My 19 mo old son is going for a speech evaluation next week. Is there anyone out there that can tell me what to expect? He's a very impatient child and they said the visit would take approx 1 1/2 hours. I'm worried he will get upset and just refuse to cooperate. At his 18 mo check up, his pedi said he should be saying at least 15 words and he was saying 12. She also said he should be putting 2 word phrases together and he's still not doing that. I'm on the fence about the whole matter. He's very smart and understands what we say and follows direction very well. But he still won't say very many words. I get frustrated trying to understand him and he gets frustrated when I don't. My mom-in-law said the dr was being ridiculous and there was "nothing" wrong with him. I've rec'd other advice saying "boys just mature slower than girls", "he'll talk soon" and "he'll talk when he's ready". Is there anyone that can help?
Thanks for all the comments. He did good in the evaluation, was a little scared. He had learned more new words before the appointment and is now up to about 25, YAAYYY. But they suggested therapy because there were a few words he used to say that he doesn't say anymore. They said he was losing words. (Silently suggests autism) I don't think that is it because he's still learning new words. I just think he is storing these words for later use. Well thanks again for all the posts.
Einstein only learnt to talk at 5yo!!
If you have any questions let me know and I can email my sister - she is a pediatric speech pathologist and can definitely help you out.
Well I have a 19 mo old girl who probably doesnt say 15 words, so I doubt if it's a girl/boy thing. Honestly I think the Dr. could be jumping the gun a little bit. I had my 4 year old evalulated for speech just recently and they told me that there is a large window for development of sounds and words. I'd say the same holds true for 19 mo olds as well. Go to the eval, it's better to be safe than sorry, but I wouldn't worry about it to much.
I wouldnt worry, my daughter didn't start talking until she was 2 yrs old. My son , and they tend to be slower in milestones, i dont think talked well until 2.5yrs
I don't know that the discrepancy between the average and what your son is doing is far enough to warrant much concern yet. Then again, I am not a speech pathologist... So, this is only my opinion as a mom:
Boys are later speakers than girls and sometimes than "average". If you say your son understands words spoken to him/ follows directions/ etc., then this isn't about his inability to make sense of speech. If the words he does say aren't said with an obvious inability to form words, there's no problem with his physical ability to speak. I don't think I'd be in panic mode yet.
Why don't you discuss with the pediatrician why she (I assume that's why you're going) is heading to the speech evaluation so soon. (I didn't think they worried this young.) Maybe there's a good reason...
Well I guess it doesn't hurt to get the evaluation but your son is probably fine. Every child is different. My son who is now 3 really JUST started talking clearly and using sentences. I talk REALLY REALLY fast and realized that I was hampering his speach. Now I make sure I talk slower and clearer and as soon as I started doing that there was a big change. When he was about 16 months old he would say stuff like "what you doing" and would say it super fast. Then he stopped talking and now he won't stop!!!! This I realized on a road trip where I was trying desperately to read a magazine, lol. So your son is most likely fine. He may also just be shy which is how my son is. He won't talk at all to the doctor or nurse. I wouldn't worry as much if I were you. Take care and good luck
I have taught early intervention for almost 5 years and have seen alot fo children with speech delay about his age. True some kids don't get a larger vocabulary till closer to 2 but it is a good idea to seek out help if he is frustrated. His increase communication skills will help to decrease his frustration and yours. If you are goign to a speech eval with a speech therapist/company for children this young then it will be play based. meanign it will be an assessment while they play with him. They can learn soo mcuh better through pla at this age. He may be a child that just needs a boost and then his language will take off. Between 15-24 months of age most childrens' language skills go crazy. They have mastered walking so now their brain can "move on" to talking. So go to the eval and see how you feel. If they say come in for an hour a week and we will do play based therapy then yes take it and use their ideas to help him and soon you will be discharged because he will be soo successful. If you go and they are very structured and want him to sit in a chair and make sounds, then don't stay as it will just cause him to becoame more frustrated and then delay his verbal language more. As long as the place you are going is a young child friendly therapy program then he will have fun and learn too.
M. J
You need to go ahead and have him evaluated. During the evaluation, they will take breaks and they make it kind of fun. When my son was evaluated at 3, I did not go in the room with him, so maybe expect that. My son is almost 9 and still goes to speech therapy. I can't help but wonder if maybe I had him evaluated sooner, his speech would be better now. My son's speech disabilty has affected his reading and writing also, because he has trouble with phonics and it all goes hand in hand. Not to mention that other kids make fun of his speech and it is so hurtful to him and it makes me angry. The sooner you have him evaluated, the sooner they can take a plan of action. Good luck and let us know how it goes.
~L.
It is very hard to say what you should do without hearing your son speak BUT I have a 21 month old son that is just putting 2 words together in the past 2 weeks. He says about 15-20 words but at his 18 month well visit he was only saying about 10. Personlly, I think if he is comunicating to you and you feel that he is okay, I would wait. He is so young and only a few words behind the "Guidelines". I try to make my little boy feel like he is doing a good job, there are going to be plenty of times in his life where people will "evaluate" him, let him grow up at his own pace. He may know more than you relize. My son knew all of his body part when I asked him, he can not say them but he knows where they are. I think they will "Talk" when they are ready BUT MOMMY knows best. (Just be careful what you ask for, he may not stop talking once you get him started). Good Luck with your decision.
My son was like yours, only saying a handful of words by his 18mon check up. He would say a new word for a few days and then it was gone as fast as he learned it. Not to be spoken again. He also understood directin without a problem and would do what was asked of him as well. His ped said to wait till his 2yr check up and then we woud go from there with checking in to his speach. 2yrs rolled around and his speach exploded!! 2, 3 and sometimes 4 word sentences and more words than I can count roll out of his mouth now. I will admit that at the time I was slightly worried about my son as well but his DR told me that slower speach in boys was normal and especially (in my case) when they have an older sibling because they tend to do all the communicating for them. Boys might even be slower than girls cause my daughter was spitting out 3 word sentences not too long after her 1st B-day!!
As long as your son is healthy, happy and his hearing seems fine, you probably have nothing to worry about. I would though be very intrested to hear what the speech therapist says though.
Good luck!
S.
I am so mad at your doctor for scaring you like that! I took my youngest for his check up too and the dr. asked me the same thing. I felt kind of embarrassed that he wasn't "up to par." Then a few days later I swear he started talking. I mean TALKING! Some children just focus on different areas of developement. Now if he didn't understand you, or couldn't follow simple directions I would worry. Take him if it bothers you that he isn't talking yet. Also, I did baby sign language with all of my kids. It sounds complicated but it is really simple. Cuts down a huge amount of frustration. Babies can sign before they can talk. Think of waving bye bye. Don't stress, I am sure your son is perfectly normal.
One doctor will tell you 15 words, another will tell you 20 words and some will say 10 is good. There is really no set amount for every child. If you lived by every word "they" said, you would not be drinking water or eating anything because everything causes cancer! My daughter was slow speaking compared to my son. She's about to turn three and everyone is amazed how much she talks now. When we would go to her check ups, the doctor would ask how many words does she say I allot because she would say things at home... I wasn't counting!!!!!! I was just enjoying her sound because she was so afraid of people that she wouldn't say even mommy in front of them. 12 out of 15 is pretty good to me. If you're convinced that your son is in need of this then go... I hope you're not paying out of pocket. I really think you should at least wait until he turns two before you go because it is amazing how much they change on their birthdays! All the kids are different. My son could talk very well but couldn't (wouldn't) hold a pencil correctly until he got into pre-k. My daughter didn't talk but knew how to hold the pencil correctly at age one and knows how do draw people and she's turning three at the end of the month. One will grow faster than the other and one will learn and get better grades than the other and one will be great at sports while the other becomes an academic. I think you should really wait and let him develop. Never baby talk them and throw some words at him to repeat. I think he is doing fine if the doc thinks the "norm" is 15 words. Good Luck on you decision.
My 4 1/2 year old son has been taking speech lessons for about 2 years now. At the evaluation they make it more like a game then a learning situation. They do the same with the lessons. My son has improved a lot, but it is a long process. I could understand him before and now that he is learning to pronounce things correctly it is hard for me to understand him sometimes. There is no need to worry. If he get completely tired of it they will not force it on him. They will stop. good luck
I know you already have lots of responses ,but for what it is worth, at 2 my son had under 15 words and was not putting words together at all. Pedi recommended speech eval. I had to pay 10% (which was still like $75). He was enrolled in therapy, of which insurance pays %100. However within the first couple months his speech grew exponentially. It probably would have naturally, who knows. The initial eval was fine, they are used to working with young ones, so don't worry there. In speech therapy she works pretty much with minor details. Even though he would be fine without it, it is great to have the extra dose of instructing. He is three now, and to be honost, not sure I could handle him being even more verbal than he is now, lol. The therapy is not stressful for him or me. We will be discharged from it soon. I do think 19 months is too early to tell but it is better than having a a doctor that waits too long to refer.
You and your mom are right at not being alarmed. I am sure your son is fine. But, when it was suggested that my daughter go for a speech evaluation, the pedi said that they could tell better than he could and that they could evaluate her and say she was fine and that would give us all piece of mind. Or they could evaluate her and say she needed treatment and with speech therapy, across the board, it is the earlier the better. My daughter went for less than 6 months and went from not talking at all to talking like a 3 year old by her 2nd birthday. Don't be alarmed, but what does it hurt to go for the evaluation? Good Luck. D.
Hi T.,
You are the one that has to make this call, but I personally would give it a few more months. Maybe wait until he's 2 and if you dont see an improvement then seek the outside help. Is he exposed to any learning tv/cartoons? I worked with my child personally but I did notice that she picked more up from watching things like Dora or Diego, Barney, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and Baby Eistein. I'm dont saying load him up on tv but the education ones are addictive for them and they learn from them. It is true that boys can develop slower but some girls do too. Just dont rush it, you dont want him to get a 'fear' or frustration with a speech therapist right now and then associate that with speaking. He could rebound. Good luck to you guys:)
My son was speech evaluated at the local school district in Houston when he was 4 1/2 years old. It was NOT a continuous 1 1/2 hour test period. It was broken down into different specialists testing him on different specific things that were age appropriate. We went back to a central waiting area filled with toys until the next specialist picked us back up for a different test.
They tested his hearing with head phones on and also his sight with a special test machine for his age--they were both cooler testing machines than at his regular pediatrician's office.
He was given a special verbal word test and reading test by another specialist which had him play word games so he would repeat words and she could check how he enunciated the words. She also checked out what words he choose as his answers for the word association part of his testing.
I was right next to him through out the entire testing time. This was everything that was tested for him at age 4 1/2 by the speech specialists.
They determined that he had an extensive vocabulary for his age and that was what the true issue was...he is trying to keep up with his brother who is 21 months older than him!
I'm glad I had my boy tested since it gave me peace of mind. They gave me valuable tips on how to deal with his seeming to stutter every once in a while due to his advanced vocabulary that he has.
Good luck!! Your son's specific testing will probably vary from mine due to his age. I hope this makes you more comfortable taking him to the testing and eases your worries. :)
You are doing the right thing getting him evaluated. A child can be smart and still have a speech delay. They are two totally separate things. By getting him evaluated now you can start getting him help if there is a problem. That way he doesn't fall further behind, get frustrated, and develop more speech problems. Your mother-in-law's opinion is a little outdated. Waiting to find out if there truly is a delay is the worst thing you could do. Also, don't worry about the length of the evaluation. The person doing the evaluation should take his age into consideration and realize that he won't be able to pay close attention for the whole time. Plus the evaluation consists of games so the child is more interested. They will also probably do a physical examination of his mouth to make sure there are no problems the doctor missed.
I agree with your mother-in-law. Just give him time. Boys seem to take a little longer to speak and write properly. My son wasn't very verbal at his 18 month check up and there were no concerns. He will develop at his own rate--just give him a chance.
At the same time, though, the speech therapist may be able to help you and your son communicate better through sign language or some other method. You'll be there during the therapy, so just encourage your child and help comfort him if he gets upset.
Hope this helps!
I know that you are getting mixed messages. I got the same thing when I was going through this. My son is 31 mos. and he started this process at 20 mos. The ped. told me that he was speech delayed. But she also told me about a free program that most states have, that provide the service to the children. In SC it is Baby Net. I am pretty sure that GA has one, I just dont know its name. They pay for everything that my insurance does not cover. Since this was provided for me, I felt that I would regret it if I passed up this service and a year down the road, my son was still struggling. Most of my family said the same, "boys talk later than girls", "he will catch up", "don't worry". Well I am not worried, but I know that I am giving my son the best chance to be successful. Everyone that has worked with him has been super nice. He loves it because they come "play" with him. He has come along way but he is still behind. I was hoping that he would be on level by 3 so that we would not have to continue, but with only 5 mos. to go, I am not sure if it will happen. My son is like your's though, he is very smart, he understands everything, just frustrated that I can't understand him. And that frustration only gets worse as he gets older. But you are his mom and you know what is best. If I were you, I would look into free services in your area. It is not based on income. It is for every child. But you have to get in before 3 years of age. Good Luck and God Bless.
I have to agree with your mother-in-law. I'm really shocked that the doctor is having his speech evaluated for only a difference of three words! At their second birthday, they are supposed to be putting together simple sentences and saying about 30 words clearly. My youngest had not reached that yet, so the doctor said we'd just keep an eye on him for a few more months. Should he not be talking more in the next few months, he'd be evaluated for his speech. She said it doesn't make sense to evaluate them right away when it wasn't an extreme delay. She was right. Within about two months, he was talking a lot more. It has barely been four months since his second birthday, and now we can't get him to quit talking. lol I could understand being evaluated if he wasn't saying anything, but he is only down by a few words.
BTW- Most pediatricians I've talked to agree that it is a guideline of the average, and that it might be off by a couple for other children. If all other developments are on track, then it is better to take a wait and see approach, at least for a couple more months. :)
Hey T.,
It does seem like the doctor is being cautious, but can you blame her/him? What if the doc never said anything and your son ended up having to go for tests to determine if he had Autism (I am not trying to scare you at all!!!). Have you tried teaching him sign language? My husband and I are teaching our 11 month old how to sign and have been since he was about 7 months old. He knows about 10 different signs and it makes it a lot easier to figure out what he wants. We use the book Baby Signing 1-2-3, because it is easy to follow and has signs for EVERYTHING. Hope this helps.
I had a similar situation. At 18-months my ped started talking about speech therapy (my son wasn't talking at all). At 2-years same thing, still not talking, but I didn't feel speech therapy was necessary and didn't do it. Like your son, my son is smart, understands what we say and can follow directions. Five months later (now) he is talking in complete sentences.
However, your ped might be recommending speech therapy because of your frustration and trying to help with his communication so you can have a less stressful relationship. It's your call on whether to go through with the speech evaluation. It might help with life at home to encourage his speech development, not that there is anything wrong with it. I'm sure he is like my son and just developing at his own pace. Good luck.
My daughter recently had an evaluation done because the doctor was concerned her speech was delayed. Two women came to my house and did a full scale evaluation including motor skills and language as well as some other areas. My daughter doesn't say very many words and is not putting two words together either. It was determined that she has a slight speech delay but nothing that they could treat her for. I recently had her hearing tested and it was determined that she has mild hearing loss due to fluid in her ears. She was placed on Bactrim for 60 days and we are going to have her hearing tested again and also to check the fluid. I think every child develops at their own pace and I would not be concerned until a professional says there is a problem, but even still at least he is still young enough that he can get treatment before it develops into a bigger problem. I say have the evaluation done and if there is nothing wrong then at least you know! Good luck!
First relax.
The evaluation is just that. That you approved of the evaluation, is a sign that you are concerned. Whatever one eval was can be totally different from yours. Trust the evaluators will know how to interact with your child and that you are willing to accept whatever comes of it. Relax. You can not help your child stressed over what might happen, the child will draw from you what you project.
I would not worry. My 2nd son did not start talking until he was 26 months old. I was getting really concerned so the doctor had his hearing checked around 2 years old (in January) and that was fine. The doctor said sometimes there is just a small speech delay. All of a sudden at 26 months (this March) he starting talking and now he can say just about anything!! He is talking more than we ever could have imagined!! I would not worry and be patient... he will talk when he is ready. I think it's great that he can say 12 words. All children work at their own pace. My first son could say MANY words and said them long before he was 2 in comparison to my 2nd son. I think it's kind of crazy for your doctor to get freaked out because he is saying 12 and not 15... that sounds close enough to me. My son did not start putting sentences together until after he was 2. Personally, I think he is fine. Good Luck with everything.
I am a retired special education teacher with a 20 month old grandson. Your mother-in-law is right! Children mature at different levels. My step-grandson, who is 3 now, didn't talk say hardly a single word until he turned 2. Then he began talking in sentences within a month. (We wish he didn't talk so much! :)) Save your money and be patient. If he isn't saying much after he turns 2, then I might take him. By the way, you can get free help. Check your neighborhood school and talk with the speech therapist there.
The speech therapists at my school worked with 3 year olds. Their mother's would bring them twice a week for sessions.
T.,
My 19 month old is the same way. He does not say many words, and it's usually when he's in the right mood that he will say them. The doctor said he is fine though. I was really worried about it, but she said he will come around. She also said that boys do mature slower than girls, and as long as everything else is ok, there is no need to really worry right now. Let me know how you're appointment goes though, since I am still a little concerned.
I too was in the same situation with my daughter around that age. Between 18 months and 2 years old I kept hearing that she should be saying so many words, and she pretty much was saying nothing that would understand. I was completely freaking out and looking back I will not do that again! If he's making eye contact with you and taking 2-part directions (go in the other room, get the ball, etc.) then he is doing well. It's ridiculous to me now to think I ever should have worried. Because somewhere near her 2nd bday she just started talking away overnight. Sure, even now (she's a little over 3), her words are not all 100% clear, but I'm realizing that there is nothing wrong and she's still learning. So we try to work on annunciating. I think when it's your first child you worry about everything, I know I did. Do not let people scare the life out of you. You can try following the doctors request for speech evaluation, but I know we tried the hearing test at that time and she was NOT having it, it was a complete waste of time and I knew she could us. All kids are different. You know in your gut if something is right or wrong. I feel for you, hang in there and try not to stress.
Have you had his hearing and tonsils and adenoids checked? That began the speech process for my youngest grandson. He also has severe allergies that tend to bring ear aches. S. B.
hi T.,
i honestly cant believe your ped would refer that so soon,hopefully this will make you feel better. I have a 17 month old, and he says only about 7 words, def not even close to putting words together, i have another one that will be 3 next month, and i still cant understand all of what he says. i have 2 boys also. i like you started freaking out because i babysit a friends 13 month old daughter and she talks way better than my 17 month old. but, i like you i was freaking out and thinking something was wrong, so i had them both evaluated adn neither one need speech therapy, they told me that girls were just faster at doing everything. i think it is way to early to worry, trust me i did the same thing. hope this helps a little
I agree with your mother in law! I mean, 12 words instead of 15? Seems like the doctor must get a percentage of what you pay to see a specialist!
My son wasn't very vocal until about 2 and a half. One day he just started blurtting out everything he had been soaking in since birth. Now he won't shush for a minute!!
My daughter has some speech delay. She is 5 now and we are still working on it. Having said that, in my opinion I think your pedi might be being a little too cautious. Being 3 words short of expected goals isn't anything to get too upset about. But it won't hurt anything to have a professional evaluator take a look at him. They see kids all day every day and can tell you whether or not to truly worry about it. And as far as the lengthiness of the appt, the eval rooms are full of things for him to play with. He may not even realize he's being evaluated. So just take a deep breath and don't worry until someone tells you there's a reason. Good luck!!
T. D
Honey, breath and relax first. My son wasn't talking at the age of 2 and I was sooo concerned. I took him to have a speech evaluation and found that he was like a year behind. Some of that was due to him being premature, and other was that he was trying to talk to us but it all came out as babble. We started going to speech once a week for 30 minutes. The therapist gave us some ideas to work on at home and we did. When he turned 3 we had to take him out of speech and have him placed in a 3 year old speech program at the school. The teacher there worked with him and he has progressed some but he's still behind some. Talk a little slower and make sure that you are saying things to go with objects. Also when you get ready to leave say things like, 'let's go", "go down" (as if going down steps), "go under", "help please", etc. This really helped my son a lot. The other day he said, "you ready to go" and I was thrilled that he used 4 words together!! It'll happen for your child too. Oh, I almost forgot. My son had his tantrums at speech sometimes and the therapist told us to ignore. We didn't pat him up, scold him, we just let him be and then when he saw we didn't pay any attention to him he came back to the play area. It takes time and patience but you can do it. God thought enough of you to give you a child with this need. That's how I look at my situation, and with God all things are possible!!
I tend to agree with your mother in law,,,,Boys are slower to start doing everything compare to girls........My advise since this is your first child do not anticipate his needs cause then he see no reason to talk.....I talk by experience Once I had the patience with my son to have him take his time to let me know what he wanted he started to talk more out of need and this was 25 years agon
Don't worry. The speech evaluation will be very casual. It may even take place in your home. They will observe your son playing, interacting, etc. It is all done on a child's level and it is very low key. My daughter was evaulated for speech at 19 mos. and started speech therapy afterwards. We went three mornings a week. She loved it because she played with all of their toys "while working on her speech". She had no idea we were there for work and actually asked to go whenever we would pass by the speech office. The speech teachers were great and I noticed a huge difference in a short period of time. It will all work out just fine.
At my son Bryson's 2 year old check up same thing not enough words we started with the babies can't wait program and saw some progress but when he turned 3 we were able to get in the school where they have s speech pathologist he is now 4 and continues his speech therapy his sessions only last about a 1/2 hour and he has made tremedous progress and will start pre-k in august in the beginning i thought his speech would just come and i realized it wasn't going to be that easy i have been very pleased i say it doesn't hurt to have him evaluated before you know it he will be in preschool or pre-k and you will want him to be able to communicate the best he can hope this helps P.
I am quite shocked that your pediatrician recommended an evaluation and must say that as a speech therapist I am not sure it is warranted. An 18 year old is NOT "supposed" to be putting two words together. That is the milestone that is generally reached by the age of 2. The fact that he is using words already is a good sign. The difference between 12 and 15 is really not enough to recommended a full speech evaluation.
Now, I obviously don't have all the information, and perhaps there is more going on that just speech issues? The evaluation is nothing to worry about, though. I can tell you honestly that to get an hour and a half out of an 18 month old is a pretty lofy goal. I know that part of the evaluation will be asking you questions about what he is or isn't doing. Again, don't worry too much about it, though.
It is your call about whether or not to do the evaluation. If there is an issue, early intervention really is the best thing. But, for his age, I think your pediatrician may have really jumped the gun on this recommendation.
You can check out these milestones on the American Speech Language Hearing Associations website: http://www.asha.org/public/speech/development/12.htm
And again, they are for ages 1-2, so he still has time before he's expected to do all these things.
Good luck, and really don't worry yourself too much about it. If you go through with the evaluation, than you'll know a lot about his skills either way and can either thank your pediatrician or maybe find a new one=)
My nephew has gone through it, and they make it fun. A lot of it will just be observation of him as he plays.
I'd have to agree with your MIL, though (and I have training in child development). That doesn't sound delayed to me at all, especially since he follows directions. My nephew went at 18 months because he wasn't saying ANY complete words (just the initial sounds of some words, like "ma" and "ba"), and they still said he wasn't delayed enough to qualify for state treatment programs.
I happen to agree with your mother in law. Your doctor is being ridiculous. My now 7 year old didn't speak a word until she was almost 3. I don't know why. My mom and my mother in law both a the time were very concerned. My doctor was starting to get a little worried, but said if this is still going on a t 3 1/2 then we will see if there is anything wrong. Well long story shorter there was nothing wrong she just took her time. EVERY child learns at their own pace. Be patient with your child, work on demonstrating how to ask for things. Describe everything around him using colors and shapes and such. Read stories aloud. Point to a picture you know he knows what it is and ask him. I guarantee with patience within the next year or so his vocabulary skills and sentence structure will come. By the way my now 7 year old speaks beautifully and with a vocabulary and sentence structure skills way beyond her age.
K. R
homeschool mom of 5
WOW! I'm glad my ped took it as a concern but didn't freak. At 18 mos my girl had 10 words. At 20 mos, she had about 50. Almost 2 and she puts together 3 word sentences.
So, don't worry. It will come. Unless he's showing other signs, it shouldn't be a big deal.
Try to use more pointing and "show me" with him. The frustration will be much less. And use an easier word to help communicate, if the thing he wants is too hard to say.
Best wishes. I'm sure he's "normal" too.
I'm a Mom of a son who said only 10 words at age 4 - yes four - and yes we went through the speech therapy and everything. I wish I had waited because he just had some growth things to do and soon talked a mile-a-minute. He has his own successful business as an adult - talking - sales rep - and has done that all his life - so be careful what you pray for.
As a social worker who has worked with kids with so-called delays, now I will speak professionally. All the "guidelines/numbers" are simply ARBITRARY ranges professionals use. Every child learns different things at different rates. Example, in 4th grade that same "delayed" son of mine was writing computer programs with his math teacher and was coaching handicapped children in tennis which he had mastered. Please do not worry - do your research - all the advice you have received has value to help you make up your mind.
Numbers are given a bad rep when they stand for averages. Do you want an average child, an average blood cholesterol, an average student? NO, of course not - you want the best - and everyone's best is very different. Look at REALLY physically handicapped people who have excelled using stronger parts of their bodies to do incredible things and let him be himself.
My opinion - he's talking and you're talking to him, it's WAY too early for an evaluation. Get the stress out of your voice - and everyone else's and tell him exactly what you are thinking. Say, "Johnny, Mommy doesnt get it when you tell me that. Can you tell me a different way by drawing or pointing?" And he'll find a way that's comfortable for him to communicate. Maybe people talk over him or don't give him time to think about what he wants to say or he deals with mixed cultures during the day and is not sure what word is right - there can be many other things including he wants to be quiet or feels pushed to talk that keep his numbers down. At age 4 get back to me if you still have this problem because we can still fix it.
My son just turned 2 last month, but didn't really say many words until he was about 23 months... since then he's been saying about one new word per day. When he had his 18 month check-up I told the doctor he didn't say many words, but used some signs and made lots of animal noises (he would call a dog "woof" etc). She said those counted, since he was still using them to communicate. I think he was just waiting until he was confident he could say things correctly. In addition to the speech eval, you could try to teach him some signs for things he wants to bridge the gap until he is ready to say more words - it will come!
I have the same problem only my son is 29 months old, and is spoken to in two languages, which in some cases makes language come later.
I felt stressed when a speech therapist told me that I should work on his gross motor skills, without evaluating him and I started going down the worry spiral.
My son has been late in everything, he was born when I was 42 weeks pregnant, he walked until he was 1 year and 8 months and of course he will be late in speaking. He understands both languages perfectly, follows instructions, and has his own language (he uses the same word to refer to the same object always) so based on that (I´m also an early years teacher) I agreed with myself to give him at least a few months more ...
You know him better than anyone and I would say trust your instinct!
I'm a special ed pre school teacher. Early intervention is good if there is a speech delay. As far as the evaluation goes, don't worry. The evaluators are used to uncooperative kids and try to work around that. They will do their best to get your little one comfortable and happy in order to get accurate results. Good luck!
My advice is to teach him sign. You can tell by his frustration that he wants to communicate expressively. You can facilitate his expressive communication through sign. Babies' oral language seems to develop faster when they've been signing first. And if he is just slow starting out, he'll have a way to communicate until he does start speaking. My 20-month-old son has been signing since he was about 9 months and his oral language is flourishing. Good luck!
It sounds to me like your mother-in-law is absolutely right. He's saying twelve and they want fifteen. That's ridiculous! My youngest boy talked late but one afternoon when he awoke from a nap, he just started saying everything. It's not as though your boy is saying nothing. We've just been through the mill with doctors about our daughter with "developmental delay". As it turns out, she's just a little late doing everything. It seems to me that a lot of docs are terrified of being sued or are getting a cut from other docs for referrals or something. I'd recommend waiting a few more months before being too concerned.
A great encouragement I received through this process was "it takes late babies and early babies to make an average."
God's blessings to you and your sweet boy!
Hi! At my daughter's 15mth check up, she was only saying 2 words, her pediatrician recommended speech therapy also, I told my husband I didn't feel comfortable doing that to her at such an early age, and now at 18mths, she says so much, not in sentences, but big words like sprinkler, dangerous and so on... just hang in there, most of my problem with getting her to speak was, I was speaking for her, and not giving her a chance to say anything... I wish you the best of luck, and keep us posted!!
Words of Encouragement....
My friends son was over 2 and not saying but 2 words. Obviously delayed. She started him on therapy and he talks up a storm in just 2 short months. I think it's good to take any help people are willing to give. They are trained to handle little ones and know that their attention spans are limited. So relax and enjoy your son learning new techniques and the one on one time with a trained professional. I don't believe he is delayed but who would want to prohibit their child from further help. I think it's great that you are having them come.
Hi T.,
I am a veteran preschool teacher in Roswell. I am curious as to WHY he is going for evaluation so early. We use a speech pathologist, Lyn Routenberg, to evaluate our children at school. She is in private practice now in Alpharetta but was with Atlanta Speech School for years. She doesn't like them to be referred to her for evaluation at our school before age 3 for the very reasons that you are concerned about. I have recommended that a few of my 3's use her services but truly many children outgrow their difficulties by age 4-5. A hearing test is a must to begin with. I have also had several children that didn't talk in my class but emerged as their comfort level grew within the school and around the teachers.
I wish you the best of luck.
Cathy
so call me old fashion... since when does 3 words (12 of 15) became a concern??
My brother spoke NO real words until he was almost 3. Then one day he was speaking in sentences. In his case he had his siblings speaking for him. He created his own vocabulary for a while.
If he is as bright as you say, he is probably just storing up all these words to surprise you with. BTW do you ask him to respond to you?
K.
Hi T.,
I think your ped is just trying to cover his/her bases. It can't hurt to have your son evaluated, though, to rule out any possible speech problems BUT I don't think you need to worry.
At my son's 18 month appt, I remember his ped saying that he would have been happy if my son had 10 words. My son has been very talkative since about 16 months, while most of his friends had far fewer words until they were about 2. I know most of them didn't have 15 words at 18 months. Around 2, they all seemed to start talking A LOT! Now they have their little conversations and they've all caught up with each other. They all do things when they're ready. My son was a very late crawler and walker, but an early talker.
Good luck!
Don't be worried about the evaluation. They may tell you it is nothing. The good thing is to err on the side of caution and be better safe than sorry. Only good can come of this. One of my best friends had a son who was speech delayed and he is in speech therapy and it is AMAZING the progress he has made in such a short time. The down side of a delay is lack of being able to express himself...he used to bite everyone out of frustration, he had broken skin on both my kids while he was not talking. Drove the other parents crazy, as she would just say he is frustrated. But not that he is in speech, he can talk and SO much better. I can easily understand him and now he does not get frustrated. Please don't be nervous, I know lots and lots of kids getting speech and it has really helped the child's independence, confidence, etc. Best of luck to you and don't be scared.
C. in Alpharetta
T.-
I have 3 boys- one was talking when he was 10 mos old- my second didn't say anything till he was 2 and my 18 mos old barely says a word- mama dada- night night and bye bye- thats it. In my opinion - you shouldn't worry till he is closer to age 2- but if you need peace of mind- have him evaluated. I have a friend who is a speach therapist and she also says not to worry till they are about 2. Your pediatrician sounds really proactive- which is a good thing- mine didn't seem concerned at all- I think I was more worried than they were.
It's really your choice and your peace of mind- if your gut is telling you he's OK - then he probably is just fine.
Good LUck
Nikki
I would keep the appointment. A speech therapy evaluation, is just that, an evaluation. They may see him and say he doesn't need any therapy. Or, they may see him and catch something. I wouldn't tend to worry because all kids develop at a different rate, and boys do tend to develop slower than girls. However, I am a pediatric nurse, and I have seen some of the pediatric speech therapists at work, they are pretty awesome. I would keep the appointment and see what happens.
Your mom is right!!! If I were you, I would cancel that appointment, save your money and worries and just let your son grow and develop as he has continued to for the past 19 months. This makes me so mad that a doctor would say he should be saying, what, 3 more words than he is now!! How ridiculous!! If you believe he is doing just fine with communicating, you are probably right on.
Love,
C.
Hello T.. I have a 3 1/2 year old son and at his 2 year check up I was concerned about him not talking much as well. He plays with a little girl who is 3 months older and she talked so much. I took him to the doctor and they said girls do mature faster than boys and not to worry about it. By the time he was 2 years and 2 months he was talking up a storm. Now at 3 1/2 he amazes me with the vocabulary he has. I wouldn't worry too much about it until he is at least 2. As long as he can understand you, and you him, I think you are just fine!!
J.
The evaluation will be pretty easy and most likely you will be told there is no need for intervention. I think your pediatrician is being a bit silly.
I know this is difficult but listen to the professionals. THEY see hundreds of kiddos each month and know what the norm is. My son was also ref'd for speech and other therapies when 9 mos. old. EARLY INTERVENTION IS CRITICAL and will make a huge difference later. Now is the time for you to start thinking that every decision you make now will benefit your son in the future. We get caught in the "now" and forget there is more than today.
As perspective, helping him now may help him learn to read easier or help him adjust to school in the coming years. Not to mention that other kids won't make fun of him because of a potential speech problem. KNOW YOU ARE GIVING HIM EVERY ADVANTAGE FOR HIS FUTURE. As a Grandma I know, they grow quickly. You'll look around soon and he'll be heading off to college. YOU ARE DOING THE RIGHT THING BY HELPING HIM NOW!
Blessings dear... :)
There is wisdom in what your Mom is saying. Don't let the pediatrician scare you into doing something that you aren't sure of. I had an 18 mo old that probably said less than 10 words. He would fuss to get my attention. I would say "No, son. No fussing. Say Mama, and then tell me what you want." And he would say "Mama" and then show me. So I knew he could talk, he was just choosing not to talk. I had other friends that said what your Mom is saying....you know what....they were right! By 24 mos he was saying a lot more. He is now 3 yrs old and sometimes I wish I could keep him quiet for just a minute. He talks nonstop.
I taught my children sign language starting at 8 mos, just simple signs to help them communicate with me. I suggest you get a book from the Library or buy one that shows you simple signs like: more, please, thank you, water, thirsty, drink, eat, all done, out, stop, no-no (I use that one a lot!), no touch, I love you, etc.
Sign language will help your son communicate with you until he matures and begins verbalizing. I am a stay at home mom of three children. My 5 yr old and 3 yr old are boys. The first one talked early. The 3 yr old is the one who talked late. I was a little concerned but decided that each child is different and I was going to start worrying until after 24 months. My third is a girl and she is 11 mos.
Give your mom a hug and thank the Lord for placing someone with wisdom in your life. Your son will be fine.
Hey! My little boy is 22 months and has just begun talking more in the last month. He was only saying 10 or so words and gradually began adding a few here and there. Then, about a month ago he just took off. He is still not talking as much as some other kids his age, especially the girls. We did get some speech services through Babies Can't Wait for a few months. We just stopped because of scheduling. They come to your house or whereever your child is and do everything. It is basically free so we figured it didn't hurt to see if he qualified. It is a good service and they basically just played with him while doing their evaluations and therapy. We are not worried about our little boy because we see that he understands a lot and follows directions too. Boys just aren't as concerned with talking and tend to do it in their time frame.
I agree with everyone that says don't worry but if it helps your peace of mind go for the eval. My son said very few words until he was 2. Then he started usung full sentences and a HUGE vocabulary. My ped was never concerned. At my daughter's 2 yr checkup last year they asked if she was using 2 word phrases yet. They seemed amazed that she had been doing it before 18 mos, like it wasn't expected that early or something.
I don't want to say don't worry because that's what moms do, but know that developemntal averages are just that, averages. It means some are earlier and some are later and it's OK to fall into the later category.
I'd cancel the appointment if it were me. My second son spoke far later than his older brother, and his words aren't terribly clear, but he's progressing (he's 28 months now). I'm not sure why the pediatrician was overly concerned about a three word gap in "what's supposed to happen." What, does she freak when 18 month olds show up speaking 18 words? I'd wait until he's 2.5 years old. If he hasn't made significant progress by then, then by all means seek out the help of a professional speech therapist.
