FINLEY’S FLYING HIGH

Parents Lindsey and Darren became concerned when their son Finley’s speech appeared to be lagging behind others of the same age.

Finley was our first baby, so we weren’t sure what to expect. We had lots of friends with children of the same age, and they were saying words and sentences. Finley was only making sounds.”

The family was referred to sessions where children learn language through play and from there Finley was referred for speech therapy, but when he started nursery Lindsey’s concerns grew.

“He’s such a sociable outgoing little boy so he’d find other ways to communicate – he even developed his own sign language! But at home he’d become frustrated trying to get the words out and he’d stutter or give up. I worried he wouldn’t cope,”

Initial speech and language assessments showed Finley had no other developmental issues, but that his speech difficulties were severe. Knowsley Speech and Language team have spent three years working with the family, nursery and later Finley’s school.

“The speech and language team, his nursery and school have worked so hard together, I can’t thank them enough.”

In that time Lindsey and Darren’s bright, outgoing little boy has made astonishing progress. Lindsay says the support they’ve received has been invaluable.

“They explained that language is a pyramid, you need to build it up bit by bit. They gave us tools and techniques; one was to not put out Finley’s knife and fork at teatime, so he’d need to ask for them. We’d then say, ‘what’s missing’? so he’d say the words ‘knife and fork’.

Lindsey asked Finley recently how he had felt when he couldn’t speak. “He looked at me and said ‘help’. It broke my heart – I didn’t know that deep down that was how he felt.

“There are still words he can’t say, but we know they’ll come. His confidence is amazing. It’s only when you look back you realise how far he’s come.”

More Information

If you feel your child is having difficulties, please contact: Knowsley or St Helens Speech and Language Therapy teams on 0151 351 8800 (Knowsley) or 01744 415 609 (St Helens).