Speech Therapy waiting times

wolfpawnat

So after months of waiting for the PHN to tell me what I already know, my son needs Speech Therapy. In everything other than speech he is a dream and has great cognitive ability when you talk to him.

But there is a 4 month waiting list to be assessed and then a further wait to see a therapist. This is in County Clare.

We then questioned if we were to go private what the story would be, so I rang a clinic in Galway and another in Ennis. The Galway Clinic informed me it is €250 for the assessment, plus €90 a session after that. The one in Ennis told me it was €250 for the assessment and a further €100 for assessing the assessment!

Welcome to the two tiered health system that is Ireland:rolleyes:

My question is, in Dublin, what would be the approximate waiting times that mums have had to wait here?

Thanks for all replies

January

Hey hun,

I think it differs in that each area would have it's own speech therapist so it would differ slightly from area to area, if you give your local health centre a ring and ask to speak to the speech therapist then you'll get an idea.

Don't forget that you can self refer to speech therapy also, so you don't need to wait for the PHN to refer you, you can just head to the local health centre and ask for an applicaton form from the receptionist.

wolfpawnat

I have the form, the wait is 4 months for the assessment and then longer again before an appointment to see her!!!!

cynder

I know i went down that route 2 years ago, it was 4 months for the assessment and 1 year + for the therapy.

My son had other issues (behavioral) so he got assessed under the assessment of need act 2005 and got transferred to CIES and his speech therapy began almost immediately.

You could try the clare crusaders. They have a speech therapist. Ive never been to them but they are supposed to be great. They don't do assessments.

2 years back the cost of speech therapy in Ennis was €150-200 an hour, looks like they have dropped their prices.

There are certain things you can do at home to help your childs speech also when they start preschool they speech improves.

wolfpawnat

Thanks grindlewald, I am doing all the stuff like do you want the car, and then repeat car clearly twice or three times, and talking to him while we're walking "oh, wow, look at the lovely doggie, thats a very big doggie, isn't it" and I get him to watch certain tv programmes such as Little Einsteins and Mickey Mouse Club House that count and the like, although I noticed today he was lining up his toys and going "un, oo, ee, or, i" I know I may be just holding on to false hope, but I am convinced he was counting them!

January

He was counting them!

And I swear that child was trying to hold a conversation with me today too... He kept on babbling and babbling away, so cute.

wolfpawnat

January wrote: »

He was counting them!

And I swear that child was trying to hold a conversation with me today too... He kept on babbling and babbling away, so cute.

For a child that cannot speak English he never shuts up!

Seriously he was talking to you and he knew what he was talking about, but he needs to actually talk. I am not greedy, I will take any language other than guinea pig! (I was informed the other day he sounds like a guinea pig, and I can confirm it is true!)

lolli

Wow thats a long wait. I'm waiting on speech & language therapy for Saoirse because she has a problem with her swallow and i'm waiting on physio for her too.

I knew there would be a wait but i didnt think it would be that long!! I'll let you know how long it takes for me to get an appointment.

cynder

wolfpawnat wrote: »

Thanks grindlewald, I am doing all the stuff like do you want the car, and then repeat car clearly twice or three times, and talking to him while we're walking "oh, wow, look at the lovely doggie, thats a very big doggie, isn't it" and I get him to watch certain tv programmes such as Little Einsteins and Mickey Mouse Club House that count and the like, although I noticed today he was lining up his toys and going "un, oo, ee, or, i" I know I may be just holding on to false hope, but I am convinced he was counting them!

That was me fella too, he couldn't say 1 2 3 but he would make noises like he was counting.

My guy has just gone 4 and he main issue now is that he cant say the end consonant on words he only says half words, like wo for word,cow for couch, bu for book and so on, makes him very hard to understand.

In the beginning you teach them more at home than what the speech therapist does, keep on doing what your doing.

boarder83

Hi Wolfpawnat,

The waiting list for assessment in some places in Dublin is 2 and half years with the HSE! A total disgrace - not enough speech therapists for the population. Unfortunately it appears to be a nationwide problem
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/health/2011/0208/1224289253931.html

lolli

I got an appointment for my daughter for physiotherapy thursday. It only took 6 days to get it! Very quick

I'll wait and see how long the speech therapy takes.

She Devil

My niece was waiting for 8 months for hers, by the time she got it she had started talking, and making conversations! It was like she woke up one day and just started talking, she knew everything she was just mute!
Keep up your hardwork at home, it will stand to him so much when it comes to his exercises with therapy!

Love2love

My doctor and PHN referred my son at 1 year for speech therapy because he wasn't speaking at all. When he was 2 year and 6 months we got a letter stating that we were officially on the waiting list. A full 18 months later!! By then he was speaking perfectly so I called them to take him off the list but god knows how long he would have been on it. That was 2 years ago so I don't know if it has changed but after speaking to other mothers, that is the norm in Dublin anyway!

lolli

Hey wolfpawnat

Just to let you know, I got a questionnaire about my daughter from the speech therapist to fill in last week. I sent it back and got a letter today for an appointment for the 25th March so it has been very quick. I might have to change the date cos I have an appointment in a dublin hospital the same day.

Did you hear anything?

gary29428

Hi all, I've just come on here to see if I could find info about my own son who is not talking. Sorry to hi-jack the thread but it seems there are a lot of parents on here who may have a few answers for me. My son is 2years and 2 months old and hasn't got a single word, not even dada. In every other way he is doing well, eating OK and sleeping well. My wife has asked to get him assesed and this is in the pipeline along similar time lines to everybody else. She is more worried (very worried) then me as I think he may still take off, would love to hear him say something all the same. Any taughts would be much appreciated....

Thanks

cynder

MY fella had 2 words at 2 he is now 4 and still has the speech of a 2 year old (he can only say a few 3-4 word sentences) because he had other issues he was seen a lot quicker (he was seen under the assessment of need 2005), but if its only speech then it can be a long wait first appointment is within the first 3 months then its at least a years waiting for therapy to begin.

Next week he will begin his ASD assessment and he has been referred to be assessed for ADHD. He starts school in September and were in the process of getting him an SNA and resource hours.

There are things you can do at home, speak in very simple sentences, repeat the words often (only one word the word you want him to learn) as in instead of saying are you thirsty? do you want a drink, say drink or juice and have the drink/juice ready,

if he is playing with cars dont use any other words just car, if his playing with a ball emphasise ball.
emphasise the KEY word and repeat it over and over.

My son was 3 and a half before he said DA DA that's after ' over' a year of speech therapy. he would opnly say ma when he ws crying it came out maaaaaaaa maaaaaaaa maaaaaaa.

best of luck , he will get there its a long process.

Moonbeam

I would bring him to the gp and see what they say.
I am suprised the phn did not refer you after his last developmental.
Can he hear?
Is he affectionate?
My little girl is the same age and speaks pretty fluently but all kids are different and girls and boys are different too.

gary29428

Thanks for the replys. Just been told we could be waiting up to a year for a hearing test. Going to get one private, haven't a pot to p**s in but what can you do.

cynder

MY fella had a hearing test within 1 month of it being requested, this was done by the early intervention services. He was referred to them because i had questioned asd and adhd, he fell into their categories so they kept him and the therapy started straight away.


Specsavers do free hearing test dont know if they do them on kids though.

LegacyUser

I've heard it's very expensive alright, I go to a place called 'The Speech Centre' in Mallow which is excellent, I think they're in other places too? Usually the cost of sessions depends on how long they are, the Speech Centre does them for €60. Worth checking them out! www.thespeechcentre.com

munchkin_utd

toddlypip3 wrote: »

I've heard it's very expensive alright, I go to a place called 'The Speech Centre' in Mallow which is excellent, I think they're in other places too? Usually the cost of sessions depends on how long they are, the Speech Centre does them for €60. Worth checking them out! www.thespeechcentre.com

thats great value.

My wife and I abroad are paying the guts of 1400 euro a month in medical insurance just to get such services "for free".

Sometimes I think the Irish system is much superior.
You pay a few euro for the stuff you need.
And then the taxpayer looks after 99% of your critical care costs in the hospital for heart attacks and other major emergencies.

cofy

I know that all cases are individual - I just thought I would share our experience with you. My little boy got an assessment after 5 months and was recommended for 1 on 1 therapy, which will take 9 months. The assessment was last February, after which I relaxed about his speech difficulty (I was'nt imagining it and was going to get help). Anyway last June it was like someone switched on a switch. He just started saying the strangest of things. I still am completely amazed by how much he was learning all along. I wish you all the vey best with your situations.

cofy

munchkin_utd wrote: »

thats great value.

My wife and I abroad are paying the guts of 1400 euro a month in medical insurance just to get such services "for free".

Sometimes I think the Irish system is much superior.
You pay a few euro for the stuff you need.
And then the taxpayer looks after 99% of your critical care costs in the hospital for heart attacks and other major emergencies.

I just got my bill for health insurance, for us it is 1500 for the year. We have never claimed from it as in our situation (particularly maternity) we were better off to go public.