Community› The Bump Message Boards› Special Needs
Special Needs
New Discussion

What does your SLP do with your child with ASD?

Deborah621Deborah621 member
in Special Needs
I just want to know anyone elses experiences with their child's speech therapist. DS is nonverbal.  Our SLP (through EI) has been working with DS since he turned 2, so about 6 months. I feel like she really has no idea what to do with him most of the time. She sometimes tries to engage him by making elaborate  gestures or sounds ( I think to encourage him to imitate her) and he mostly ignores her. Sometimes she will try to engage him in a book or a puzzle and he might cooperate. She sometimes will help him sign but not consistently. I feel like I constantly have to remind her what DS's signs are (he has a few modified signs since he can't do the real ones, like for help) And he just started ABA and when the ABA therapist was telling her about PECs she hadn't ever dealt with it before which I found really surprising. I am just really disappointed overall :( Speech and communication is what he needs help with the most and he just doesn't seem to be getting the help he needs from her. But am I expecting too much here from her or any one person? Anyone else been in a similar situation?  
Lilypie Third Birthday tickers Lilypie First Birthday tickers
Report Reply to Post

Re: What does your SLP do with your child with ASD?

  • mjsweetgirlmjsweetgirl member

    I had a similar feeling about the original SLP that started with DS through EI. Once we got his diagnosis of ASD, I immediately contacted our case worker through EI and requested a new SLP with ASD experience. I am SO glad I did, because now I love our SLP and so does DS. In the few weeks we've been working with her, I am already seeing some noticeable improvement with DS. She has taught me so much and I am so grateful for her. 

    Listen to your gut and make a phone call tomorrow for a new SLP. You are your son's only advocate, so do what you need to do get him the help he needs. 

    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
    Report Reply
  • Loading the player...
  • malcivarmalcivar member

    Yes!  When DS was dx-ed, he was approved for Speech 5 times a week and it was split between home based (which he was already getting) and center based.  2x at home and 3x at the center.  He started making a lot more progress when the center-based therapy started - most likely because they have more experience with ASD children.  (DS has a PDD-NOS dx) 

    Unfortunately, it's been 2 months since we put in a request to have his services switched to 5x a week at the center and we keep hearing that our request is being processed but nothing yet.  So frustrating because I feel like those 2x a week he gets at home with the other therapist just aren't helping AT ALL.   

    You're not expecting too much and it doesn't speak badly of the therapist now.  It's just their area of expertise.  Like any other care provider, everyone has their area of expertise.  You wouldn't go to an OB/GYN for a bad back, right?   That doesn't mean the OB/GYN is a bad provider.  It just means that's not his/her area of expertise.  

    Good luck! 

    image
    Lilypie Kids Birthday tickers

    image

    Report Reply
  • CrazeyJaneyRCrazeyJaneyR member

    My ST uses play to encourage speech. She works on specific sounds. Example - today was "W", she would pretend to be sleeping and then spring up and yell "WAKE UP!" and eventually my son was trying to say "w.." to get her to spring up again. It worked!

    Last week she was throwing a ball in a wild way, trying to get him to say "b" and it also worked. 

    Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
    Report Reply
  • houndbabyhoundbaby member
    When ds started in ST he had no attention span and you couldn't get him engaged for more than a few seconds. We worked for months on just trying to improve his engagement before even attempting any speech. Then once we could get him engaged we worked on just getting him to attempt communication, whether it was gesturing, signing or a sound. Now we are trying to get him to use his voice to get things, he doesn't have to make a specific sound just any sound. When we are at ST she will do things like blow bubbles and say "bubbles, buh, buh, buh" and then stop and he'll have to do say something to get her to blow more. She gives me suggestions on what to do with him at home based on what she's sees and what I report that he's doing.
    Report Reply
This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards
"
"