we have a friend living with us at the moment and my husband and I are very worried about her 4.5 year old. when she and our 2 year old talk it sounds like two 2 year olds having a conversation not a 2yo and a 4 almost 5 year old as that's how bad her language and talking skills are. her mum doesn't do anything with her to help just sits on the couch or in her room watching tv. she never plays with her, never sits down with flash cards to help her she has an iphone 5 with no games to help her talking etc, she can not say 1 full sentence at all. she's going to prep next year and her mum isn't worried at all about her talking skills just says that they have a really good special education program. her mum says she has a disability which makes how she treats her kid so much worse (LONG story short the 4.5 is neglected, starved to the point where our 1 year old is heavier to pick up than she is! the only way she gets mums attention is by being as loud and 'bratty' as possible and everything else bar actual physical abuse, until she lived with us) my question is, is there any way to find out if she really does have some sort of memory/learning disability that's as cheap as possible. a counselor or a specialist of some kind? we live about half an hour from Brisbane city if that helps. my husband and i have bought flash cards and books etc to help her but are yet to have the time or energy to sit down with her like we want to and that makes us feel super guilty as well (we have a 2 and 1 year old of our own n 2-3 days a week we have her other kid who is also 2 stay with is the rest of the time she's with her dad who treats her the same as she does if not worse)
Thanks heaps in advance :)
4 Replies
There are plenaty of ways to help mum out, you can call up docs or even try the Red Cross they have parenting program's free and you can even get someone out to help with all of that as well as set up some money for doctors ect to get little one tested and helped. Good news is in prep next year they do a speach check and will send in a speach pathologist in most state schools so she will eventually get the help she needs. Help mum out of corse to get into taking care of her kids better. I know with my son (his 3.5) I was able to get him into speach therapy through the health care nurse if he didn't start improving (little bugger always decides to go against everything I say and started picking up like crazy lol) but just call them up and see if you are able to get that option. I hope everything works out well.
if she's that light that your one year old is heavier i'd look at reporting it honestly because that is not fair on these poor babies. There is a great child psych called hui lim at progressive steps intervention at herston that might help. Mark Davoren is a good developmental peadatrican but difficult to get into (at everton park)
Sounds like if they have been in the system you and mum should get support to care for these kids. Community health is often free if the kids qualify. I hope you find time to get the 5yr to help you sounds like she want someone to notice she is alive, maybe some jobs for her to make her feel like a big girl. Good in you for helping its little family
If the little one is as behind as you say they will definitely notice something when she starts prep. They may not actually say anything to the parent (from my own experience) however if you are truly concerned you can make an appointment with the schools guidance counselor and discus your concerns with them. They probably wont be able to keep you in the loop legally but you can get the ball rolling.
Good luck!