My Dad had a severe speech delay as a child and didn’t speak clearly until he was around ten after lots of speech therapy. He then went on to have a 35 year career in journalism, specialising in radio, and ultimately hosting his own weekly radio phone-in programs on BBC radio Scotland and Edinburgh’s biggest radio station. Finn’s progress is amazing, what a lovely little boy you are raising xxx
HANNAH JOHNSTON wow that’s amazing to hear; I so believe that these early issues will shape him into something special and I’m so encouraged by this - thanks so much for telling me and us all and it helps so many parents to hear things like this xxxxx
Wow his speech has improved so much! That’s amazing! You must be so proud of him. This is really encouraging for me. I have a little boy, 3 years old (also Finn!).He has glue ear and failed hearing check so many sounds he can’t pronounce properly. He’s on waiting list to get grommets but they told us speech therapy would be a waste of time for him. I really hope the grommets work 😊So encouraging to hear your story!
I'm so glad that Finn has had such a positive experience of speech therapy! I work as a private speech therapist and love to hear a positive story and exposure to a subject that isn't too common online :)
I am just catching up on these videos. My 2.5 year old currently just says single words no sentences together. I’m struggling with hope that he may talk fully one day and have conversations with me. I feel like currently I can’t see the light. We’ve had speech therapy but only over the phone because of covid. The whole thing is currently frustrating me because my poor boy understands what we’re saying but can’t speak back to us. He is also my middle child. Thank you for sharing these positives xx
Hi SJ I never usually comment on videos but this video is so close to my own personal experience with my little boy jack who is 3 and has speech and language delay. You , and your family are so inspiring in how you have supported Finn on his remarkable journey. What a wonderful example of hard work and determination? It fills me with hope that jack will be ok when he starts school nursery in September which I have been so anxious about. We are half way though our speech therapy and good progress is being made. Thank you to you and Finn for sharing xx
Hi Natalie, thanks so much for saying hello. It really helps to know I'm not alone with it as well as dropping them off at school sometimes it feels like all I do is listen to the other kids speech and get so anxious!! Finn was really quiet in nursery school at first though he was super happy, he learnt loads about non verbal communication though so don't panic if Jack isn't his 'inside person' at nursery if that makes sense. Finn made great friends - it was so much a long road for us so i had to slow down my expectations and just enjoy all his achievements while cheering him on in speech. Good luck and please let me know how it goes xx
Hi SJ Thanks so much for replying! I will keep you posted on Jack’s journey and I will keep watching for updates on Finn . Jack also loves Shotgun by George Ezra, that made me smile at the end ! 😊 Take Care . Natalie xx
Finn moves me in a way I can't explain. Told you this before, his wisdom blowns me away everytime. So much wisdom in such a tiny human. He is so chill about his obstacles and not bc it doesn't bother him (of course it must bother him) but he's so aware that he can overcome it. The results of his confidence are so visible now and it makes me genuinely happy to watch it so thank you for sharing. You got a special one in your hands ! Xx
He is such a precious sweet boy! He’s come light years! I’m sure he’ll completely overcome any speech issues very soon, I can already understand him quite clearly.
As a mother and reception class teacher I am blown away by Finn's progress! There are sadly so many children in school now with speech and language delays and the funding and support just isn't available to support them... it's awful! It's taken 7 months of constant nagging for me to get a 4year old student of mine seen and he too has been identified as having a severe speech delay. Finn's progress shows that with a great attitude, supportive parents and wonderful speech therapists, problems can be overcome and lives can be changed. Thank you for sharing!
I absolutely loved this!! This fills me with so much hope for my little boy.. it can feel like we are never going to get there with his speech but Finns speech is amazing, he has done so amazingly well! He seems like such a lovely little boy. Xx
Sarah Jane And Mae oh I felt the exact same,,, I almost hated these good stories as I didn’t feel they were in our grasp but they are! He’ll overcome this 😍
I am a speech and language therapist myself and I loved to hear your experience as a parent. Thank you for sharing this! The parents I talk to also deal with insecurity sometimes, but I always say: it's hard living in a world where language is all around us and your child can't quite grasp it yet. But there is more than speech and 'talking with words'. As with your son; his social skills and his maths is going amazing! Some kids need a bit more time on motorskills and some on speech and language. Children come in every flavor! Keep working on it together as a family, because that's the key to growing even further than he already did. Amazing to see this progression!
I am an SLT who works in the state system. The delivery of SLT has changed so much in the 27 years I have been working. When I qualified we used a model where it was presentation driven so that a child with a severe speech impairment would be priorised over another child with a less severe difficulty. The driver for looking at allocating (what is a very finite resource) is now to consider impact. So for example, is the difficulty stopping the child from participating at school or nursery? Is it affecting the child's confidence? Is it impacting their ability to get their needs & desires known and met? Are they interacting with their peers? All these things are now considered just as important as the severity of the 'condition' itself. A child with a relatively mild difficulty in terms of presentation could have a massive impact maybe because the have less resilience? We also consider whether there are others who support a child outside of SLT. With the latter, for example a parent or educator may have been upskilled sufficiently to support a child. In an ideal world we would provide SLT to all children presenting with a Speech, Language or/and Communication Need (SLCN). In reality state resources are finite. As a result they have to be targeted. For parents, I can totally understand they want THEIR child to receive the service. For those of us allocating the resources we have to make hard decisions. Does anyone want to make decisions over who gets and who does not? - well, of course not but we simply have to. I wish it were different but it isn't. I suspect, SJ actually has developed a heap of skills for supporting Finn. She clearly does because SLT works when parents actively supports direct SLT sessions. It is not the SLT who is the agent of change for a child with a SLCN but a parent or significant others. The idea is no longer that SLTs hold all the skills for dealing with SLC difficulties but upskill others so thst they are able to support a child in the environments in which they need to function. SJ, I would urge you to get back to your state SLT if the impact for Finn changes or if he doesn't continue to make progress without direct intervention.
Valley Girl xx hi! This is so so helpful and interesting thanks so much (and for the amazing job you do!) me and Henrik said the exact same thing - we’d much rather the state funded work went to those children who are struggling or whose parents could never afford private. We are really lucky to be able to pay, even though it was definitely our biggest pay out it was worth it! And you’re so right that it’s important to look at the whole family and child - I just had no idea how it worked so I was really interested to find out. Yes the only thing they flagged to mainly watch was peer issues as he gets older but I’m so grateful he has his best friend who speaks no English 😂😂😂 they will be a lovely pair and maybe always support each other! Ah thanks so much for watching and listening about Finn, it means a lot that this type of info is now here on my channel for other mums xx
I am also an SLT and a blogger and am constantly hearing from parents of children with speech and language difficulties who are not able to access help through the NHS or their schools. It is so sad :(
My son is 3 and is completely non verbal. He has severe delays physically, cognitively, learning - all areas basically due to health complications. However, he can count to 100 and knows the full alphabet, at 3! Absolutely blew my mind! I've followed Finn's speech journey from your very first video and he is one amazing little boy and sweet Jesus he is so cute! I could eat him up x
Hayley Tucker oh Hayley it’s the best thing; it’s slow at the beginning so just focus on the fun side then it gradually begins to work in sessions; then our last bit was him using the sounds in everyday speech...trust that it’s going to work!!! Xxxx
Wow finn!!! He has come so far and I can understand him perfectly, but even more importantly he is so kind and compassionate! Well done finn and to you too SJ for being such an amazing and devoted mother. You are both very inspiring and Finn will do amazing things for sure xxx
very different but i lost my hearing for 18months and i cried every single day. feeling like you cant communicate and get involved is such a heartbreaking experience. hes done so well GO FINN!! x
I blamed myself and punished myself for weeks before I said I can cry forever or I can help my child. I told myself whatever the reason was it doesn’t matter it’s my job as their parent to fix it. I did tons of things: play dates, group therapy, speech therapy, at home therapy. Ugh then I found out about ESE preschool and that was exactly what I needed. I’m seeing huge progress. What I use to hate was parents who would give me that pity face or relatives saying horrible things about my child. Ugh but I swear when I changed my depressing perspective and took the initiative to help my child and just focus on them things got a lot better. I also made sure to keep it fun because when they are happy and in a good mood it makes it easier for them and me.
This is such a lovely, lovely video. Finn is amazing and you must be so proud of him. My son had his hearing aids a few months back after finding out her is moderately deaf due to glue ear. We only knew something was wrong because of his speech. It gives me such joy to see the difference in him now. Sending love xxx
Wow that’s so great to have a diagnosis, it’s like a relief to help them and see them thrive. Being a mum is so hard sometimes isn’t it!!!!! But all so worth it x
Wow Finn! What a wonderful job you’re doing. You must have worked so hard this past year. I’m a teacher in the United States with a background in special education, deaf education and most recently a masters in early childhood education and bilingual education. Finn’s early difficulty with speech and his continuing work to overcome it seems to have developed a lot of empathy and grit. Keep up the hard work of being a kind friend and helping others! You must feel so proud of yourself for working so hard :)
Wow, Finn! That's amazing! I just watched your other video's this week. What a great progress you've made! He seems such a lovely sweet and smart little boy.
my goodness i'm a bit emotional. he's doing so well and so are you. it was so lovely how you reflected on how his challenges with communication have made him even more sensitive and expressive, it's so true and that's a precious quality he will have for the rest of his life. this made me think as well about the experience of a sibling in this situation, as my older sister had speech therapy while we were growing up. she has a few quite serious health and development issues that were a big part of my childhood, so quite a different dynamic, but i can say without a doubt that the empathy you develop as a sibling of someone with any kind of additional need is such a gift. it normalises the fact that everyone is different and needs different understanding, and i don't think there is any better mindset for a child to grow up with than that. big love and well done you
Ah wow yes that’s so so true! Freddie has really got that protectiveness over Finn and he always looks out for him at school; he’s had to talk for him and help him a lot and I can imagine they will always be close because of it too x
Oh my goodness well done Finn, he has done so well. I understood everything he said! So emotional. My son is going through speech therapy and we are near the end of our journey, hes currently in year 1. My journey feels so similar to yours, thank you for doing this update 💞😘
I love speech therapy! I went from when I was 2 until I was 14, and people are so shocked when I say that I went. I don’t know how I would have felt comfortable in my career if I hadn’t had access to be able to correct my speech or if a nurse had not realized my issue early on!!
I'm so sorry you have felt ashamed by this because it couldn't be further from your fault SJ, you really inspire me and are so an attentive, loving mother. Finn's progress is very much a testament to that x
Amelie Astor ah thanks Amelie; yeah it’s hard when you feel guilty and I tried to kind of cover up his speech issues - but I’m so glad I spoke about it on here as there’s so many people going through the same or who relate for other reasons xxxx
I am a Speech Therapy grad student in the US. I’m not familiar with the intervention services provided at the education / insurance level in the UK. But maybe look into local university clinics or tele-therapy if you are looking to continue therapy
Well done Finn and well done to you too! Amazing progress and all through sheer determination and hard work from you all. I'm so pleased for you all xx
Thank you for sharing this 💞 Finn's progress is incredible. I got emotional watching it, gives me hope for my little girl. I see that same strength and empathy in her too. Kx
Wow, what a superstar, well done Finn, you’ve both done amazing!, you must be so proud, Finn really sounds like Henrick when he talks, little Swedish accent xxx
there’s a little boy in my brothers year with speech problems who reminds me of finn! he’s in year 4 now and nobody treats him differently, i think it is so lovely and finn will be fine💛
Loved this! My son has speech delays as well so I found this so interesting as I haven’t met another Mum in my situation. I am in NZ and we have had some amazing support and he is doing really well!
Hi Sophie! I know me neither!!!! Some who have had a little bit for the odd sound but nothing like finn’s - it’s hard isn’t it to feel like you’re the only one. Happy the support has been great for you both too xxxx
Yes I could really relate to your feelings of guilt and also dealing with my sons frustration at not being understood. My son had a really limited vocabulary and used a lot of made up words and babble so I was translator as well. School starts at age 5 here so we have another year to work on his speech. I was worried that he would get left behind or not make friends at school. Anyway, I am glad I found your channel!!
Wow, I wish I had a little Finn friend when I was a new immigrant kid and spoke no English. It was such a lonely time not being able to communicate with the other kids or with the teachers. If I had a friend like Finn, my transition would have been much easier.
Flint1545 wow I’ve never thought about it that way! It’s so sweet to see how Finn wants to play with this little boy all the time and translate for him. I’m glad he’s always there for him as you’re right; it must be very hard x
My little brother had speech therapy its so interesting. Especially what you are saying about George Ezra! We were lucky as his speech therapist actually lived across the road from us, and was called Delores, and they were the sounds he struggled with the most so used to just keep repeating DeLORRRRes well proud of himself :) Obviously being with them everday it seems like it goes on forever and it seems like any progress is minimal, but as an outsider (so to speak lol!) Finn sounds fantastic & reminds me so much of my bro when he was that age, hes lush 😍 well done Finn!
Heather Glenton ahhh that’s so interesting to hear: Freddie has really supported Finn a lot with it so I think siblings are so helpful for confidence when he’s been frustrated. Yes the slow rhythm has really helped him!!!
This made me tear up! My son has a bit of speech delay as he had glue ear from before a year old until about 17 months when he got grommets so missed a huge chunk of hearing and as he was my first I had no idea anything was wrong which I feel awful about. He’s 2 and a half now, one grommet fell out straightaway as he has a perforation on one ear drum from all the ear infections he had but he is speaking a lot better, although not much difference to his speech happened until just a few months ago even though the grommets were put in a year ago. Seeing this made me feel more optimistic as I have felt exactly how you did. Finn is doing incredibly xx wondering what your theories were on why he had the speech delay too? Glue ear can go undetected as well, I only knew as my son had constant ear infections that burst his ear drums and fluid leaked out but often the fluid can stay inside the ear with no outward symptoms. They apparently grow out of it anyway when their Eustachian tubes get a bit bigger but we have to wait until my son is 8 before they will repair the perforation. He has a mild hearing loss in that ear which doesn’t impact him now as the other ear compensates but I’m worried about him starting school of there’s lots of background noise. Any more updates or information on yours and Finn’s story would be great xx I feel so unsure but this has made me feel less anxious so thank you! X
SJ Strum Totally! 💙 My son is 16 months and we’ve been having a lot of struggles so it’s nice to see I’m not alone even tho it’s a different experience. 💖 you’re doing great mama
I’m so confused. Whilst my son is known to speech therapy, they won’t see him. They only speak to me and put me on a course to give me tips to try and encourage his speech (most of which is common sense or things I was already doing with him anyway). I don’t understand why he doesn’t have sessions with a therapist
Hi SJ, thank you for making this video and really great to see Finn’s story and wonderful progress. I’m a mum trying desperately to decide whether we should go to a specialist speech and language school (but fear my son being trapped in that system) or the mainstream school (reception age) that my intuition prefers. Do you have any videos or advice on how you handled that process? Just torn between what’s advised and what my gut is telling me. Thank you x
My daughter is almost 3, she speaks a little but it's very hard for me to understand what she means. Most of her words sounds the same because she has problems with several letters like D, N and S so I have to guess and ask several times to understand what she means. Her speech therapist has said that we might start therapy next year even though she is so young.
Wow Finn is amazing! :) my youngest is starting speech therapy next week, looking forward to seeing her progress (hopefully) as well as your little one has
Oh SJ bless little Finn 😊 He’s making the most amazing progress! I understand him perfectly. You are a fantastic mother and Finn is a wonderful caring little boy xx
I am just bawling. God is so good!! Even when we don’t understand and can’t see the plan. So proud of little Finn!! What a courageous warrior. May he continue to grow in leaps and bounds. Not only in speech and academics, but most importantly, in love and grace. You are raising an amazing human, SJ. The world needs more kind hearts. X
When you said “I don’t know how I would/would have dealt with that” you just do! No one knows how to cope with something until you have to, and then you just do! 💖💖
What a remarkable little boy Finn is. He is speaking so well, which is lovely. More importantly though he is beyond resilient and so loving. You must be proud beyond belief, and so relieved for his successful first year. Good on you all!
Oh sj this is amazing well done Finn what a super star! My daughter has a severe speech disorder she very basically hasn't established her vowel soundsm we've been having speech therapy for a year and still have a long way to go she's 4 now and starts school next September. So amazing to see such incredible progression Finn!! Lots of love xx
This is amazing to hear. I work in pre 5 and I live through these victories with my children and parents. You and your husband are the best parents for him 💖
Albert Einstein didn't talk until 5-6. Finn will obviously do some amazing things. My son is 3 next month and has bad speech delay. I know he'll get there but I understand your emotions. I'm the same. It's so hard to not be called Mummy x
What a wonderful story to hear. I have two boys and my youngest, Teddy, is 3 and like Finn has a severe speech delay. I have just started him at pre school and hoping that it helps him with his communication as he seems so vulnerable as he is now. It’s so hard to know the best route to take. Finn’s story is so positive, it’s such a comfort. What a ⭐️ he is xx
LifeWithAnEgg oh I know exactly how you feel; preschool is so hard and I found he was frustrated after as he tried to tell me what he’s done and I didn’t understand; 3 is still so young and honestly he’ll get there. Xxxxxxz
![My Toddler Understands But Isn’t Talking [Learn How To Help From A Speech Therapist]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Dk_Fq_NAf08/mqdefault.jpg)
My Dad had a severe speech delay as a child and didn’t speak clearly until he was around ten after lots of speech therapy. He then went on to have a 35 year career in journalism, specialising in radio, and ultimately hosting his own weekly radio phone-in programs on BBC radio Scotland and Edinburgh’s biggest radio station.
Finn’s progress is amazing, what a lovely little boy you are raising xxx
HANNAH JOHNSTON wow that’s amazing to hear; I so believe that these early issues will shape him into something special and I’m so encouraged by this - thanks so much for telling me and us all and it helps so many parents to hear things like this xxxxx
What a beautiful, encouraging comment. Thank you for sharing.
Wow his speech has improved so much! That’s amazing! You must be so proud of him. This is really encouraging for me. I have a little boy, 3 years old (also Finn!).He has glue ear and failed hearing check so many sounds he can’t pronounce properly. He’s on waiting list to get grommets but they told us speech therapy would be a waste of time for him. I really hope the grommets work 😊So encouraging to hear your story!
Thank you so much for sharing this! ❤
I actually welled up when Finn started speaking. He’s done so amazingly well. You must be so proud of him Sj xx
Kate Murnane ah thanks Kate, yeah it’s so amazing to hear his progress. Just feels like such a relief and I can finally worry a lot less xxxx
I understood almost everything he said at the end that's amazing ! Hes doing so well xx
Megan marie wow that’s so good to hear thanks so much Megan xxx
Aw this made me quite emotional to see how far he has come! He's such a lovely lad, well done Finn! 👍
Coast& Country ah thank you so much! Xxx
Omg Finn’s speech is AMAZING!! I understood everything he said xxx
Kirsty Savory ah really!!!!!!! Wow! X
Incredible progress, how wonderful for him to have a voice and how lovely about his empathy... you must be so proud, such a devoted mother. 💘
Grace Kennedy ah yes he’s so adorable with his friend 😍😍😍
I'm so glad that Finn has had such a positive experience of speech therapy! I work as a private speech therapist and love to hear a positive story and exposure to a subject that isn't too common online :)
Kate E ah what an amazing job!!!! It changes lives xxxx
What a brilliant little boy you have! He's absolutely adorable and I can easily understand him.
Mellissa wow that’s so amazing isn’t it!!! I just can’t believe when people understand him as it’s all new x
What a clever little boy! I could understand everything he said at the end! He's so beautiful
KatrinaTryingAtLife ah wow!!! That means so much to me to hear thank you 🧡🧡🧡
I am just catching up on these videos. My 2.5 year old currently just says single words no sentences together. I’m struggling with hope that he may talk fully one day and have conversations with me. I feel like currently I can’t see the light. We’ve had speech therapy but only over the phone because of covid. The whole thing is currently frustrating me because my poor boy understands what we’re saying but can’t speak back to us. He is also my middle child. Thank you for sharing these positives xx
Hi SJ I never usually comment on videos but this video is so close to my own personal experience with my little boy jack who is 3 and has speech and language delay. You , and your family are so inspiring in how you have supported Finn on his remarkable journey. What a wonderful example of hard work and determination? It fills me with hope that jack will be ok when he starts school nursery in September which I have been so anxious about. We are half way though our speech therapy and good progress is being made. Thank you to you and Finn for sharing xx
Hi Natalie, thanks so much for saying hello. It really helps to know I'm not alone with it as well as dropping them off at school sometimes it feels like all I do is listen to the other kids speech and get so anxious!! Finn was really quiet in nursery school at first though he was super happy, he learnt loads about non verbal communication though so don't panic if Jack isn't his 'inside person' at nursery if that makes sense. Finn made great friends - it was so much a long road for us so i had to slow down my expectations and just enjoy all his achievements while cheering him on in speech. Good luck and please let me know how it goes xx
Hi SJ Thanks so much for replying! I will keep you posted on Jack’s journey and I will keep watching for updates on Finn . Jack also loves Shotgun by George Ezra, that made me smile at the end ! 😊 Take Care . Natalie xx
Finn moves me in a way I can't explain. Told you this before, his wisdom blowns me away everytime. So much wisdom in such a tiny human. He is so chill about his obstacles and not bc it doesn't bother him (of course it must bother him) but he's so aware that he can overcome it. The results of his confidence are so visible now and it makes me genuinely happy to watch it so thank you for sharing. You got a special one in your hands ! Xx
Letícia Ribeiro ah Leticia I think I do have a little superstar in Finn; he’ll always be so courageous xxx
This made my heart melt!
Well done Finn.... you little superstar!
Amy_Louise KK1 yay he so is a little stat to us xxxx
He is such a precious sweet boy! He’s come light years! I’m sure he’ll completely overcome any speech issues very soon, I can already understand him quite clearly.
Emma Sadtler ah thanks Emma! That’s great to hear xxx
I cannot get over the progress Finn has made with his speech! I know that he would have put so much hard work in. Well done Finn!!👍
Malin Svensson Valhalla Queen ah wow thank you malin! I’m so happy to hear that everyone understands him now xxx
What a sweet boy! The world should contain more Finns!!
sweetvenomxo8 ahhhhhbyay! Yes they should 🧡🧡🧡
As a mother and reception class teacher I am blown away by Finn's progress! There are sadly so many children in school now with speech and language delays and the funding and support just isn't available to support them... it's awful! It's taken 7 months of constant nagging for me to get a 4year old student of mine seen and he too has been identified as having a severe speech delay. Finn's progress shows that with a great attitude, supportive parents and wonderful speech therapists, problems can be overcome and lives can be changed. Thank you for sharing!
Such a confident little boy, well done Finn for trying so hard you’re amazing xx
Joley Williams ah thanks so much joley xxx
I love this video! I’m going into speech therapy as a career and it’s seeing progress like this that really makes me sure this is what I want to do 💗
Izzy Davy ahhhhh it’s the most worthwhile job ever! Literally changes lives for the entire family xxx
wow. thank you so much for sharing your story. literally made me tear up. all the best for the year coming!!! xxx
Nicola Baird thanks so much Nicola, I really can’t imagine how his speech will be in another 6 months...it’s amazing to hear the progress x
Wow that´s amazing! Finn is such a sweet little boy
Teresa Gustafsson thanks Teresa xxxx
He’s doing so well! It’s amazing to see the progress, so thank you for sharing and making others feel less alone with their own issues ♥️
I absolutely loved this!! This fills me with so much hope for my little boy.. it can feel like we are never going to get there with his speech but Finns speech is amazing, he has done so amazingly well! He seems like such a lovely little boy. Xx
Sarah Jane And Mae oh I felt the exact same,,, I almost hated these good stories as I didn’t feel they were in our grasp but they are! He’ll overcome this 😍
What an incredible boy, and I could understand him perfectly! Youre clearly such a devoted, emotional mum SJ its lovley to see xx
TheBearandBerry ah thanks so much; yes it’s a lot of heartache when they have a struggle & you just love them so much! I’m so happy for him xx
I am a speech and language therapist myself and I loved to hear your experience as a parent. Thank you for sharing this!
The parents I talk to also deal with insecurity sometimes, but I always say: it's hard living in a world where language is all around us and your child can't quite grasp it yet. But there is more than speech and 'talking with words'. As with your son; his social skills and his maths is going amazing! Some kids need a bit more time on motorskills and some on speech and language. Children come in every flavor! Keep working on it together as a family, because that's the key to growing even further than he already did. Amazing to see this progression!
What an absolute superstar Finn is! Xx
Emily - The Peachicks and Us ah thank you Emily! It’s so amazing to hear his progress x
Oh Finn ❤️❤️❤️ What a little superstar. You can just see he's such a caring, beautiful soul xx
I am an SLT who works in the state system. The delivery of SLT has changed so much in the 27 years I have been working. When I qualified we used a model where it was presentation driven so that a child with a severe speech impairment would be priorised over another child with a less severe difficulty. The driver for looking at allocating (what is a very finite resource) is now to consider impact. So for example, is the difficulty stopping the child from participating at school or nursery? Is it affecting the child's confidence? Is it impacting their ability to get their needs & desires known and met? Are they interacting with their peers? All these things are now considered just as important as the severity of the 'condition' itself. A child with a relatively mild difficulty in terms of presentation could have a massive impact maybe because the have less resilience? We also consider whether there are others who support a child outside of SLT. With the latter, for example a parent or educator may have been upskilled sufficiently to support a child. In an ideal world we would provide SLT to all children presenting with a Speech, Language or/and Communication Need (SLCN). In reality state resources are finite. As a result they have to be targeted. For parents, I can totally understand they want THEIR child to receive the service. For those of us allocating the resources we have to make hard decisions. Does anyone want to make decisions over who gets and who does not? - well, of course not but we simply have to. I wish it were different but it isn't. I suspect, SJ actually has developed a heap of skills for supporting Finn. She clearly does because SLT works when parents actively supports direct SLT sessions. It is not the SLT who is the agent of change for a child with a SLCN but a parent or significant others. The idea is no longer that SLTs hold all the skills for dealing with SLC difficulties but upskill others so thst they are able to support a child in the environments in which they need to function. SJ, I would urge you to get back to your state SLT if the impact for Finn changes or if he doesn't continue to make progress without direct intervention.
Valley Girl xx hi! This is so so helpful and interesting thanks so much (and for the amazing job you do!) me and Henrik said the exact same thing - we’d much rather the state funded work went to those children who are struggling or whose parents could never afford private. We are really lucky to be able to pay, even though it was definitely our biggest pay out it was worth it! And you’re so right that it’s important to look at the whole family and child - I just had no idea how it worked so I was really interested to find out. Yes the only thing they flagged to mainly watch was peer issues as he gets older but I’m so grateful he has his best friend who speaks no English 😂😂😂 they will be a lovely pair and maybe always support each other! Ah thanks so much for watching and listening about Finn, it means a lot that this type of info is now here on my channel for other mums xx
I am also an SLT and a blogger and am constantly hearing from parents of children with speech and language difficulties who are not able to access help through the NHS or their schools. It is so sad :(
Finn is adorable....his speech has come on in leaps and bounds...
My son is 3 and is completely non verbal. He has severe delays physically, cognitively, learning - all areas basically due to health complications. However, he can count to 100 and knows the full alphabet, at 3! Absolutely blew my mind! I've followed Finn's speech journey from your very first video and he is one amazing little boy and sweet Jesus he is so cute! I could eat him up x
Beth Mccarthy wow you must feel floored at times Beth but he’s got something special and time will tell - he’ll amaze you I’m sure 🧡
thank you so much we are about to embark on speech therapy for my 4 year old, your video is an inspiration x
Hayley Tucker oh Hayley it’s the best thing; it’s slow at the beginning so just focus on the fun side then it gradually begins to work in sessions; then our last bit was him using the sounds in everyday speech...trust that it’s going to work!!! Xxxx
bless him, literally crying because of how beautiful he us
Wow finn!!! He has come so far and I can understand him perfectly, but even more importantly he is so kind and compassionate! Well done finn and to you too SJ for being such an amazing and devoted mother. You are both very inspiring and Finn will do amazing things for sure xxx
Ah thanks so much Mia! He’s so gentle it’s amazing to see him come out of himself xxx
very different but i lost my hearing for 18months and i cried every single day. feeling like you cant communicate and get involved is such a heartbreaking experience. hes done so well GO FINN!! x
I blamed myself and punished myself for weeks before I said I can cry forever or I can help my child. I told myself whatever the reason was it doesn’t matter it’s my job as their parent to fix it. I did tons of things: play dates, group therapy, speech therapy, at home therapy. Ugh then I found out about ESE preschool and that was exactly what I needed. I’m seeing huge progress. What I use to hate was parents who would give me that pity face or relatives saying horrible things about my child. Ugh but I swear when I changed my depressing perspective and took the initiative to help my child and just focus on them things got a lot better. I also made sure to keep it fun because when they are happy and in a good mood it makes it easier for them and me.
You are an amazing mum, SJ.
Alfacat06 ah thank you xxxx
My mum is a special school teacher, I use to volunteer at her school watching those kids develop and meet their goals was amazing. Well done Finn!!
Tegan-ann Wall wow I bet!! Something I would love to do one day xxx
@@SJ_Strum it is very rewarding, I highly recommend it at least once
This is such a lovely, lovely video. Finn is amazing and you must be so proud of him. My son had his hearing aids a few months back after finding out her is moderately deaf due to glue ear. We only knew something was wrong because of his speech. It gives me such joy to see the difference in him now. Sending love xxx
Wow that’s so great to have a diagnosis, it’s like a relief to help them and see them thrive. Being a mum is so hard sometimes isn’t it!!!!! But all so worth it x
Wow Finn! What a wonderful job you’re doing. You must have worked so hard this past year. I’m a teacher in the United States with a background in special education, deaf education and most recently a masters in early childhood education and bilingual education. Finn’s early difficulty with speech and his continuing work to overcome it seems to have developed a lot of empathy and grit. Keep up the hard work of being a kind friend and helping others! You must feel so proud of yourself for working so hard :)
Jena Parsons ahh wow what an amazing job!!!! Yes I think his empathy will stay with him and I really hope it does xxx
Wow, Finn! That's amazing! I just watched your other video's this week. What a great progress you've made! He seems such a lovely sweet and smart little boy.
Well done Finn. What a lovely little boy x
my goodness i'm a bit emotional. he's doing so well and so are you. it was so lovely how you reflected on how his challenges with communication have made him even more sensitive and expressive, it's so true and that's a precious quality he will have for the rest of his life. this made me think as well about the experience of a sibling in this situation, as my older sister had speech therapy while we were growing up. she has a few quite serious health and development issues that were a big part of my childhood, so quite a different dynamic, but i can say without a doubt that the empathy you develop as a sibling of someone with any kind of additional need is such a gift. it normalises the fact that everyone is different and needs different understanding, and i don't think there is any better mindset for a child to grow up with than that. big love and well done you
Ah wow yes that’s so so true! Freddie has really got that protectiveness over Finn and he always looks out for him at school; he’s had to talk for him and help him a lot and I can imagine they will always be close because of it too x
Oh my goodness well done Finn, he has done so well.
I understood everything he said!
So emotional.
My son is going through speech therapy and we are near the end of our journey, hes currently in year 1.
My journey feels so similar to yours, thank you for doing this update 💞😘
Charlotte Hardy ahhh so happy for you; it’s so tough to start. But ultimately it all pays off xxx
I love speech therapy! I went from when I was 2 until I was 14, and people are so shocked when I say that I went. I don’t know how I would have felt comfortable in my career if I hadn’t had access to be able to correct my speech or if a nurse had not realized my issue early on!!
he is the cutest and most precious boy ever. God bless:)
I'm so sorry you have felt ashamed by this because it couldn't be further from your fault SJ, you really inspire me and are so an attentive, loving mother. Finn's progress is very much a testament to that x
Amelie Astor ah thanks Amelie; yeah it’s hard when you feel guilty and I tried to kind of cover up his speech issues - but I’m so glad I spoke about it on here as there’s so many people going through the same or who relate for other reasons xxxx
Gosh, he’s the sweetest!
I am a Speech Therapy grad student in the US. I’m not familiar with the intervention services provided at the education / insurance level in the UK. But maybe look into local university clinics or tele-therapy if you are looking to continue therapy
Cara Martin oh that’s a great idea! Thanks cara xxx
Well done Finn and well done to you too! Amazing progress and all through sheer determination and hard work from you all. I'm so pleased for you all xx
Oh my god!!! Amazing! I am so happy for you guys, Finn really is a fighter
Thank you for sharing this 💞 Finn's progress is incredible. I got emotional watching it, gives me hope for my little girl. I see that same strength and empathy in her too. Kx
Kirstie Kyte ahhh kirstie it’s so lovely to see that positive side of it isn’t it - they are so kind & caring and I’m sure it’s due to speech x
This is so wonderful SJ! Finn is amazing! xxx
He’s amazing, such a special little boy xx
Wow, what a superstar, well done Finn, you’ve both done amazing!, you must be so proud, Finn really sounds like Henrick when he talks, little Swedish accent xxx
there’s a little boy in my brothers year with speech problems who reminds me of finn! he’s in year 4 now and nobody treats him differently, i think it is so lovely and finn will be fine💛
Emily X oh wow that’s great to know thanks Emily 😍😍😍🧡
Well done Finn! What a gorgeous boy xxx
Well done little man!! You have a gorgeous family SJ!!!
Loved this! My son has speech delays as well so I found this so interesting as I haven’t met another Mum in my situation. I am in NZ and we have had some amazing support and he is doing really well!
Hi Sophie! I know me neither!!!! Some who have had a little bit for the odd sound but nothing like finn’s - it’s hard isn’t it to feel like you’re the only one. Happy the support has been great for you both too xxxx
Yes I could really relate to your feelings of guilt and also dealing with my sons frustration at not being understood. My son had a really limited vocabulary and used a lot of made up words and babble so I was translator as well. School starts at age 5 here so we have another year to work on his speech. I was worried that he would get left behind or not make friends at school. Anyway, I am glad I found your channel!!
Wow, I wish I had a little Finn friend when I was a new immigrant kid and spoke no English. It was such a lonely time not being able to communicate with the other kids or with the teachers. If I had a friend like Finn, my transition would have been much easier.
Flint1545 wow I’ve never thought about it that way! It’s so sweet to see how Finn wants to play with this little boy all the time and translate for him. I’m glad he’s always there for him as you’re right; it must be very hard x
This makes me so happy! Your little boy is a superstar! ⭐️
Milla Kamula ahhhh thank you Milla 🧡
so glad he's getting on well!! well done Finn!
Zara Guler ah thanks so much Zara xxxxx
I had speech therapy at the same age as Finn and am now completely fine!
ShalomJackie ah that’s great to know x
My little brother had speech therapy its so interesting. Especially what you are saying about George Ezra! We were lucky as his speech therapist actually lived across the road from us, and was called Delores, and they were the sounds he struggled with the most so used to just keep repeating DeLORRRRes well proud of himself :) Obviously being with them everday it seems like it goes on forever and it seems like any progress is minimal, but as an outsider (so to speak lol!) Finn sounds fantastic & reminds me so much of my bro when he was that age, hes lush 😍 well done Finn!
Heather Glenton ahhh that’s so interesting to hear: Freddie has really supported Finn a lot with it so I think siblings are so helpful for confidence when he’s been frustrated. Yes the slow rhythm has really helped him!!!
My son has the same issue and we are about to contact speech therapist this week.He is 18 months now.
Ahh!! This made me tear up😫💕
Oh how lovely is this video xx
This made me tear up! My son has a bit of speech delay as he had glue ear from before a year old until about 17 months when he got grommets so missed a huge chunk of hearing and as he was my first I had no idea anything was wrong which I feel awful about. He’s 2 and a half now, one grommet fell out straightaway as he has a perforation on one ear drum from all the ear infections he had but he is speaking a lot better, although not much difference to his speech happened until just a few months ago even though the grommets were put in a year ago. Seeing this made me feel more optimistic as I have felt exactly how you did. Finn is doing incredibly xx wondering what your theories were on why he had the speech delay too? Glue ear can go undetected as well, I only knew as my son had constant ear infections that burst his ear drums and fluid leaked out but often the fluid can stay inside the ear with no outward symptoms. They apparently grow out of it anyway when their Eustachian tubes get a bit bigger but we have to wait until my son is 8 before they will repair the perforation. He has a mild hearing loss in that ear which doesn’t impact him now as the other ear compensates but I’m worried about him starting school of there’s lots of background noise. Any more updates or information on yours and Finn’s story would be great xx I feel so unsure but this has made me feel less anxious so thank you! X
He’s sooooo precious
Shania Marie awwww thank you so much!!! I love seeing him develop and capturing it all is so amazing for him to gain confidence xxx
SJ Strum Totally! 💙 My son is 16 months and we’ve been having a lot of struggles so it’s nice to see I’m not alone even tho it’s a different experience. 💖 you’re doing great mama
I’m so confused. Whilst my son is known to speech therapy, they won’t see him. They only speak to me and put me on a course to give me tips to try and encourage his speech (most of which is common sense or things I was already doing with him anyway). I don’t understand why he doesn’t have sessions with a therapist
Hi SJ, thank you for making this video and really great to see Finn’s story and wonderful progress. I’m a mum trying desperately to decide whether we should go to a specialist speech and language school (but fear my son being trapped in that system) or the mainstream school (reception age) that my intuition prefers. Do you have any videos or advice on how you handled that process? Just torn between what’s advised and what my gut is telling me. Thank you x
wow! amazing changes!
Ah he is so good well done Finn! X
Emma Blakeley thanks so much Emma xxxxx
My daughter is almost 3, she speaks a little but it's very hard for me to understand what she means. Most of her words sounds the same because she has problems with several letters like D, N and S so I have to guess and ask several times to understand what she means.
Her speech therapist has said that we might start therapy next year even though she is so young.
Hooray for speech therapy! ♥️
My stepmum is a speech and language therapy and that’s what i want to do when I’m older.
WAY TO GO, FINN!!!!!
Hannah Wilkie 🥰🥰🥰
How did you get the SEN targets/help?
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Sorry unrelated but your top is so cute. Where is it from? Xx
Thanks! It’s old from ASOS Vintage x
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Indra Klauriomides hi Indra x
Wow Finn is amazing! :) my youngest is starting speech therapy next week, looking forward to seeing her progress (hopefully) as well as your little one has
Sophie Leah ah I’m sure she’ll do brilliantly!! Let me know how it goes x
Oh SJ bless little Finn 😊 He’s making the most amazing progress! I understand him perfectly. You are a fantastic mother and Finn is a wonderful caring little boy xx
salina harmer oh Salina thank you so much! He’s such a sweet little soul I’m so happy for him x
I am just bawling. God is so good!! Even when we don’t understand and can’t see the plan. So proud of little Finn!! What a courageous warrior.
May he continue to grow in leaps and bounds. Not only in speech and academics, but most importantly, in love and grace. You are raising an amazing human, SJ. The world needs more kind hearts. X
When you said “I don’t know how I would/would have dealt with that” you just do! No one knows how to cope with something until you have to, and then you just do! 💖💖
Abigael Ellen 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽
Amazing progress. Thrilled for everyone.
Marika Tiernan thanks so much marika x
Omg SJ he’s done so well. Well done beautiful Finn 💪👏👏😍😍🌟🥇xxx
Julie Drabble hasn’t he!! It’s so amazing xxx
Couldn’t be happier for you all xxx😘😘
What a remarkable little boy Finn is. He is speaking so well, which is lovely. More importantly though he is beyond resilient and so loving. You must be proud beyond belief, and so relieved for his successful first year. Good on you all!
Yes resilience is incredible at this age isn’t it - I can learn a lot from Finn xxx
He is just a lovely, sweet little boy ❤️ well done Finn & also SJ for being such an amazing, supportive mum x
alicia marie ah thanks so much Alicia; it’s so hard at times to face their issues head on but I’m so happy I found support in the end x
Oh sj this is amazing well done Finn what a super star! My daughter has a severe speech disorder she very basically hasn't established her vowel soundsm we've been having speech therapy for a year and still have a long way to go she's 4 now and starts school next September. So amazing to see such incredible progression Finn!! Lots of love xx
Welldone Finn you’ve come so far! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
This is amazing to hear. I work in pre 5 and I live through these victories with my children and parents. You and your husband are the best parents for him 💖
Wow well done finn the progress is amazing x
Albert Einstein didn't talk until 5-6. Finn will obviously do some amazing things.
My son is 3 next month and has bad speech delay. I know he'll get there but I understand your emotions. I'm the same. It's so hard to not be called Mummy x
👏👏👏 & he's got his parent's sense of humour😍well done Finn, you are a wonderfully kind, strong and thoughtful boy
Thank you 💜
Good boy Finn, you re an amazing little boy .😆😆😆⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Brilliant. What an inspiration he is. Such a gorgeous family.
Emma J ah thanks so much Emma; he’s so impressed and amazed me!
He's made so much amazing progress!!! That's great SJ!
What a wonderful story to hear. I have two boys and my youngest, Teddy, is 3 and like Finn has a severe speech delay. I have just started him at pre school and hoping that it helps him with his communication as he seems so vulnerable as he is now. It’s so hard to know the best route to take. Finn’s story is so positive, it’s such a comfort. What a ⭐️ he is xx
LifeWithAnEgg oh I know exactly how you feel; preschool is so hard and I found he was frustrated after as he tried to tell me what he’s done and I didn’t understand; 3 is still so young and honestly he’ll get there. Xxxxxxz