Scientific with Dorothy Bishop</a><br />
<br />
Just a fantastic description of the research into Specific Language Impairment and all of Dorothy's work. Follow the blog!<br />
<br />
Dorothy Bishop <a href="http://deevybee.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Dorothy Bishop Blog</a><br />
<br />
After struggling away in the dark, it's so wonderful when someone switches a light on!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1989259814459110630.post-55627673223038972452015-07-07T10:00:00.000+01:002015-07-07T10:00:07.466+01:00Transitioning to Secondary part 2So we have had a meeting, the year 5 parents of kids with SEN and the LA. They seem very accomodating and I hope it all pans out because I'm really looking for getting SLT at the local school, which would be brilliant. I hope the right support will be there.<br />
<br />
But my experience is that of a child who has progressed enormously, not every child will and with potentially 2 children in every classroom with an SLI, surely it is time to consider how many children in secondary school are getting the support they need. What is the impact on adults and our society of not address language needs?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-0RVV2tGX9HHpCvTxYYAHOSonfXfcDFiJracbxbO9L09vfQ67DNtaC5P8VDwOOI5TSbEg9vf6hcP0EiaZbTK__ernP1hrS4D7pj_B5SLnPOephiYVIfH2cpsvdr6sSL-r2NNChfUW1UE/s1600/Chrysanthemum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-0RVV2tGX9HHpCvTxYYAHOSonfXfcDFiJracbxbO9L09vfQ67DNtaC5P8VDwOOI5TSbEg9vf6hcP0EiaZbTK__ernP1hrS4D7pj_B5SLnPOephiYVIfH2cpsvdr6sSL-r2NNChfUW1UE/s320/Chrysanthemum.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1989259814459110630.post-63986375288087043862015-03-28T15:21:00.002+00:002015-03-28T15:21:34.487+00:00Statements, Statements, EHC Plan, Blah Part OneWell we've gone to the year 5 Transition Annual Statement Review and it's all looking fairly good for my daughter, she is progressing well, though her expressive language doesn't reflect her excellent knowledge. As usual the policies give me a headache and I'm a bit at a loss as to what I should be doing right now.<br />
<br />
It took so long to even get noticed, by now we have cosily entered the world of supported learning through a language base and the statement reviews have been a reiteration of progression and how she is doing well etc. etc. but as the leglislation has changed so has the cosy safety net of the statemented legal requirement for her SLT.<br />
<br />
Now come the problems again. We are switching to an EHC Plan, which has a whole load of question marks over it, not least of all is - will her languege needs now be overlooked, F's chronic condition of Specific Language Impairment, becomes 'manageable' now she is in mainstream. Yet again instead of wanting to look on the positive side, I'm going to have to delve into the 'what's wrong with her' psychological circle of hell. Yes, she is academically catching up, yes, she copes in a mainstream class with support now, but no, you wouldn't mistake her for a child without a problem if you met her. Because she still talks with a babyish cadence, with slow sentences as she tries to find the right word, gaps in her grammar that come out weirdly. She can't follow the class at the speed they go. She doesn't have a 'normal' conversation with children of her own age and in the two mainstream activities she does (Brownies and Youth Theatre) she has no buddies and is often conversing with adults rather than children. And if you take away her help, she still has an anxiety reaction that ranges from constipation, through to panic attacks and night terrors. Even the change in her routine last weekend (we had a long journey and I had picked her up early from her Dad's) started her 'needing the toilet when I don't need the toilet' anxious reaction.<br />
<br />
And my fear is that as I approach having to justify all this to get her the SLT she needs in secondary school, I'm having to focus on the negative again. Just like when you do the DLA form and it makes you cry, because I am yet to do a DLA or help anyone with one without it becoming an emotional trauma.<br />
<br />
I find it hard to cope with the jargon and policy, too much information seems to shut down my understanding. I feel helpless in the sight of all the timelines and pushing for support. I may be looking into getting a personal budget for the SLT needed in secondary school and first step I am told is to call Parent Partnerships who are now Information, Advice and Support. Except I invariably have to talk to the same woman who is far from supportive.<br />
<br />
'Can I get a personal budget for SLT' I ask<br />
'Not if it interferes with SEN support that the Local Authority has,' she says.<br />
<br />
Now I know the school I want F to go to has no dedicated SLT and that is why I need to buy it in, so it would make sense to go down the personal budgets route. I wouldn't be asking if they did.<br />
<br />
So I say 'Well what if they don't have it, can I get it then?'<br />
'Not if the local authority does this and not if that and blah blah blah' she goes. She's lost me now, talking about all the 'not if the LA' things, none of which is going in. The information is irrelevant and unhelpful and I still have no idea if it is possible, how to go about it, what to do next, I ask but am just told about the timeline of the EHC Plan and how I might not get it anyway.<br />
<br />
Finally she says, 'if all the criteria are there then yes, it would be possible.' But no practical help in actually what to do next. I will persevere, I will speak to the right people and find out, and I expect it will all be fine but I really really don't need the stress. Sometimes it feels as if the people trying to help are merely putting blocks in the way so you don't ask for more money or defy the authority of the Local Authority.<br />
<br />
What saddens me is the professional teachers and SALT I deal with are wonderfully supportive, I'm an advocate for my daughter and would never ask for help if I didn't think it necessary, I'm not a sponger of benefits or a squeezer of budgets, I just want what she needs in order to operate in the world and become a fully functioning adult. If she had a broken leg and I was asking for crutches I wouldn't be getting 'Not if it interferes with the wheelchair provision' off some 'helpful' nurse. I would get the bloomin' crutches! (Mind you the way it's going with the NHS.....)<br />
<br />
I think the worst thing of all of this isn't the condition in itself, it's the hoops and the politics you have to fight your way through in order to get the provision your child needs. I keep reminding myself, I'm lucky, I haven't had to go to tribunal, I got a statement, she is improving, she is finding her way in the world.<br />
<br />
All I want to do is make it possible for my daughter to go to her local, very well thought of in SEN, school. That shouldn't really be that much of a headache should it? So I'm going to look into the personal budgets rigmarole and report what happens.<br />
<br />
I have already looked at the Local Offer online for our area and yes it says on it that you can get personal budgets, it doesn't say how, it doesn't give you any info on what to do practically. I'll have another look and see.<br />
<br />
We will be having a talk at her school about EHC Plans, so hopefully that will shed more light as well, but for now it's back to searching for the information, objectively, and practicing my Zen meditation to not get too wound up in the process. And I'm not ringing up that unhelpful disinformation service again!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1989259814459110630.post-4311699354732755522015-03-03T09:13:00.004+00:002015-03-03T09:18:55.511+00:00ChatterboxesHi<br />
I thought I'd put a few exercises that you can do as games down in this post today and hope I'm not repeating too many of them!<br />
<br />
I've recently been concerned about my daughter's expressive language. Though she has progressed amazingly well, and I mean she surprises me daily with what she's learning, we go through phases where I feel like it's two steps forward, one step back.<br />
<br />
That led me to get feedback on how she is developing well and to listen more carefully to her development. Yes, she is making more mistakes but that is because she is widening her vocabulary and communication, so it is that she is moving forward (and that I am a massive worrier!)<br />
<br />
So I thought about it - what exercises/games can I use to help her to be listening more carefully and using her words in a more understandable way. I am a drama practitioner and an English as a second language teacher, I must have some ideas in my back catalogue on how to improve communication! I'm sharing them here - these have worked for us and I hope if you want to use them you will be able to adapt to your child's level. <br />
<br />
<b>Early preposition work for little ones</b> - Where's the toy? On the table, under the table, behind the radiator. Turn it into a game where you chant 'Where's the toy?' 'ON the table, ON the table, ON the table', add clapping for fun and rhythm. I try to get F to repeat a word at least 3 times to give her a chance for it to go in the memory box in her brain.<br />
<br />
<b>Nonsense repeats</b> - a lot of SLI kids find it really difficult to repeat back nonsense words, I found out recently, which is really logical given the difficulty in repeating back sentences without nonsense words in (sequencing, auditory processing). So I reckoned by working on this area I could be really helping my child with auditory processing. I tried it this morning, it was a good one to do. Supercalifragilisticexpelalidocious was the one we did today and it worked! By breaking it down and the fact it's a fun song, we got all the bits, counted out the syllables and there we were.<br />
<br />
Use a nonsense word that your child will have a go at repeating (don't use the ones I did just because she's nearly 10 and is pretty much there with a lot of her words!) I did things like:<br />
bippididdydo<br />
<br />
ploppitiplops<br />
<br />
blumbops<br />
<br />
Funny words that sound funny when you do them, with your child really close when they are enjoying staring at you and mimicking, try the game where you say a word and they repeat, then slow it down so each syllable is really stretched out and make your mouth really wide and silly. This will encourage them to have a go too.<br />
<br />
<b>Tongue Twisters </b>- Red Lorry Yellow Lorry is hard enough! And it's easy to describe so you can have a visual clue or use an actual red lorry and yellow lorry to model it, then speed it up as a game. This was very helpful for us as F still says Lellow on occasion.<br />
<br />
<b>Info gap</b>. F was behind a door, I was on the other side. I described a picture and she had to draw it, then vice versa. Even if it's just a simple picture of a person next to a house, this is very challenging especially for prepositions. This can be done with a book in between you and is also very good for lots of grammar work, such as counting (draw 3 eyes) or vocab in an area. It's very concentrated so keep it simple to avoid frustration, but it is a lot of fun. There are some good EFL books that do this kind of exercise, as well as listening games that we were given by our original SENCO. Elementary Communication Games has a few info gaps in there.<br />
<br />
<b>If I had./If I was...</b><br />
For more complex conditional structures the simple imagination game, If I had a million pounds I would..... is a nice drill to remember the structure. You imagine what you would do with all that money,<br />
also If I was a superhero I would..... or anything else that is their interest (If I lived in Minecraft I would...., If I was a Creeper I would....) Usually this will spark interest and a lot of description that has less grammar structure in so is a good one for modelling back the structure (Really? Would you really buy a big house and fill it with beans? Instead of 'house, beans')<br />
<br />
<b>Counting/Memory with emotion....</b><br />
This really is one that I stumbled across by accident. There are plenty of memory and key word memory games you can play but depending on your child, what triggers their memory? When you study memory tricks and remember stories you have to visual pictures and the most emotional content possible works best. If you've ever done a Paul McKenna CD you'll know he talks about making the colours brighter, the sounds, tastes etc. And that is because it stimulates the brain to remember things more clearly.<br />
So I used this for counting. Instead of by rote, because my daughter at age 6 couldn't count to 10, me and my eldest daughter used ONE big purple elephant, TWO stinky penguins etc. and by the end of ten minutes she remembered up to ten but hadn't been able to do so by rote.<br />
It depends on your child, if your child will repeat/remember by rote then please do drilling, but if it isn't going in you could try a more lateral approach. I know F is a lateral thinker so she will remember Wednesday because I explained it was the day of Odin, or Woden and did a gesture and told a story about Odin. This won't work for everyone but it might be worth considering what kind of learner your child is.<br />
<br />
I was told F couldn't remember more than two items in a list, so I constantly played <b>My Cat went shopping and she bought...</b> to improve her memory. (You go round and add a list, remembering what the last person said) This didn't help until the day I added the word 'Silly'. My cat went shopping and bought silly sausages, funny beans, silly television....etc. She remembered over 10 and I got stuck!<br />
<br />
This may not work for your child at all, all children are different and I realised with my uniquely made daughter that she had lateral thinking that helped her learn. If you can find something that works for your child, use it. What do they like? How do they learn?<br />
<br />
I hope this has been useful, it can be a lot of fun and lovely to see your child communicating and having fun at the same time. I've been using some apps as well that I hope to review soon and also follow up with some storytelling exercises. Please comment if you have other games that you use with your child and I will be posting more communication tasks soon.<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1989259814459110630.post-55865164860401743882015-01-08T10:57:00.000+00:002015-01-08T10:57:04.379+00:00Creative CommunicationSo what can we do as parents and educators to improve communication with children who have language barriers?<br />
<br />
I have tried to be imaginative in my approach. I'm not a speech and language therapist but I have been an ESOL teacher, I am a creative storyteller to children and workshop facilitator in creative writing, and I can see how engaging language in creative context makes a huge difference to children.<br />
<br />
And our children can teach us how to teach them. When my daughter was younger she could only understand a limited range of vocabulary. She took this to create a book called 'To the Zoo', where she drew pictures of animals and repeated 'I went to the zoo' - inspired by the book Dear Zoo.<br />
<br />
So even when the language is limited a child can use it, use pictures to illustrate their ideas, and feel autonomous in that use.<br />
<br />
One of the first things I did to encourage this was to give her some lovely 'Hello Kitty' notebooks and pens, to show I respected her attempts to write and she loved them. Over time her notebooks have become secret diaries, and she will draw lines between pictures to illustrate her understanding of narrative and connection. This way of expressing concepts is so important for her confidence in expressing language clearly.<br />
<br />
Drawings are communication, stories and imagination games are communication. Anything that encourages the same action as the action to use language in literacy or spoken, is a confidence builder. Because of the constraints on time, schools necessarily can't focus on those 'soft targets' but as parents we can.<br />
<br />
Over time I have realised that I can't play the part of teacher, because she doesn't like me doing that for her! But I can give her the tools to practice those things by herself. <br />
<br />
My daughter is an inspiration to me and I often practice my stories and poems for her to see what she finds engaging, but also because she is my biggest fan and critic. As role models we can do the things we love and also help the children we want to so much.<br />
<br />
So pick up a pen and start doodling, read a story you have written, retell a traditional tale, sing songs, have fun, be creative! It's a great stress relief and encourages your child to have a go themselves.<br />
<br />
Creative communication in all its forms builds confidence, builds language and is fun - what's not to like? Don't let people tell you it's a waste of time, Minecraft and Lego are great examples of how children can create and it's a great conversation starter too. A child might find it hard to express how they feel about their school day but much easier to talk about their Minecraft world.<br />
<br />
Creativity is not a soft option, its sometimes an essential tool to reach children who are on the sidelines because of their barriers to communication.<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1989259814459110630.post-4836394869033281052014-11-25T10:37:00.000+00:002014-11-25T10:37:21.312+00:00Women's Hour and Radio 4The Radio 4 appeal this year is for Afasic - the speech and language charity for people with language and communication difficulties. However despite repeated tweeting and emailing Radio 4 and Women's Hour are still not replying. I'm trying to raise awareness for SLI as they still have repeated sections on other communication disabilities but I am yet to hear any mention of SLI. As it is one of the most common but least heard of impairments you might think they'd be interested!<br />
<br />
It's Listener's Week this week and I have tried again by tweeting but if anyone reading this blog could give it a go as well that would be great!<br />
<br />
Come on Radio 4 it's about time someone noticed SLI!<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1989259814459110630.post-53662551572515162482014-11-25T10:33:00.000+00:002014-11-25T10:33:33.489+00:00More awareness needed<span style="font-family: inherit;">The reason I started this blog was to raise awareness of SLI and it was interesting to see an article about this on Huffington Post this week which I think I have posted previously #</span><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/claire-mitchell/specific-language-impairm_b_1576898.html">SLI </a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">and this tweet from ABSALT Clinic: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a class="account-group js-account-group js-action-profile js-user-profile-link js-nav" data-user-id="2396516242" href="https://twitter.com/ABSALTClinic" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #8899a6; text-decoration: none;"><strong class="fullname js-action-profile-name show-popup-with-id" data-aria-label-part="" style="color: #292f33;">ABSALT Clinic</strong> <span class="username js-action-profile-name" data-aria-label-part="" style="direction: ltr; font-size: 13px; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="color: #b1bbc3;">@</span>ABSALTClinic</span> </a><small class="time" style="color: #8899a6; font-size: 13px;"> <a class="tweet-timestamp js-permalink js-nav js-tooltip" href="https://twitter.com/ABSALTClinic/status/536528003451584512" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #8899a6; text-decoration: none;" title="6:33 AM - 23 Nov 2014"><span class="_timestamp js-short-timestamp " data-aria-label-part="last" data-long-form="true" data-time-ms="1416753218000" data-time="1416753218">Nov 23</span></a></small></span><br />
<div class="js-tweet-text tweet-text" data-aria-label-part="0" lang="en" style="white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Have you ever heard of Specific Language Impairment? It's more common than Autism!
<a class="twitter-hashtag pretty-link js-nav" data-query-source="hashtag_click" dir="ltr" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ICP2014?src=hash" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0084b4; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #66b5d2;">#</span>ICP2014</a> <a class="twitter-hashtag pretty-link js-nav" data-query-source="hashtag_click" dir="ltr" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SLPeeps?src=hash" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0084b4; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #66b5d2;">#</span>SLPeeps</a> <a class="twitter-timeline-link" data-expanded-url="http://fb.me/6VWSorWRW" dir="ltr" href="http://t.co/14zEHM3JOF" rel="nofollow" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0084b4; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="http://fb.me/6VWSorWRW"><span class="tco-ellipsis"></span><span class="invisible" style="display: inline-block; font-size: 0px; line-height: 0;">http://</span><span class="js-display-url">fb.me/6VWSorWRW</span><span class="invisible" style="display: inline-block; font-size: 0px; line-height: 0;"></span><span class="tco-ellipsis"><span class="invisible" style="display: inline-block; font-size: 0px; line-height: 0;"> </span></span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This prompted a twitter conversation with ABSALT Clinic who are a private speech and language clinic in Northern Ireland who were brilliant in covering some of my most asked questions, I'm posting the conversation below: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Me: A<span style="color: #292f33; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">s a parent of kid with SLI I know it is more common than Autism but most parents I meet have kids w/ASD and few with SLI - why do you think this is?</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #292f33; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #292f33; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">ABSALT Clinic: </span><span style="color: #292f33; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Severe SLI may be more obvious but not always understood. Awareness & recognition of SLI is improving in schools, </span><span style="color: #292f33; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Also, is there an acceptance that in a class of 30 some childen will struggle & so their difficulties are not flagged?</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #292f33; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #292f33; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Me: </span><span style="color: #292f33; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">my daughter was severely affected but expect a lesser problem with SLI could be seen as general slow development/behaviour problem</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #292f33; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">ABSALT Clinic: </span><span style="color: #292f33; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">and </span><a class="twitter-hashtag pretty-link js-nav" data-query-source="hashtag_click" dir="ltr" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DifferentialDiagnosis?src=hash" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0084b4; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #66b5d2;">#</span>DifferentialDiagnosis</a><span style="color: #292f33; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> are crucial in identifying </span><a class="twitter-hashtag pretty-link js-nav" data-query-source="hashtag_click" dir="ltr" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SLI?src=hash" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0084b4; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #66b5d2;">#</span>SLI</a><span style="color: #292f33; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Also, many cannot go down the private route for support</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #292f33; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #292f33; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Me: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; letter-spacing: 0.280000001192093px; line-height: 34px; white-space: pre-wrap;">and I couldn't afford actual slt only initial assessment</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; letter-spacing: 0.280000001192093px; line-height: 34px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">ABSALT Clinic:<span style="font-size: 28px;"> </span></span></span><span style="color: #292f33; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">Yes, I see firsthand the burden it is for many parents who come for private SLT. Sometimes it's the only way to get access.</span><span style="color: #292f33; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Our SLT colleagues in the community services are slammed & being asked to do more with less & are under huge pressure too</span><br />
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<span>4:16 AM - 24 Nov 2014</span>
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<span style="color: #292f33; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Thanks to ABSALT Clinic for answering my questions. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #292f33; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #292f33; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What more can we do to raise awareness and campaign for better SLT? </span></span><br />
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<span>6:33 AM - 23 Nov 2014</span>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1989259814459110630.post-34673190805779040592014-09-04T11:07:00.002+01:002014-09-04T11:36:40.719+01:00Debate over SLI terminology - what do we call it? There is a debate going on over terminology with SLI. It is so unknown compared with other terms for language impairments or communication difficulties, and the question is, is this because the term Specific Language Impairment is not working as a label?<br />
<br />
I think this might be less to do with terminology and more to do with awareness and media coverage. Dyslexia is a wide term referring to reading difficulties but is only widely known because of the focus on it during the 1980s, around the time my brother was diagnosed it was seen as a little known condition that affected many people. We were given a leaflet that cited such luminaries as Albert Einstein as being dyslexic and focussed on how it wasn't a measure of intelligence. Very little coverage is given to SLI in the same way. There are no famous people from history, or current celebrities shown as role models. I've done a quick google search to find....no-one.<br />
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<a href="http://www.vmi.edu/uploadedfiles/academics/academic_support/disabilities_services/famous%20people%20with%20learning%20disabilities%20-%20updated.pdf">Famous people with learning disabilities</a><br />
<br />
On this list many are cited as having dyslexia or mild autism, but only one - Steve McQueen - seems to have an undiagnosed language learning disability which might be S.L.I. but since googling have found out he has had it diagnosed as dyslexia.<br />
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Is it time for SLI to be seen as part of a group of language disabilities and given more prominence that way? I wonder how many of the list also had S.L.I? Where does it go in adulthood, are all children affected with it destined for an invisible future?<br />
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In terms of awareness, either you reterm SLI as something which sounds like dyslexia/dyspraxia (giving the people affected by the condition another difficult term to remember!) or you start to push for more awareness of the thing itself.<br />
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There is very little awareness in schools, for example. Where are the leaflets and the checklists? The TV shows and characters? In addition is the diagnosis itself used as a coverall for a developmental delay with language. My daughter doesn't have dyslexia, which surprises me, but as soon as she was given enough support has learnt to read fairly quickly. Her issues come with learning language grammar and concepts in expressive spoken language. So how to we help the uninitiated to understand verbal and receptive language disorder?<br />
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I am contemplating a play or book about a character with SLI so if anyone is interested in encouraging me, please get in touch! Adults and children alike need more understanding so that our children don't end up like the dyslexics of old, stuck at the back of the class being told they are stupid.<br />
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Royal College of Speech and Language therapists - <a href="http://www.rcslt.org/members/clinical_areas/SLI">SLI information</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1989259814459110630.post-82964663291388382232014-08-18T14:44:00.003+01:002014-08-18T14:46:48.301+01:00School's OutWow, I didn't realise I hadn't posted for so long, the whirl of statement review followed by summer holidays has made me blog barren! I'm back for a brief post and hope your summer is going well.<br />
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Yet again the summer for us is a question of one step forward three steps back stage. Daughter is doing ok but has a complicated relationship with growing up, and as she gets bigger it becomes less easy for her to get away with making noises and pointing instead of sentences. At this point I am reminded of how much positivity is needed in parenting and being a child with communication difficulties because of the inevitable frustration on both sides.<br />
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However I saw this today and was so pleased to see a young man taking huge strides with his empowering overcoming of a speech impediment. I am posting it as a holiday treat - The lad from Educating Yorkshire, Musharaf Asghar, who managed to find ways of overcoming his stammer is taking the presenting lead on a spin off series about speech therapy. I wish him all the best and am so pleased to see a young person being so confident and visible about their own communication needs. More power to you Musharaf!<br />
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<a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/educating-yorkshires-musharaf-asghar-to-lead-speech-therapy-spinoff-9674487.html">http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/educating-yorkshires-musharaf-asghar-to-lead-speech-therapy-spinoff-9674487.html</a><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1989259814459110630.post-5878798146262868852014-06-25T10:58:00.001+01:002014-06-25T11:13:06.324+01:00With the right support...I have returned from the annual statement review in tears - not because it was so awful but quite the opposite. They can see her doing really well and she is nearly at average levels for her language understanding.<br />
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Expressive language is still an obvious difficulty and she doesn't understand everything but to have come so far in such a short time is enormous, and much of her vocabulary understanding comes from books. Her reading has unlocked a door to understanding and expression.<br />
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This is huge for me, to finally have some light at the end of the tunnel, however I'm not going to say it's all over and she's cured because that is not the truth.<br />
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It's the right support that matters and it saddens me that children don't get the support, don't have the help and end up struggling through life, illiterate and locked in a world they don't understand. It is still a large lack of awareness that needs to be tackled, even before you can find the support.<br />
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I wrote an article for the fabulous <a href="http://www.speechbloguk.wordpress.com/">Speechbloguk</a> which you can read <a href="http://speechbloguk.com/parents-experience-language-impairment-trying-find-right-help/">here</a>, about the struggle to get the speech and language therapy and support. It's brilliant that all the professionals involved pulled together to get her the right support in the end but this could have been done and dusted from age 2 if there was more awareness and focus on speech and language therapy. It absolutely worries me that there are so many children out there not getting the support because it should be a basic human right to be treated equally, which in our society means the same as anyone else who has a medical need. Saying that I'm blown away by the wonderful SLT support we've had and how well they've done at school with her.<br />
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Next on the agenda is to tackle the behaviour issues that come with frustration and acting out. To be honest we've had a few meltdowns that last for a long time and a lot of it is due to being socially unable to join in equally, so she acts out to get her own way.<br />
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Positive behaviour rewards.<br />
I am a convert to positive behaviour reward charts. After many years of not having enough discipline in myself to keep them up for too long, they work like a charm on my daughter. If you have a child with special needs it's often the behaviour that causes most stress, but if you start to lay down discipline that is often a hugely negative effect. The problem with too much discipline is that my child would thrive on the negative attention and act out even more. So to turn to those positive behaviour reward charts might seem a hippy response to 'bad' behaviour but a really really effective one!<br />
I have started a new one - 'independence' reward chart, to encourage her acting her age (of nearly 9) instead of regressing to toddler like behaviour. This seems to have worked wonders so next month I think we will tackle joining in and sharing!! I wonder how we will get on! :-0Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1989259814459110630.post-10665708092916296922014-05-28T09:41:00.002+01:002014-06-09T16:04:19.201+01:00Non-Verbal Communication - the expertsA positive note that has occurred to me whilst writing this blog, as a parent if we learn to use more visual language and understand non-verbal communication, it will open up a whole new level of communication for you with everyone not just your child. After all it has often been quoted that communication is mainly non-verbal and children with language problems are often expert in that!<br />
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Some ideas for non-verbal communication :<br />
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<b>Visuals</b> - children with language disorders are often more visually literate, so pictures, drawings and visual stimulus are a great start.<br />
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An exercise to try : Info gap....<br />
In ESOL classes we often use this as an exercise to encourage communication. Have a picture that one person can't see - you describe it and the other person draws it. Have to use 'left/right' 'above/below' and colours, as well as describing the picture itself. This can be lots of fun but keep the picture simple!<br />
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Splingo! app builds key words memory and following instructions by building a rocket with objects after completing key word instructions. <a href="http://www.edugame.co.uk/our-apps/coming-soon/">Splingo description/</a> Apps are a great way to let a child follow their own path when learning.<br />
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<b>Gestures</b> - drama is a great way to try out non-verbal communication. Drama teachers often use 'tableau' or 'freeze frames' to tell a story or make a group picture. This can be used alongside 'musical statues' or simple 'charades' to include children with language difficulties in groups.<br />
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An example game from 'In the manner of the word' - everyone in the group trying out an action, the group leader or a child within the group shouts a present continuous verb e.g. 'swimming' and everyone acts out that word - can reinforce some words that get mixed up.<br />
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I'm currently looking at other ways of learning language, as an ESOL (English as a Second Language) teacher I often used drama techniques in teaching adults as many of my students had very low levels of literacy. This is a great way of attracting children as it's fun and inclusive. I'm going to look at learning through stories in my storytelling work and post some more on what drama and story exercises might be useful.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1989259814459110630.post-50919175447708970942014-05-20T11:48:00.004+01:002014-05-20T11:48:51.497+01:00Additional ParentingI was talking yesterday about what the difference might be between a parent/carer and a parent whose child hasn't any particular additional needs.<br />
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There are people out there who are parent/carers to children with severe disabilities of mobility and neurology, which I can't begin to imagine and they are tired and stressed and completely put upon and I pray they are getting enough support. Up all night, administering to medical and continence needs, those parents are doing an amazing and really hard job. I'm not that. I don't have it that hard, I am supremely lucky that my child has SLI and nothing more severe. A lot of children with SLI might have chromosonal conditions that affect them. We have some behaviour issues but no physical or mobility constraints and as I say, we are supremely lucky to have such an able and character-ful person in our lives. But that doesn't mean that SLI doesn't affect all areas of her life, because it does.<br />
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There are other parent/carers who are probably a bit like me, that have fought for sen or support and have a generally managed time as long as support and basic needs are met, routines are in place and you can find some flexible work for yourself (which is not easy and the main reason why I have decided to stick to working for myself for the time being.) You're unlikely to rule the world like you thought you would, as you have the extras to deal with. It is hard work still, and in a way that even we don't realise sometimes.<br />
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To explain - for some parent/carers it might be dealing with social anxiety, with a child who can't cope with plans changing or putting on socks. Sensory disorders/sensitivity. Routines. For me it encompasses being a full time teacher, carer, advocate and translator, which is something you don't realise you're doing until other people start meeting your child and you find yourself repeating their sentences. It is sometimes about having to detach the parent's head and add on a carer's head. It's not full on, it's middling tasks but important ones and ones which aren't covered by anyone else if you don't work at it.<br />
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I've thought of the times I have to detach and do the extras....<br />
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Trying to explain the difference between 'it not suitable you' and 'it doesn't suit you' whilst both are being aimed at your dress.<br />
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Knowing that 'custard' might actually mean 'gravy'. Both are in the same word category of 'sauce' but it's necessary to remodel 'I had chicken with custard' to gravy, just in case she asks for it when I'm not there, and gets actual custard on her chicken one day. (Repeat it three times and picture the colour, gravy, gravy, gravy)<br />
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Understanding that they aren't going to be as independent of you in the same way that a child who is able to operate in mainstream are. But that doesn't mean you don't have to try to help them to be. Empowering<br />
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Patience. Endless, endless patience. And repetition. And patience.<br />
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Being assertive not aggressive with SENCOs, LAs, SLTs and any other abbreviation you can think of.<br />
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And many more!<br />
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Does this ring a bell with other parent/carers? What are your added extras?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1989259814459110630.post-12468956620850609062014-05-19T19:19:00.001+01:002014-05-19T19:19:26.514+01:00The Good News<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've said a lot so far about the difficulties encountered by children/people with SLI and how tricky it is to get it recognised and supported. There is another side to this of course, in my experience of the amazing achievements that you can see.<br />
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My daughter has gone from being a pre-reader at P8 in year 2 (aged 5/6) to a near average level of 3c in year 4 (age 8). This is at double the rate a child would normally learn to read at because she has had lots of support and been given speech and language therapy. The reading has unlocked so much for her and it is a really remarkable progression. <br />
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Someone told me the other day that we need our children to see themselves as superheroes. And she really is - a superhero and a little star who can defeat the obstacles to claim her place in the world. She made a comic strip called 'The Little Star' who wanted a hero because she had lost her light and Tom the cow who no-one believed could be a superhero but found the light and brought it back to the Star. It seems her inner world of stories is more in personal psychology than you can imagine!<br />
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So despite the fights for understanding and the on-going need to keep tabs on what's happening, (because it doesn't happen without an intervention), she is really her own superhero. And that is true for all children, and we just need to keep reminding them of that and the people around them of what they are truly capable of.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1989259814459110630.post-8592332152723921582014-05-13T09:31:00.001+01:002014-05-13T10:23:18.597+01:00Noticing the signs...and the singingI was interested to read an article recently about how singing can help babies development, but also slightly annoyed because we all knew that anyway. It got me thinking about how my experience was so different though, and how these generalised articles on language development can put the blame on a parent's doorstep if your child's language is delayed. It feels terribly unfair when you are a parent who, like most, works so hard at being a parent. I can report that I did sing to my child, pretty much constantly, as I did with my eldest daughter who has no language delay. I also read stories, talked constantly and did not sit her in front of the tv 24/7. She has a differently wired brain which has garbled the language and memory route and leaves her like a beginner in French class, cluelessly smiling at what you are saying and replying 'bonjour' or 'ou est le chat?' for misunderstood questions. <br />
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And so what were the signs? Not singing songs back was one of them. Whilst my eldest daughter would want a story repeated over and over, my youngest wouldn't repeat words or phrases back, however she would spend a long time with visual and sensory pleasures such as food (think Close Encounters of the Third Kind with mashed potato) and drawing. Her art work is very good and she can draw a picture to tell a thousand words. <br />
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So I thought I would flag up some of the signs I noticed as a baby that point more to a language disorder and SLI than to other problems. SLI is specific language disorder - specifically language - so her physical and mental development was perfectly normal if not advanced, up until the age of 1 1/2 - 2 years old. She responded early to smiling, soft toys, settled herself well (she was a master at getting herself to sleep) and started crawling and walking very early. When the time came to repeat words though I noticed she didn't seem to be as quick to develop. Of course you don't want to (and shouldn't) jump to conclusions. My eldest daughter was singing Old Macdonald's Farm at about one and was hilarious in supermarkets by singing at the top of her voice in her buggy. I'm picking up Rice Krispies, she's full soprano "wak wak ere anna wak wak der...." she loved to sing! My youngest didn't do this. She worked out her puzzles quickly, she ate well and her motor control was brilliant (especially when feeding herself!) but she didn't seem to repeat words in the same way. I remember her first sounds were similar, but words were more difficult. When she pointed at the fridge magnet of Tigger and Pooh, she would say something that didn't sound at all like 'tigger'. So I would repeat it, but instead of repeating at Tigger, she pointed to Eeyore and said 'gg'. I didn't jump to conclusions, and no-one should, but at her 2 year development check I started asking questions. <br />
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Her behaviour had become quite manic and she would run around a room in a place she wasn't familiar with, it was different to others, and you couldn't calm her down with words and soothing talk. At the development check her language development came out at 15 months whilst her social and physical development was at 4 years old. There was a delay with her language there was no doubt, however she didn't display common signs of autism spectrum disorder such as not giving eye contact, social problems and understanding facial expression. I must at this point put a disclaimer - I am not suggesting that another child is or isn't on the spectrum, I am not even suggesting that at some point a different professional might give my child a diagnosis of an atypical type of autism because it is a huge spectrum and I am not a specialist. I am just saying that in order to treat my child's additional needs we had to focus on her language needs, early intervention and essential speech and language therapy. She doesn't have ADD/ADHD, sensory needs or severe behavioural problems. She does have low level anxiety and frustration. She doesn't do things repetitively, taken everything literally or need strict routines. She does like to know where she is sleeping and where she is going, because her concepts of time are so erratic. <br />
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As parents we always have to have one eye on the development and one eye on the child. My child did not develop in the same way. At playgroup she would run around and find large crowds stressful, mainly because they were talking to her and she didn't understand. It really started to flag up at 3, but at that point the Speech and Language team discharged her 'because it was too soon to know'. I can't tell to this day if the policy was well meaning or if I was being fobbed off, but it took a couple more years of struggling before I took her to a private speech and language therapist and found out she had a moderately severe language disorder. Armed with some evidence I proceeded to bash it over the heads of anyone that would listen and she was finally officially diagnosed around the age of 5. <br />
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There is support out there but it's so hard to get sometimes and with a diagnosis like SLI, which is still largely unknown, it can feel like an uphill struggle trying to get people to understand what's going on. <br />
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When she got the right support for her speech and language and was given positive rewards, her behaviour changed. Her anxiety levels went down and she could cope with those environments but before that it was so incredibly difficult. We were lucky. We got a statement of special needs and we had supportive schools. We were lucky because her impairment is specific so in a lot of ways she can negotiate life, just as if it's in a foreign language. We were lucky because she is healthy and happy and has the ability to learn. But I know if I don't keep vigilant and get the right balance of support to independence it's going to be a struggle and I have empathy for all the children and parents out there who are struggling from day to day, or who don't know why their child is behaving in the way they are. <br />
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So back to singing. For my daughter 'Old Macdonald's Farm' wasn't an option - she could do the animal noises, but could never repeat/remember the words. As she got older she would pretend to be a singer with a microphone and made up her own songs, because she could never remember the words to others. So whilst others were treated to renditions of Bieber or Taylor Swift, we had 'We are the rocking girls, we are the rocking girls, we like rock, we rocking, yeah oooohhh bay-by' It was very sweet but then she couldn't remember the words she had just made up, so the lyrics changed. <br />
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At Christmas Carol Concerts this meant she couldn't repeat the words to any songs. By the age of 5 we tried patiently with Rudolph the red nosed reindeer and finally got to the point where she could do the title and that part of the chorus. Sadly this would be the Carol Concert at school where she was taken out because her teaching assistant got stressed and thought her fidgeting meant she was about to have a meltdown. The poor thing thought it was because she was bad at singing. It's at times like that you know your child has additional needs, but the people around her don't understand what they are. <br />
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You know your child has additional needs when the local posh nursery throws her out for being too disruptive within 5 hours and the state school nursery says she can't cope. You know your child has additional needs when you are being brought in to 'talk' about incidents and they are 4. When they can't stand in line or sit on a carpet. When the school is lovely because everything's going well with one daughter, and it's a road to hell because everything's going wrong with the other. <br />
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After the incident at the concert I raged against the machine (school) and drove her off to a private speech and language assessment. I presumed it would be the first of many diagnoses - that it would be language delay plus Adhd or something similar. It came as a shock to find out the delay wasn't just a delay but a disorder. That she wouldn't grow out of it without therapist intervention, and that her subsequent manic and anxious behaviours were through frustration and fear at not being able to communicate with the world around her. After that I started to fight and now we have a situation where she has as much speech and language support as she can get on the NHS, in a mainstream school with a unit and she is learning. As usual I have one eye on the child and one eye on the future. <br />
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Sadly singing to my baby was never going to change my daughter's condition, but that would never stop me singing because if it make a difference or not, it still made her happy. Now she can read she learns the lyrics that way. Last Christmas (aged 7) she finally knew the words to her favourite song, Away in a Manger because she could read them! That's got to be something to celebrate - but I just wish the media wouldn't put parents down because their child has a language delay. It's not all about the singing and switching the tv off - it might be because they have an SLI and it's not been recognised. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1989259814459110630.post-34422403226613097092014-05-12T11:27:00.000+01:002014-05-13T08:16:33.016+01:00What is SLI? Our storySpecific Language Impairment - more common than Autism, as prevelant as Dyslexia and yet an unknown condition. This impairment impacts on expression and understanding, on literacy and on socialising. It's an invisible disability and the lack of awareness can be frustrating in itself. I have lost count of the amount of times I've been told that the condition is 'rare' or just another word for ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). It's not, it's just unknown. <br />
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The charity I CAN <a href="http://www.ican.org.uk">www.ican.org.uk</a> summarises SLI as follows: <br />
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Specific Language Impairment or SLI is a type of speech, language and communication need (SLCN).<br />
Children with SLI are usually as able and healthy as other children in all ways, with one exception; they have enormous difficulty talking and understanding language. This is their main area of difficulty.<br />
Children with SLI are all very individual.<br />
They may:<br />
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Have difficulty saying what they want to, even though they have ideas<br />
Talk in sentences but be difficult to understand<br />
Sound muddled; it can be difficult to follow what they are saying<br />
Find it difficult to understand words and long instructions<br />
Have difficulty remembering the words they want to say<br />
Find it hard to join in and follow what is going on in the playground<br />
SLI is a very broad category, with some children having mild problems that are short-lived. Others have severe and persistent difficulties with both understanding and talking.<br />
These difficulties are not associated with other conditions, such as cerebral palsy, hearing impairment or autistic spectrum disorders. Children with SLI are often as clever as any other child of their age but they still have difficulties with speech and language, hence the term ‘specific’, as difficulties are specific to this area. <br />
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My daughter has a moderately severe expressive and receptive language disorder, known as Specific Language Impairment. She has frustration and social impacted behaviour relating to the fact she can't communicate to the same level as her peers. It took me years to get a diagnosis for her, the NHS froze all our local Speech and Language services and it took for me to get a private speech and language therapy diagnosis in order to get her needs recognised. As a parent who didn't know about it, it was very difficult to even understand what the problem was, let alone get help for it. A year later and I got a statement of special needs for her and a placement in a mainstream school with a language unit. What was clear was that without the extra help she would not have improved. At her current school she has learned to read and improved her understanding but her expressive language is still far behind that of another child of her age. It's an ongoing process to have her needs recognised and to raise awareness of this invisible disability. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1989259814459110630.post-84266542894262288742014-05-12T10:13:00.002+01:002014-05-13T08:17:28.714+01:00About SLI an article and links "Children with SLI can be emotionally vulnerable and lacking in confidence due to their daily battle with language, the medium through which all human learning, living and loving operates" <br />
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This is a quote from a brilliant article today on SLI on the Telegraph website <a href="http://http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationadvice/10695427/Uncertain-future-for-children-with-SLI.html">http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationadvice/10695427/Uncertain-future-for-children-with-SLI.html</a> which is written by Speech and Language therapist Fiona Barry (her details are here: <a href="http://www.talkingtipsforkids.com">http://www.talkingtipsforkids.com/pages/about-us</a>) <br />
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If you want to do a DLA form and are wondering what to put, it's a great quote to remember. For a child with SLI and/or SCLN, language is a daily battle that permeates all aspects of life. <br />
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There are some great tips at the end of the article that I will add here too: <br />
Breaking down instructions into smaller chunks, using short sentences and pausing between sentences to allow the child to process what they have just heard.<br />
• Using pictures, diagrams and demonstration to explain tasks and keeping something visual available for the child to refer back to. • Fostering a safe atmosphere in which asking for help or clarification when needed is socially acceptable among peers. <br />
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For more advice try watching videos from the video-led campaign ‘Raising Awareness of Language Learning Impairments’ (RALLI) which has its own YouTube channel and offers a wealth of advice. <br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1989259814459110630.post-91748379682056585622014-05-12T09:49:00.001+01:002014-05-13T08:18:02.293+01:00Today's mystery - HomeworkSo my 8 year old daughter is lying on the sofa kicking up her legs, shouting 'I can't do it' 'It's too hard' 'take me hoursss' and wailing as if keening for a lost relative. It is homework.<br />
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I have given up this evening. Homework takes a long, long time in our house and right at that second I wasn't up for it, I was reading a book. (Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, it's very good by the way). This is a terrible thing to admit, I'm sorry, I have a child with special needs and sometimes it can get a bit annoying. Usually my way of dealing with this is to have patience. I wait. But it carries on, so I get up and mentally prepare myself for the onslaught. But it's not about the tantrum really, it's more than that. It's the frustration for her of not getting it straight away and for me putting on my 'teacher' hat and spending at least half an hour explaining in pictures, gestures and repeating, what is expected of her. <br />
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Today wasn't a straightforward topice either - 'Write instructions on how to build a parachute for an egg'. Well. Parachute took a while, 'Do you know what a parachute is?', 'Yes it's when you...' cue much miming of jumping out of aeroplane, opening rucksack and plummeting to the earth. That wasn't so bad, but 'parachute for an egg'? After about five more minutes of miming and laughing it became clear she thought the task was to give instructions to a special forces Para who has an egg on his back or on top of his rucksack, he has to balance it, perhaps or stick it on his head. Because the difficult word turns out not to be 'parachute' or 'egg' but 'for'. And so it had been a good fifteen minutes of this entertaining game of charades before we got around to 'writing instructions'. And then I was tired. And wanted to read 'Gone Girl' (it really is a very, very good book). Given the histrionics that ensued, after finally getting to the point of explanation and facing another tantrum, I announced she would have to try to do it herself, by herself. Because she is capable and I want her to try at the very least. <br />
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I gave myself 5 minutes before guilt was creeping in and moving me back downstairs to patiently run over the task again. And again. But no. There was a knock at the door. 'It only 5 minutes' a bright little voice pipes up. She has, in fact, managed the first draft without too much effort, and even made the parachute out of string and paper. Though the instructions were headed 'ingrdins' or 'ingredients' we were at least on the right track. It was remarkably painless in the end, after two drafts more and a bunch of spellings to redo. Sometimes I think it's all going to be fine, and then I remember. One year to choosing secondary school, and they are expecting her to go to mainstream? <br />
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Since then we have requested and received easier homework after another painful evening with a three hour trudge through understanding what a 'timeline' is. But the homework is now too easy! At least she can do it mainly by herself. It's a time at the moment I'm not sure whether a mainstream setting is suitable, it's time for the research and long hard consideration of what to do for the best. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0