[Dysphagia] Re: Dysphagia Digest, Vol 32, Issue 6

[elnar at netactive.co.za (Elna Rudman)]

Dear Susan and all
As a mother of a child who has been tube fed for the last 8 years following 
a neardrowning accident and who cannot even find a properly trained NDT 
Speech Therapist in my country right now (South Africa) to work with him, 
what do you suggest I do?  I have written to many, have tried to get someone 
who was trained in Talk Tools and it seems that when the problem is too big, 
the interest in helping evaporates, I was simply told that they do not feel 
that they had enough experience yet to work with Roald (now 11y old), one 
wanders where they will get experience unless they practice on someone? 
Vitalstim has always been my only hope, although I know that it may or may 
not help Roald, the fact is I shall never know unless I try but it is out of 
reach for us here in SA.  Believe me I have tried relentlessly to get 
training here for therapists but unless I go and study to become a Speech 
Therapist at the age of 40 something, I doubt I will ever get someone 
interested in doing so because of so much negativity spread about the 
therapy, I am willing to pay for propper therapy for my child, I am willing 
to get and do whatever I have to help him but there seem to be no solutions 
or even the possibility to have him properly evaluated in my country and 
believe me I am not the only one.
rgds
Elna Rudman