Parents are calling for more therapists to help their children with speech difficulties.

This month the health department brought in cuts to its speech and language therapy service, which a number of people affected say is an ’unfair’ decision.

’It really annoys me that these kids are suffering from the cut backs. It’s not fair that they have to suffer because there are not enough staff in the Isle of Man,’ said Amanda Craine, whose daughter has severe verbal dyspraxia.

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Schools around the island were informed in December 2018 of the services being ’significantly reduced’ due to staffing problems and an increase of patients. Currently there are just two staff members looking after more than 300 children, as one member is on maternity leave.

It was announced that new referrals for key stage two and above (from age seven) will not be accepted, apart from referrals for stammering.

A review on the service has been ordered by Health Minister David Ashford MHK after the cutbacks came under fire in Tynwald this month.

Mrs Craine shared her frustration at the news saying ’we’ve got to try and fight for speech therapists’.

Speaking to the Manx Independent, she said her 19-year-old daughter was ’let down’ by the service once she reached the age of 16, as the therapy sessions ceased which affected her progress.

’When they become an adult the support just stops completely, which I think is terribly wrong, and now it’s the younger generation which are struggling,’ she said.

’At high school it’s up to the teachers to teach them, but they don’t have that experience.

’There’s no support like there should be. Forty years ago it was totally different - I got more support than Rebekah. I couldn’t speak when I was five-years-old and I had all the help I could get. Now I don’t stop talking.

’Rebekah cannot say full sentences, but there are new words coming in each time.’

Another mother, who wishes to remain anonymous, told the Manx Independent that because of the cuts her five-year-old daughter will receive only six therapy sessions in a year.

’I simply cannot see how my daughter’s speech can improve with the extremely limited time she is to spend with a speech therapist this year,’ she said. ’Speech is everything. It helps you to articulate how you feel.

’They need to address the lack of staff before the children become adults. I don’t really know why this has all happened when they’ve known about the maternity leave for months.’

The mother explained that her child struggles with pronouncing words and sounds, but has shown consistent improvement with the regular contact she gets from therapists.

’Her progress in the last 18 months has been so good, but she needs far more than the service she is currently receiving if she is to have the opportunity to speak and communicate on a level with her peers,’ she added.

She has put questions to the Health Minister asking ’why there are so few therapists?’ and ’what plans are in place to recruit more therapists?’

’A review of the performance of the service is always a good thing, but it doesn’t take a review to work out that two therapists is completely inadequate to service the needs of 302 children,’ she said.

’In a seven hour day, if they see 10 children that is 50 a week each - 100 in total. What about the other 202?’

Garff MHK Daphne Caine, who brought in the question about the cuts to Tynwald, said she is ’very upset’ on parents behalf as the issue will have a ’horrible impact’ on the children’s learning.

’We don’t want to wait for a review. We need more people,’ she told the Manx Independent.

’I think the service is at breaking point. Six appointments in a year is just not acceptable and this is at a critical stage for development and will impact their learning and communication with other children.’