Speech Delay?

I have learned that the more you expose them to other children that talk the more likely he will start talking. And make him show you what he wants instead of asking him so he has to point to the object and then ask him if he wants it. I have find out that boys are lazy when it comes to talking but if you make them show you and then ask they are more likely to respond. My son was the same way. Now he won't stop talking and he was 2 at the end of July. Limited daycare helped him 3 1/2 days.

I would have my son evaluated just to calm the hubby down, but remind him that your son is just fine and at this point you have nothing to worry about, my son is 2 and a half and and speaks very little, still does a lot of pointing, the whole works. I am not worried cause he has started coming out with phrases recently but my daughter who is 4 did not speak at all till three and one morning literally overnight she just talked. She came out of her room and just like that..."Can I have some cheerios? Please, in the pink bowl, Thank you mom I love you!" Just like that I will never forget it cause I almost fell down to the floor to cry I was just melting inside! I was so worried up to that point. It was a huge relief! So be patient cause at this point your still in the clear.

I have a 22 month old son who has speech delay. I was very concerned so we did a state evaluation. He wasn't pointing, grunting to things he wanted, didn't wave goodbye, just babbled. He now sees a speech therapist and special instruction therapist and within 3 months he has improved. I see he is much happier because he was frustrated and mad. As for waiting its better to do it now because the brain is easier to train. Also the state pays for it if qualified till he is 3 years old. They go to your home or school. It will take you a few months to set an appointment. In the mean time talk with your pedi Dr. They will direct you. The early step program for Palm beach is ###-###-####

Hi L.,
I understand you completely!!! My son will be 2 in Dec 15th. And he understands wonderfully, he knows believe me!!! He babbles a lot (u know their own language) and u can see him expressing himself thru his face movement. He has said in the past, mama, papa, dada, mas (more in spanish), no, oh no, oh wow, yeah, yeahie. Simple stuff like that, but he gets to his time that he will say mama only and babble for the longest, and now all he wants to say is "oh, no" or "mama" but a lot of babbles....I'm really not worried, because my mom and other people have told me that all kids are different, if you feel he understands you and tries to communicate w/you somehow or says little things, then he should be fine. Also, I have heard that when he is the only child is harder for them to talk, especially when like mine he doesn't have any other children interaction, just us adults and tv. Just give it time and if I would say by Feb or March he just stays using one or two words then really take it to do some tests..just to make sure...

But I would suggest to listen to your heart if you really feel that is not right, then go demmand to his/her doctor to do some tests, that's your child and you are the only one that knows what's right for him/her!!! Good luck!!

i too was concerned with my daughters speech and at 2 she started daycare which made me realize how far behind she was. Everyone said to wait but my mommy instinct said something was wrong she had many ear infections and about 2.5 we put tubes in her ears and almost a week later she was chatting away. We did have her evaluated and she had speech for a few months but after the tubes they said it was just articulation and she is 35 months now and fine.
Do what your mommy instinct tells you

N.

Hi L.,
My son is not there yet but, I know boys are late talkers. I would wait until he's about 31/2 to have him evaluated. Have you asked your pediatrician about it? What do they say? Most likely when my son is 3 I will have him evaluated in Miami Children's Hospital for autisim. It is more common in boys and speech delay is a sign.http://www.autismspeaks.org/whatisit/milestones.php this website is also very helpful. Good luck don't stress too much children do things at their own pace.
C. S.

Hi, my son is 15 months old and and uses about 10-20 words. he does not use phrases. I suggest getting him tested just for peace of mind. Maybe talk to your pediatrician about it. Good luck.

Hi L.,
Perhaps you can get some insights from other parents who may be going through simliar issues. Do remember though that boys tend to start later than little girls, although I'm sure you've already been told that.

It may be a bit sooon to be really worried about this, as he hasn't really turned 2 yet, but there's no magic age. In any case, perhaps it is a good idea to read up on all you can about increasing your child's ability to learn communication. If in a few months you don't see any change, then it may be a good idea to have him evaluated. Speech delays can stem from several different sources, and the sooner you know what the particular challenge is, the more you will be better equiped to offer the needed help.

At any rate, and this goes on for the duration of childhood, the worst thing there is is to compare one child to others. It can lead to lowered self-esteem and deny the opportunity to explore the individual child's own creative expression.
http://www.latetalking.org/

Many blessings to you.

Hi L.!

I wouldn't go into total panic mode but I would get an evaluation. Those don't directly lead to labels if you don't want them to. By two, it is normal to be talking and the fact that he's not merrits at least looking into it. Having said that, are there any other things that he does that make you feel uneasy? How are his socal skills around other kids? Does he answer you when you call him or at least look at you or come to you? Does he do anything out of the ordinary like run in circles or flap his hands or put his face against the tv screen? Does he play with toys appropriately or just line them up or sort them by color? The speech delay alone is not anything to panic about but if there are other issues, jump on it quickly. My son was not talking at 1 1/2 years old and we took him to be checked out. He had all of the other signs that I just described. He was diagnosed with Moderate Autism at 2 1/2 years old. My pediatrician kept telling me he was just behind. He told me to stop reading books about it because I was self-diagnosing him. He was very wrong. Doctors don't always know best. You know your child better than anyone else so go with your gut. Devin got early help because I wouldn't listen to the doctor. Devin is doing much better because of it.

My advice would be to do some research and really pay attention to how your son is acting. Have him looked at just for the info or impute of another professional. Not every child with a speech delay has a story like my child but I can tell you 1 out of every 150 kids in the US are diagnosed with Autism. It's nothing to play around with....

Contact me for any other info or questions. I'm always glad to help!

God bless,

C.

hi L., when my daughter was 2 she also was not communicating well. she had numerous ear infections the year before. the doctor told me not to worry, tubes were put in. went for an evaluation, everything was ok. she was almost 3 when she started chatting away, not she is 5 and i cant get her to shut up....so dont worry like the ladies are saying use your mommy instincts. he will break loose when he is ready...good luck

Hi L.,
I would definately ask your pediatrician to recommend a place to evaluate him for any speech or hearing problems.

My son was 18 months old and not speaking or babbling, so my doctor recommended I take him up to St Mary's Early Intervention Program for an evaluation.

I did this and they recommended that I make an appt with a neurologist to rule out Autism and an Audiologist to rule out a hearing problem. Turns out that my son couldn't hear well which is why he wasn't speaking. Once they put tubes in his ears, he started speaking almost right away and with the help of speech therapy for a few years he has caught up to where he needs to be.

He is now 5 and doing just fine, but finding out what (if anything) is or could be wrong is the first step. Hopefully he might just be a little bit of a slow speaker and that's all, but I would definately get it checked out, it could be something simple like needing tubes in his ears or something.

Good luck!
J.

Please please get him checked out. I understand the concern for not having a label but it's much more important to get early intervention and that extra push than to wait because if something is wrong, the earlier you intervene, the better.
You can call Easy Steps http://www.broward.k12.fl.us/studentsupport/ese/html/earl... or hire a speech therapist privately to conduct an evalutaion. The Broward county stuff is free and takes a while. The speech therapist will be out of pocket but it will be quicker. HTH

Hello L. ,

My Younger boy will be 2 on Dec 5th as well , So Happy Birthday to our BOYS !! My Little one started talking around 10 months he started with mama papa, TATA ( His older brother) water , milk tea , some short phrases, but he understands everything we tell him ( which is very Important) !!! I was told that Boys take a bit longer to talk then Girls . Just make sure you talk to him often correctly ( NO BABY BABLE TALK , because they will learn to speak that way . Read to him a lot , I don't think he has a speech delay , just some childeren take longer than others , If it concrens you have him evaluated , but I don't think is noting to worry about . Keep me posted !!!

~A.

Hi L.,
Honey it looks like you have your hands full:) All kids are differentand develop at different levels and times. Believe me as mother of 5 and grandmother of 12 I've seen it all!! Some kids just don't feel like they have to talk or just don't have much say (you understand without him talking) But my 1st suggestion is speak with his doctor about your concerns including not wanting him to be labled. His Doctor can use simple test right in the office to tell if he needs other tests. And if it turns out there is a problem it's better to start early getting it resolved.
Take Care Dear,
Michele

I know exactly what you are going through. My son is 27 months and barely talks. He says about 10 words at the most. But not 2 words together. BUT he understands EVERYTHING! In English AND Spanish. They say that when a child learns 2 languages at once they start talking later but my doctor said that getting them help early is the best thing.

So we started him in speech therapy, went 4 sessions. He cried everytime, even though there really was no reason for him to cry, all she did was play with him (and I was there the enitre time). So basically, we were paying a lot of money for him to cry 75% of the time. So, we figured he is just too young for that right now. So, we started him in a school near us. It is a Montessori school, so they have a certain way of teaching that we really liked. We really think he will benefit a lot more from this than the speech therapy. He will also learn interaction with other kids and a more structured environment.

Another thing, we found out about a program the the State of Florida has called the Headstart program. We applied for it and may be able to get speech therapy for him for FREE. The program in our area is done through UM. He is being evaluation on Oct 22nd. And if they decide he needs it (which the lady thinks they will) he will get therapy for free, we don't have to pay a penny. AND they will go to his school, so he'll be in an environment he is comfortable with and most likely won't cry the whole time.

I hope I helped you! If you'd like info on the program e-mail me direct and I'll send it to you and the contact person. She was very friendly and helpful. She comes to your house to fill out the forms and everything.

Good luck!

Hi L.,
I totally understand how you are feeling. My son just turned 2 in August and was not speaking at the time. My doctor told me not to worry, but if after a few months goes by and if he is still not talking after his second birthday than consider having him evaluated. I was never really worried because I knew his hearing was fine, and his comprehension skills were excellent. It was just hard to see children his own age or younger speaking in full sentences. I realized this was more my problem than my sons though. He didnt seem to have trouble communicating with other children even though it wasnt through speach. He also knows sign so that has helped communication between him and I. I never pushed him to speak, we played singing games and practice our ABC's everyday and all of a sudden he started talking back. It's so weird because he has really started taking off in these past two months.

So listen to your mommy instincts. If they say dont worry than just be patient and give your son some time and encouragement. If in your gut you feel somthing might be wrong though than have him checked out.

I wish you all the best of luck,
Sincerely
~Amber

My son, now 3, also had a speech delay. Perhaps because we anticipated what he wanted, or understood what he was saying to us. Anyway we did have him evaluated, and did attend speech therapy 2x week, it did help. I brought flash cards, and v tech computer which has also helped. We moved and now our new doctor wants him to have another speech eval, not too sur. She also wants him in preschool at least part time to be around many otehr kids his age, saying this will help....? I am lost too, I think he is doing fine. To ease your worries, perhaps a speech eval would benefit. Boys I am toold tend to talk later than girls, which I have found is true as my neices talked earlier.
Let me know if I canhelp..
C. W

L.,
I know a lot of kids who do not talk at that age. I am sure he does other things very well. be patient with him, teach him words of things he likes. Repetition helps.

It's worth talking to your doctor about. Just make sure you are using LOTS of language with your son- and interacting. If he is making appropriate sounds back that's great- but he should have at least 50 or 60 words- and putting 2-3 together. Make a game out of it.

Please do not worry about labels!!! There are so many things to do- and the earlier they are addressed the better!!
Good luck.( In Florida- you can contact CHILDFIND-- they will assess for free-- as well as Easter Seals-- there is no reason to wait and see.)

My son was not speaking by the age of 2, his pediatrician told me I could wait, since all children develop at different rates. However, I have a nephew who did not start to speak until after age 4, as a result he was held back one year in school.
Well, I had my son evaluated a litttle after his second birthday, it was determined he has some characteristics of autism, but not enough to be autistic. He qualified for the "Early Steps" program provided by School Board of Broward County, where we live in Florida.
He has made great progress, he is 3-1/2 now, he is still a little behind, but he can communicate with us, which was a challenge before, since I have twins who were born when my son was only 21 months old.
The earlier children start with any help, the better progress they make. Don't worry about him being labaled, nobody but you and your husband have to now. He may start talking soon on his own, with the evaluation you will just make sure there isnt't anything more that you could have done for him. Follow your instincts, he will do great.
Good Luck!

I think this is completely ok. sometimes they dont talk till 2 1/2... just ask your pediatrician when he thinks. your son may wake up one day and just say a bunch of words..don't panic too soon!

L. - DO NOT DELAY! Nothing can make up for the lost time. I too have a son that did not begin to speak/make sentences until he was 5+ years old. I had him evaluated before his 2nd birthday - he was receiving speech/language services (I imagine there is a 0-3 child services here in FL) from that point on - he is now 16 and no one is able to tell that he had such a severe speech delay - but don't you delay - take him to his pediatrician - ask/demand resources, have his hearing tested, etc.

hey mama
yeah, it's about time to have him evaluated. he still qualifies to get free services through the state of florida (until the age of 3).. if it turns out he was just delayed, fine. but why wait and find out something was up. my daughter was evaluated at 18 months and showed months of delay in receptive and expressive language. she went to speech therapy twice a week for 9 months. afterwards we enrolled her in preschool. she is 3 now, still has pronouncination problems but not lack of language. so bottom line for us speech therapy helped tremendously.
also, one mom said the speech therapist plays rather than work with him
that was in out case too but after 3 sessions i suggested i not be present at the speech classes, rather wait outside. this way my daughter had to become comfortable with the therapist for her to be able to work well with her. otherwise when i was present my daughter would seek my look for help in communicating
good luck
V.

hi there...my nephew didnt start talking until he was 3, and is now a babbling 10 year old, full of ideas! however, i did get him evaluated at around 2 and he did receive some VE (varying exceptionalities) preschool free from the state. it turned out that he had had some very early hearing problems that had lead to a bit of expressive language delay (his ears hadn't been quite working during the developmental stage when most children are figuring out language function). i have my bachelors in early childhood ed and have been teaching the very young for quite some time...while i understand your concern with him being labeled, actually now is the time you want that...early intervention to head off a problem is much better than waiting and allowing one to develop. plus, receiving help now is not the same as a "label" in elementary school that might set him apart for different classes and such. because of IDEA, it is free to get kids screened and if services are necessary, they are free too through the state...speak to your doctor about who to contact for an evaluation. even if your son is just processing things in a way that is different than "the norm", anyone can benefit from a liitle help along the way, right? don't see it as stigmatizing, just look at it as giving him an extra edge!

L.,

I have 3 sons, with my 1st son I did not experience any of this, he was talking non stop at 9 months in full sentences.

With my next 2 sons what I have experiened is much the same thing as you have with your little one. My 5 year old was diagnosed with speech delay at 2. I hesitated and the pediatrician suggested waiting and we did until he turned 3 to see what if any progress he would make. Well he made none. He did say some things but nothing that we could really understand. Words here and there but no sentences or anything of that nature. So at 3 we had him evaulated by a speech pathologist knowing that his hearing was fine and that he understood what we were saying to him was okay. Once he started daycare at 3 1/2 almost 4, it made a huge difference almost immediately. I took him out of speech therapy after a year and left him in daycare with the other kids and voila, now I cannot get him to be quite for 5 minutes.

Now with my 28 month old, he is starting to come around. There for a while a lot of babbling and really nothing you could understand. We now have him in daycare around other children and my pediatrician is happy with that. He seems to think that is more helpful sometimes than speech therapy. The interaction with other kids gets them wanting to communicate.

It all depends on the child and the pediatrician and what they recommend. I would definitely speak with the doctor and ask their opinion.

Good luck.

S.

SAHM of 3 boys

L., I do not know where you live exactly, but the Mailman Center for Child Development located in Miami is world renown for their experience with accurate evaluations at an early age for your child who may have a form of speech delay or at least be able to rule out for you what it is not (i.e. hearing, etc.) Anyway, call them up and talk with a coordinator to discuss your concerns and see what they suggest you do. It will save you a lot of troubles down the road if you are on top of any "possible" concerns now than to take a wait and see approach until your child gets a little older. The time is now trust your instincts and seek professional advice don't delay it and have regrets. I have copied and pasted the website for you to review. If it does not connect then Google Mailman Center for Child Development in Miami and you want to locate the IDES Division. Goodluck!