My 26 Month Old Boy Is Not Talking Much

My son also had a speech delay and now goes to to a pre-school (paid for by the state) where he gets additional therapy...it has helped so much.

He now talks all the time..

Get the evaluation....they will direct you to the help you need, if any.

Start the therapy as soon as possible.

K.

Hi A.. I believe that children growing up in a bilingual home do talk later than others, because they are getting two different languages that they need to decipher and learn. Go for the speech eval but I don't think there is a need to worry.. good luck!!

My niece was 3 and had about as many words. When they tested her they suggested speech therapy. She went to speech therapy and now talks more then anybody wants her to. Sometime childred are just shy or they need to figure out how to use their tounge. Hope it helps.

Try not to worry. My mom said I didn't talk till I was 3, and then she couldn't shut me up. My younger daughter spoke later than her sister (they are 3 1/2 yrs apart) and the older one would have to translate for her. Children develop at different times. I grow up speaking Polish and started learning Engish when I was a little over 4 y/o. I believe your son is taking his time, and you shuld tell him if he wants a juice or milk, whatever you feed him, he needs to ask for it, that's how I got through it. Good luck.

Hi A.,

I have a 3 1/2 year old and i am raising him to speak spanish as well. The exact same thing happen to me when he was around that age. My parents and sisters would speak to him in spanish and my husband and i would speak to him in english. So he became confused and was not sure which language to speak. Now he speaks english for the most part but really understands spanish and will talk to my parents in spanish. He speaks very well now. I think you should give him more time until he can determinate which language he going to adapt to.

Good Luck..

Hi! I had my son evaluated for speech delays at his 2nd birthday because he had about 5 words that he used regularly, wasn't saying yes or no, and grunted or pointed when he wanted something. He, too, would repeat words only when they were spoken to him first, if at all. He has been involved with Early Intervention since he turned 2--the therapists come to our home. He has made amazing progress since then and is talking so much more. He will be staring preschool through our school district when he turns 3 in April and will continue with the speech therapy at the school. It sounds like your son has a speech delay and the best thing to do is get him evaluated and begin the work with the Early Intervention program in your county. You pay according to your income which can be very little. I have a nephew who is autistic and this does not seem to be an issue for you; however they will be able to determine this through the evaluation. There exists a checklist for signs of autism that your pediatrician should be doing at his checkup or search for it online. I know of a number of moms who have sons with speech delays and have also had Early Intervention work their magic. Don't despair; help is there for you. He will catch up with help. Good luck--I know it's hard to be going through this. M. (mom of 2 and 1 on the way)

A.,

Take a deep breath and relax. First of all children with autism do not interact, they do not make eye contact, just because he does not speak does not mean he is autistic. My guess and this is just a guess is that it is a bilingual issue more then anything else. I own a nursery school and have many bilingual and even trilingual students who say nothing and understand everything. As a matter of fact at your sons age they pretty much ramble and no one can understand a word they are trying to say. So I think what your son is doing is perfectly normal. I wouldn't worry at all, if you feel more comfortable getting a speech evaluation then do it but I would venture to guess there is no reason for concern. Keep us posted and good luck!!

Oh- don't get upset too much! I am a speech therapist. I read some responses and they are pretty right on. When in a monolingual home - the average number of words at 2 yrs is 50 and beginning to put 2 words together. Some children are behind and some are ahead.

When there are two languages that are constantly being spoken - many children have a hard time finding the words to say. Typically he will end up choosing either Spanish or English to speak, yet will understand both. Does he have 15-20 words in one language, or both combined?

If he is interactive, plays even in new settings (to some degree - he will fluctuate), likes to be touched (of course with variation - no one likes to be touched ALL the time!) and seems to be developing appropriately for the most part - he may just be confused with the two languages (not negatively,- his brain is just learning where to 'file' it all).

He is still young - the speech eval will likely help you feel better and you will get more information then. Try to stay calm until then. What you have described sounds like it may just be normal development. Keep encouraging words and make it FUN most importantly. Run around the house and find all the things that are a certain color and yell the color and cheer. Or find all the same item in the house and do the same thing. Read alot and encourage him to label things in the books. But - don't push too too hard. He'll resist if he realizes that this is suddenly work (as they all, and we as adults do too sometimes, when pushed) - so keep it all fun and back off before frustration kicks in. But - keep up with the 2 languages. My dgtr's babysitter speaks mostly Spanish to her and she can understand it fluently - but my dgtr speaks only English. Well - that's not true - she speaks some Spanglish too! LOL

Good luck - enjoy your Sunday and let your anxiety go. There's plenty of time to worry about different things!

Hi. As a parent with a child who was speech delayed, I just want to say advise you to take a deep breath, and calm down, because you are doing the right thing. Have your child evaluated, to determine if he is speech delayed. You will also have his hearing checked to determine if there is any hearing loss. Hearing loss is often a big factor in speech delay.

We, too, were a bilingual home, but once speech therapy began, the second language was put to the side. We do not really know why there was a speech delay, maybe it was confusion between the 2 languages (?). Now, at 7, my child is doing great in school and is relearning the second language.

Regarding autism, I have two first cousins whose children are autistic. The one characteristic that was common in them at about 18 months was the inability to intereact with others. It sounds like your little boy interacts and plays with others. However, you are your child's best advocate and should feel comfortable in the steps you need to take to ensure your child's healthy well-being.

Have your son evaluated, and if all he needs is speech therapy, that's great. And, if in a few months, you are still concerned, have him evaluated again. I happen to live in an area where there is tremendous state and local support and services for children, so we had a wonderful experience. At first, I was not satisfied with my child's speech therapist. We switched after several months, and the new therapist worked well with my child.

Good luck, and just remember you are taking the right steps. Often, the evaluation process may take several weeks, so keep this mind.

Regards,
J.

My children are bilingual, french and english. I speak english to them and my husband french. We were told that bilingual children often take longer to speak. My kids are absolutely fine and never confuse the two languages.

Good luck.

I wouldn't say that this is signs of autism. Children who are "bilingual" tend to speak later. You said he has 15-20 words, it may be slightly delayed, but again he is learning 2 languages at once. That is very difficult for anyone. However, don't stop. Children who learn a second language are more likely to be able to learn other languages more easily as they grow up. See what the therapist says. One of the big signs of autism is no eye contact or not looking at you when you call his name.

Both of my children did not speak until about 3. You're doing everything right! Get the speech eval and see what the therapist says. I got speech therapy from early intervention and when my kids turned 3 they were eligible for a public pre-school"learning disabled" program where they received speech therapy. My 7 yr old is a terrific reader and student. The 4 yr old is now recognizing words. Speech therapy and intervention works wonders..I'm not a professional but it does not sound as though your child is autistic. Speech problems can be signs of autism, but you said that your son is social when he is comfortable, plays well and understands what you tell him (receptive language). He would be having more problems if he was autistic. Good luck with everything!!! You sound like a great mom!

My first child was within all the normal timelines for development according to the pediatrician, yet lagged behind her peers somewhat. Although speech was not her issue, the advice here is the same. After years of questioning, finally in 6th grade I found out she had learning disabilities; when I took her to a private OT for evaluation, I was told she was a classic case. If she was so classic, why did no one tell me? The pediatrician is not a specialist, so cannot see sensory problems (or speech problems) that are not extreme. The school waits until a child is failing miserable before it steps in, but an LD child is smart and can fake reading until about 4th grade.

My point here is to get a private evaluation from a specialist - a speech and language pathologist. Do not wait or ask your pediatrician. Be proactive. The worst that will happen is that you spend some money to find out your baby is normal.

I wish you the best of luck with your child, and want you to know that there are many therapies out there if he gets a diagnosis. Remember, he is not a diagnosis, he is a child with delayed speech. And that can be remedied. My daughter had LD in 6th grade, but after 2 years of therapies and trainings, her IQ went up 20 points, and she is now a college student on the Dean's List with no accommodations. So now I bring this message of hope for success to all.

K. Johnson, MS Ed
www.pyramidofpotential.com
Website should be working in a couple days.

Don't worry! It's totally normal for kids who grow up in multi-lingual homes to start speaking a lot later. The up side is that once they do, you will be amazed at how well he'll speak both languages. And he will know which language to speak to whom.
So, don't stress yourself out. Keep talking and reading to him, and try to get him engaged (which you already are doing) and he will speak soon enough!

you are doing the right thing by getting him tested!! whatever the outcome, have a good cry and beleive that your son will be alright. there are great schools in nyc. the sooner he gets services the better it will be.

have your cry but remember, your son is not a label, he is your beautiful, smart, baby. he will be fine. just go through the evals, and get your services. you will be very pleased and the entire journey will be a blessing. you will meet great parents, and together you all will stregthen each other and help your kids.

my son had early intervention and trust me, i went through the valley so i can understand. but today i can tell you that everything will be alright, just get him in a center based program as soon as you can. email me off list if you need to.

It is not signs of autism. If it was, he would not interact with you, your husband or anyone. He would not be friendly or playful with people and he would most definitely be afraid of strangers. I work for a Doctor who has two practices. One of them is a practice for autistic children, and believe me, you would know if your child was autisitc. Chances are, and this happens often, it is the fact that he is bilingual that is causing his speech delay. Sometimes kids like this don't know which language to use so they don't say either. It happened to my friend's nephew. They told them to speak only one language around him for a while and when they did, he started talking up a storm. Once he was established in english then they started intergrating the other language to him. Good luck!

A.,

Age two is not unheard of for having little speech. He has words, which is good. Some kids just 'get it' a little slower than others. Don't compare him unless he is totally not communicating at all. My son points at what he wants, and won't say the word, sometimes. When he is tired, this happens a lot more.

That being said - ONLY you know your son, and if you feel there is something that needs to be checked into, then DO IT. Don't wait. He may have an issue with his ears - or with something else going on, and you won't know until you find out.

Checking with your pediatrician and/or getting a referral to a speech specialist to get him evaluated will not go awry, especially if he IS having problems.

Following commands? Comfortable with strangers pretty quickly? No, not a clear sign of autism. That being said, there are many shades and degrees of it.

I think it's awesome that he has some pretend play already. :)

Good luck, and get your fears allayed before you worry any further.

M.

PS: Autism tends towards the opposite - playing by self only, retreating from new people, no social smile, no interest in parents or other people whatsoever, among others.

Hi A.,
I happen to know just a little bit about this, because I also speak Spanish and my husband does not. I wanted to speak Spanish to my boys (2 and 6 yrs.)although after doing some research we decided not to. We found that it could delay their speech a little because they are processing both of the languages. I would bet that your little one can understand you though. I have a friend who also spoke Sapnsih to both her kids, her husband also speaks Spainsh and they were both delayed in speech but caught up with absolutely no problems. I am no doctor but I would bet he is just processing both languages. I would definetly ask your doctor for a referral for speech services. Some places can even come to your house for services.
I commend you for speaking Spanish to your boy, part of me wishes I would have gone ahead and done that as well. Good luck to you.
M.

Please don't cry. I am not a speech therapist, but I do work in a school. My disabilities coordinator always tells me that children that grow up in a bilingual home often go through a period of not speaking because they are confused about the two languages. They are processing it in their brain and will eventually learn the difference and start using them. Don't worry too much until he gets evaled. Even then it doesn't hurt if he does need therapy. The more help our children get, the better off they are. Think of it as him getting one on one teacher help, which will help him advance easier. Don't think of him as being "labeled" Good Luck!

<y daughter iis bilingual, and I don't think you have anything to worry about! My daughter is 28 months and her vocabulary is EXPLODING right now - every kid has their own pace!

My niece (3) is ALSO just learning how to talk - she is 18 months older than my daughter! She is a super bright girl that won't say it at all if she can'tsay it perfectly.

Does your son look you in the eye? Play games with you? If he does, I wouldn't be too worried.

You're Mom, though 0 you know him best. If you think there's something wrong, go with your gut feeling. If he just doesn't want to talk...he'll do it eventually!

relax a little, children who are bilingual from birth develop language slower than those who are monolingual-as they are required to develop two separate "filing systems". Don't despair, don't give up either. When he does start speaking, he'll do it in both languages naturally! My son does it now in three-German, English and Dutch.

Hi A.,

Like several of the other moms said, don't worry, it's because he is sorting out the two languages. *Don't drop either language.* If you take him for an evaluation try to find someone who has experience with bilingual kids, who can sort out the usual bilingual "delays" from real processing problems. Keep in mind too that different languages, even for monolingual speakers, "gel" at different times (for example, speakers of Slavic languages don't usually internalize all the grammar patterns until about age 11, while English is usually around 7). Plus, many perfectly normal boys start speaking later than girls.

M.

Hello A.,

I am raising twin girls in a bilingual household as well. I spoke to my pediatrician about it as I was concerned about how they would negotiate the differences in pronunciation when either of us spoke the others' language imperfectly. He said their speak may be delayed somewhat, relative to other children their age, but that they would eventually catch up. He advised to continue with the two languages as it would eventually be to their advantage to hear and learn 2 languages, especially while young (they just turned 2). Keep at it - besides, every child learns everything at their own pace. Best of luck!

R.

With being in a bilingual home his brain is not only learning 1 language but 2 plus all the other millions of things toddlers learn at this age. Its good your having him evaluated and you should discuss your concerns with the doctor and evaluator but don't panic. My daughter stopped talking for 1 whole year (at 9 months she started talking and by age 1 yo she had 40+ words and 1 week after her 1st birthday she stopped talking except for mama and dada). The doctor and speech therapist told me she was learning so fast that all parts of her brain could not keep up so it stopped the "talking" part. She had wonderful understanding just didn't use the words. She did speech therapy for 9 months and caught up and passed the "norm". She hasn't shut up since and is now 8 yo!!! Be honest and don't be afraid to ask questions and be direct (not rude) with doctors and if you still feel your not getting good enough answers find someone who can and will help you. YOU are your childs best advocate but panicing won't solve anything and only make it worse for you. He sounds loving and terrific so be thankful for that and take the steps necesary to get answers. God Bless! A.

Hi A.,My name is T. K I have a son 13 yrs old.When he was about the same age he did the same thing.But his parents both spoke English.It lasted almost 5 yrs but he also had 2 sisters that helped him talk.They would do it for him when we could not understand his speech.He also was slow in learning,and a short attention span. We put him in speech therapy it helped a lot.We had him in a slower class to catch up by the time he was7 he was mainstreamed which means he was w/ his reg. class but went into what was called resource rm. That helped him w/ his home work.He is now 13 w/ very little from resource which only helps him to be prepared for class better and some home work he also stays after for extra help 1nc or 2tce a wk.Some times he doesn't need it at all.
So here's my suggestion:
I think speaking both languages maybe throwing him off a bit.And may be confused w/the bilingual speech patterns.
try 1 language at a time.Always read to him,speak slowly.Be patient he'll come around it is frustrating because I was sometimes frustrated at times.I don't believe he has autism because I worked w/ autistic child.
And I believe he's too young to determine anything right now.You will do fine.Stay strong.I will be praying for you.
Take Care, lovingly yours, T.

Toddlers raised in bilingual homes take longer to speak since they are processing more. 15-20 words is good- I would not worry. But if you are stressed have him evaluated to allay your concerns.

My sister's son also had very few words at this age. His pediatrician said that at that age it was still a matter of different kids being on different schedules. She turned out to be right. Riley is now a happy, verbal, expressive, intelligent Kindergartner. I just googled about Einstein. He spoke late -- not until 3 years of age.

I'm a mom too and I understand your worry. I really do. But it's premature to worry now. I have also heard that kids in bilingual homes tend to talk later. It will all be ok.

Dear A.,
I did have a similar experience that I wish to share. When our daughter was a baby, I would speak German when we were alone. With her father and other family members, we spoke English. When she learned to talk, she would combine the 2 languages, usually in the same sentence. Her father became frustrated that he could not understand what she was saying. It seemed as though she could not separate the 2 languages. Finally, I relented and only spoke English with her. Years later, we found that she had dislexia. I still question myself whether she would have separated the 2 languages with time.
My point is, when a child is learning 2 languages at once, it must take longer for them to process all that information, along with everything else they are learning at the time - walking, eating, potty training, etc. But don't give up. It's the perfect time to learn a second language. He'll be able to think in both languages, rather than learn to translate. Perhaps he's afraid to speak because he is not sure which language to use. Just give it time, and don't give up as I did.
Good luck on your evaluation.
W.

This is completely normal for kids who are learning 2 languages at once to speak later than other kids. It's great that you are each speaking to him in a different language. This is the best way to teach him! It will help him to keep the two languages separate in his brain so that he does not start out in English and switch to Spanish (or vice versa) without noticing, which is what happens when the languages are used interchangeably in the house. I would not worry about autism if your son is looking you in the face and playing pretend and has normal social skills. My niece was the same way. She did not start speaking in full sentences until she was well over 2. It seemed like it happened overnight. All of the sudden she was babbling away, and now that she will be 3 in April, she has completely caught up to her classmates and in fact is very bright. Her father was the same way as a child- did not talk much until about 3. Were either you or your husband late talkers? This can be hereditary. Your son sounds fine to me. Just give him more time and see what the speech therapist says. Good luck!

As for what the other woman said about not teaching her kids Spanish because it would delay the speech, it's a bad idea to not teach them early. The best time for a child to learn a language is before 5 years old, when the language pathways in the brain become fixed. After this, it is harder to learn another language. So you are doing the best thing for your son. The other woman's children probably will not be able to speak Spanish well, while your son will be truly bilingual.

You confuse the baby by teaching him 2 languages at one time. You should pick English and the reason why I say that, is because when he go to school that is what he is learning.

Right now all I can say see take him to a speech therapist. Which it would be family thing. Every body is involve. and pray
He'll speack in due time. Don't worry

Kare :)