Not Talking Alot at 23 Months?? Is That Normal??

Hi, Please do not be nervous about this not talking enough situation or about an evaluation. My nephew is 21 months and only has 4 or 5 actual words, Mama, Dada, Up, Nu (for "No" and Yah for "yes", and Babu for my name which is B., everything else he uses the first letter of the word for, such as "s", for squirrel, strawberry, stop, sit, or "K" for cookie, kitchen, cold, "b" for Barney, balloon, etc. Last week, at my niece's request, because everyone was driving her crazy, the pediatrician had an evaluator come to their home to interact with Joshua. They said he is low average with the actual words, but because he has 5 words, they will not give him early intervention and say he will be re-evaluated at 24months.
Also, on a cognative level, such as following instructions, and pointing out different objects he was asked to identify aaround the room or in a storybook, they said he was high average. There is a great advantage to having your child evaluated; there is nothing to be ashamed or worried about. These days because most kids start pre-pre school at 2 years or younger, we are so anxious that they be able to have a conversation when they are very young. When my son was little he had a few words at 20-24 mos and on the day of his second birthday he said, "Happy Birthday Scott", and started adding more words everyday after that. That was 45 years ago when we didn't expect our kids to be verbally well-endowed before the age of two. Do not worry that your child has a problem. If he understands what you are saying when you speak to him, follows simple directions and can point out objects in a toddler's book, he most likely is developingjust as he should but at his own pace. Also, if he makes eye contact when spoken to and pays attention to what's going on around him and tries to engage you in what he's doing, and tries to relate what he wants by hand motions, don't worry. However, if he doesn't do these things, you should discuss this with his pediatrician.

There is an excellent video that you might want to get called Baby Chatterbox -Developing Early Speech. I found it on Amazon.com and it is for ages 3mos to 30mos and you can probably get it in a regular video store as well. On Amazon it is Item #29295 DVD or #29296 VHS for $19.95.

Good luck, and let us know how everything works out.

Grandma in Westchester

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One of my sons is in fact speech delayed and had about as many words as yours does when he was two. I am a special education teacher and know that all kids develop at their own rate however, by two and a half I got him evaluated by our states birth to three program. He has gotten wonderful in- home care and is now in a preschool staffed by certified specialists (as well as typical and special ed peers). My advice is if you can get intervention early...don't be scared but rather take advantage.

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Hello,i have a son who will be 2 tommorow, he also is not speaking that much. he says maybe 10 words, but mostly with just the vowel sounds. I had early intervention come to my house back in october, they said he has a delay in speech but is advanced in everything else, so they were unable to help us untill he turned 2 years old. I am going to call them back to get some help, its free and even if there is no problem it doesnt hurt to have them come to your house. My dr. said my son has a large tounge so his speech will be delayed, but its hard to sit with him all daylike i used too, i also have a 2 month old son. My dr. recommended to read to him as much as possible, and this will help him.. The company i used was called Up We Grow. They were great with him.I wouldnt worry, but like i said call early intervention and see what they say. Like i said it may be nothing, and you will feel better once you have him evaluated.I was nervous also but you have to look at it that its for the best.I hope i helped you feel not as nervous. Good luck with your son.

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You should have him evaluated...if he is normal otherwise, but not talking or mispronouncing words he could have trouble hearing.

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As you know every child is different. My first was speaking..literally speaking sentences at 16 mths. My second barely spoke at 24 mths. Then at 26 mths he just started talking as if he's been doing it for months. The best advice I can say to calm any fears is to get an evaluation. The only investment is your time and it will calm your fears and if this case arises, get your child the help needed at an early age. Call your ped and he can get the number for the county or state for your evaluation. Best of everything.

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What caught my eye with your post is that you mentioned you were nervous about a speech eval - having been thru that twice, there's nothing to worry about...

Your son will be fine, he'll either grow out of it on his own, or with a little help...nothing to worry about!

Have a great weekend.
J.

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My daughter was not saying much either at 2 years old so we had her evaluated on our own the Docter kept saying it was normal. She had a few ear infections so my concern was what exactly was she hearing and was it clear. the evaluation went well they came right to the home and as soon as they walked in and Natalie responded to their comments or statements they said she had very good understanding of everything so just based on that she would not qaulify for help. she even made up her own sign language to get things across to us. Now she is 2 and 9 months and talks up a storm and sentences not always real clear but its there and she even stutters a little because its all in there but her mouth is not going as fast as her brain. she is my second child. so as long as you feel your son follows directions and has eye contact and responds in some way he is probable just taking his time. they also recommended she be in a group of other children with out me there so she would have to talk. Jan I put her in a school that had a 2 year old program and just after that she was talking up a storm.

hope this helps

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When my child was 2 he was not really talking that much. His daycare said he would barely talk while he was there. I took him to be evaluated to see if he needed services. He did. They do a series of simple evaluations from social, emotional, language etc. The therapist came to my house on the weekends (you determine schedule) and gave him 1 hour services. (it includes play therapy, word recognition, pronunciation and other skills). He received them until he was three. (in NY it's called early intervention.) I HIGHLY RECCOMMEND getting any service your child may need at an early stage. It is free, and your child will do better later on. You can get it in public or private school.
After three years it's called something else (I forgot the name), I continued the service in a private school (which was also free). He had three teachers to 12 students. It turns out that he had stuttering issues. Fast forward. he is now 7 1/2 and in the second grade. He is very intelligent, talks more than ever (slight stuttering) and plays the trumpet. I have him in a CTT class, which is a regular class, but with 2 teachers where one has a special ed degree. Many regular parents want their kids in a CTT class because they know their child will get extra attention and not be lost in a large class with only one teacher. The school work is very challenging and he can keep up with the others.

Good Luck with your child. Better to catch any speech issues early than late.

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You can always have him screened to be on the safe side. My niece is going to be 2 in a few weeks and she barely says anything - she was screened and they told her mother that she is saying enough at this stage. It was suggested to teach her sign language so that she will be able to communicate more clearly. She was a preemie though and that has a lot to do with it. Every kid is different - just wait - he'll probably start saying EVERYTHING all of the sudden and you'll be amazed!

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L.,

I wouldn't worry too much about it. I didn't really talk until I was 3 years old. I would whine and point and get what I wanted so I didn't have a need to really talk. Once I started though I never stop. I'm 29 and the mother of a 7 year old and I still talk a lot. My parents have said that I am making up for the lost time!

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Having your son evaluated is not a bad thing at all. The evaluation will only allow you to understand where the problem lies and what you can do to help him. There is nothing that you did to cause this. When my son went to his 1 year check up the doctor suggested that he be evaluated and I brushed it off. When I went to his 2 year check up again I brushed it off saying "well, he just turned 2 and shouldn't be expected to communicate like all 2 year olds".

Finally as his 3rd birthday came and went I had him evaluated and was told that his speech is about 6 1/2 months behind. I was devesated. I was supposed to take him to another hospital to continue his evaluations but watched as his speech slowly improved when he went to school. It believe part of the delay was the fact that he was at home with the sitter and the only other child there was delayed and hardly ever spoke. Now that he is around many,many children all day long you can't stop him. Allow him to socialize. Send him to day care for part of the day to be around other children his age. Stop worrying he will be fine. Don't be afraid to have the evaluation. The earlier you do it the better.Don't wait until the other baby comes you are going to have your hands full.

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I also used Early Intervention seervices by calling the Health Department in my county,. I eas so nervous about the evaluation, I called and hung up three times. In retrospect how silly!!
A speech therapist and an educational evaluator came to my house and interviewed me and my 22 mo old daughter. They found her to be in the 23rd percentile, and she qualified for therapy. A WONDERFUL woman came to our house three times a week, and worked with my daughter until her 3rd birthday. My daughter still remembers working with her speech therapist and learning "Sammy snake slithered through the slippery grass" (she had a lot of trouble with "S" sounds). The speech therapist even visited her at the GS camp i worked at and my daughter attended as a Pixie at the age of 2 1/2 After that she had speech therapy in school until 4th grade. Also you must know that in the 7th grade a pediatric neurologist diagnosed my daughter as having a very high functioning case of Asbergers Syndrome. She has an IQ of 142, but her social skills are just not there... Her diagnosis explained so much of what was wrong in her life. She had been compensating well until puberty, but after the diagnoses, looking back at her life, so much fit together of what seemed "off" all her life, and the speech delay was part of that. Most of the time it is not a part of any Autism Spectrum disorder, but in our case it was. Don't put off the evaluation. Put your mind at ease, and give your child the tools he meeds to succeed.

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Why don't you relax, wait and see? Maybe he's just exploring different possibilities. I think we put a lot of pressure on our children do what a book or person says is the right way to do it. One of my kids read the book and the other had his own style and speed completely. Both are fine.

Also, we are a bilingual household and both my kids flipped from first exploring both languages (I think choosing the easiest words of either), to speaking strictly one language then later only the other. Who knows why? Eventually they spoke both (beautifully).

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Albert Einestein didn't talk until he was four years old and he was the worlds smartest man. Don't worry. When he's got something interesting to say, he'll say it.

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Usually children put two words together by the time they are two years old. Of course there is a range.

In order to rule out any hearing loss, I think it would be a good idea for you to take your child to an audiologist and Ear Nose and Throat doctor to screen his hearing. Children that age can have problems with their middle ears and won't be able to hear enough in order to develop language properly. In the meantime it is important to talk directly to him in small sentences and make sure you encourage him to to answer your questions. For example if you ask him if he wants something and he points or grunts, show him the object and put say the word to the object and then give him the object and say the word again.

I am a mother of two. I am also an audiologist and a mother of a hearing impaired son.

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My son just turned 2 last week and I had concerns with his speech. I called early intervention a few weeks ago to get a speech eval done. They came and indicated that he qualified for services -which I was happy about & very sad about at the same time. I knew he should be talking better but I hated hearing it! At his 2 yr. well baby appointment our ped. said he would have recommended an eval. if we hadn't of already had it done. If you feel something's not right, call and get an eval. done. You may be pleasantly surprised to hear your son is fine - but atleast if he does need services he'll receive them. Just think - you'll be helping your son and ensuring success in the future. I'm preg. with #2 as well and due May 7 - I feel like I'll know some early signs to look for now that I've spoken to a speech therapist and have an idea of what a child should be doing at different ages. Good luck!

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my daughter only used a few words until a few months after she turned 2, when her vocabulary blew up. now i can't keep her quite!

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why not get him checked out. either your mind will be put at ease if there is nothing wrong or he will start to get the help he needs. i dont know how it is in other places, but here if a child is diagnosed by a certain age, he is entitled to all sorts of things thru early intervention. specialists come to your house, and he might start special programs, and its all free. it is proven that early intervention vastly improves any type of delay, the earlier the better. im not saying you should be overly concerned at what you described, as my neighbor had her son evaluated for the same thing and he was fine. but if there is something wrong, wouldnt you want to have every resource available to help him. i would never forgive myself if my children had a problem and i didnt do everything possible to help them. thats our responsibility as parents since they cant make these decisions themselves. really, its not a big deal. i would insist it now to get it over and done with so i could either act or be at ease. good luck to you are your son!!!

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http://www.birth23.org/

I have to say that every child is diffrent, but 23 months is pushing it a little,

You can call birth 23 program , its free and they will do the evaluation and let you know what you can do and if he even needs help, they send a therapist righ to the house, so no worries,

My youngest who is turning 2 on April 18th, had developmental delays, at 8 months he could not even roll over, which was amajor concern for me because i had 2 other children whom were walking at 8 months and 10 months

So needless to say i wass quite concerned and aware that something was NOT right,the doctor said WAIT and see

but i knew in my heart that he was delayed,NOT mentally but physically.

So i called, i felt better safe than sorry,

they came and did the evaluation and said yes he is mildly delayed, but enough ot set up a schedule for him

they said that most parents and doctors wait TOO long, so that it becomes a Larger problem and it makes it harder for them to catch up.

Long story short, he went from a child who couldn't roll over at 8 months to WALKING at 12 months and 2weeks.

This same child who will be 2 in on the 18th, can talk up a storm, he says please and thank you and mommy i want more milk, mommy I need a clean bum, he sings the clean up song, and dances around the house, knows how to sweep the floor, can count to 10 ( except missing numbers 4 and 9 lol)
knows some of his ABC's , and can say several words in russian, I could go on ,

But my point here is DON"T wait until its too late, call them and let them decide as to what his needs are,

He can be perfectly fine, just with MINOR delays,

You wouldn't avoid the doctors office if your child had the flu, or a cut on his arm, so don't do it now,please call them

its worth it,trust me,

Good luck
and congrats!!

M

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Hi L., My name is Mary and I have raised 5 children, now helping with my grandchildren. Some take a little more time than others. My daughter didn't really speak until almost three and since then she has not stopped(she's 39) Mine were at a time before early intervention but after working in the school system for many years I see that it is not so bad to have an evaluation if you are concerned. They say that Albert Einstein didn't speak until 4 years old. Let him develop in his owm time. Never compare children, just love them. Mary

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I wouldn't panic because I believe more and more boys are taking longer to really talk.......but I would get an evaluation too. If there is any "issue" you can tackle it before he goes to kindergarten and most likely "cure" it. Early intervention is absolutely the best and will be covered by your school district even if he is not yet in school. I know moms trying to get their kids services even though they are really barely qualifying just because it can be so beneficial. HTH

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I had the same issue with my 18 month old. He wasn't saying anything other than really grunting. The doc's were concerned and had me call early intervention. It was actually great. They did a thorough evaluation and suggested speech therapy with him (he is also a preemie) and he's really come along. It's not a big deal and nice to know that you can get great help for pennies. They have been so great and he loves it. I have a lot of friends and family who've been through the same thing. Some have 3-year-olds not saying much. Instead of worrying, just be proactive and reach out. It's always better to know and have it taken care of than to worry about it. Good luck.

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I do understand and can relate to what your going through right now. My son was around that age and he was not saying much words either and getting frustrated when he had to communicate his feelings because we couldn't understand what he was trying to say. My pediatrician did recommend me to have him evaluated and I did and they found nothing was wrong with his development. He is now 2 and a half and will be 3 in May and he is speaking so much more. I am glad that I did the evaluation and I am really happy that he came out his shell. I just really think he was not ready to start speaking and now he is and I can't get him to stop. I hope this was helpful.

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Hi L.!

I just wanted to tell you that I am a speech therapist, and we are not so bad! Seriously, I understand your reluctance - I actually faced the same fears with my son and his motor development, and I work with the PT's! But you probably should get it checked out, especially if he has had any colds or ear infections, which may have left him with fluid in his ears. I would start with a hearing evaluation, and talk to your doctor about whether or not he/she feels a speech eval is recommended. Typically, we expect a 2 year old to be putting 2 words together (e.g. my juice, mommy nose, etc.). A lot depends on how old he was when he started talking. If he said his first words at 12 months, then to still be at the same level would indicate the need for an evaluation. If he just started a couple of months ago, I would give it some time, but still it is a good idea to get his hearing checked, given that he is changing the way he says some of his words.

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My daughter is 22 months old and barely talks excet for saying, mama, dada, and yeah. Not much more than this. We had her evaluated by early intervention( through the state) and althought she did qualify , we decided to wait until after her 2nd birthday. Our DR. says to wait intil she is closer to 3 to be concerned. I don't agree with that because I have 4 others , one that we waited until 3 and landed up in speech theraoy until he was in 5th gr. My suggestion would be talk to your DR, see what he says but also consider going through early intervention and see what they say. Her speech could be slowly evovling . It could just be a matter of time. If they see something , you could get a private evaluation. We plan until waiting until after ours turns 2 and then if nothing gets better, follow with therapy. Don't wait until 3--- it's too late. Most kids are definatley talking by then and it can become very frustrating for the child. Good Luck with everything!!

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I just had my 20 month old evaluated (he barely says dada, he really has to be prompted) He never babbled, and he never calls me, he only grunts and points.
The therapist says that he has a slight delay but he is also the youngest of 3 (I have a 5 year old daughter and an almost 3 year old daughter) The therapist told me to stop anticipating what he wants and to make him ask or say what he wants. I usually have the girls "bugging" me or talking, so as soon as he grunts or motions for something I just hand it to him. I also noticed that I seem to ask him "yes" or "no" questions because he nods when I ask him a question.
I just had the testing done this week so I am really trying to be more vigilant in making him say things. We'll see how it goes.

I hope this helps.

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Hi L.,
As long as your son is saying some words and they don't all sound the same, I think it's fine. There's quite a range when it comes to speech in toddlers. Some are saying complete sentences and others are hardly speaking. My son(now 19)didn't start really talking until he was 3 and our pediatrician never had any concerns. Just read to your son as much as possible and talk to him. He'll take everything in and when he's ready, he'll really start talking. Good luck!!
K. O.

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Every child develops differently. My kids spoke early....three and four word sentences by the age of 18 months, yet I have friends who's children barely spoke at all until they turned 3. Don't be nervous about a speech evaluation, my 3 1/2 year old nephew is going through that process now and it is really not a big deal. Better to deal with issues early so if there is a problem you can get him on track before it is time to start pre-school. There are many free programs through the county and school districts, so help, if he needs it doesn't even have to cost you a penny and some programs will schedule the speech therapists to come right to your house. Good Luck.

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My daughter is only twelve months, but my aunt and uncle had a similar problem. Their son, my cousin Roy, is now five years old and you can't get him to stop talking. BUT at age three he was hardly saying anything at all. They took him to specialists, who concluded through various tests that he was of above average intelligence in every area besides speech. No therapy needed, and sure enough by age four he was talking as much as anyone his age.

His father didn't talk at all until age four. I know this case is not average, but I have heard from doctors and various parents that at two years old, alot of children have a "speech explosion."

Always follow your gut. If you aren't worried, then you're probably right. But if you feel funny about it, and the doctor suggests a speech eval, then why not?

GOOD LUCK!! :)

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It's good that he is talking but it seems like at his age you would expect more words (even two word combos)...however all kids do develop at their own pace. I think it would be a good idea to mention it to the pediatrician because if he does get a speech evaluation and require that service, success at early ages is the most effective!! The earlier kids get therapy the faster and more positive the results of that therapy. I am not a speech therapist so it's hard to say at what age they should have more words but I am a school psychologist in a preschool disabled program and I can affirmatively say that our students who recieved therapy at early ages have the most success!! If you talk to the doctor (and the doc may say to wait and see) it may be a good idea to call Early Intervention with your county and investigate with a speech therapist and even a full developmental evaluation, to determine if he does need therapy (the sooner the better) ...good luck! I truly hope it all works out for you and your son!

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hello! yes, you do need to be concerned. please do not delay & have him evaluated by early intervention. my first son at 18 months old old was talking a little & lost his words. he was then diagnosed with verbal apraxia. on the other hand, my second son was was 23 months & just babbling but no real words & then he had a burstof words a few months later..he's fine. both of my sons are doing great now! i'm sorry to seem a little foward, it's just that i've seen it before where parents delay & think...oh, talking will just come in time...and that's not always the case. your child will be fine either way! good luck!

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my daughter was a late talker and didn't pronounce words clearly. When she was 2 I was concerned and thought she should get a speech evaluation. Her Dr. said to wait and see. At her 3 yr check again wait and see. Now at 3 1/2 she is going for her evaluation next week. Don't put it off. If he needs it, it can't hurt him, it can only help. Hopefully in enough time before he's going to school full time. I know it's an aweful feeling listening to other kids talking and wondering is something wrong with my child. Lots of luck to you.

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Hi L.,

My son was not saying much at 2 either. We had his speech evaluated and it is completely painless - just seeing how well he can name pictures and how well he understands questions. We ended up bringing my son for speech therapy and he has done wonderfully! It is much easier to take care of any problems early on, or to just ease your mind to know that there are no problems to worry about. After 1 year of therapy, my son has gone from being 6 months behind age level speech ablitly to 3 months ahead of age level. I am so glad I did this.

Best of luck to you.

B.

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L.,
Don't worry at all about your son's lack of speech at this age. My son, Matthew, is 34 months old, and when he was your son's age, we were equally concerned. Matthew spoke just about the same amount of words as your son, and then he turned two, and within a couple of months, his speech EXPLODED. Now, at 34 months, his vocab is somewhere between ###-###-#### words. Incredible. He used to change what he called people, too, as your son does. Matthew would go back and forth between "Ama", Gramma, Grammy and etc for my mother, and our dog, Carlin, was called "Non". It all came together in just a couple of months, so just hold on tight- you are in for a ride! It helped exposing him to other children just a bit older than him, too, as he is an only child. Good luck and God bless you and yours, V.

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By 23 mos he should be putting 2 words together, a great resource is Birth To Three. You can get a full developmental eval to see if he qualifies for any services, provided in your home. the number is 800-505-7000.

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It is very normal for boys to talk later than girls. Chances are your pediatrician will not recommend a speech evaluation just yet.

My middle son was a little over 2 years old when he finally starting talking and in 1 year I could tell he wan't progressing with certain letters so I asked the ped about it. She sent me for a speech evaluation in which my son was diagnosed with a speech disorder, however they did not recommend intervention until he was 3 years and 8 months of age. So we will go back at that time see if he has gotten any better with our help, if not only then will they give therpy for it.

Good Luck!

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Hi L.,

My daughter was 18 months and was not making any sounds. Prior to this she called me "Meemo" for mommy and made other sounds, then she stopped completely. She was my first child but I noticed this immediately because at the time I was babysitting another toddler (female) who seemed to talk up a storm. I brought my daughter to the Pediatrian and he ears were filled with fluid - no ear infections - ever - just fluid. The then directed me to "Birth to Three" that is in my state and a speech therapist came to the house once a week. I worked with my daughter too. The pediatrician gave her something to clear her ears and she was talking in complete sentences in about 9 months.

Do not worry - just have your child see a doctor and I am sure it will work itself out.

Good luck and bless you both.

C.

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Hi Lynne

I am a speech-language pathologist and my speciality is working with toddlers and preschoolers. YES....you need to be concerned. By age two, most toddlers have an expressive vocabulary of over 100 words and are beginning to combine words. They can produce many early developing sounds: m, b, d, t, p, n and vowels in simple one and two syllable words (bat, pig, mama, dada, bottle, etc). It is very important that you speak to your doctor about this and get a referral to early intervention services. In New York, these services are through the health department. The providers meet you at your home and provide services there with you involved. Children make an enormous amount of progress in this type of setting. It is scary for the parents, because you don't want something to be wrong. But if you delay, more than likely your child will not progress as quickly as he would if he had services. THe mother's "gut" is correct.....please don't let your pediatrician talk you out of it....sometimes they will say the child will "grow out of it". Most of the parents of the kids I have seen said there child didn't grow out of it and wished they had started services sooner. The services are federally funded and are therefore FREE to all tax payers. PLEASE, do not delay. And feel free to email me back if you have more questions......I would love to know what happens.

E.
____@____.com

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My son did not talk until he was 2 1/2. And even then it was broken speech and very difficult to understand. We did have him evaluated by Birth to 3. He scored very low in speech but normal across the board otherwise.

We had a speech therapist come to the house once every two weeks and to help us help him.

I took digital pics of all his things. His cups, favorite toys, the cat, the dog, my car. And everyday we would flip through that book 100 times. And before you know it, he was saying the words all by himself.

The other thing we started is everynight we talk about what we did that day. It started with me going through our day from breakfast to bedtime. And then before long he would repeat words after me. For example, I would say "And then we went to the mall." And he would say. "MALL."
Then when his vocab started to grow he would have to tell me one thing we did today. Now, he tells me everything we did today.

He just needed a push in the right direction. We all needed a push to get out of the rut of him pointing and me fetching.
You know your child best. And if you think he is doing ok, I am sure he is. If you are concerned there is no harm in doing an evaluation.
Good Luck to You!

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Our son was at his 2 year well check-up when the pediatrician suggested that we seek early intervention for him because he said less than the recommended amount of words. You really should follow your instincts and do what's necessary.
Happy to say that our boy is 6ish now and won't stop talking, but there were many months of worrying for us.....

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L.,
Don't be nervous about getting him evaluated. It can only help. I don't know what state you're in, but in NY your child could receive services for free up until he is three.My son was born with issues and he started all services at a very you age(pt ot speech) and I have to say if it wasn't for all the support he got when he was young he wouldn't be the smart articulate 7 year old he is today.
If youdo decide to have him evaluateed and he does need speech therapy, getting him the service while he is young may help to avoid problems in the future. I am speaking from experience, Ive seen too many people who were afraid to have their child tested,for whatever the reason may be, and eventually the child would wind up getting services once he got into school.
My advice to you is get him evaluated it can't hurt and if it turns out that he doesn't need services, great...but if he does you've just proved what a great mother you are by doing all you can for your son.
M.

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Hi L.-
My son did not speak alot, and I had him evaluated for speech. It was the best thing I could have done. He is 27 months now and repeats everything that is said to him. He still gets speech 3x a week, but he is speaking so much better as far as being able to understand what he is saying. If you are concerned, you should call Early Start for an evaluation. Someone will come to your home and evaluate your son. If he is eligible, they will come to your house and work with him. It's good to get him started early if he needs speech.
Let me know what happens-
K.

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My uncle didn't speak until he was 4 years old.....and now we can't shut him up! LOL. My daughters spoke in twin speech, and they speak fine now. Speak to him as you would speak to a 5 year old, don't say ba-ba for bottle, bo-bo for pacifier, etc. When he has something to say he'll say it.

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There really isn't any down side to having him evaluated, whether the pediatrician recommends it or not. That way you can either put your fears to rest, or take action if he needs a little stimulation to get his talking going. If he would benefit from some help, that doesn't mean there's anything wrong with him or that you are facing anything major. My advice is, focus on what a great kid you have and how you can help him the most.

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Why don't you start by getting his ears checked, before you get all nervous. My godson, who is 3 had the same problem and when he did finally speak, his speech was slurred. Turns out, he had something like 85% hearing loss due to infections and needed tubes in his ears. He had the surgery and all is great. If his ears turn out to be fine, then do what you must as his mother and take him to be evaluated. Better to know and be able to handle the problem if there is one, and if there isn't one, you can take a breath and relax. Don't panic, just get your facts and handle the situation accordingly. Good luck L.!

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Don't be nervous about getting him evaluated. If you are concerned and that is what the child needs, just move on from there.

My step MIL (not a nice person) didn't think our oldest son was speaking soon enough, so she had him tested behind our backs. That is not something I recomend anyone do without the parents knowledge. Boy was my husband pissed!!! When he did start talking, he did have a lisp. He took speach therapy in school and the problem was easily corrected. He always has been a very good student and is doing very well for himself.

BTW We did what was best for my son for speech just as we would have for a medical issue. Didn't need Step MIL to help with our parenting, we did just fine.

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L.,

I am a full-time working mother and have a 34 month old boy. I also have a 9 year old, soon to be 10, daughter. The differences between the two are like night and day. My daughter was speaking paragraphs by this age and my son is MUCH more reserved. He too was saying words that were the norm (mama, dada, sissy, doggie) but did stop saying things for a small period of time. For my husband and myself, we felt like it was an eternity. He was being watched by an elderly couple and had no other children around. So we thought that we should get him into a daycare center to get him with other children his own age.

He was at the center a small time before we started to see an improvement in his speech, but still felt that he should be evaluated. So with all that being said, the speech pathologist came in and did the eval and the recommendation was that he was not delayed and that given time, with the other children he would be fine.

It has been about 2 months from that eval and you would not believe the difference in his speech. The only advice that I could give you to make you feel any better is to be patient and work everyday with your child. If that means reading biiks every night before he goes to sleep, or having him repeat things that you say (make it a game)THEN JUST DO IT.

S. D.

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