A steer in the right direction

When truck-loving Roman Martin, from Snodland, turned one, his parents, Kelly and Brad noticed something wasn’t quite right.

Roman was no longer holding eye contact. Kelly said: "By the time he was two years-old, Roman wasn't doing the things he should be doing, like asking for what he wants, and he had lost his appetite."

Roman’s GP referred him to our Community Paediatrics Service for specialist support.

Roman’s mum Kelly said: “I worry Roman’s lack of communication has contributed to milestones other three-year-olds might have achieved by now, such as his potty training, which he hasn’t quite grasped yet.”

Something Roman has always kept, is his love of toy cars and trucks. Kelly said: “He loves watching the wheels, especially if they light up. We bought him a scooter and a bike but he prefers laying on the floor watching the wheels on his cars go forward and back.”

To make a head start while they wait for a specialist appointment, Kelly and Brad signed Roman up to Stepping Stones in Snodland, where Roman attends special educational needs and disability (SEN) sessions. It was there that class leader Sam suggested the talking walk-in session at East Malling, held by our Speech and Language Therapy Service, as a way to get some advice on how they can encourage Roman to communicate better.

Kelly admits it’s easy to compare Roman to her friend’s children, but reminds herself every child is different. Brad said: “We hope his extended hours at play school from September will help him learn from other children. But in the meantime, we’re looking for advice on what we can do to improve his speech”.

After Kelly and Brad spoke to one of the speech and language therapists, they left the session with food for thought on how they can encourage Roman to interact with them.

Our Children’s Speech and Language Therapy Service provides treatment, support and care for children and young people who have difficulties with communication, eating, drinking and swallowing.

Clare Corrigan, Team Lead Speech and Language Therapist at Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust said:

“A Talking Walk-in provides simple, easy access support for pre-school children and their families to see a speech and language therapist in a child-friendly environment and receive advice, reassurance and in some cases, further support from our service. Any family with any concerns about speech, language or communication can attend, and there is no booking or referral required."