Once again I have to have a unnecessary conversation with a speech therapist.

[Renee in NC]

We had a really, really good speech therapist. She managed to get my 9yo to the point where he had enough phonemic awareness and other skills to be able to start learning to read. We were a good team - we worked together, each doing the things that they knew to do and not trying to duplicate. She respected what I was doing. Then, she got a job at a charter school and left us.

 

We have a new speech therapist. I was not super impressed to start with - she uses older materials, doesn't have the resources the other therapist had, and doesn't seem to work from a plan. However, I decided to give her time.

 

So far, we have had TWO conversations about my 9yo and receiving services through the school. He can't as a homeschooler, and the local schools are not a option. She has tried to convince me to fight for the services - I have no interest.:glare:

 

The last two times she has done things that have nothing to do with speech therapy. Monday, she had him writing sentences. Of course, he can't read or spell, so she said, "I just told him the letter names and had him write them." WHAT IN THE WORLD?!?!?! How is this helping his language issues?

 

Then, today, they spent time writing his name. He can write his name. He can write his last name, but sometimes he leaves out a letter or two. Why is she wasting our time? He has an OT for goodness sakes!:glare:

 

There, I vented. I am ready to call the agency and tell them never mind. This is the second speech therapist (out of 3) that was no good.

[PeterPan]

You have my sympathies! I hope you can find someone more helpful...

[Walking-Iris]

I understand where you're coming from too. We have a great speech therapist now, but the one we started with---yeah we had to change and find someone else. Very forceful and overbearing, scared my little guy to death. I understand the frustration.

[ktgrok]

I totally related. I had to explain to ours that no, I don't drive an hour each way so that they can give him spelling words and punctuation exercises, thank you very much. Work on stuff I can't buy a workbook for thank you.

[Barbara H]

That's so frustrating. It is hard when you've got a good therapist and you lose them.

[lauranc]

I have had similar troubles finding a good speech therapist. We are in the same general area as you (going by your 'location'), and have tried numerous speech therapists that were not helpful at all.

 

I do know of one who was recommended: Diane Felton who is in Durham. (NC Eye Ear Nose and Throat). We are thinking of trying her.

[swellmomma]

We have had our issues with speech therapists. Now we go in every 6 months for an assessment and they take those scores and put together a therapy package for at home. He does not work directly with the SLP for anything other than the assessments. It has worked for years. Taken him from a severe speech delay(essentially non-verbal), to normal speech and now a moderate lagnauge delay. He has progressed at home, but is still 2 years behind (so last year he was in his second year of gr 1 and at a beginning K level, now he is in gr 2 with a beginning gr 1 level). Is that an option for you? He still will work with his new OT, and his therapist but the SLP stuff I continue to do at home even though this newest SLP seems to be much much better than the ones we dealt with in the past.

[Renee in NC]

I have had similar troubles finding a good speech therapist. We are in the same general area as you (going by your 'location'), and have tried numerous speech therapists that were not helpful at all.

 

I do know of one who was recommended: Diane Felton who is in Durham. (NC Eye Ear Nose and Throat). We are thinking of trying her.

 

We have an appointment with Diane Felton and the other therapist that work with her on Nov. 18th. She is the one that recommended his APD evaluation (and it was done there.) We live less than 10 minutes from that location.

[cathmom]

I wonder if mine would come to you.

[Renee in NC]

I wonder if mine would come to you.

 

I hadn't thought of that. Can you ask her next time she comes?

[cathmom]

I hadn't thought of that. Can you ask her next time she comes?

 

I'm having lunch with her on Saturday LOL. I'll ask her then. :001_smile:

[lauranc]

We have an appointment with Diane Felton and the other therapist that work with her on Nov. 18th. She is the one that recommended his APD evaluation (and it was done there.) We live less than 10 minutes from that location.

 

I would be interested to know what you think of her after your visit. We have seen Lou Anne Teague in the same practice (although at a different site)-- saw her for quite awhile. My daughter didn't make a whole lot of progress with her unfortunately. (although we liked her a lot)

 

Good luck!

[Renee in NC]

I would be interested to know what you think of her after your visit. We have seen Lou Anne Teague in the same practice (although at a different site)-- saw her for quite awhile. My daughter didn't make a whole lot of progress with her unfortunately. (although we liked her a lot)

 

Good luck!

 

I met her back when he had the APD evaluation. She wanted to see his SLP Evaluation and get the results of the APD eval before she recommended Fast Forward or not (she administers it.) She told me that FF would not be helpful to him at this point because his skills were still far below that level. (His auditory processing is below the 1st percentile across the board.) That impressed me because she could have made the money off of us, KWIM?;)

 

We'll see - I have 2 in speech therapy and they may not be able to do twice a week. That would be a deal breaker - once a week won't be enough and I can't add doing it on my own to my already overloaded life. There are not enough hours in the day to do what needs to be done already!

 

Thanks for the help.