I Think My Two Year Old Could Have a Learning Disability

I would be concerned about her speech and language. Call early childhood intervention... they can evaluate her for free! http://www.mhmrtc.org/ECI/

She may not get enough personal interaction at the day care you have her in. Lots of kids crawl at different stages and also talk at different stages, but the personal interaction and attention sounds like part of the problem it seems.

I have a friend whose son showed similar delays especially in speech,(She is a sahm so she didn't have others giving bad reports to add to the stress). He is now 6 years old and in the gifted/talented program in school and reading at a third grade level. He still has some social quirks, but is a bright, happy little boy. But she may just have social anxiety.

I think you just have to go with your gut- if you feel there might be a problem, there's absolutely nothing wrong with getting her evaluated. You've gotten a lot of good advice about places to try.

Having said that, I run an in-home daycare and a good majority of my two year olds don't like to sit down for circle time. I don't push the issue until they're past 3 and getting ready to graduate to a preschool that is going to expect it. She's probably listening and learning the information even if she won't sit down when they ask her to.

Pull her from day care for 4 weeks and see if there is a change in her. The change could be because she is learning from the children there how to behave; or she doesn't feel secure. You love her, you know her, she feels secure with you so the more you spend time with her in play and teaching the more secure she will feel. I know of someone who had a child labeled learning disabled in the Allen school dist. and was in special ed. She pulled out her 4th grader and homsechooled for 2 years and put her in regular classes (I want to say honors classes, but this was a friend of a friend who I met only 5 times) when her daughter decided she wanted to go to school because of special classes, activities the district has to offer. Ask yourself: What is my job as mother? write out your job description and then do what is necessary to accomplish it.

I'm sorry to say, but your daughter sounds EXACTLY like my daughter at age 2 -- and my daughter has High Functioning Autism. Pediatricians were NO help in getting my daughter her diagnosis. You need to call Child Find and get her evaluated right away. This is a free service through the public school system. You want to get that ball rolling right away cause they move slow. But they will check her hearing etc... and evaluate her very well. If she is diagnosed before the age of three you will be eligible for SO much free services. Also, she will likely be eligible for free pre-school as soon as she turns three. Get it checked out - she sounds exactly like my daughter. I could have written your posting word for word six years ago! The good news is that with lots of therapies, love and help - my daughter has come a very long, long way and is fully mainstreamed at school. Most people don't even know there is anything wrong with her.
Good luck.
E.

It is too early to evaluated for a learning disability, but not for a developmental delay. Call Early Childhood Intervention now. They are wonderful and can do a developmental evaluation, language and OT/PT eval. OT and PT will probably have to come through your pedi, but ECI will coordinate it so they will come to your home or daycare. I have my 17 month old grandson. He didn't pull up, crawl, or walk on time. With ECI and PT, he can now crawl up on the couch and try to crawl over the back. Physically he has totally caught up. Verbally he still only make a few sounds, but is making progress thanks to early intervention. Early intervention is your key. Be sure to have the hearing checked. ECI will not diagnose Autism. Since your daughter is 2, before she turns 3 ECI will set you up with the public school to transition her to public school. They will do an evaluation to see if she qualifies for special ed services. A school evaluation is much more detailed (at least in our district) than a doctors. the law says it must be done by more than one person. Usually, but not always, an Educational Diagnostician, Speech Pathologist and School Psychologist.
Call ECI, they can help you.

Hello S.,

Sorry you have to go through such a stressful patch. I suggest you go with the ECI but first. Take your child out of Day Care. Keep her home and play with her. She needs you right now and will benefit from one on one time with Mom. That is all she needs at 2 years of age. Please do not bring her back to a place where she is not comfortable.

A.

There is no harm in checking the possiblity out. Take your child to your pediatrician, and if you're not satisfied that every one of your fears are addressed, ask for a recommendation to do some testing.
My own son has a type of autism, it sounds like your daughter may have something like it. The best way to help her is to get your ducks in a row early, that way she'll have every advantage asap. There are alot of websites that can help you learn and get help online. You can figure out the next best step just looking at those. Oasis is a good organization.
Of course this might not be the thing for your daughter. She might well be just a bit behind. You should satisfy yourself though, your doctor doesn't have to live with your decision. You and your daughter do though.
If i can help in any way, get in touch. I'm not someone who has been to school, i don't have anything to recommend me but experience. I will point you in the best direction i know of if that's what's called for, and if you just need to vent, i'm here.
Best of luck, W.

S., I would have her checked out by a developmental peditrician. They have extra years of training on the developmental milestones of children. Early prevention is the key. It will ease your mind to know where your daughter stands developmentally and what you need to do to get her up to speed. She sounds just like my 4 year old son, he hates circle time, he doesn't show much interest in interacting with other children, he really doesn't like to share and he is easily frustrated. I believe this frustration comes from his inability to communicate like the other kids his age. He is on the autism spectrum, it's mild and we didn't catch it until March of this year. I can only wish that I would have done something sooner. I kept thinking he would eventually get it, and something would just click, but I now know that he needs more than what I can give him. If you know in your gut that something is not right, don't listen to your pedi. My pedi kept dismissing my concerns, and it made me feel horrible. As a mother I knew my little guy needed help, so I went out and found it. Empower yourself, no one knows your daughter like you do, trust your mommy gut. E-mail me if you wanna chat, this is somthing that sits close to my heart. Good luck.

Hi S.
I can totally unterstand your feelings, and is very good that you have a really sensitive eye fo your daughter.
First, sorry when my english is not the best. I'm german.
I have 2 daughters, now almoust 8 and 5 years old.
The differenzes cold be not bigger between this girls.
My older girl was born with a neurological defizit. But we didn't know. That is nothing what you can see, or what the doctor can tell you in the controlls.
You find it out by your self at the time in the development at your child.
Samantha was around 2 the first time that I told my childrens doctor (we lived at this time in switzerland) there is something wrong with my little girl.
They don't take your serious the first time, because all parents have sometimes problems with the breeding.
So we took her a second and a third time, at the third time the doctor took us serious.
Samantha was not listening and had problems to bring easy stuff together, she was quick and strong with her body, but her mind didn't could follow. And you could see, it wasn't about that she didn't want to, she din't could. She went so quickly frustrated,and she didn't had a problem with her heraing. She needed a lot of focus when I was talking to her.
So we got special appointments at a childrens neurologist.
It took a while, but we are glad, that we took the whole procedure.
Samantha's brain didn't could find by themself the synapses.
This is maybe now a little bit strong for me to explain. I looked at my dictionary, I didn't find the right words.
You have like a network in your brain, and some of the ends in this network are lose. Children brains are working on this, that is thems development. The lose ends find normaly by them selves together.
Not Samantha's. It took us over 3 years of special therapies, like speechtherapy, occupational therapie, osteopathie and a special house training.
Today she is almoust 8, at the time we moved to the US 2 years ago, she was finished with her therapies.
She finished right now the 1st grade at school, and it is so unbelivable how quick she find in, in the new languages, new rules, a absolute new life with us here.
We're so blessed that she found the way back in a normal life.
I'm glad that you're looking so sensitive for your daughter and when your feelings tell you there is something wrong, don't stop to tell the doctor until he/she take you serious and send you over to a specialist.
It doesn't mean it is similiar to our daughter, but it means that you and your child needs a special help.
Earlier is anytime better that late.
I wish you and your little girl the best, and I hope you can find a way to help you both.
Sincerely E.

Contact Scottish Rite children's hospital. They are the best around!

Hi S.,
It's almost unanimous: Trust your mommy gut! You would rather be safe than sorry. I have a 2.5 year old that completely ignores me! (I have to threaten with no outside time or something before she hears me) She doesn't very much like to play with other kids, but loves grown ups...(She'll have conversations with complete strangers in her very OWN language!--Not a clue what she's saying) I asked my pedi about this, she did say that as long as they were interacting with adults, not necessarily other children, making eye contact, I shouldn't worry about it. Another thing is she can say words, but she can't say them strung together to make a sentence, even after I have her say each word so she know what order they go in (The cat jumped off the chair = ~jiberish~kitty jumping-jumping! ~jiberish) So she can say each word, but then translates it into her own little language. Also before I became a SAHM, naomi too went to daycare and there were times she did too cry over little things...I think she just felt misunderstood. Nobody knows your child like you do, and they change class rooms and teachers so often, in many cases, they don't really form a real bond with one person. You also have to remember that every child has a different temperment. She probably just doens't enjoy circle time. Your daycare should know that and bad reports aren't bad when the teacher just can't get her to do what the teacher wants. I would visit your daycare and see how they handle activities. If her behavior, apart from her development, has changed drastically, DEFINATELY check out and see what might have caused it. Not to scare you, but sadly there have been many cases of child abuse/neglect over the last year in daycares in the amarillo area; I imagine those rates are higher in the Dallas area. My daughter had always been in daycare, but when I noticed differences in her behavior and temperment, I knew I had to do something. Since I had baby #2 (who was also in daycare for 1 month before I decided to come home) I didnt' think we could go one income, but I had to sacrifice LOTS to be there for my daughter. I hope everything is well. GOD Bless.

As a former teacher with lots of behavior science experience and a mother of a 2 year old, let me tell you, early intervention is key. First and foremost you really should have your child evaluated, your insurance company should pay for it, even if it doesn't you need to get her an evaluation. My son just had one yesterday by Dr. Julie Jacobs ###-###-####. She was really great. She is a development pediatrician, and there is also a speech therapist in the office too.

Once you go for your evaluation, you will learn things that can specifically help with your child. It is easy to get a kinds of advice from everyone, but knowing how to work with your child's needs is key.

I would call your area ECI (Early childhood intervention) and have her tested.

I have a 4 1/2 yr old grand daughter we are rainsing with the same problems. She has never been in daycare. She has only gone to preschools from 9 to 12 or 9 to 2 a few days a week.

Because of her age she is to old for ECI but I am having her tested next week by our school district.

I put her back in a 3 yr old class but fell behind even them.

Socially she is very grown up and holds great conversations with adults.

D.

S.!

I am soo sorry you are having to worry about this! How hard it must be on you!

I've been around teachers and children my whole life (family business, soft of) and my suggestion would be to first look at her hearing! Does she get ear infections? Does she seem to hear ok? Even if she seems to hear TV, music, etc, she may not be hearing the pronunciations (sp?) of workds or the chatting of teachers/peers therefore delaying her speach and leaving her emotionally and physically "left out!"
Take her to a ENT (ear/nose/throat)Dr. and rule bad hearing out!

Also talk to your pedi in the mean time and ask your child's teachers some questions about what they honestly think is going on! Set up a meeting with them! They will be glad to meet with you if they really do the job they enjoy! And you will be so better off for getting to know them better so you can all better work as a team on this issue!

Finally, if you do all the above and still don't get a satisfying answer, KEEP ASKING QUESTIONS AND "BUGGING" THE SO-CALLED EXPERTS (teachers, drs, etc) FOR OTHER POSSIBLE REASONS FOR THIS AND OTHER POSSIBLE WAYS TO DIAGNOSE AND TREAT THE PROBLEM/HARDSHIP!!!!! No one knows your child like you and it has been proven more often than dis-proven that parents could successfully diagnose a problem monthes or even years before doctors could just because "something didn't feel right" yet doctors couldn't find anything!!

Best of luck and God bless!
T.

Try having his hearing checked by a certified audiologist. My oldest son could hear when we would stand behind him and clap but he still had temporary hearing loss, because of too much fluid back behind his eardrums requiring tubes in his hears.

Listen to yourself, your inner voice! Early intervention is the most important thing in any "difficulty"......ask your pedi for referrals to specialists to have her observed and don't take no for an answer if you still feel concerned....keep asking for help.....no, she isn't a BAD kid, of course not, she might have something as simple as hearing problems or as complicated as autism but who knows unless professionals observe. I say this to you because my nephew has noticed the same things in his son but they waited so long before getting evaluations - it's a sad story there but always, always the earlier intervention and diagnosis the better for the child. I'm sure there are some county or state resources to help you also. Best of luck to you!

Dear S.:

Contacting ECI (Early Childhood Intervention) like the others have suggested can only help. If nothing else, they can reassure you that everything is going well.

They will check out hearing, etc. Best of all, they come to your home and your daycare to provide ways that therapy can be built into your childs routine if it is needed rather than requiring you to use your time and energy (which you need for your child and yourself)to get extra support for your child.

I wish that I had contacted them about our youngest son, who was very much like your daughter at that age, but my husband was strongly against it. I just read alot and did my best. While our son is doing better all the time, he still struggles socially. Perhaps he just marches to a "different drummer". (PS He has been diagnosed with a nuerological anomoly where his reflexes are slow, ADHD, and chronic motor and vocal tics - on the other hand, he gets straight A's and could do cube roots in Kindergarten)

We love our children, and we show it when we do everything we can to help them - just like you are doing.
Good Luck!
Jen

I think you should trust your instincts and really pursue this. You know your daughter better than anyone. Do not let a doctor who spends only 15 mins with her put you off. I had some concerns with my oldest when she was little. As it turned out, they related to some underlying medical problems that were undiagnosed until I brought her to a new dr. with my concerns. I was put off for several years before really getting more assertive about what I was seeing. I wish I'd done it earlier. When I finally understood her limitations, I became a much more empathetic and patient parent and I was better able to help her develop.

I hope it goes well.

That sounds just like my younger son. It's a good idea to have her evaluated by a specialist. I am glad that you have taken the first step in seeking help for you beloved little girl. It is better to rule it out than to go on as if it is nothing at all.

Please call your local Early Childhood Intervention (ECI). They usually do FREE evaluations for Speech Therapy, Ocupational Therapy, Physical Therapy.

I'm not saying your daughter will, but my son qualified for all three at age 20 months. If you want to "talk" send me an email. It may be a couple days before I get back with you, but I WILL respond.

Blessings, prayers, and answers for you.

P. <><

First let me tell you a little of my background before I proceed. I have 6 years of early intervention experience working with children 0-6 years old who have disabilities and/or special needs. I have worked to help diagnose children with autism and sensory disorder.

That said, I would have your pediatrician refer your child to a developmental pediatrician immediately..I would have the daycare teacher start to document what happens from the time she gets there to the time she ends...When there are "bad behaviors", what is happening at that moment? These questions need to be addressed "before" you put a label on your child.

Please feel free to contact me.

S.,

ECI can come to your home and evaluate your child for developmental delays now and then 60 days before her 3rd birthday contact your public school and they can also evaluate her. You could also go private and take her to a speech pathologist..Cooks has reputable ones or Speak Inc or Baylor has a children's program too.

Just a helpful thought....I am a school counselor and mt first born did not sit up til way after 10 months and did not walk until 19 months....I was so freaked out and even thought she might be autistic b/c she threw rotten fits .....it turned out to be anxiety that caused the terrible hour long fits and no doc can explain the muscle delay but today she is 8 and is a wonderful tumbler at gymnastics... can do 10 back handsprings in a row and can do a back tuck...very flexible and they use her on their higher level cheer team to fly in the stunts.... and she is smart, very well behaved at school but I do treat the anxiety and I keep a close eye on it....but I did do evrything possible when she was young to help her.... we did physical therapy 2 times a week, swimming lessons that helped her muscle development, I sought advice from my counselor friends and child psychologists.... I'm not sure if any of that played a role in her success story but it made me feel a lot better.

I would contact ECI (Early Childhood Intervention). They have a wide variety of services to help with diagnosis of early developmental problems.

Check with early Childhood at the schools My Son started to early childhood class at school at the age of two. Get another opinion from another Dr. also. Its not too early to get her tested. Early intervention is the best. There are alot of programs for children with disabilites.

I would definitely agree with most of the moms...the first thing to do is to get her hearing checked, whether it is through ECI or an ENT. My youngest daughter wasn't saying many words at 2 either. Now, my ped. was concerned about that b/c she was hoping that my daughter would be saying 2-3 word sentences at that point (she was a little speech delayed b/c of recurring ear infections and ended up getting tubes at 19 mo). Fortunately she started saying the 2-3 word phrases b/f our ped. said that we'd need to get interventions going. We knew at that point her hearing was fine, so that wasn't an issue. :) And, I would also agree that it's NORMAL for a kid her age to be off on their own at times. If she can't hear that may be a reason she's doing some of the things she's doing and she doesn't have the vocabulary to express this.

And, if you feel after checking all these things your daughter needs a changed of environment, find a new place for her to go to day care. Best of luck!

Circle time for a 2 yr old and they expect that to work? Please! I think you might want to consider looking for another day care. I don't think these people understand what is developmentally appropriate for a 2 yr old. They all come off as brats at this age.

Regarding the speech, you should have her evaluated. She should be talking more than 7 or 8 words. They can evaluate her to determine if this is only an expresive delay (spoken words) or also a receptive delay (understanding words).

good luck!

Hi S.,
I am a speech pathologist and would like to offer a few suggestions. Definitely she is in need of a speech evaluation. There are many things that can lead to a child not speaking and some of them are related to muscle development and coordination. With her history of crawling and walking late it is very possiblet that her coordination of her mouth muscle movements is making it difficult for her to pronounce words. Many others have recommended ECI. Please be aware that at many ECI facilities you do not get therapy from a certified therapist. They use alot of assistants who only have to have some basic college education to qualify for the job. I strongly advise you to be sure that whomever you choose to help your child that they are a certified therapist (speech credentials are CCC/SLP). You are the parent and it is your right to ask for this. If you can't get it through ECI, it is wise to seek out private therapists. Many of them are covered by insurance. As others have said, there are lots of options out there. I have treated many children very similar to yous and they do very well in the end. Good luck and hang in there. It is always better to get more information and not need it than to wait until your child is older and changes are harder to make.
J.

Get the eval through ECI to check things out. It is free and can't hurt. However, as far as her not participating in classes, my 2 1/2 y.o. son doesn't either and he is just fine. He does his thing and doesn't like to follow the group. He hates crafts and his teachers tell me that he cries whenever they try to get him to do something different from whatever he decides he wants to do (even things he usually likes). The fact is that some kids are just more stubborn and strong willed. Best of luck to you. I bet she'll pick right up one day and start chatting away in full sentences. I've heard that happens sometimes. They go from barely talking to never shutting up :)

S.,

I definitely think you should see a developmental pediatrician. My grandson (a preemie) sees Jennifer English MD at Developmental Pediatrics ###-###-####. She is wonderful! If she thinks you need ECI, she'll get the ball rolling for you, too.

My son is now 22, and had similar problems as your daughter when he was small. I never knew these services existed until he was in his 20's. If I had only known it could have made life so much easier for both him and me as I now see that he probably has Asberger's syndrome. He disagrees and won't get help. It is so much better to err on the side of doing too much instead of doing too little like I did.

Good luck, and keep us posted.

I would get ahold of Early CHildhood Intervention if I were you they can assces her and see if she has any delays or any disorders.

For one thing, she is at an age where interactive play with other kids isn't entirely expected. I was a shy kid and preferred to do my own thing, and I didn't have a learning disorder :)

I would also suggest getting her hearing checked, although you said she does say words. Mine was a late talker, but he went from saying nothing to practically speaking sentances in a matter of months.

Definately contact ECI if you are concerned. The program helps kids who are 3 and under so you want to do it soon.

I have a daughter whom is 6 yrs old now, but she was delayed in several areas. She did not crawl until she was 10 mos and did not walk until she was 15 mos. At that time, I had taken on an Early childhood teaching position in which I started becoming familiar with infants and toddlers and their growth and development. I was introduced to a few infant and toddler programs in which growth and development is their specialty. They are ENMRSH and MECA. I chose ENMRSH. A service coordinator came over to my house and assessed my daughter with one of their assessment tools. That was said and done, but when I got the results back I found that my daughter was delayed in some areas. She went through several sessions with a physical therapist for her delayed walking and she also had a speech therapist. Now that she is 6 years old she no longer has delays. With the help of ENMRSH and their infant/toddler program we were able to work on her delays and get her caught up before entering Kindergarten and now headed to 1st grade. Maybe you can contact them for a referral just to have your child assessed. Hope this information helps.

There are a lot of really good responses and some are a little more rash than I would advise. But my advice is to contact ECI and start there. They will do an evaluation. I'd have her hearing checked. Take it all one step at a time and don't panic after reading all of the responses! I'm sure you have a sweet little girl and only want the best! Good luck!

I would call Early Childhood Intervention. I have a home daycare and work with my kids but I had two that were not talking much just like your child. I referred them to this program and now the kids are speaking alot. I think it helps having someone else new working with them. I can give you the number for the one in your area. Just email me at ____@____.com

I'm getting a little alarmed with some of the responses you got. First of all, you don't give near enough information about her behaviors that YOU observe when you interact with her. I've worked in special education and in daycare and now am a high school English teacher. I am also a parent! There are numerous variables to consider when evaluating a child. All children are different and all parents are different. Too often, children are labeled with a "disability" when we adults are the ones with the problem. By all means get her evaluated for your peace of mind, but YOU are the expert on your child, so your input should be very important to those evaluating your child. It could be something as simple as a discrepency between her learning style and the adults' method of teaching and discipline (boundary setting). As a teacher, it is my job to teach and discipline in a way that accommodates all learning styles. It is called differentiated instruction. Is your daycare provider familiar with this? I will tell you that many of my students who have been labeled as having a "learning disability" since an early age perform very well in my inclusive classroom as juniors. ALL 67 of my juniors passed the ELA (English Language Arts) TAKS test(state test here in Texas). I had 12 with some "disability" or another! Earlier in my career while teaching in special ed I taught two severely dyslexic boys from the time they were 4th graders until they were in 8th grade. They are the same age and both just graduated from high school-one with a four year ACADEMIC scholarship to Washington State University and the other young man did well to graduate at all. The difference was the parents' approach to the disability. The boy who struggled had parents who continually used his disability as an excuse for him to not perform to his actual potential (he was plenty smart) and the other set of parents simply saw it as a challenge. So please remember this if you remember nothing else-IF your daughter does have a disability it is your job to accommodate her unique style of learning in a way that allows her to excel but does not enable her to underperform. In other words, don't lower your expectations, just change them. Chances are your daughter is strong-willed (not a bad thing!) and sets her own timetable for accomplishments and simply needs adults to take a different approach with her. Setting boundaries is very important at this age and if you aren't consistent, it causes problems for her. You have the burden of learning all you can about childhood behavior-don't just automatically trust the experts. Educate yourself and be well-armed with information and questions as you have your daughter evaluated. Good luck!

Hi S.,
I know this can be very frustrating. Of course, I am not a medical doctor and so my advice is on the educational side. Was your daughter a preemie? I know sometimes preemies have delays that are seen as typical due to that. How close to three is she? At three you can have her speech/language evaluated through the public school system. If they find areas of concern, you could then opt to have her served in that capacity, or take that knowledge and do what you feel best for her. Is your pediatrician a developmental pediatrician?
My advice is: If you feel your daughter may be developing atypically as compared to age-appropriate peers, get it checked out now. There are many developmental pediatricians in the DFW area. It could totally be that she is fine and will continue to say more and more and by the time she starts school, she is ready to go! But, I know if this were me, I would feel better knowing that I looked into it at this point. Just remember, all kids develop at their own pace!

Just remember when you start looking for certain "symptoms" you can almost find something for each learning delay or disibility in many children. I would leave it to a developmental ped. They will probably give you some sort of home survery and also her school a checklist/survey if they think it is something worth investigating further.

I am an elementary administrator for a surrounding school district.

Hi S.,

First off I think "pull her out of daycare" is a silly answer, and if you choose to work that is most likely not the issue. I have a 5 year old son that in some ways was like your daughter. I would have her hearing checked throughly by an ENT Dr. I would also have a full screaning for mild (and many times today this can be turned around with diet) Autisum. There are finding that many quiet kids are mildly Autistic. Also read up on OCD and make sure she is not showing some of these signs, which turned out to be my sons issue. We have learned how to work with him and he is a busy, very healthy, happy 5 year old! You will get to the bottom of this, do not worry! S. :-D

I would definitely contact ECI (Early Childhood Intervention). Until three years old, that is a free service, and let them evaluate the possibility of her falling somehwhere on the ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). At 3, your school district has a 1/2 day program. I stongly recommend you do not wait.

Lots of kids do not talk til late. I had a 2 yr old in my day care that understands everything but would not talk. Older brother and people just satisfy his needs without. Why talk. As for the crawling also they do it at their own pace. All are different. I would watch for speech that is not clear. She may have a hearing problem too. Strong willed child. Or at two they start to become more independent and throuw those tantrums. I think it is too early to tell. If concerned just document her behavior so you can watch the progress. Also any of the moms need to document. In Junior High they asked me all sorts of questions about my pregnacy and when my son crawled. Keep good baby records. It may come in later if there is a problem. Good Luck. Resistance is part of becoming independent. G. W

I would definitely address your concerns with your pediatrician. There could be more to it--has she had ear infections? I'm guessing she's an only child?
The first thing that came to my mind was autism after I ready your info. Get it checked out. Often the fear of not knowing is worse than what you learn.
Good Luck

Let me start by explaining my background. I was a special ed teacher for 8 years (quit a year ago to stay home with my child). I am not an expert or diagnostician and no one who is would ever make any diagnosis online so keep that in mind while reading any person's response to your concerns.

At age 2 there is such a wide variety of progress that even if something is going on it would be very difficult to diagnose. If you are truly truly concerned I would call the Child Study Center in Fort Worth or the Scottish Rite in Dallas to have your child evaluated, however I think she is probably too young and the problem not severe enough (if there is a problem) to find a diagnosis. However I would like to add that IF there is something going on the earlier you catch it the better. With a diagnosis she could be eligible for early childhood interventions to help prepare her for school.

What I would do as a parent: I would get a second opinion from another doctor. Maybe a 3rd too depending on how concerned I was. Then I would contact the Child Study Center or Scottish Rite for their assistance. They have amazing resources.

At home I would try teaching her some baby sign language (you can get books from the library or bookstores- and there are classes offered around the metroplex- it's very popular). I would venture to guess that the behaviors stem from her frustration that people don't understand what it is that she wants or feels. If she had a way to communicate she might be far happier to comply.

Another communication tool is to create a poster or cards on a ring that have pictures of things she commonly wants or feels. Then she can point to what it is she is requesting.

However you teach her to communicate, the people who watch her whiole you are out MUST be taught to understand her. Teach them the signs or pictures, whatever you use and make sure they understand or she will become even more frustrated. I hope that helps!

I really think that she sounds like a typical 2 year old. My daughter didnt say much at 2 either and now she is about to turn 3 in 2 weeks & she talks a mile a minute! At 2 years old they are learning to become independent and starting to experience real emotions, this can be overwhelming. She sounds like a very normal 2 yr old going thru the transition from baby to toddler. My daughter had a hard time letting go of being momma's baby & becoming momma's little girl. Your daughter may be having the same problems. I wouldnt worry about it or push her to be like the other kids. She's expressing her individuality and thats a good thing! Good luck!!

I think they should be more patient. for goodness sake, she's only two. if they're on the daycare business they should know by now. do tell your pediatrician about your conderns but sounds like your daycare provider should also be more understanding. It sounds to me like they're annoyed by her behavior. what if she had a learning disability, what would they report? how would they report it? a bad report would be that she's hitting, biting, throwing things at other kids. Keep in mind that sometimes what's labeled as a learning disability is just that they learn differently. read all you can. google a lot and go with your gut feeling. have her hearing checked. ask her if she likes circle time, maybe she doesn't like what they do at circle time. work on increasing her vocabulary. ask her more questions about everyday items/things. Also, I think the ISD can have her evaluated too. Good luck and I hope this bit of info helps. ~C.~

It sounds like you are describing our daughter when she was about 21 months and up.

We took her to be evaluated and found that she is PDD-NOS which is on the Autistic Spectrum.

Take her now - the sooner you start working with her the better the outcome!!!!!!!!

Email me off line if you like at ____@____.com Luck
R.

You got a lot of good advice. Take it from those of us who have an autistic child to get the eval and please read Stephanie Cave's book, What Your Pediatrician Won't Tell You about Children's Vaccinations. Some kids can't handle the 36 vaccinations they get (vs 10 in the 80's). I don't vaccinate anymore - but do your research and make your own decision. Your pediatrician will not be helpful in this area - speak to those who have autistic, ADHD, SPD, etc kids.

Bless your heart. All kids are on a different timeline as far as walking and talking. I suspect that is not related to the other concern you have, acting out. And in my vast experience (of three boys) I would have to diagnose her as being two. Two year olds have a job to drive everyone around them crazy and it sounds like she is up to the job. If I were you I would take a serious look at the day care situation and make sure it isn't THEM instead of HER. Two y/os are VERY sensitive to attitudes and surroundings. They need a lot of hugs even when they are acting bad which she may not be getting in her current situation. I can also say from experience that some 2 y/os are MUCH more difficult then others. Hang in there!

From all you've said it sound like she just likes to do things her way and at 2 years old that all sounds pretty normal.

My son didn't put 2 words together until he was 2 1/2 and we were getting pretty worried. He too doesn't like to sit in "circle time" at school and would prefer to do his own thing. I think her emotions don't sound too abnormal either - she's at an age where she probably feels frustrated because she knows what she wants but doesn't know how to communicate it.

Try being really patient and understanding. Lots of hugs and kisses and tell her you know that she's trying. If she feels like you are on her side it might make her feel less frustrated.

Good luck - I know the 2's can be a real trying time! :-)

Call ECI!!! My son was 2 1/2 and not talking and delayed in other ways. I got ECI's phone number and they come to your home and evaluate your child, my son was at a 14 month old level on speech and a 16 month old level in large motor skills. It doesn't cost any money, and it is very worth it!!! If your child qualifies, they will either come to your home or daycare to do the therapy. I loved my sons speech therapist, she was wonderful. Now my son is 10 1/2 and he is a straight A student!!!! I fully believe that ECI gave him an advantage!!!

I second the advice about having ECI - Ready Start do an evaluation. I have a degree in Special Education and my 3 year old daughter is diagnosed Autistic. I believe we have an instinct as mothers and if you think things are just not adding up, then you are probably right. It does not hurt to have the evaluation and then at least you would have an idea if there is something to be concerned about. The most important thing is to find out what is going on and then get going with therpy if you find that she does have some difficulties. Early intervention is just so important.

J.
www.ToxinFreeHome.biz

She may also have a Sensory Processing disorder. My daughter has some of those. Some symptoms improve with age but occupational therapy helps tremendously. Here's a website link that tells you all about this disorder:

www.sensory-processing-disorder.com

If this is the issue than the earlier she receives occupational therapy, the better. Most people thought our daughter was spoiled too when she was a toddler but that was not the case. She's 6 now and passes for "normal" almost all of the time. She has made steady progress through the years. No matter what anyone says about your daughter, trust your own instincts. They are usually correct.
Best Wishes,
E.

I would start by asking a LOT of questions at daycare. She may not participate because she is having problems with another child or a teacher. I would also have her hearing checked, she may just need tubes. Good Luck!!

I am not sure what type of day care you have her in, but I agree with the other mother's who have stated that her teachers may be a part of the problem. I would first have her hearing checked. She is probably fine, but speech delays and "not listening" is often because of hearing issues. Children repeat what they hear and if she is in her own world it could be her personality or that she does not hear the chaos around her. Has she had several ear infections? She is probably fine, but if her teachers are giving you negative feedback they may be contributing to the problem rather than helping. You may want to consider a new day care with a smaller ratio and see if she improves. Good luck and I will be praying for you.

I think you got some great advice. The main thing I would look for now is her responsive language--does she comprehend the 'rules', does she understand the things you tell her? If she is having issues here, I see some real read flags.
As far as speech, it never hurts to have her seen by ECI--if she's closer to three, they may want her to apply to the local school district for help (all free).
My older son (just turned 4) has just been diagnosed with a learning disability and I have been through it all test wise and conversation wise ;) Please feel free to send me a personal message if you'd like to discuss (he was a late walker, talker too).

ECI .... as everyone else has told you. Go asap. Get on a waiting list. But do it. You'll rest better and don't let them tell you she's bad or that she's a brat. She's too young to be a brat.

Take her to another ped & get her evaluated by ECI. She is 2, but if you're gut is telling you something, you should listen. Do those things to eliminate your concerns. Hope everyhing is all right!

at 2 she would be evaluated by eci, definitely give them a call and get their expert opinion.. wont hurt, and would give piece of mind!

http://www.dars.state.tx.us/ecis/index.shtml

number is at the bottom of that page.. good luck!

by the way, when is her birthday? i have a 2 1/2 year old - she doesnt like to play with other kids much. we go to storytime sometimes and she wont sit still!

Has she been tested for Autism?? Go to search and type in the word Autism and you will see a world of information about signs and symptoms to look for in toddlers.
Good Luck and God Bless

signs of autism can come out about the age of 1... I have been in the medical field for 14yrs and i also run a home daycare. There are so many different forms of it, it is very hard to pinpoint. They usually do not show signs of ADD at that age.. dont panic though, there are so many natural treatments now and changes in diet can even affect them in a very positive way. i forgot her name but jim careys girlfriend who is also an actress has been on many shows recently about it and she has now wrote a book i believe.. jenny mccarthy i think is her name.. google it and see if that helps you at all.. but never give up on them!good luck

Hey, S.:) Before you start panicing about an Autism Spectrum Disorder (really and truly, you did not give near enough info for us all to jump to that conclusion...there are actually some things that sound contradictory to it), get her hearing checked. The lack of language, be it from a hearing impairment or something else, is enough to make anyone frustrated. Just imagine if you couldn't communicate your basic needs and ideas! Kids that have language delays often "act out," not becuase they are naughty, but because they have to DO it if they can't ask for it. She needs to see a good speech-language pathologist, and the first thing the SLP will want to know is if she has normal hearing. Even having lots of ear infections or excess wax can affect hearing in those key language learning times. Maybe it is something more S., but sometimes isolationism comes only from poor communication. I'm just trying to say don't worry needlessly. Start at square one. Best of luck to you:)

Hi S.,
Call ECI, Early CHildhood intervention. You can call Callier center preverbal class too. Have her evaluated by them, NOT YOUR PEDIATRICIAN!!! It is time to stop listening to your ped. and listening to your gut. There is a developmental pediatrician named Lisa Genecov you can call. SHe as a wait list. GET YOUR DAUGHTER EVALUATED quickly so you cn get her the help you need NOW. In my opinion I would wait on all her vaccinations. I don't want to scare you. It could very well be just a delay but you may want to read about autism. www.tacanow.org , www.autismspeaks.com www.firstsigns.com
I have a son with autism and delays so if you need anything you can email me anytime. JUST GET HER EVALUATED QUICKLY!!
L.

Call ECI, Early Childhood Intervention. They do a free evaluation and then if your child needs services then they go thru your insurance company. The fees are all affordable and it will be a peace of mind knowing that you got it checked out. This will be good till your child is 3 years old. After that you will need to go thru the school system or seek therapy out on your own. The Child Study Center is great, however sometimes they have a waiting list. We are foster parents and have dealt with ECI and they are great. They offer speech therapy, nutritional counseling, behavior therapy, occupational and physical therapy. You might have to wait a few weeks for a phone call back and for them to come see you. Keep following up with them, if you don't hear back from them.

S.,

I have been taking my daughter (also 2) to Our Childrens house @ Baylor...they have more than one location, however they have done wonders with my daughters eating issues! I see many children there that see them for learning disabilities etc.... We go to the one in Allen, and have been very pleased. They will do assessments on your daughter for various things...depending on what your concerns on. Once they evaluate her, they can decide how best to help her, and remember the earlier you take care of it, the easier it will be for her. They environment there is very "Play Friendly" and fun. My daughter Love going to see Ms. Nicole.

You can also call ECI, and they come to you

Hope this helps!

K.

Make sure her hearing is checked. Sounds much like a nephew who had a lot of ear infections and the parents were unaware of the hearing loss. Once the fluid was drained, he was a completely different and much happier child.

I remember one of our granddaughters was like this. Please have her hearing checked asap.

Hi S.,

I have been a speech-language pathologist for over 15 years, and I can tell you from my personal experience as a mom, and as an SLP, that a mother's gut knows best.

Please consider having your child evaluated. We live in an area with so many opportunities for early intervention -- that there really is no reason for "wait and see." Finding out now will let you know you either have nothing of which you need to be concerned, or you will find a way to help your child at this critical time.

If you are unsure of what a child is typically doing at certain ages, I invite you to visit my web site, www.startherapyprograms.com. Click on the "milestones" button. That information is based on research done by ASHA (American Speech-Language Hearing Association).

Your child is fortunate that you are concerned.

Best Regards,
S.

Have you had her hearing tested? Is it possible that she can't hear the directions and therefore doesn't speak much (b/c she doen't hear people speak) and doesn't interact b/c she doesn't understand? I'd definately talk to your peditrician about this, but it may just be a delay. Most kids at 2 are only playing alongside other kids, not really playing "with" them. I think I'd try not to be concerned until I knew there was something to be concerned about, however, try to get to the root of the problem because in any case early intervention is usually best.

I think her day care providers need some patience. She's TWO!!! They're ALL annoying. HELLO?!?! They need to calm down.
When my son was two, he wouldnt sit at circle time, or singing time, or lesson time, or storytime, at church or the library either. He was there for about one minute MAX, and then took off. It's annoying when so many other kids WILL sit that long, but none, none, none of my kids have. My oldest didnt start sitting for all of storytime until she was three. My son is still three and still won't sit that long. It's just the nature of being a toddler. It concerns me because I hate for his teachers at church or the librarians to be annoyed by him, but really, it's their job! They're working with toddlers and toddlers are a handful. I try not to let it bother me too much and I just stay for short periods of time at storytime now.
I was concerned with my son's speech as well when he was two, and had him tested by ECI. He's not my first and I taught preschool for years and then elementary school for years. So I thought I was pretty dead on that he had a speech delay. ECI tested him and they said that he's pretty much on par, and only off by a month in some categories. They will only give services if kids are really behind. They said to stop using an "adult" and "advanced" vocabulary with him and then he wouldnt try to say words that were too hard for him. Uh, okay, whatever. So apparently, he's trying to string together too many words into a sentence and it's too much for his two year old mouth to handle. It's not a delay, technically, but still I practice a lot more with him now. I'm also trying to speak slower myself. Modeling speech is important in that sense as well.
So, I'm really long winded, but I feel your pain. Of course, you would LOVE for her to act like the cute little kids who behave so well and listen and speak perfectly. But she doesnt. Mine don't. But they're toddlers. I think it's okay. I would tell your pediatrician your exact concerns and even have your daycare leader write a note to the ped about their concerns. Then I would listen to what the ped had to say. If you dont like what you hear, go to a new ped with the same information. You have to remember that your ped doesnt KNOW your daughter and only sees her for short periods of time. It's hard for them to really understand your concerns unless you list them on paper. Ask for a behavioral appt. when you call. I know that my ped schedules more time for those appts.
Good luck!
p.s. I had his hearing tested at an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist's office, which is more intense than a ped's screening. And it came back normal! He just doesnt WANT to listen to us. Grrrrrrr. But try that too. The ped doesnt have the same equipment that an ENT does. That's why they're called specialists =)

It's probably just her being two - but it honestly sounds like early signs of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Do some research and talk to your ped. If you aren't satisfied, ask for a referral to a pediatric neurologist.

S.

First, get her hearing checked. Second, get another opinion from a different pediatrician. Not to scare you, but I just took care of a little one (almost 2 years old) (I'm a nurse) whose mom said that she had noticed from an early age that he wasn't crawling "right" and was "slow" She finally took him to another pedi who then referred them to the ER. he had a brain tumor. I'm not saying that your little one will have something quite so dramatic but go with your mommy instinct. Take her somewhere else, get her more thoroughly examined and find an answer.

My husband is in the business of getting help and/or schools for people with school age children with problems. He suggests you get an Occupational Therapy workup. This will assess all the physical aspects of your two year old to see if there are delays or other problems that need to be addressed. Everything should be tested: vision, hearing, sensory integration, walking, running, dexterity, etc. Usually the workup is followed by regular visits to the Occupational Therapist to work on the problems. Working with the physical assessment will indicate if there are learning difficulties to explore at a later date. He suggests you talk to your pediatrician about which occupational therapist they suggest. If the pediatrician is not sympathetic to your concerns then you can go to the internet and look for Pediatric Occupational Therapists and try to find one in your area. Ask your friends if they know of a good one. Speak up and follow through on your concerns. You know your child the best of anyone and your concerns are of the utmost importance.

S., I am the mother of a 30 year old daughter with disabilities. Trust your own judgement. It can't hurt to have here tested. She may have a hearing loss, or adhd, or any number of things. Sometimes children stay to themselves because they don't hear, or understand what they are supposed to do.The best thing is to find out when she acts out, what they are doing when she acts out, talk to your peditrician and tell him of your concerns and make him address them. Parents know their children better than anyone else does.I probably haven't been any help but I know from experiance that it helps just getting to talk about it to someone.

If you are worried about her, I recommend you call ECI (Early Childhood Intervention). They work with developmentally delayed children. They will come to you, home or daycare, and evaluate her then put her on a plan to help meet her needs if they find delays. My son was a preemie and they worked with him for a few months, until he "caught up." They were great! At the time we lived Dallas County (Mesquite), but I'm sure there's one for whatever county you are in. Look them up, or ask your pediatrician about them. They are great, and free!! When she turns 3 the public school in your area can test and provide services to her if she has a disability.
Hope that helps.

My advise to you as a mom of 3 boys who have been in ECI, is to call your local ECI early Childhood Intervention chapter in your county and request an evaluation for services. she is only eligiable for services for ECI until the age of 3 so call today it can take a few weeks to get an evaluation and if your child qualifies you can most often get free therapy in your home or at very little cost if any.

Good luck-
A. J

Not to scare you but have you thought about autism. Take her to a different doctor. There's different types of autism.

Now on the other hand, some children are not the social butterfly and enjoy their time playing alone. If she's not harming anyone or being disruptive, let her do her thing. But not following the current rules could be a problem later.

Hang in there.