What would you do?

I'm going to try my best to make this post as short as possible and not carried out. And I hope and pray this post doesn't give you the wrong impression of me or think I'm being cruel. Because I'm really not.

So here it goes. Peyton has always been very delayed in speech. I kept playing a waiting game, hoping she would progress. But it didn't really work out that way. Don't get me wrong, these past few months she has made a lot of progress, but she is still clearly behind. Well I got her checked out by her Pedi and he said she has a speech delay, and he wanted to put her in speech therapy right away.. so he did.

Okay, Wend. her speech therapist called and asked me would I be okay with Peyton joining classes with a little boy. That she thinks they could learn from each other. So of course, I said yes. Thinking it would be the best idea. So she went to her speech therapist yesterday, as normal. And I met the child. You could tell right away he was Autistic . Her class is only an hour long, once a week. So I just sit in the room right beside her and listen to her. The entire time the little boy was running around and banging on the door. Paying no attention with what the therapist was doing. Which led to Peyton wanting to "copy-cat" this little boy about half the time. Her attention was not set on her therapist like it had normal been. This really concerns me. I know the child can't help it. And I don't want to say anything that's going to make me look cruel. But I just don't think this is going to work. Then again I'm not a therapist.

What would you do?

I had a similar problem but with swimming lessons. In the fall session there were two boys with ADHD and too young to be medicated; they were completely out of control.

I spoke to the woman in charge of all the swimming lessons and told her they needed to be moved. I apologized as well because I know it's not the boys fault, but the teacher was too busy trying to get them to sit still and they were upsetting DD.

So personally, I would ask for them to be separated.

Well the point of her joining the little boy was for her learn speech from him and that's clearly not happening. There's no need for her to be in a session with him especially since she's copying his behavior. I'd honestly pull her out and look into some special education preschool classes. My daughter goes to them at the elementary school on post, I'm sure they have something like that outside of military posts as well.

I'd let her continue for a few sessions to see if there is any progress. If there isn't is let the therapist know your concerns and start with her one on one sessions again.

Maybe tell the therapist that she is obviously distracted by him & you think she needs to be taught alone. Explain you have nothing against the little boy but she has to learn those skills. He might not always act that way either. He could have been excited she was there.

It sounds like a waste of time or worse, an opportunity to learn to behave inappropriately.

I would ask them to split the up, and I wouldn't feel guilty about it.

Quoting Dude, you Fugly!:" I'm going to try my best to make this post as short as possible and not carried out. And I hope and pray ... [snip!] ... going to make me look cruel. But I just don't think this is going to work. Then again I'm not a therapist. What would you do?"

I'd give it one more class. If it doesnt get better, I'd assert yourself.

I'd give it one more chance and if it happened again, request she has her own sessions again because its just not seeming helpful to you. I mean, your kid's speech therapy shouldn't suffer because of someone else.

Quoting pilot Jess:" It sounds like a waste of time or worse, an opportunity to learn to behave inappropriately. I would ask them to split the up, and I wouldn't feel guilty about it."

  This.

It's not being cruel, it's not like you're blaming the little boy -- it's obviously not his fault. Neither child is going to learn anything if this continues.

Quoting Bethyboo wants a VBAC!:" Maybe tell the therapist that she is obviously distracted by him & you think she needs to be taught alone. ... [snip!] ... boy but she has to learn those skills. He might not always act that way either. He could have been excited she was there."

That's very true, as well. And that didn't even dawn on me until you just said it. My SO has two Autistic nephews and when they are around people they really like or haven't seen in awhile they go all over the house running around and around. And swinging their hands and such. I'm going to give it another class or two. Hopefully if it keeps distracting Peyton, she will mention one on one sessions again, so I want have to bring it up. I know this child can't help it. I've been around kids just like him and I know they don't act out on purpose or mean to be distracting or to distract others. I don't even mind Peyton being around this child, I just don't want it to interfere with her speech therapy sessions.

I'd probably request that they do the session without him included. If it is distracting her and not allowing her to thrive, then that just how it is.

Quoting pilot Jess:" It sounds like a waste of time or worse, an opportunity to learn to behave inappropriately. I would ask them to split the up, and I wouldn't feel guilty about it."

Same here.

Quoting pilot Jess:" It sounds like a waste of time or worse, an opportunity to learn to behave inappropriately. I would ask them to split the up, and I wouldn't feel guilty about it."

This is what I'd do.