Speech therapy delay leaves child in limbo

THE mother of a Northside schoolboy fears that delays in accessing vital speech and language support will put her child at a serious disadvantage when he starts school in September.

Amanda Kelly, from Hartstown, told Northside People how her son Seanan has been waiting for a therapist to review his speech and language abilities since September last year.

Seanan was initially advised to complete a six week course of speech and language after which point his progress would be reviewed. However, the four-year-old and his mother are still waiting for this review, which they are certain will conclude that he needs more therapy.

“The review was supposed to happen six weeks after his speech and language course but due to a lack of staff and speech and language support that hasn’t happened,

? Ms Kelly told Northside People.

“Every time I call I’m told a different reason for the delay but it’s generally because of cutbacks and the staffing embargo.

“As a result my son is going to go into junior school with a disadvantage because he definitely needs more therapy.

“He has a big problem with pronunciation and I can see that he’s starting to get frustrated.

“We’re all frustrated because we seem to have hit a brick wall.

?

Ms Kelly is worried that her son’s speech and language will deteriorate even further without the early intervention he needs.

“I’m not looking for any special treatment and we went through the system like everyone else,

? she said.

“I just want the review that Seanan was promised and is due to get.

“This delay in receiving aftercare is like a patient being sent home from hospital after an operation without any follow-up with a doctor.

?

Dublin West Sinn Fein activist Paul Donnelly blamed the public service staff embargo for the crisis and delays in speech and language support.

“I am dismayed that due to the current embargo on the recruitment of staff that children awaiting services for speech and language therapy will be waiting up to 15 months, up from four months last year,

? he said.

“This is just appalling. I am calling for the immediate lifting of the embargo to ensure that any person requiring speech and language assessments and therapy can get it when it’s needed. A waiting time of 15 months is just unacceptable.

?

A spokesperson for the HSE said they couldn’t comment on individual cases but confirmed that staff numbers had been reduced and waiting times increased.

“We can advise that due to a number of reasons that result in reduced staff numbers, such as the moratorium on recruitment and planned staff leave, there are increased waiting times for children on the Early Intervention Team (aged 0-5) in D15 of at least eight to 12 months,

? the spokesperson said.

“The HSE will continue to provide services to people in the Dublin 15 area within the current available resources.

?