Speech therapy frustration

[Steffanyace]

I took ds to a PS speech therapist over a year ago for lack of /r/ sounds. They said they would not do anything until he is 8 years old. They did not see any other problems. Ds is now 7. He is able to make some r sounds when I ask him but doesn't in regular speech. I think he needs therapy before it becomes a habit (if not already). This time I take him to a private ST. Ds new why we were going, so he made sure to put r's in his speech. ST says r's are coming in just fine, so he wouldn't qualify for that. She says he has a tongue thrust on his /s/ and would qualify for that.

 

My insurance doesn't cover ST and the visits are $100+ each. The ST wants to see him twice a week. I called the PS to see about getting ST through them. I called last month and haven't gotten a response.

 

My dh had ST as a kid for /s/. I'm noticing my dd3 sticks her tongue out on /s/ too. I'm guessing she is too young to consider it a problem, but it makes me wonder. She was always bad about chocking on food when she was younger (and still will at times if she doesn't like it). I read somewhere that they were related.

 

Would you be concerned about the /r/ or just wait until 8? Is 3.5 too young to worry about tongue thrust? Are there other options for ST?

[amo_mea_filiis.]

Write to the ps asking for him to be evaled again. If you do it in writing, they can't ignore you.

 

If the private ST is good, she would be able to see and hear how his r's are coming, even if he forced it. If she says not a problem, and did a complete eval, i may think she's on target.

 

The 3yo is not too young to look into speech either.

 

Articulation problems can be worked on at home, too. Check out super duper publications, and free speech things . com.

 

Mine sometimes changes his speech with STs, but they know what to look for. Every one of his progress reports/reassessments includes a note that he tests higher than he functions and the tests are not valid, but are required for insurance.

 

 

[Pink and Green Mom]

I will just add that if a private speech therapist told you your DS needs to be seen 2x week and that is too much for you, tell them you can only do 1x week or every other week if that is managable. We paid out of pocket for private speech for 3 years so believe me I understand how expensive it is. But I found that both places we took my son to agreed to "only" see him 1x per week when I promised to work with him at home to reinforce what he worked on in speech.

 

Good luck!

[Julie in Austin]

I also had an 8yo still having trouble with the 'r' sound. I consulted with a friend who is a speech therapist and she suggested that we take the online class that a speech therapist would take to learn to help people with the 'r' sound from northernspeech.com. We did that (it was $24) and began working with our son. We're about half-way through and he is about half-way better, so I am feeling good about this decision so far.

[J-rap]

Check out super duper publications, and free speech things . com.

 

 

 

Amo,

 

I tried to find free speech things . com but couldn't find anything. Could it be under a different name, by chance?

[amo_mea_filiis.]

It could be, I'll go look.

 

Eta- it was language, not speech.

 

http://www.freelanguagestuff.com/

[J-rap]

Amo,

 

I tried to find free speech things . com but couldn't find anything. Could it be under a different name, by chance?

 

 

Oops - somehow I copied your quote strangely and now I can't seem to fix it. Sorry!

[sbgrace]

You could try Super Star Speech. It's written by a speech therapist to help parents work with their kids. I've found it very helpful--as much as therapy itself or more given the author gave me some ideas that really helped and were unique. The school system we moved in wouldn't work with articulation issues before 2nd grade. That sounds like what you may be dealing with as well. I think it had to do with maturity for the therapist involved. Waiting didn't seem to hurt my son.

[Mergath]

I'd look for something to do at home. You know what the problem is, and he knows how to make the correct sound, so it sounds like something you could work on at home. If he turns eight and you haven't made any progress at home, you can start therapy through the school.

[Trilliums]

I'd also do activities at home and wait until 8 for the ST. My younger son had a hard time with R and had ST around age 9-10. He is 14 now and does not have articulation problems. When when practiced at home, DS liked Bingo or other games with the words incorporated, not necessarily "sit down and practice R now". We also would make sticky notes and practice in the car.

 

Older son had ST around age 5, but he had severe articulation problems. No one could understand him. I do not know specifically anything about tongue thrust, but the therapy DS had at age 5 cleared up his speech problems within a year.

 

I would wait for ST at the school. When my kids were younger I had similar debates as you over paying out of pocket or waiting for school offered services. Waiting for the school offered services worked out fine for my kids. BTW, DH also had speech as a child and my FIL never had speech but has severe articulation problems as an adult and I was so worried, especially about younger son as waiting until 9 seemed so long. He is fine now though. :) Now, I think you'd be better off saving that money for college costs. :p

 

GL with whatever you decide!

[J-rap]

It could be, I'll go look.

 

Eta- it was language, not speech.

 

http://www.freelanguagestuff.com/

 

Thank you! (And I was able to go back in and change how I copied your quote afterall :)