# tell me about your late talker!



## fizgig (Aug 3, 2007)

Hi mamas, I'm struggling with my DS, 21 months, who is basically non-verbal. What I would really, really love to hear are stories about late talkers.

When did they start talking? Did they eventually have a language explosion, if so, when?

What, if anything, do you think helped them? Speech therapy, Omega 3s, special games, anything you think made a difference for your LO.

How are they doing now? Did they catch up? Are they still behind? If so, is it negatively impacting their happiness? (this is my real worry)

Thank you in advance for anyone willing to share!


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## K1329 (Apr 6, 2009)

Ds is now almost 4. At his 18 mos. check up he had less than 5 words and his ped recommended an evaluation. We began speech therapy at about 21 mos, or so. He did have a language "explosion" at 25-26 mos., but, he has some ongoing pronunciation issues and is still in therapy. Fortunately, it has not been an issue for him in preschool, nor with his peers.

I recommend getting him evaluated if you're worried - can't hurt and my ds absolutely LOVES going to therapy - lots of one on one attention and fun games!

ETA: The only issue we've had is some mild frustration from ds when we can't understand him - he now says "what did I say" to ensure that he's being heard correctly! All the more reason to begin therapy, if needed, and not prolong any issues.


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## mamadelbosque (Feb 6, 2007)

Ds1 had essentially three words till he was two - Mamamamamaa, dadadada, and maybe 'no'. Maybe. That was it. Right around age 2 he exploded - within a month he had uncountable words and within 2 or 3 was doing the short (2-4 word) sentences. By the time ds2 was born when he was 29 months, he'd totally caught up to and surpassed his peers - we missed playgroup for a month or so over the summer and when we went back, ds1 asked for 'more pudding please' during snack... and the leaders didn't know who said that. Cause' they seriously had *never* heard him say *ANYTHING*!!









He's 3.5 now and 100% caught up to his peers and if anything is a much better/easeir to understand 3.5 yr old than many others I know. FWIW we didn't do therapy. And I saw many kids who did do therapy do the exact same thing he did - explode around 24-26 months. As a result of my experience with ds1 and his buddies who were in speech, I honestly suspect that much speech therapy for less than 2 yrs is a bunch of crock, and that most if not all would catch up just peachy fine w/o it. But thats just my opinion







Good luck!


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## lovesea (Mar 6, 2007)

Ds was not saying much at that age - maybe 10-20 nouns and a few adjs, he wasn't putting words together. He had a language explosion at 24-25 months. He's bilingual btw. By two and a half he had surpassed his peers (both monolingual and bilingual) in both languages. Since then he's always been ahead of the charts. I put his late speaking down to him being bilingual. I have always read a lot, sang a lot of songs with him, and talked incessantly with him. He now, aged 4, talks incessantly  and it may be his revenge for those two years where he couldn't tell me to shut up!


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## ~PurityLake~ (Jul 31, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *fizgig* 
Hi mamas, I'm struggling with my DS, 21 months, who is basically non-verbal. What I would really, really love to hear are stories about late talkers.

When did they start talking? Did they eventually have a language explosion, if so, when?

What, if anything, do you think helped them? Speech therapy, Omega 3s, special games, anything you think made a difference for your LO.

How are they doing now? Did they catch up? Are they still behind? If so, is it negatively impacting their happiness? (this is my real worry)

Thank you in advance for anyone willing to share!

Abigail was a late talker. I used sign language with her so I'd have some clue what she was fussing about. I always used regular sentences with her and would help her find words to describe her feelings and thoughts if she seemed like she couldn't think of the right word. I also asked her questions with detail, such as "Do you want your water in this blue cup or in that red cup?" So she would say "Blue one" or "Red one".

She is now 5 years old and is in Kindergarten. Her reading, writing, verbal, and math scores are way above average and she LOVES learning new things every day.







she is also extremely empathetic, has been since she was born, and her teacher has noticed her empathy and also noticed that she is strong, polite and respectful when dealing with other children, even those that have tried to bully her, who are now her friend.


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## Honey693 (May 5, 2008)

DD started speech therapy at 12 or 15 months b/c she was at the verbal level of a 7 month old. I hated it and we stopped after a few months. Around 20 months she picked up a few more words, but she wasn't using phrases or sentences. Around 22 months one day she just woke up talking. She uses phrases and sentences now at 24 months and I'm completely in shock that the 2 year language explosion wasn't just some bs people say to make you feel better. DD still isn't at the level that I see from some from a few of our friends kid's, but I think they're really ahead. I'm perfectly happy with where DD is now.


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## hildare (Jul 6, 2009)

no words of advice, just a hug and a book recommendation:
The Einstein Syndrome : bright children who talk late by thomas sowell..


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## Jessnet (Apr 11, 2009)

I'm not the OP but we are in a similar situation. DS is 20 months (21 mo. next week) and is still non-verbal. We have some signs and he does call out "I'm stuck" if he or a toy is, well, stuck







, but that's it.

We started with ECI after a doctor's recommendation and my mother's never-ending insistence that DS is behind and needs help catching up.

Eh, I'm not impressed with the "therapy" and don't think it is helping at all, but it gives him something different to do for an hour every other week.

After reading the other replies, I think I'm going to take the 'wait and see for the 2 year explosion' before I consider any more interventions.

Thanks fellow mamas!


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## childsplay (Sep 4, 2007)

My DS said only four or five words/sounds until he was three (and a bit). We just figured he was busy learning other things....speech would come eventually. Seriously, DS could take an outboard engine apart, rig a fishing line and drive a small boat but he couldn't tell you about it. Once his younger sibs started talking non stop he joined in just as if he'd been talking for years. He came out with complete sentences, large words and a few not so good words







.

He's in elementary now and doesn't have any trouble, he's very well spoken and often trys out new words, or asks for alternatives to the word he's using.

OP I wouldn't lose any sleep over it, your L/O is not even 2 yet....right now his brain is working overtime, think of ALL that he takes in during a day, or a week , or a month.....not just ed. stuff, but eating, jumping, moving (his body in new ways) , books, new people, voices, smells, running, climbing stairs (hands free or not ) seasons, etc. To an adult it would be overwhelming I'm sure. I'd just keep reading to him, keep up a running commentary of your day - even if seems you're talking to yourself, talk to him like an adult, kindly, but real words and new words/expressions.
Thats just my 2 cents, best luck : )


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## 2lilsweetfoxes (Apr 11, 2005)

My son (7 now) had very few words at around the same age. Since he had an older sister who never shut up, we figured it was just that he couldn't get a word in edgewise and that because "boys just talk later", he would eventually have a language explosion and catch up. To be on the safe side, we went ahead and had him evaluated. We got his hearing checked. He can hear sounds fine. However, I don't know how well he can process *what* he hears. He knows several words, but is still functionally non-verbal. Meaning: he can say words, but cannot hold a conversation (unless it is very scripted and even then...). The evaluations revealed he is autistic. Being such a little cuddlebug, I never would have thought it. He wasn't *at all* like the "sterotypical" autistic child rocking in the corner flapping their fingers in the shadows and light. And he didn't eschew touch--in fact, he craved it--nice long bear hugs. He's at the point that I want to get him a communications device, but we always delayed because speech was "right around the corner".


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## fizgig (Aug 3, 2007)

Ah thank you all for the stories. I've been going back and forth between a conviction that he's just a little behind and I should chill out then I swing the other direction and I freak out, worried that I don't have him in therapy or that I'm missing something really wrong.

Being a mom is so damn hard I swear.

It helps to hear other stories about a 2 year language explosion. I think I will wait until he turns 2 before I dive into the therapy and Drs and hope that isn't a mistake.


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## ~PurityLake~ (Jul 31, 2005)

Abigail didn't have a verbal explosion at two years old, it was more like three years old.









Her younger sister was talking circles around her by the time she was 18 months old. Now, they're about equally matched. Don't sweat it.


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## basmom (Jun 4, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mamadelbosque* 
I honestly suspect that much speech therapy for less than 2 yrs is a bunch of crock, and that most if not all would catch up just peachy fine w/o it. But thats just my opinion







Good luck!

Trying not to take your comment personally. I am an SLP with EI program in my area. And, yes, there typically is a language explosion at 2. Yes you are certainly welcome to wait until your child is 2. In our area, we have 45 days to evaluate a child who is referred. We then have up to a month to begin services if a child qualifies. That's 2 and a half months that could potentially go by.

We are a home-based, child-led, parent centered program. We operate under the idea that we are consulting with the family - as they are the child's primary teacher and know their chld best. Parents are coached and given strategies to imbed into regular daily routines. We can help locate community resources (playgroups, music and movement classes) and connect to supports in the area (Early Headstart, WIC, housing). We try to "head-off" frustration and facilitate communication with signs, gestures, pictures, and eventually words. Families choose whether or not to accept services and are well-aware of that. Please do not use a blanket statement like that until you have done your research.


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## confustication (Mar 18, 2006)

DS is 27 months, and still largely non-verbal. He is involved with EI, and has speech as well as a couple other therapies (usually co-treating with speech). Based on the description you have given, I would suggest an evaluation, you are likely to see a language explosion, but in the meantime you could be losing very important months if there is something larger going on.

Oh and

Quote:

hildare
no words of advice, just a hug and a book recommendation:
The Einstein Syndrome : bright children who talk late by thomas sowell..
You're one of the few people I've seen refer to this. It's something being considered with DS because his development is SO asynchronous. When he does speak it is with great reasoning and thought, and he is a fabulous problem solver. Additionally, his great grandfather didn't speak until he was six and went on to design the first automobile powered by internal combustion engine, his dad is a computer programmer, and I'm a musician. The history hits almost all of the markers for this syndrome, as does his development. It's fascinating.


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## peainthepod (Jul 16, 2008)

DS turns two in about a week. Literally until a couple of weeks ago, he had maybe 10-15 "real" words. He had made-up words for objects that he used consistently, and he knew/knows a LOT of signs (and was picking up more signs every day), but he was mostly still pre-verbal.

And then one morning he woke up and started using words he'd never said before. And he picked up more almost hourly, it seemed, and he's been stringing them together to make short sentences and requests. At this point he knows so many I've lost count, and it's clear that he's having a serious language explosion.

He's sleeping a LOT too--long, long naps and he sleeps through the night and even sleeps in some mornings. I understand that disrupted sleep patterns often coincide with developmental leaps, so this makes sense. He's also having a physical growth spurt and his hand-eye coordination gets better every day. His throwing aim is rather terrifying, actually.









I freaked myself out a little when he hit 18 months and had maybe five words total, especially since he didn't really walk until maybe 18 or 19 months (he never cruised either--went from crawling to walking perfectly right away). But his gross and fine motor skills are excellent and his language is finally catching up at an astonishing rate. I wish I'd been more relaxed about it all instead of stressing myself out unnecessarily (but I do understand that some kids need a little extra help). My instincts told me he was fine, and it's pretty clear at this point that he is.


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## marge234 (Nov 1, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *confustication* 
Based on the description you have given, I would suggest an evaluation, you are likely to see a language explosion, but in the meantime you could be losing very important months if there is something larger going on
.


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## thehighernest (Aug 11, 2009)

I think you're going to get advice, as I have, going in both directions.

I swear I have a very confusing (to me) 19 month old DS. Since 11 months or so, he has acquired maybe 50 words - but he says them every once in a while, or once and never again, or a lot for two days (one word at a time) and then not to be heard again, etc.

I have noticed a small 18 month "mini-explosion," but again, at the end of the day, for right now, I just don't think I have a big talker. He CAN talk, he HAS talked, but he doesn't seem very interested in it. In any of those words, he doesn't say "mama" or "daddy" or ask for "juice" or "water" or "milk" or anything else he wants. He still mainly points for things or comes to get you - but he'll say "sticker" and count "one, two" and say "no not there" -- what the heck?

At any rate, I add my comment here because I don't know what else to call him but a late talker when he does not, on a day-to-day basis, use _talking_ to really _communicate_. It's been frustrating, I won't lie.

Without any disrespect to speech professionals, our pediatrician also recommended that we wait until 24 months, mainly based on his evaluation of DS's receptive language (he understands everything in English and also some in Spanish). I should also add that, for better or worse, DH was very against any formal speech therapy until later as well, feeling that if there WOULD be a 2 year explosion, we'd never know if it was a result of itself or the therapy he would have received. I was also very put off by the demeanor of the speech therapist we did informally consult (who basically looked at our child as if he were an alien and then looked at us pitifully without having even performed any kind of evaluation. This, however, should not be indicative of the profession as a whole).

If my child were older, then a couple/few months would seem a bigger deal than the difference between 18 months and 24 months. But then again, I'm not a professional, so all I can go by is my gut mama feeling, which right now has calmed itself into thinking that with my son in particular, I may be dealing with more of a personality issue (boy, does he have one!) than a language issue.


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## spiraldancer (Dec 1, 2001)

We're in much the same boat, with a 23 month old who is pretty much non verbal. He understands most of what he hears, and seems developmentally normal to a bit advanced in many other areas (he's very physical, for example). He makes some sounds which function as words and uses some signs, and has seemed to say words now and then but never repeats them. He is a very spirited boy with a quick temper and a strong will, and it often seems that he might be feeling frustrated by not being able to communicate (so much easier to boss us around if he could just talk!). I think I'd be more concerned about it if I didn't have an older son (now 10) who didn't talk at all till he was over 3. He's now very articulate, literate, and a top student. He's also very happy and sociable, and while he seemed a little isolated from his peers because of being a late talker (during early childhood) once he caught up at around 4 or 5, it was never really an issue in any way. We did a few years of speech therapy starting at around 3.5, which was fun and very helpful. I'm thinking I might get ds2 assessed soon and start that with him, too, because it can't hurt and will probably help. Btw the book recommendation for the Einstein Syndrome is great, very interesting read.


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## OkiMom (Nov 21, 2007)

My oldest had very few words by that age. I considered a language eval until I talked to them and found out that they don't "do therapy" out here for that age, all they do is put them in preschool (where no therapy is done, its just school 5 days a week 6 hours each day plus commute time) since all they need was "more adult interaction". Since I was giving her plenty interaction (heck at the time her favorite books were by Jane Austin, I KNOW that the preschool wouldn't have been willing to read those to her!) I didn't see the benefit.
Fast forward to a little before her 3rd birthday and her language just started to take off. Now close to 4 she is a lot clearer than most kids her age. A friend is surprised that her son has been in "special preschool" for a year and a half and still has more problems with his speech than DD1 does and she didn't do the preschool. She still has a few pronunciation problems but that doens't surprise me. I would say most kids her age do. I don't regret not doing the preschool with her since I don't' think it would have helped, she developed in her own time.
That being said we have a history of late talking in both sides of the family (Dhs and mine) so I figured my children would talk late. My gut was saying there was nothing wrong. If we didn't have a history or if I felt something was wrong my course of action might have been different.


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## jchatneuff (Mar 5, 2008)

At my son's two year birthday, he was not saying very many words (maybe 20?). He used pointing quite effectively, and part of the reason for this (I think) as parents we usually knew what he wanted without requiring him to tell us. At his 2-year check-up, his pediatrician asked if he ever put two words together, and the only think I could think of was "yellow bus." The pediatrician wasn't concerned, saying that often between 2 and 3 kids do have a "language explosion," and told is if by 2 1/2 he still wasn't saying much, to consider a speech evaluation at that point. My husband and I weren't particularly concerned, even though he did talk less than most of his peers, because he so clearly understood everything we said to him.

Six months later, my son is 2 1/2, and talking ALL THE TIME. It is fun to get a glimpse inside his brain-- toddlers make funny associations sometimes







He has a lot of words and uses full sentences (even if it is in broken English). We don't understand everything he says, although I do think we get most of it. I would say that now he uses as many words as his peers, but his pronunciation is not quite as clear.

He definitely gets frustrated when he has something to say but we don't understand. And sometimes when he is excited about something it comes out garbled because he is trying to say 6 things at once.

Speech therapy remains in the back of my mind, but as for right now I think he's OK. I remind myself that he is only two. He is busy trying to learn everything, and pretty much at the same time, so it's only fair that some things take a long time to process.


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## kriket (Nov 25, 2007)

I am kinda surprised the number of people saying they put their under 2 crowd in speech therapy.


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## confustication (Mar 18, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *kriket* 
I am kinda surprised the number of people saying they put their under 2 crowd in speech therapy.


Early intervention is incredibly important and there has been a growing awareness regarding the importance of helping kids sooner rather than later.


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## firewoman (Feb 2, 2008)

My youngest son was a late talker. We had him evaluated at about 2.5 by a speech therapist. They were concerned and recommended speech therapy twice a week. They didn't have any spots for him at that time so we were put on a waiting list for about 2-3 months. They called right after my fourth child was born and he was 2.5 months shy of 3 years old. We took him in 2 times for therapy and then decided to stop because he was suddenly speaking A LOT. His vocabulary continued to explode although his speech clarity wasn't so good for a couple of years. He is 6 now and his speech is completely normal. He has been evaluated through school twice a year since he turned 4. When he was 4 the speech therapist had some concerns about his clarity and recommended more speech therapy. We weren't against doing it but never did and by the time she evaluated him later in the school year she found his speech to be normal for his age and it has been ever since.

I know as a PP said that early intervention can really help children with speech and other issues, however I do feel that there is a bit of hysteria involved in hitting milestones and it is easy to get swept up in it. I really did feel that my son was going to talk without help and he did. It can be difficult to make that decision because you don't want to do a disservice to your child so get him evaluated and they will likely tell you he needs therapy and why. It can't hurt so if you want to try there is no reason not to. I also think you could wait and see what happens over the next few months. In my state, the public school system offers free speech therapy for children 3 and over. You may have something like that in your area. Good luck and I wasn't worried at 21 months about my son's lack of speech. Everyone else was, though.







Like I said before, he is completely normal now.


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## mamadelbosque (Feb 6, 2007)

We went/go to a EI playgroup just becaues its the only pg around (though we haven't been in nearly 2 months... mostly due to ds1 having a broken leg...). Honestly, I love it, but the EI folks just push therapy for EVERYTHING that anyones cihld is the least bit behind in. Its kinda crazy, tbh and seeing as the kids that I knew that were in 'therapy' did the exact same as my ds1 and the couple other kids who were *not* in therapy (explode suddenly sometime between 1.5 and 2.5 yrs), it just honestly made/makes me very suspicious that a LOT of the EI thats pushed is really not worth it... but whatever. I'm sure there are kids out there who benefit. I just don't think its half as 'needed' as many people imply (but then again, I'm also suspicious of all the 'my kids allergic/intolerenat of X, Y, Z' that goes on around MDC and elsewhere. So yeah.







)


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## basmom (Jun 4, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *kriket* 
I am kinda surprised the number of people saying they put their under 2 crowd in speech therapy.

It sounds so sterile and forced when you say it like that. A family *participates* in our program. We go to their house. We use their toys. We find ways to build helpful strategies into daily routines. It's not about getting extra help to meet milestones. It's about findong a way to help a child be empowered because s/he can request something, comment about something, or protest because s/he doesn't like it.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *confustication* 
Early intervention is incredibly important and there has been a growing awareness regarding the importance of helping kids sooner rather than later.











Quote:


Originally Posted by *firewoman* 
I know as a PP said that early intervention can really help children with speech and other issues, however I do feel that there is a bit of hysteria involved in hitting milestones and it is easy to get swept up in it.

I agree. I really liek to look at the child's current mode of communication and try to build on it - with the end goal being verbal language. I don't recommend therapy for every child I evaluate. More than half of the time, I give families some ideas and "next steps" and they go for it.


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## basmom (Jun 4, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mamadelbosque* 
:yrs), it just honestly made/makes me very suspicious that a LOT of the EI thats pushed is really not worth it... but whatever

Is your EI program for-profit?


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## Honey693 (May 5, 2008)

Quote:


> It sounds so sterile and forced when you say it like that. A family *participates* in our program. We go to their house. We use their toys. We find ways to build helpful strategies into daily routines. It's not about getting extra help to meet milestones. It's about findong a way to help a child be empowered because s/he can request something, comment about something, or protest because s/he doesn't like it.


I wish ours would have been like that. They brought their own toys, never talked about things we could do as parents and just got annoyed b/c we gave up on sign language when DD hadn't picked it up after a year.


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## mamadelbosque (Feb 6, 2007)

Nope. Its through the local MRDD school.


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## marge234 (Nov 1, 2008)

In my experience in SN world, denial is much more prevalent and supported than is early intervention. I did a me too on an earlier rec that the OP get an assessment. The discussion has provoked some thoughts, and I can't sleep. So, FWIW:

I'd say that tacit collusion with denial about developmental issues is pervasive. It prevents many parents from getting help. It delayed, almost prevented us, from getting help.


Conventional wisdom is "wait and see," esp among peds. (Peds aren't trained to notice more than glaring red flags in kids under 3. And they don't.)
"Don't compare kids" and anecdotes about late-talkers is typical advice from well meaning friends, relatives, etc... 
Concerns are attributed to new parent neuroses. That's a default. 

Then there are the DH's who for whatever their personal deal is, can't accept there's anything wrong with their kid. Moms (it's usually moms) have to overcome all of that to get their kid help. And when they do, they feel bad because they didn't listen to their gut and insist on QUALITY (may mean using professionals outside of publicly provided EI services) advice sooner.

Many issues caught at 3 or later could have been discovered earlier. If someone who knew what they were doing saw the child. So I think it is a mistake for people who have (a healthy and totally understandable) skepticism of the medical industrial complex to apply it to services for children under three. A big mistake. Just as in any other field, there are degrees of intelligence, experience, competence, empathy, etc... among people who assess and treat babies and young kids. Really good ones can be hard to find. But they exist.

Parents always have anxiety. But the feeling you have in your gut about what may be an issue is different than other worries. The view that society is too neurotic, too quick to medicate, too achievement oriented, too quick to litigate, etc... should not play a role in figuring out what (if anything) is going on with a particular baby/toddler. The conspiracy isn't that someone's trying to over-treat babies and toddlers. If anything, the conspiracy is that quality information about/treatment for babies and toddlers is tough to access.

If a mom has a question, she (and the baby) deserve an answer from someone qualified to give an opinion. People who can see problems that warrant attention are rarely fellow parents, and almost never peds.

That's why, until it becomes less common that the first time parents realize their kid has a developmental issue is after age 3, I feel compelled to chime in and encourage assessments.


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## ElliesMomma (Sep 21, 2006)

nm


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## faithsstuff (Nov 30, 2008)

This is a timely topic for me! Our ped just sent the hearing test referal for my ds. He'll be 2 in 3 weeks and has maybe 10 words. He understands well and makes up his own signs. Communication isn't the issues with him! He uses strange vowel sounds for multiple objects and if you were to burp he'd mimic it, but say a word and he'll mimic your mouth shape and never make a sound. I kept waiting to ask to start the eval process and am still nervous about it, but I think it was probably time.


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## tri31 (Jan 30, 2007)

Hi, I have a just turned three year old who was also speaking just a few words at 15 months or so. We opted for, in home, speech therapy. There has been no down side IMO. I think if I had it to do over again I would have still gotten early intrvention.

This is slightly off topic. My ds had his language explosion at 28 months. He has a little trouble with articulation and is still in twice a week therapy at home. My question is this, since he has developed full scale communication, he has been anxious. Separation anxiety mostly (not disruptive) but it's hard on the family. We have had some big changes (a birth 7 months ago and my 16 year old moved in full time). He has been evaluated by an OT and had a physcological evaluation a few months ago.The results were both normal. Did any of you mama's notice any emotional reactions after your LO transitioned into normal language?


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## GardenStream (Aug 21, 2007)

DS2 is now 32mo.

He had 1 or 2 words 18mo. He had maybe 10 at 24mo. He was up to about 30 or 40 words at 30mo. I kept mentioning it to the doctor, but he always said that DS2 was fine and not to worry about it. At 30mo I decided to contact the local EI people and have him looked at. The initial in home assessment said that he was very behind in talking and communication. I had to wait 5 weeks for the 2 hour assessment to be done.

During that waiting time I contacted a speech and language pathologist friend and asked her what I could do to help him. She basically told me that I had to force him to say the words. I did that for 2 days. There were a lot of tantrums being thrown, but he eventually started saying the words. Then, he took off and actually wanted to do it. He had a major language explosion. We went to the 2 hour assessment a few days ago. DS2 was measured to be a little behind in language and communication but way ahead in everything else. They gave me a couple tips on what to do with a stubborn child and other than that just congratulated me on working with him and having such great results.

There is no doubt in my mind that he will be caught up by the time he is 3 or 3.5yo.


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## GardenStream (Aug 21, 2007)

DS2 is now 32mo.

He had 1 or 2 words 18mo. He had maybe 10 at 24mo. He was up to about 30 or 40 words at 30mo. I kept mentioning it to the doctor, but he always said that DS2 was fine and not to worry about it. At 30mo I decided to contact the local EI people and have him looked at. The initial in home assessment said that he was very behind in talking and communication. I had to wait 5 weeks for the 2 hour assessment to be done.

During that waiting time I contacted a speech and language pathologist friend and asked her what I could do to help him. She basically told me that I had to force him to say the words. I did that for 2 days. There were a lot of tantrums being thrown, but he eventually started saying the words. Then, he took off and actually wanted to do it. He had a major language explosion. We went to the 2 hour assessment a few days ago. DS2 was measured to be a little behind in language and communication but way ahead in everything else. They gave me a couple tips on what to do with a stubborn child and other than that just congratulated me on working with him and having such great results.

There is no doubt in my mind that he will be caught up by the time he is 3 or 3.5yo.


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## BethSLP (Mar 27, 2005)

I am a speech pathologist (as is my husband). So logically, we are not going to seek services for our son since we both are qualified to do our own "in home therapy" 

My DS is very engaged and shows a lot of receptive understanding, but his expressive abilities are really minimal (and his articulation raises our eyebrows all the time). Phonological errors for sure. We both work with 3+ mainly, so EI is not our area of specialty, but we are both suspecting he will have articulation errors for a while even if the language explosion happens.

I think the main reason people find EI to be a "waste" is that if done properly, it does look like just "playing." My feeling has always been that as a speech therapist, I am there for my diagnostic eye. I don't know the child better than the parent, but I CAN see what they are and are not doing speech and language wise and which building block will lead to the next to help build that foundation.

Would also like to echo the pediatrician comment earlier. If I had a dime for every frustrated parent I finally met when the child was 3 or went to kindergarten who said "I kept saying I thought there was something wrong, but the ped said wait and see"....well, lets just say its a common occurrence 

I think you have to go with your gut. I don't think therapy can hurt and it could help. The evaluation is free so why not see what they say? And the EI SLP is also giving sage advice. Don't wait until you want the evaluation and then get ancy that you want it done NOW. it takes a lot of time to go through the process.

For those worried about a stigma somehow being attached to your child, I really think you'd be surprised how things have changed. I have so many different kinds of students in speech. Some are the most gifted students in the school. Its not something that labels your child and limits their potential.

XOXO

B


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## fizgig (Aug 3, 2007)

Thanks again for all the thoughts - this is giving me a lot to reflect on! I'm rethinking my wait and see idea...perhaps I'll get in touch with a therapist and see how it goes.

GardenStream, I'm very interested in hearing more about what you mean when you say you forced him to use words. I almost feel like we are so responsive to DS that he just has no need for words but I haven't been sure how to deal with that. I've been asking him to "use words" but I don't think he gets what I'm trying to tell him.

Also, does anyone have specific ideas for things we can do to encourage his laguage development? I would love some playbased specifics if you have any thoughts (or links to places where I could learn some techniques). I've found a lot of general descriptions of what to do but very few specific things and would really like to make sure I'm working on this right.


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## GardenStream (Aug 21, 2007)

I'm going to preface this by saying that DS2 has always been a huge talker, it just didn't resemble anything in the English language. He could make all the correct sounds and he understood everything we asked of him. If I asked him, "Do you want to color?" he would shake his head yes or no. I would ask him, "Can you say apple?" and his response was either yes or no, but he refused to say it. Apple was his first word and I knew he could say it.

So, after hearing all of this the SLP basically said he was being stubborn and refusing to say the words because we wanted him to do it. She said I would have to force him to say the words. DS's favorite snack is an apple. He normally would lead me over to the fridge and point to exactly what he wanted. The SLP said that I would have to tell him he had to say apple before he got his apple. That's exactly what I did. It took about 30 minutes of him yelling and throwing a fit, but he did say apple. It was things like that, forcing him to say the words I knew he could say. There were 2 days where I had a battle with him almost every hour. It was like magic, all of a sudden he realized that's the way life was and he started saying words I had never heard him say before. He is adding at least 2 or 3 words each day.

The SLP at the assessment (not my friend) said that his vocabulary was remarkably better after 5 weeks. The next thing I'm supposed to work on with him is pronunciation. DS says memote instead of remote. She said that I have to be very careful not to point out to him that he is saying it wrong or emphasize the wording because he could stop speaking again if he feels he is doing it wrong. When he says a word incorrectly I'm now supposed to say it correctly in a normal conversational way 3 or 4 times so that he can hear the word and correct it himself.

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *fizgig*
> 
> GardenStream, I'm very interested in hearing more about what you mean when you say you forced him to use words. I almost feel like we are so responsive to DS that he just has no need for words but I haven't been sure how to deal with that. I've been asking him to "use words" but I don't think he gets what I'm trying to tell him.


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## fizgig (Aug 3, 2007)

Ah ok thank you GardenStream. I don't think DS is quite there then. His comprehension is fairly good but he's not really responding to specific questions like that.


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## VocalMinority (Apr 8, 2009)

Caveat: I have not read all the posts, I just keyed in on "late talker". My ex (father of my children) did not speak until he was 4. His mother was a speech pathologist and his older sister was a very precocious talker and reader, so I'm sure it wasn't due to any lack of stimulation. He may have felt slightly less need to talk, since his big sis did so much of it, but it's still a pretty significant delay. But he's doing fine! He's married, a father of 3, he graduated summa cum laude with 3 degrees and runs a successful, international company. If he were in our kids' generation, I'm pretty sure someone would have identified him as a high-functioning Aspie. But he's always had friends and gotten along with people. There are some things at which he's brilliant and others (complex, nonverbal social cues and conventions) where he seems a little clueless. He also seems incapable of learning foreign languages...except Latin, which you aren't expected to speak and where there are no hard-and-fast rules about sentence structure. I think he learned English the way you learn Latin - just straight memorization and logic, rather than absorbing it, the way most people learn their first language (and fluent people learn subsequent ones). But, again, he has done just fine, in life.

Einstein is also rumored to have started speaking at 4.

There's good reason to have him tested. But there's no reason to despair.


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## ashleyhaugh (Jun 23, 2005)

my sons birthday is 10/1- at 2, he was hardly talking. maybe 10 or so words, and 20 or so signs.... by thanksgiving he had a few more, by christmas a few more, but id say right around new years is when his explosion started. i dont consider him to actually have started talking til 27 months. now he just turned 3, and hw never shuts up, lol... ive had 4 or 5 people in the last week comment on how well he talks. its crazy when i think that this time last year he was hardly saying anything.

i didnt feel anything was wrong, even though a lot of people tried to talk me into getting him evaluated. hes just one of those kids who doesnt really do something til hes able to do it completely.


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## hibiscus mum (Apr 6, 2009)

DD had very few words at that age and had the "explosion" at around 27 months. She never said "mama" but started calling me mommy when she was over 2 years old. I only started to worry about it when she turned 2 and I realized she was a bit behind her peers. I never sought any professional help on the matter, but I guess it can't hurt.

It doesn't seem to have affected her negatively in any way. She was able to read at 3 years old and talks a blue streak now.


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## k9sarchik (Nov 11, 2006)

My 3 year old son is a late talker. He still does not speak in sentences, but I am not concerned because his words are coming more and more every day and he speaks in broken sentences. I read the book The Einstein Syndrome by Thomas Sowell and he fits the profile of late talkers exactly. He is very sharp with Music, Math, and Memory. I will not be using a speech therapist with him, I see no need.


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## Belia (Dec 22, 2007)

Haven't read the responses, but we're going through this right now.

DS only had about 16 words by the time he was 25-26 months. I guess his first word was at about 21 months or so. He seemed to understand everything, could follow directions, and babbled, but just didn't talk.

At 26 months we had his hearing tested, and he had lost about 30% of his hearing. They were pretty confident that it was due to a build up of fluid, so at 26 months he had the surgery to put tubes in his ears. We just had his follow up appt with the doc last week- before the surgery the volume of what he could hear was measured at a .3. After the surgery it was a 3.3, so about a 12-fold increase.

AT the same time we had him evaluated for Early Intervention and he qualified, so he just started speech therapy. Everyone's pretty confident that he'll catch up, but we have some work to do before then.

I would get his hearing tested by a pediatric audiologist and go from there.


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## JudiAU (Jun 29, 2008)

DS started talking at 17m. Absolutely nothing until then. Language explosion at around 19-20m. Learned every letter of the alphabet by sight, all colors, most animals the same month. Very verbal now. Almost too verbal.

I was fairly concerned about it and would have started speech therapy with an indepth hearing assessment at 18m. Not because I didn't think it could be within range but lack of speech is frequently associated with other issues and I would want another set of eyes involved.

My nephew did not receive speech therapy when he should have (my ex-SIL wouldn't hear of it even though my special ed teaching mom practically begged her) and it has cast a significant shadow over his education. He really never caught up.


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