Speech and Vocabulary Concerns at 22 Months Old

If you are having concerns regarding you child's speech, It is certainly not too early to engage early intervention. There is no reason to delay an evaluation that can only end 2 ways. Either 1. your child will get services to improve his speech and make his communication smoother or 2. They will rule out your concerns . It's really a win win situation. EI will only service a child until they are 3, and then they are switched to their school system, so why not take advantage of a great program. Good Luck

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Hi L.,
It is great of you to be considering intervention. I would highly recommend it. Our first son was having difficulty and speech did wonders for him. Our 2nd will be evaluated after his hearing test next month. I would recommend a hearing test just so you know there isn't anything being over looked. We could tell our first son was having trouble hearing, but not to the extent it was. And he never said anything when the fluid in his ears built up again and the trouble got worse. He could barley hear out of one ear!! Anyhow, 2 sets of tubes and 2yr of speech and he is a different little boy!
You could try modeling speech at home, slow your rate of speech drastically, and make fun games out of trying to say thing correctly.
Good luck to you!!
M.

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My son Austin is 3 1/2 almost and when he was a year and a half, I started bothering people to evaluate my son's speech. The group was called Area agency (they have since changed their name) and they kept telling me he was delayed but not enough, just before he turned 2 they finally came to the house and checked him out a 2nd time, and said okay he's delayed we'll give him speech therapy. You should definitely have him evaluated. They will come to your house to do speech therapy until he is 3 the DAY he turns 3 he is turned over to the school system. I notices some improvements from ages 2-3 but noticed the biggest since he got into the school system and since he turned 3.

don't give up, even if they say he's fine, keep bugging them for therapy.

good luck

D.

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Hi L.,
I am a speech language pathologist. Though I don't work with toddlers, I do know that it is not too early to get him checked out. You mentioned drooling. To me that may mean he might have some oral motor weakness which is an easy fix with some daily exercises and speech intervention. I would speak to your pediatrician about it. It won't hurt just to get him evaluated. You'll probably feel better too!
Don't worry, he will be fine!
S.

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get in touch with your local Early Intervention program.. it's free, and they will evaluate him and get him the therapies needed to get him up to speed. Anyone can request services, so just call and say your child has some sort of speech delay. He should have more words than 5.. he could just be holding back or there could be an issue.. get it checked out to be sure.. good luck

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Hello L.,
My best friend felt the same way you did when her daughter turned two. Friends & family thought her daughter was fine. However, for piece of mind, she had early intervention come in and evaluate her daughter. Funny, but by the time they came she was speaking better and they felt that she didn't have any issues. She's 2.5 now and speaks perfect.
One suggestion they gave to her, was to read "Brown, Brown, Bear, what do you see" etc. It's a very basic book with simple words. Khols sells these books for $5.00. Good luck!

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Hi,
My son also was a "late talker". What you are describing sounds very familiar. It is never too early to get Early Intervention involved, that's what they are there for. Although they are happy to see any child, they are also happy to say that your child is ok and services won't be necessary. They can do an eval to see if services are warranted. Talk to your pedi, or make the referral yourself. If it makes you feel better then mission accomplished. Good luck to you both!

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Go and have him tested. My daughter did the same and it turned out that she had low muscle tone in the back of her mouth. She was having difficulty forming words. Her speech teacher said now you know once it starts there is no turning back. She has talked non stop since she was 3! Good luck!

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Hi L.,

You story sounds very similar to my Nephew. Smart as a whip and very talkative, just can't make out anything he says. My brother had him tested and he was found to smart for some interventions but he was put through for speech therepy through the school system at 2 1/2. He had to recieve this before he was 3 in order to get the school system to pay for it. When he turned 3 he had an IEP done and still recieves services through the school department. It has helped greatly and he speaks so much better.

You should definately have him tested and see what services you are offered. Better to jump on it earlier than waiting to long!!!

S.

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Hi,

I know some kids who attend my son's day care (almost 3), who don't really say much. It's probably too early to worry about it. Maybe you should talk to your pediatrictian at the next visit and express your concerns. I'm sure they will mention if you should see a specialist or not.

My son is 21 months and talks a ton, but all kids are different. I've read that if they are developing quickly in some areas, then they don't develop as fast in others.

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L.
its definitely not too young to get EI involved. Jibber jabber and expressiveness mean that he has communicative intent but is really good. EI may rule out Apraxia in which kids have difficuly formulating the words (but no difficulties with understanding). If they pick him up and give him services it can't hurt. Is also not uncommon for kids to engage in jibber jabber for a while and then suddenly start talking. I think that calling EI can't hurt and may be helpful for him. EI serves until age 3. In Needham its Riverside Early Intervention. I would suggest a hearing test definitely because its hard to now if there aren't subtle sound differentiation difficulties that are making it difficult for them to hear certain sounds and therefore formulate the words.

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it's not too soon for early intervention...there may also be a physical issue with the muscles responsible for speech..I know of a couple of 2 year old boys with this problem..i would ask pediatrician for help

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Hi there~ I have a 3 year old and he sounds just like your two year old. He only had about 5-8 words at about 26 months and I was very concerned. All of his other skills were right on target, even advanced. Some times, children compensate for a slight delay in speech and become very expressive in other ways. I found that reading to him, pointing things out, explaining things to him in very articulate easy words helped a lot. Colors, shapes and animals help. Also, Sesame street helps and baby Einstein movies help. Does your child interact with other kids? Smile? Play with toys that are age appropriate....it seems he does. I know boys sometimes are a little bit behind when it comes to toilet training and speech. Don't worry it sounds like he has a good personality, It is never to soon to do early intervention to have him assessed. He is probably frustrated he can't talk and may even have a lazy tounge just keep trying and stay positive and make sure relatives help. The more the better, let your pediatrician know! My son is now 3 and I did all of that and he is saying sentences and can name things and colors and even have an engaging conversation.
Good luck!!
C.

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I would definitely get a referral to EI from your doctor. EI only happens until a child is 3 years old. Once they are three, the public school system will get involved.

My friend's child wasn't really talking at two. They did hearing checks, and they did a referral to EI. EI suggested he attend a playgroup once a week, and they also worked with him. My little friend is just fine. He loved attending the playgroup. (He's 3 now.) His speech is fine. He doesn't stop talking now. So cute.

Some kids experience speech delays, but EI is a wonderful, and you will be proactive about the situation, which will only benefit your child.

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hi L...definately not too early for early interevention(EI)..actually a perfect time. EI is only birth to 3 years old...so make the referral..it's free and you will be surprised how soon your son will be talking with some Speech Therapy...

(in westfield ma) it's Thom Westfield Infant & Toddler program..

good luck!

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Hi L.,
I don't think you have anything to worry about, as I have had many friends with children (mostly boys) who did not blossom language-wise until after 2. If his receptive language is strong (following directions), and you don't have any other concerns, then it is probably just his own timing. But I do feel it is worthwhile to get early intervention involved. They can help with speech therapy and help you help him on a daily basis. Also, have his hearing tested. My son seemed to hear well, but when we had him tested, he was chuck-a-block full of fluid and needed tubes. He was apparently just following other cues (pointing, gesturing, body language) to do what we asked. Best of luck!

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It is not to early to look at an evaluation. Some testing may be just what you need to do to find out what you can do to help your little one and if there are underlying problems like slightly low muscle tone. Better to address it now.

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It is Not too early for Early Intervention. Some may say so..but the sounds like he really needs it. My son ws under two when I had him evaluated and he was at a 9 month old level for speech! Do Not listen to anyone saying 'boys are slow' or 'my son etc had issues and he is fine now' you need to get him the help he needs so he can be happy and conmunicate with everyone..my son rememebrs not being able to talk (we had Up, Down,. Yes & No) and he said he was sad. One of the happiest days was when he called 'mommy' the 1st time!!

He is 5 1/2 now and started singing at 4 1/2!! no one can tell he had a speech issue and he had speech for 2 of more years. It is a Godsend. Call on your own or get a referral from your Pedi.

What town are you in? we are near Amherst, so our services were out of Nashua and we chose Sunrise Chilren's Center when he turned 3 and went into the school system..they deal with speech and Occupation services amazingly.

Drop me a note of you have nay quesitons. Godo Luck..you will cry with happiness when he is able to say the things he wants too!

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Hi L. l

My DS didn't speck till after his 2nd birthday and now we can't get him to be quite, so i think there is no need to worry, but if you need to speck to his pedi and call early intervention. After the check up, you can go back to having lots of fun with your blessing.

J.

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L.,
First I want to say my son is only 5 months so I haven't been through this first hand yet. But a friend of mine had a daughter that just went through the same thing. Her daughter would babble and we'd have no idea what she was saying. My friend was recently telling me that they went for her daughter's 2 year doctor's appointment and the doctor told her she needs to make her daughter talk more. Basically my friend was figuring out what her daughter needed because she would point rather than say the word. So the doctor said they need to make her say what it is she needs instead of allowing her to point. She wasn't talking because she was getting everything she needed by pointing. Does this make sense? So my friend was really impressed how quickly her daughter started talking and was putting sentences together once they started making her say what she needs. So if you're doing something similar (giving your son what he needs with out "making" him say what he needs) then I would suggest you try this.

If this isn't what is happening I would defnitely recommend getting him evaluated. My older sister has a masters in social work and education administration and I have a friend who works with kids with autism. Both talk about the importance of early intervention if there is an issue. The earlier you start to fix the problem the better in the long run. I'm not sure how it is in NH but I know in MA that if a child is diagnosed with an issue the child is automatically given some sort of assistance or therapy starting at age 3 and its covered by the state. I hope some of this helps. Good luck!

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For sure, have him evaluated!!! I went through this with my son, and it was just put off and put off, thoughts of me and the dr, that his speech wasnt that bad.... He ended up needing speech therapy at 6yrs old and he is doing fine now. I kick myself now that we didnt do it sooner. He definately should have more words at his age. I remember my son at his age had about 5 words or so. I have a daughter who is 2 now and she has too many words to count, even puts up to 5-7 words together at a time.

It will all work out, just get him the help he needs now. You'll be glad you did....... Keep us Moms posted
Best of Luck

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I totally know what you mean: after a first born who began talking intelligibly about 9 months, my second daughter really didn't talk much at all until after her second birthday. I learned to recognize some of her phrases, which sounded nothing like English, but mostly she was just quiet, obedient, perfectly understanding of everything she heard, and didn't feel like talking.
NOW, she is almost 2 and a half, and her pronunciation is amazing and she says things like "actually" and "such a silly girl" as well as I do! After being worried 6 months ago, I now think that she was following her own agenda and never intended to have any trouble communicating.
That said, Early Intervention is there to help us. If you are at all concerned, why not accept help? Heaven knows parenting is a difficult job.
Good luck!

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It is absolutely NOT too early to look into services. I had my son evaluated at 15 months old because he had just a few words. I spoke about it with our pediatrician and he wasn't too worried, but said that it couldn't hurt to get evaluated. The evaluation is free, so there is nothing stopping you. A team of people will come out and do a play assessment with your son and will let you know if he qualifies for services. If so, you'll get the help you need. If not, you get reassurance that he's doing fine. I am very happy I did it and we got the help we needed.

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I don't think it is really every to early for intervention. I would definitely ask the pedi's opinion. My son didn't start talking till around 26 months. So i had his ears checked to make sure his hearing was ok just before 2 because I was a bit concerned he wasn't talking more then a few words. All of a sudden he just started talking and by three yrs old his speech was pretty clear and he never stops talking. I wouldn't worry to much just yet but do ask his pedi what they think just in case something is going on that can be corrected now.
Somethings I did to try to get speech moving at home was when he tried to say words that just were babble I would say it and try to get him to copy. Also anything we would see like a dog, car, train...I would just tell him what it is called and have him copy.

Good luck

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Hi L.,

If your city as an Early Intervention program, it won't hurt to have him evaluated. My little one didn't understandably speak until he was nearly 4 when I got him into speech therapy - I never knew EI existed before that, and by the time I knew he was too old, but the public schools helped at that point. Had I know I would have had him in it long before.

But know that he might be just fine as well, and just might be developing at his own pace.

My son is now 8 years old and he is fine, he was only in speech therapy for a short time and it helped.

Good luck!!

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Hi L.. My son will be 2 on Sunday and he still only says a handful of words well, and attempts to say many other words, but his pronunciation is really off. He does continue to improve each week, though, and I'm not really concerned at this point. It sounds like your son has been working toward perfecting numerous other skills before perfecting his language skills, which I'm told is totally normal. A friend of mine once told me that when her now 7 year old, who is very verbal, was 2, he didn't speak at all. Then, when he turned 2 1/2, he began speaking in full sentences within a week. Give your son time and I'm sure he'll be speaking well soon.

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I personally think your son is fine. My son is 21 months old & says a ton of words you can understand. But sometimes it takes a few times & his pointing to figure out what he is saying. I think that is normal for every child that age though & even a little older. But if you are truly worried then I say call early intervention. I did when my son was 1 month shy of 18 months & still not walking. Luckily 2 weeks before he walked without an issue so I canceled early intervention. But I say call them have the eval your son & see what they say. But I think your son is fine.

F.Y.I., my mother in law said my husband barley talked at all until he was 2 & even then did not say much until about 2 1/2. But once he started talking there was no stopping him & he is a very smart man and has no problems, maybe a little ADD but that is all (never diagnosed but acts like it sometimes).

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Like you, I had concerns about my son at the same age. He had a vocab of about 3 words prior to turning 2 and then those 3 words just stopped and he did not say anything that we could understand. I brought up the concerns to his doc at his 2 year appt. At that time, we had a hearing test done and were scheduled to work with early intervention. BEST thing we ever did. They started working with him and in a few weeks, his new "first" word was more. Mind you, he had no problem communicating with us before this as he used baby signs. But the whining was driving us crazy. More and more words followed quickly. He will be turning 3 next month and his vocab is amazing. He talks in 2-3 word sentences and it still melts my heart when he says "I love you". Mom's know their children best! Follow your intuition & best of luck to you both!

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It's never too early to contact early intervention. They can come out and evaluate him free of charge. It's a great resource and one I highly recommend. My 10 month has been in it since 7 months for physical therapy and my oldest who's now 9 was in it at 17 months for speech. She has been out of speech since she was in Kindergarten now. If you have a concern then I would definitely address it. That's what Early Intervention is there for. Good luck

M.

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I would just try to listen & correctly pronounce the words you understand he is trying so hard to say. Show him the object or action, maybe even flash cards of his vocabulary & add some more words in as he progesses. I saw a great infomercial for "your baby can read" they did the same thing only in video form & had great results! Good Luck L.!

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This is a perfect time to have early intervention. They will know and ease your mind...and it doesn't hurt to have the extra help early on even if he doesn't need it.

Good Luck!

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Hi L.,

I'm not sure if you will agree with what my brother and sister in law did but here goes....

Both my nephews (they are brothers) had the same speech and vocabulary issue as your baby. With my first nephew, my brother and sister in law took him to the doctor's and were told that his speech is fine and that he will talk when he's ready. They worked with him at home by persistently making him try to say things correctly. He is now a very, very, very smart and bright 14 year old. He articulates very well and he is in all high honor classes.

When it happened with there second son, they did the same thing. He articulates very well too and is extremely bright.

And..... they both did it when they were ready. At the time, it seemed to bother us more than it bothered them.

Hopes this makes you feel better.

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Yes, you should call early intervention. They only work with kids up to age 3. They will come and do a home visit and test where he is at compared to where he should be and provide or not provide services based on that. I daughter did not qualify at the time, but was very close. I just went into our public preschool on an IEP, so is not receiving the help she needs. My older daughter did the same thing. Hope that helps.

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Go with your gut, and get EI to evaluate him. It certainly can't hurt. If he needs the help, then great - he'll get it. And if he doesn't qualify, then you can relax knowing he's ok and just needs more time. Good luck.

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Hi L.,
Yes. Get your son a hearing test from an audiologist. And ask them about speech services. Good job at noticing your son and his delay in speech! You need to find out the reason for his delay. Does he have frequent ear aches and fluid in the ears? If so he can not hear properly. Speak slowly to your son with him looking at your mouth. Good luck. My son has speech services. L. P.

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Most boys are delayed with speech. The most important aspect is that he understands you. Keep a running dialogue in grown up words no baby talk. Most doctors will tell you that mothers should understand 90% of what their children are saying by 3 years old and grandparents should understand 90% by 4 years old. I asked my pediatrician the exact same thing with my second son at 26months and this was his response.
Hope this helps!

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Express your concerns to your pediatrician and request a speech and language eveluation to rule anything out. At 22 months your son is eligible for early intervention if neccessary. As soon as he turns 3 you can schedule an early childhood screening through your public school system. If your son has a communication disability, the school system is required to provide a school program or speech therapy services. Good luck.

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L., it is DEFINITELY time to talk to Early Intervention. Go to the Minute Man Arc website and they can direct you to your local Early Intervention coordinator who will set you up with an evaluation. I did this for my son at 21 months. Now, at 26 months, he went from 8 words in June to over 60 words in August. The speech therapy REALLY helps!! We had to take away his pacifier most of the time, which was a huge part of his problem, but he also had genuine speech delays. The therapy is done in your home for 1 hr each week (typically) and the system is state-funded so you don't have to pay for services expect a small initial fee. Two things they taught me to look for are (1) does he "stuff" food in his mouth, e.g. a whole handful of Cheerios or Goldfish at once? If yes, parcel each piece to him one at a time. Stuffing contributes to speech issues. and (2) does he use a straw when drinking? If not, use straws as often as possible so that it changes the shape of his mouth when drinking and thus helps when talking.

Definitely call Early Intervention ASAP. There is no stigma to getting the best for your child and to enable him to communicate clearly. EI is WONDERFUL!

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I agree. It will give you peace of mind to just know what you're dealing with. Have him evaluated.

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You could be describing my daughter 6 years ago! Don't wait contact early intervention for an assessment, you pediatrican can refer you or you can call yourself. Be aware tha becase of funding cuts in recent years you may have to advocate for your son to recieve the services he likely needs, they can do a "clinical evaluation" i think it is called, since he won't need the multiple delays criteria. You will work with the early intervetion specialist and will learn how to help your son with mouth exercises (blowing bubbles, sipping yogurt with a straw sounds strange right?) that will help him develop muscles in his mouth or maybe different things that are mroe tailored to you sons needs. There is no point in waiting if you have a concern and if you are refused services the first time he is evaluated, please request a second follow-up evaluation a few months later if you still have concerns. I imagine it is extremely frustrating for the your little guy who thinks he is talking btu you can't understand him!

Good luck

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Hi L., My niece was and still is pretty much the same. At 2 she had just a few words and a lot of baby talk. Now she is close to 3 and speaks a few sentences but there is still a lot of jabber. Nothing worrying, kids just develop at different speeds. Plus, if the child is exposed to multiple languages it often takes her a while to sort them all out.

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My daughter is now 3.5 yrs and babbled up until she turned three. My pediatrician observed that we were not allowing her the opportunity to communicate her needs rather anticipating them before she had to ask. As a result, I stopped using 'baby' talk and began communicating clearly each syllable and noticed an immediate difference. She now communicates clearly and effectively. I am sure your two year old is just fine; each child’s development milestones are unique to them - he will "catch-up" soon enough. However, if you are concerned, listen to your mommy instincts and take him to the doctor - can't hurt – at the very least it will provide you the assurance you are seeking.

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I am in the same situation with my son except he is 21 months old. I tried early intervention but since his understanding of language was so advanced he didnt qualify. But he was on the waiting list for Easter Seals and they evaluated him this morning and they are going to work with him. They must have a different qualifying process than EI. My son was on the waiting list with Easter Seals for about 4 months so that was the down side with them. But it was because of staffing so I dont think it takes that long all the time. EI only took about 2 weeks so that was fast. So if EI wont do anything for your son I would suggest Easter Seals. Another down side with Easter Seals is they dont come to your house and it has to go through insurance.

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After reading your post, I would say it's definitely no too early for EI. They are a wonderful resource! I would call your pediatrician to discuss your concerns and they can make a referral.

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Hi L.,
I think you should have your son evaluated by Early Intervention, it is not too early for that.

I also think you should consult your pediatrician, but don't be surprised if the MD says not to consult Early Intervention. For some reason pediatricians tend to be very conservative and like to wait things out before getting EI involved, when in fact EI can really help. The reason I think the MD can help is perhaps there is a physical/medical problem with which EI cannot help. But if there's nothing wrong medically, the MD most likely won't recommend EI, whereas EI has helped a lot of kids.

Another thing: If you speak more than one language in your home, this might be the reason your son is taking longer to speak with an extensive vocabulary. But in any case, go for it with EI! Good luck!

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Hi L.! We had the same problem with our son. Our pedi said 8 words at 18months and he only had 4. So we went with Anne Sullivan Center. THey are phenomenal, in 6 months his vocab. literally went from 8 to 80 words. It became so much easier to communicate. They actually come to your house once a week it is so easey. But hurry and get the referral from your pedi, if you need referral for your insurance, as they can only do early intervention until the age of 3. But he still has a year I definately think it is worth your while. good luck!

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Talk it over with your pediatrician, but it's never too early for early intervention. They only work with your child until they are 3 then if they still need speech services you can go through the school district or an outside therapy service. We did both for my daughter from the age of 16 months until she was 3 1/2, then went solely with the school therapy. She is 5 1/2 and on an IEP and still gets daily speech (not that you will have this, but just an idea that we started early, but there was no "quick" fix).

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Hi L.,
i have a now 4 and 6 year old. my 4 year old at age 2 was using many words and short sentences(2 or 3 words) and was actually ahead of most. It is definately not to early to be concerned. My now 6 year old started out normally...he would learn a word and use it to death and then it was a new word...then he just stopped all together( he stopped picking up new words and wasnt using the ones he knew). Talk to your pediatrician and you can just ask to have him evaluated. It may be nothing, but i always feel better safe then sorry later. It may be nothing, but it will be much easier to catch him up now then later if he needs some extra help. Good luck!

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L.-

We've been right where you are.

My 2.5 year old knew so few words I needed to make a chart for babysitters to understand her. She was pretty limited to animal sounds for names (cow was moo...) and singal syllables for everything else (water was "oh".) . Her doctor asked that we have her hearing checked-it turned out to be perfectly fine.

Early intervention was called in at around age 2 and they worked with her on moving her mouth in certain ways to form sounds and did some motor skills exercises with her, but because, like your child, she was so expressive, they felt certain she'd just start talking when she was ready.

She is now a very, VERY chatty and healthy 7.5 year old doing well in school and making tons of friends. I won't tell you not to worry, because I'm not a specialist, but I will encourage you to take advantage of Early Intervention's services. They'll give you lots of exercises to work together and encourage you to continue to let him do the things that make him happy.
Best of luck!

J. S.

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I know that my 18 mo old has literally 4 words. Mama Baba NO Dada and that is it and they are concerned. She has speech therapy. Perhaps call the doctor first. Early INtervention will stop at three so now is the time if you think that there is an issue.

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Hi L.,

I am the mother of a two year old daughter who is receiving speech therapy from early intervention because she has a severe to profound hearing loss in her right ear and a minor hearing loss in her left. I am also a teacher of the visually impaired and have worked in early intervention. My feeling is, that it is never to early.... If you choose to talk to an early intervention center, you will feel much better. They will schedule an appointment to come to your house (usually a social worker or a nurse), they talk with you and find out what your concern are and take basic information regarding your family and insurance plan. Then they schecule an evaluation which also happens at your house. You will find out almost immediately after the evaluation if there is an issue with your sons speech. If there is, now services can begin and not, well now you will not be worried so much. I encourage you to call the ei center in your area. If you are in the Mansfield, Foxboro, Norton or Attleboro area your EI provider is Kennedy-Donovan Center in Attleboro.

Good luck,
K. S.

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Hello L.. I will tell you from personal experience that Early Intervention was one of the best decisions i've made as a mother. My sons was very smart in all areas but just didn't talk. He knew all his colors and shapes, he would just point to them rather than speak. He was even potty trained before he was 2. I mentioned it for the first time at his 15 month checkup.. they said, he's just a boy, they talk later. At 2 yrs I pressed it and they referred me to Early Intervention. He started receiving services (in our home, an hour per week, when he was 2) He started preschool just two mornings per week when he was 3.9 and 5 mornings per week when he was 4.9 at which time, they would see him at the preschool. Once he started Kindergarten, he was not longer eligible for services as they deemed that his speech was just great. He is one of the top students in his first grade class and I am SO thankful that I made the decision to do Early Intervention. I will admit that I was very hesitant at first because I was in denial that something could be wrong with my "perfect" little boy. If you have that feeling, just try and lose it. :-) Good luck.

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Hi L.,

I am the mother of a 4.5 year old little girl. She had the same developmental delays in speech/language that you are having with your son. I started her with Early Intervention at 23 months old and went straight through 3 years old. They are wonderful, come to your home for the therapy lessons and are absolutely fantastic in working with the toddlers. I received updates on results of every visit, things to work on with her between visits and great coaching. At 3 yrs. I went to the public school system for speech but I was not impressed with them at all and moved over to a private Speech & Language Pathologist, who diagnosed my daughter at 3.5 yrs. old with a Language Processing Disorder. My Pediatrician recommended hearing and language testing at Childrens Hospital in Waltham. They confirmed what the Speech/Language Pathologist discovered and we've got a great program in place for her. In most situations, speech delays are just that - delays. And, Early Intervention will never hurt and it's curtesy of the State of MA. I would recommend you start there, and then take each day one day at a time (keep your pediatrician in the loop). One thing that I found really important is that everyone who touches your son on a daily basis be aware of the speech and you get everyone's committment to work with him the same way... I laid it out for her daycare providers, nursery school and preschool teachers as well as my parents. With everyone's committment in assisting my daughter with her speech development, she has received consistent coaching across the board and is progressing very well. We do not think she will need an I.E.P. in Kindergarten or Special Ed assistance because of this strategy. If you ever want to talk more offline - I'm at ____@____.com Luck!! M. (Single Mommy of Isabella).

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Hi, my son went through the same thing. I highly recommend early intervention. They worked wonders with my son. He is now 7 years old and he still has a speech delay, but they have also helped us get him into the right programs when it came time for him to go to preschool. Good luck. S. G

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Hi. It's not too early to have your son evaluated. Early intervention services can evaluate your son to determine whether he needs speech therapy. My son was similar in speech - his receptive language was right on track, but his expressive language was delayed. He received early intervention until he turned three to help out. Hope this helps.

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My oldest son didn't really start talking until 2 1/2, although he had said a handful of words before that. On his second birthday we saw a bit of a language explosion, but even up until 2 1/2 he was not making sentences. We weren't worried because his hearing was ok, he understood everything we said to him, and he clearly could make all of the sounds (he has known his alphabet and the sounds letters make for a while, so we know he can make the individual sounds but just wasn't using them to create words). So I don't think the fact that your 22 month old isn't saying much that is intelligible is necessarily a cause for concern. My son did a lot of grunting and still grunts instead of saying "yes."

That being said, you should talk to your pediatrician about possible early intervention. At the very least, you should confirm somehow that there is no actual problem with the way his mouth and vocal tract form sounds. If you can reassure yourselves that there is no physical problem, then I wouldn't worry as long as other mental development seems to be right on track.

I also found out recently that language-delayed kids tend to have problems with pushing or biting (it's a result of pent-up frustration at being unable to communicate everything they're feeling or thinking). We did have this problem with our son, and it helped to understand why it was happening (even if that knowledge didn't tell us how to deal with it).

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I have 3 boys and the last one had what everyone else thought was a problem, I knew he would be fine. But at the insistance of plenty of well meaning people I scheduled an eval for his delayed speech, by the time the appt came( it took @ 2 months to get an appt) he had turned 2 and he rated higher than his age for speech, If you think there might be a problem it cant hurt to have the eval, ask your pediatrician for the information, its free and its kind of fun to watch. They come to your house loaded with fun things for him to do. I'm glad I did it although I knew no matter how much I liked the silence the speech would come,LOL.good luck

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You could talk with your pediatrician, but I wouldn't worry yet. My now 3 year old did very little talking until just after his 2nd birthday. Then it was like a switch was flipped and he talked very well all the time with an extensive vocabulary. I'd give it a little more time. A lot can happen in only a few months. Good luck!

Sam

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Hi L.,
Just some encouragement as your son seems just like our Max did. We used to think he was speaking Chinese!
It sounds like his brain is working faster than his little mouth can keep up. Because he is understanding and following directions, I would not be too concerned yet. Boys often mature slower in speech (and other ways). If you are still concerned after a few months there are some wonderful resources that your pediatrician should know about where you can have him evaluated.
By the way, our Max is now almost seventeen, near the top of his class, and has no problems talking! :)
Blessings, L.

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I would advise you talk to your doctor to see if there is a physical problem, as you mentioned he sounds "tongue tied" - this is completely anecdotal, but my grandmother always told us that she didn't speak until she was 5 years old. That she was "tongue tied" - and they cut under her tongue and then she could talk. On the flipside, I had a brilliant friend who said he never spoke until he was 3 years old. His mother thought he had a learning disability or something. And one day, he just broke out in complete sentences. He apparently was just waiting until he could say a full sentence before he would speak. So, I suppose there is a wide range of possibilities - I would start with your doctor.

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Hi there,

It's never too early for Early Intervention. They will do an evaluation and let you know if he needs speech therapy.

Good luck!

A. W.

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Hi L.,

I'm a speech-language pathologist - pediatric. Definitely contact your pediatrician and insist that he/she recommends an Early Intervention evaluation by a speech-language pathologist (not just the developmental specialist if possible). Tell him/her your concerns and as to why, and don't take "let's wait" as an answer. The earlier the better... many times you have to wait, and EI services end at 3 years old. Get the ball rolling - and I'm sure he'll do great! Sounds like he has excellent receptive language skills (following directions, etc.).

I can write more later about ideas to help him at home - gotta run to work now!

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