Language Development - Eielson AFB, AK

K., he is still very young and is truely not behind on those things. Some babies are just a little more passive and not as eager to try to learn to talk. Until he is closer to 2, i would not see any concern. You will be very surprised when one day you wake up, and he is babbling and spitting out words right and left. You are just being a good mom, keep up the good work! You may also try to let him be more independent. If you are giving things to him that you know he wants w/o him making the suggestion, he could be just letting you do the work. Try and see if it makes a difference, who knows?! If he wants something bad enough, he will start communicating!

We are in San Antonio Texas. You are not crazy to be concerned. My son has autism, and was diagnosed when he was 2. For months before we knew something was wrong. First, tell your pediatrician, don't ask, but tell, that you want a referral to Chris Johnson at Village of Hope. She is a developmental pediatric specialist, that works with an evaluation team that is composed of ot,speech, pt, sensory specialists, nurologists and they all evaluate the child at one time. If your child is not making a 3 way communication effort, like pointing at a bottle and looking at you, be very scared - this is a classic sign of a developmental delay. Contact Easter Seals, ask them for help and guidance. Contact Any Baby Can - they are great and after your dr's office, should be your first call. Get the referral to Johnson NOW - there is typically a delay of 6 months to get in to be seen, and that is not going to help your baby. You are correct to be worried, your intuition is on target. Somethign is not right and don't let the pediatrician say it is. Dont get any more vaccinations until your child has been evaluated. If there is an over active immune system, the vaccinations are not going to help your son. I'm sorry to be so direct, but the earlier you get help for your child the better the result and the faster the improvements. My son is now ina regular school with regular teachers but he still gets speech and ot. It has cost us a fortune and we are exahusted, but he is worth it. Good luck.

I just read the other responses where Moms are saying their child was just like yours and they are fine. Well, until your's gets diagnosed with something like Autism, you don't think something's wrong or don't want to think something is wrong. Been there, done that. My husband is a physician, my sister is a physician, other relatives are ots and speech therapists. EVERYBODY thought he was fine at 12 months, but what your son is doing now is just what mine did at his age. This is not fine....not engaging, not making eye contact, no initiation of communication of needs is NOT NORMAL!

I really think your son is fine. Children develop skills at different rates. My son just turned a year old and he can only say "momma" and "dada" and I'm not 100% sure that he is talking about his daddy when he says dada. My friend who has a child that is 2 1/2 weeks older than mine is already saying several words, but he has been doing everything early. Just give him a little more time and keep encouraging him.

I also have a 5 year old girl and let me just say to enjoy the silence while you still can!

K.,

It is good that you are on top of it and being very observant--that way you can tell the doctor exactly what he is doing at this time. I wouldn't over worry yet--just be sure to tell his doctor all your concerns at his 12 month check up and ask him/her specifically what he/she expects.

I went through that with both my children. At 18 months, my daughter only had 2 words and the minimum should have been 7. I had her tested for free--ask your doctor about that. By the time someone from the agency called, set up an appointment, and came to my home to do the testing--about a month had gone by. During that time she increased her language usage to 20 or more words. Now at 4 1/2 you cannot get her to stop talking and she has an excellent vocabulary--ahead of a lot of other children her age. I do NOT shy away from big words either. I encourage her to try and pronounce them herself and we talk about their meaning.

My son just turned 2 --I had him tested around one b/c the doctor thought he might be developmentally behind physically also. The developmental specialists thought it was still too soon to tell. Between 16 months and 2 years he became a sponge and has been trying to say everything his big sister says--he even says "Thank you" when it is appropriate. My biggest concern now is --can other people understand what he is saying. I put him preschool for 1 day a week this year and his teachers think he's super smart.

All that is to say --keep being observant--start writing down the words he says clearly or at least sound very close to the real thing so you can give his doctor an accurate count. But I think it is too early to get worried.

You are probably already doing this---READ to him daily--he won't mind if it's the same book if it's one he likes. Talk to him during everything you do. I talk to my son at the changing table--I tell him everything that I'm doing. I also have a little music player that plays a different short tune
every time I hit the button and I sing to him. He loves twinkle twinkle little star--when I get to "star" he says it with me. I talk to him in the grocery store (I feel silly sometimes but most people don't think anything about it) I talk about what I'm buying or what color the produce is.

When I dress him I play hide and seek with his hand when I am trying to get his hand through the arm hole--I'll keep asking, "Where's your hand?" and when I get it through I'll say, "There's you hand." It gets very repetitve--but the next thing you know he'll being saying "hand." I talk about his hair when I brush his hair, I use the words sock and shoe when I'm dressing him. He just recently has started saying shirt and shorts and identifies them correctly when getting dressed--well, you get the idea.

Keep up the good work and stay on top of it. If there is a language problem--the earlier you catch it the better and you can get free or very inexpensive services up until they are about 3 years old I believe.

S.

I think this sounds pretty normal. My 3 yr old son did not talk at all, until he was 2 1/2. I had his hearing checked to be sure he could hear and everything was fine. He is the youngest child and his older siblings catered to his every whim. Just be patient he start talking when He is ready.

He sounds pretty normal to me.

Hi K.. I have a 7 year old son with Asperger's Syndrome. This is an autism spectrum disorder. I just wanted to give input having been through some tough times with that. If you are worried, I would recommend talking to his pediatrician. Just to ease your fears. Every child develops on a different level but mom always knows her child best. Talk to the Dr and let them give you their opinion on this. But always, always trust your instincts.

I have a son who is almost 11 months and he's not walking yet. He'll pull up to things, but still hasn't taken his first steps. Although he does say three words (mama, dada, bye-bye), points, claps, waves bye bye, and plays peek-a-boo I worry about him sometimes because he's not walking. (He doesn't really ever indicate that he's hungry or wants to cuddle either, and even though he points he's not pointing at something that he wants, like a cup, he's just pointing for no reason.)LOL I think that we as moms just worry about what our children aren't doing. It's like we're having the exact worry just about different things.

I've read that when a baby is learning to do something physically that it takes a lot out of them (like your child walking and doing other physical things). The same is true for mental things.. it's hard being a baby. From what I've read a baby is generally "fast" at learning physical things or mental things but usually not both. I don't think that anything's wrong b/c he's not talking more.. his little mind is just too busy trying to figure out all of the great physical things that are so new to him.

I would say to not worry about it too much (which as a 1st time mom myself I know that's easier said than done). If you think it's still something you should look into--his one year check up will be coming up soon so you can always ask the doctor then!!

Good talking with you.

J.

K. - my son will be 18 months old on the 19th. He was just like your son very active, walked at 9 months, and takes direction. He goes and gets things we tell him to go get and knows lots of body parts, feeds himself. But he is just now starting to say words and mimic the sounds that I make but he is doing them very well....I wonder if maybe he was just processing for so long and now he's spurting out.

My nephew is 4 days older than my son and he is very vocal says lots of sounds and can say a lot more words than my son, however - he didnt walk until he was 12 months old and doesnt feed himself.

They say every child is different. And that if they walk eaerly they may not talk early...or vice versa. I dont know...just my opinion but I think if your son is doing all those things then he is just fine.

Dear K.,

Your son sounds right on target to me. I have three boys, and I remember wondering the same thing with my first son. My mom kept asking me what he was saying (expecting him to be on the same timeline as her two little girls had been). I think this is one way that boys and girls are different.

All of my boys are very bright & social, but the norm for them was to start with a word or two around 18 months (besides momma or dadda around 1 year old), and then start talking more and more around 2 years old. Then again, some toddlers keep silent until 2, then break out in sentences!

I pray that you will feel peace about this if he's just fine, and that you'll find the right support if you need it!

Blessings,
R.

Supporting you as you nurture your family.
www.NurturedFamily.com

Hi K., I think (or hope) this is normal. My son was the same way. He is now 20 months and he is just in the past few months began to really start developing speech and language. I also found that after he began daycare that his verbal skills took off. I also think boys just develop a little slower than girls do. I also have a 3yr old little girl and I remember her at 9 and 10 months starting to really talk. I thought the same thing you did when my son was 11 months. He was walking and everything, but just not talking. He is doing really great now, so try not to worry. Hope this helps ease your mind a little. Good Luck!!C.

I would agree with the others. He sounds pretty normal. My first was a girl and she did not speak until she was past 3! Once she caught on, you could not shut her up. :) As and Air Force wife, I know you probably make it to Pediatrics fairly regularly. Talk with them and it will make you more comfortable with the knowlegde.

Enjoy! He'll be big before you know it! (And when he is 16 and says all kinnnnnds of stuff, you will look back on his quiet days and smile at the memory)

Always trust your heart! If you feel there may be a problem stick to your beliefs. My daughter was a little behind I thought too. I talked with her doctor about it and he didn't seem too concerned. I taught her some sign language. It was incrediable how much it helped! SHe was able to express herself to us and in no time she started speaking! Now she talks nonstop!!!! I still use some sign language with her. Its a great tool she can always have and it helps comunicate when we need to be quiet.

I wouldn't get to concerned until about 19 or 20 months. If his speech doesn't progress by 2 then you will definatly want to seek "speech therapy" Every child is different and progress's at a different pace. You can do activities to build speech. Most children don't start speaking clearly into sentences till about 2. When he wants something - you can say what it is such as "toy" and then ask him to repeat it. That will help build his speech. Getting into play groups is helpful too.. Libraries always have story time where you can meet other mothers with children your child's age. Read to him, that helps with speech too. Hope that helps. C.

K.... I have three daughters and I am still amazed at how different the three of them are in EVERY way!! They all slept through the night at different ages, walked at different ages, one completely skipped crawling and went straight to running and one didn't walk until a year and a half. One loves all food, one won't touch meat and one only eats dairy products!!! What I am trying to say is that all kids are different and move at their own pace. I agree with the others... if you are concerned talk to your pediatrician about it... BUT.. I remember being a first time mom, it is hard not to get bent out of shape over every little thing... One other thing, does he 'have' to talk? What I mean is... do you already anticipate his every need and want therefore he figures he doesn't have to be verbal to get what he wants? Try waiting to see if he 'tries' to tell you what he wants instead of just giving it to him. You said that you are a working mom, do you work outside of the home? If so, does he go to day-care? If so, maybe ask some of the day-care workers what they think. They've seen so many different kids that they can probably put your mind at ease.
Good luck!!!

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K... I've been reading some of the responses and it looks like we have probably confused you MORE than before! Some of us are saying 'don't worry'... some are probably scaring the HECK out of you. I hope that you are able to find your way through this, but PLEASE don't overreact and STRESS your self completely OUT until you know there is something to be worried about, otherwise your son will feel that stress and mimic that stress! Talk to your pediatrician, other people who interact with your child and trust yourself. If you still feel uneasy then go further.
Again... good luck!!!

K.,

Your son is probably just has a strength in physical development and the speech / language isn't his strongest area. My second child (and first boy) was the same way. He was recommended for speech therapy at 18 months by an audiologist after determining his hearing was fine, but it turned out he was just a late bloomer and didn't even need it. He is now 3 and is learning to read and write, so take heart, your boy will most likely catch up. At your son's 12 month check up, bring it up with your pediatrician, but don't worry. Children all have their own timeline.

Best of luck,
S.

There is a program called Early Childhood Intervention. You can call the 800 information and see if you can get the number. If you can't find it email me privately and I will locate it for you. They are funded by the state to identify children early that need help because the earlier they get the help they need the less help they need overall in theory. I do think you may be a little reactive but I always prefer to err on the side of caution rather than on the side of wait and see. However if you wait a few months (3-4) and he still doesn't seem to be verbal then check it out with the pedi.

Keep us posted,
C.

K., I am an older mother with 3 children and each one is different. When my son was about your sons age I asked the doctor the same thing. He asked me if he had an older sibling and he said that because she did things for him, he did not find a need to talk. He told me that when he got ready he would talk. He said his first word on his 1st birthday. He was also slower than his sister in other areas. Boys just tend to be that way. Don't worry! You're doing fine.

K.,
Your instincts are probably right. I had a similar problem with my oldest son. When you take him in for his 12-month check up tell your pediatrician your concerns. Mine referred me to Early Childhood Connections/Child Find (that's what they called it in Colorado--it may have a different name here). We got free services from the school district that provided us with an in-home speech pathologist. She was wonderful. Now my son is in the gifted and talented program. So, do not worry, just ask around until you get in touch with the right people.

Blessings and best of luck to you!

My daughter didn't actually use many words until she was close to two (now almost 4 and fully verbal). Like your son, she didn't ask for a lot of things either and to this day she still doesn't. She is an incredibly content child. I did start using sign language (easy stuff like more, apple, milk ect.) to communicate with her, but as her language skills developed I soon learned this tactic was more for me then for her. I had the advantage of having a mother who constantly reminded me that I was a late communicator (almost 3). I think some kids are just more content, happy and easy going. They currently have little reason to vocalize, but this will change. If you are still worried try sign language because it teaches them social skills and is great for development.

Some times they jsut fo not want to talk. My oldest son started talking where we could understand him at almost three. My oldest daughter is almost three and does not talk wither. She leaves out slables but she is ok she will grow out of it jsut like my son did. Everyone goes at their own speed. Give him time.

sometimes kids dont talk till they know they can for me my kids didnt walk and then one day they got up and started walking with out any help. give him time

I don't think you have anything to worry about. When my 2yr old was just one, the only thing he would say was; ya ya all the time. I was worried too. But he just started talking more and more and now has a very extensive vocab for a 2yr old. Its amazing the stuff he picks up, i know you always hear that, but until you see it for your own eyes it sounds like something people say to make you feel better.

It broke my heart cause he took so long to even say "mama", or "bye bye" forever it seemed. But once he did (just 2 and a couple of months) and saw our reaction, he started saying it more and more. Then new words worked their way in. I also suggest Baby Einstein DVDs, you can buy them cheap on ebay.

Also, whatever you say to him on a regular basis is what he will say. For example my little one was saying "bless you" after someone sneezes, before he could say very many other words!

Anyways, DON'T worry! If he is 1-1/2, and absolutely no improvement, you might talk to your pediatrician and see what you can do to get the little guy talking. By the way your not a new mom! You've almost got a year under your belt! :)

I really don't think you have too much to worry about when he's 11 months old. You have to remember that every child grows at different rates. For example, my oldest daughter was more advanced than other kids her age when she was a baby. She was learning how to speak words and phrases very clearly. But she lacked in her abilities to crawl, walk and run. My youngest daughter, however, was the complete opposite. So you see I really don't think you have too much to worry about. Both of my children are very different in their own ways. If what I am telling you isn't helping then when he goes in for his 12 month appointment, let his pediatrician know your concerns.

My son didnt do much talking until two, ask your mom or grandmother (and in-laws) when you and your husband started talking. If you are extremely concerned have his hearing checked. But I think he is fine, different babies work on different skills at different times. I would think he can hear fine because of the so big thing. AF wife to AF wife.