Need Help on the Spech of My Child of 21/2Yrs

my grandchild did the same thing and he would point to what he wanted, like cereral so I'd say, not until you say cereral, and he knew if he wanted it, he had to say it.

It didn't take long and he was talking a blue streak

Hi,
I would contact Child Find.They will come out and evaluate him.We did this.We used ECI at the Bluebonnet Hills.You can call them,too.The school district has many free programs available including sending them to preschool with a teacher aid for them.I am using this program at LEander school district and it has helped my son sooooooo much.Good Luck!

You don't say whether you have taken the child to a doctor for a professional evaluation. I'm a teacher with several "special needs" kids in my class over the years. The two things in particular that I would want the doctor to rule out would be autism and hearing impairment.

Good Luck!
J. Andrews

Hi C., You should take your child to an early intervention center in your town. In Austin, Any Baby Can will do a Speech eval on your child and give you good tips for working with him at home. Do encourage him to point to things that he wants and at least give a beginning sound of the item. Put things out of his reach and make him point ,or other wise indicate his desire for the item before you give it to him. Sit with him and play little games such as peek-a-boo and pat-a-cake. What toys does he really like? If ,for example, he likes cars and trucks, buy a few special ones and put them on a shelf out of his reach. Have him get you and use pointing and gestures and some sounds to let you know what he wants from the shelf. Name the items as you give them to him. When he is three, he can go to any public school for Speech therapy if it is needed. However, do not wait until he is three. Get him some help right now.Also, a complete hearing eval would not hurt either. There are places, such as the school for the deaf in Austin, that do these evals. J. K.

Do you just get what the child wants when he sighs or do you name the item and ask the child to repeat what you have said? Encourage the to imitate what you say. Insist he/she asks for what he/she wants by telling the child I will get it when you tell me. Accept any sounds that sound like an effort to imitate. Does your child or did your child make babbles sounds since birth? If not, go see a doctor and ask for the hearing to be checked and see a Speech-Language Pathologist. Time to worry is around 3 years old if there is nothing physically wrong with the child and he/she is not talking. Then you need to see a Speech-Language Pathologist with a referral from your doctor.

A little about me:
I am a retired Speech-Language Pathologist.

My daughter was a late talker also. We had her hearing checked which turned out to be fine. Then we went through ECI (Early Childhood Intervention) set up by the state and put her in speech therapy. This is free and they do speech therapy up to age 3. They come to your home and evaluate your child in speech, as well as other developmental areas. I know your child is almost 3, but you could still get him evaluated and maybe in speech therapy for the remaining 6 months. After my daughter was 3, I enrolled her in speech therapy at the local elementary school, which is also free. She really benefited greatly from it and she loved going to speech therapy because they got to do fun things. Hope this helps.
G. M

ECI - Early Childhood Intervention is a national program that is designed to identify children who need extra help. Just google ECI+(your state) and you should come up with some local telephone numbers to call. You'll need to get him tested (its free, so don't worry about that) asap because their services don't continue beyond his 3rd birthday, but if he still needs help, they can guide you to the appropriate people within your local school district. Schools now have programs for children as young as 3 (most are half-day) to help in the area of language development.

You should contact the school nearest to you and ask them to test your child. My 9 y/o son has been in school since he was 2.75. When you speak to him make sure that he is watching your mouth. Make flash cards for everything and practice the words daily. I see your are also having diffculty in the potty department, my son didn't fully potty train until he was 3 1/2 to 4. Some child need more time don't worry he will get it.
If you need any more info message me.
Good Luck

My son is 2yrs 4 months he is talking but sounds funny . I called the early childhood intervention program (easter seals) they come to my home twice a month and do speech therapy. He has Chip medical insurance but I don't think they charge to much. Hope this helps call
Easter Seals - Central Texas
Easter Seals ECI
1611 Headway Circle, Bldg. 2
Austin, TX 78754-5165
Referral Number - ###-###-####
Fax Number - ###-###-####
Email: ____@____.com
Web: www.centraltx.easter-seals.com

My daughter only said about 4 words at 2. She would point to pictures in a book if I asked where is the "butterfly" she would point to it, but if I said, "can you say butterfly" she would shake her head. She just wasn't ready. I started to get worried and thought we might have to do speech therapy, but a few months later, poof, it was like a light switch and then she was miss jibber jabber. She fell in love with Elmo at the same time and began singing the songs. So you might try that. My daughter now at 3 speaks better than others in her day care class who are 4 so faster is always better. My son, began talking at 10 months and now is 20 months old uses 4-5 word sentences and uses prepositions correctly! So each child develops different. So don't panic just yet, but do have your Dr. test him if you need reassurance because the more you worried and try and make him talk the more he may fight it. best of Luck. i say make it fun and start singing and try and get him to join in. The best way is to sing itsy bitsy and just stop singing and a certain point like "Out came the" then point to your son and see if he doesn't provide you with the word. If not act like no big deal and say son while you point to him. he should eventually get it and join in. OH! I almost forgot. I introduced my daughter to signing. She loved it and learned it very quickly. I think this helped transitioned her to talking. She gained confidence in signing that it got her wnat she needed and began to see that by using her words helped. So give that a go as well. Good Luck.

My son didn't start talking until he was three either. Enjoy it because once they start, they don't stop! And, then they start talking back! I agree with some other posts: As long as your child doesn't have hearing issues or constant ear infections, don't worry about it.

When my son was three he got speech therapy from the local school district and got to go to pre-K. It doesn't cost anything that way. Sometimes late talking can indicate a learning disability, but most of the time not, so I don't want to scare you. In my son's case, he was diagnosed with ADD in second grade and I researched some holistic alternatives (I don't like meds) and he is doing great now in 5th grade!

My oldest girl, who is now four, took her sweet time speaking as well. I learned and taught her sign language for the things she asked for the most and that seemed to work for her and lessen the frustration of not understanding each other. For basic words, like food, hungry, bananas, apples, milk, tired, things like that that are important to communicate. Then out of nowhere, when she had just turned 3, she decided she was going to go from hardly speaking to complete sentences almost over night. It just depends on when the child wants to start. If your doctor feels your baby is developing fine, then don't worry, they will start on their own when they are good and ready. If the doctor feels as though they are behind, then you might want to look into getting more professional help, speech therapist, etc. But don't worry too much, try the sign language. Kids pick it up so easily and it helps lessen the frustration immediately. If you let them watch Sesame Street, Little Einsteins, Dora, those types of shows repeat words and patterns a lot. They'll catch on to those words too. Plus Sesame Street teaches sign language as well.

Hi C.,
My son is 9 now. I had the same problem. I did call ECI and they came to my home and did different things with him to see if he was developing right. He did everything they needed him to do. They encouraged me that everything was turning in his little brain it just was not coming out yet.
Not long after he began talking and was not slow in his speach at all. Good luck.

My daughter talked very early at 1 year and sentences at 18 mo. Although I have 2 nieces and one nephew that all took until after 2 to start talking. Just continue talking to him and telling him the names of the things that you are giving him or he is wanting. It will happen. Some kids are just quiet and take longer than others as I have learned. Also you can work on alot of sounds and easy things like bye bye and hello. Anywway, good luck.

Hi, i had this problem with my son who is now 3 1/2, and also going through that with my almost 18 mth old, as far as my oldest went, i had to get his hearing tested just to rule that out, bc he did talk you just couldnt understand him, then when they found out his hearing was good, he dr got him started with ECI Bay to Bay, the only bad thing with that is it ends on their 3rd birth day, then they can go to the local school and if he qualifys get the help through there. My oldest son did the bay to bay which they come to the house and work with them which to me is better, he started a 2 1/2, i just sat with them and learned and watched everything she did, she even gave me papers of what she was doing so i can do it with him also, i tried to put him in the school but i didnt feel comfy with the things she was wanting to do with him to help him, so i didnt take him, and have been working with him myself!! My baby will start the speech this month with the bay to bay, the girls in this area are awsome, love them!! I hope this helps you.

YOu need to take him to your pediatrician who I suspect will refer him on to a speech evaluation. Good luck

Hello C.,
Take your child to a reputable Chiropractor! I know this sounds strange, but my girlfried has twins and her son was not talking for almost FIVE years before someone suggested she take him to a Chiropractor! Now she cannot shut him up! Diagnosis was he was out of alignment! It's a miracle! Please try this! If you would like more info or the Chiropractors name (in Connecticut) please feel free to call me and I will give you more info. Blessed regards, C. ###-###-####)

I think the best thing that you can do is read to your child as often as possable. You may want to look into having his hearing checked and/or seek the advice of a speech therapist.

Get his hearing checked. They probably might want to screen for autism just to rule that out; BUt take him in asap.

Hi. I am a speech language pathologist. children are usually saying their first words around one year of age. By 18 months children have a 50 word vocabulary and at two years they should be putting two words together. there are programs such as Early Childhood Intervention where your child can receive speech therapy for free if you are interested. What I would suggest you do at home is try to get your child to repeat what you say (only one word), have him tell you what he wants before you give it to him (within reason), and label items as you see them. For instance, when you are at the grocery store, label everything as you pick it up. When you are dressing him, label the items of clothing, etc.

Does he babble? Has he ever babbled? Does he attempt to communicate? Does he point, make eye contact? Will he copy sounds you make? Does he have a history of ear infections, lots of coughs and colds? There is a great book called Toddler Talk by Sally Davies I think is her name. It's english but she did a lot of research and has this programme to help parents work with their children to develop speech. Basically, everyone will say you need to spend a lot of time talking to him at about his level, so not full sentences, but one or two words, lots of repetition, follow his interests with play materials, and try to make talking fun and motivating, by approaching your talking time together with that attitude. Sally recommends 30 mintues special one on one time every day, where you creayte a quiet space and allow him to direct the play in terms of the toys and you provide a lot of the language input, so narrating whatb he is doing, labeling what he is interested in (what he looks at, picks up etc.) and asking some questions as well, allowing time for him to answer and then providing the answer for him if he can't. All attempts must be positively praised heaps! Worry about how 'correct' his speech is later, for now you need to get him talking. Twop is a little late, but if there are no other problems, give the toddler talk programme a try before you panic. Good Luck,
D.

Hi-
Does your child use sign language to tell you what he wants? If he is using signs, grunts or sighs and gestures, then those ae typically preskills to talking. One way to encourage word use is to always narrate the signs or any of his attempts at communication. For example, he points at an apple and grunts. You say: "Apple? You want apple? Say 'Apple'." Then present him with the apple. Basically, just try to gently model what you think he may want to say. It is good for him to hear the words that go with his signs and gestures, cause even if he isn't saying anything, he's still thinking about it. Good Luck.

I would seek the help of a pediatrician or speech therapist immediately. I also want to ask, how many languages are spoken in your home? Judging from your grammar usage in your entry, it looks to me like English is not your first language. If more than one language is spoken around your child, that may present some confusion for him. Either way, please get him to a doctor soon and find out what your next step should be. Your son needs help. Good luck!

C.,
Does he use a pacifier? If so take it away. I was a kinder teacher before a stay at home mom. I want you to know I am not a doctor so I cannot tell you for sure but If I were you I would talk to your doctor and maybe he can contact you with a speech therapist. Honestly, and I don't know your child, but I think he should be saying several words by two years of age. Start talking to him a lot. Every move you make, talk it out. Ex: "OK Joey, I am now changing your diaper. I am taking the straps off; I am getting a wet wipe, I and wiping your bottom. Mommy is putting a new diaper on Joey. Now let’s go throw your diaper in the trash can. Do you see the trash can. That is a blue trash can.”
Get picture books or any books really and read to him 20 times a day. He needs to hear words, words, words. He could have a rough time in kindergarten if he can't communicate. Again, I would talk to your doctor and if he has nothing to say about it just call an elementary school near you and ask to talk to the speech therapist and see what she says. I wish there were more concerned parents like you. You are doing a good job.

B.
The Mom Team
www.MoreForMyBaby.com

Hi,
I wanted to share with you my own experiences, although it may not be the case with your child. I agree with some of the other moms to have a professional evaluate your child, not just the pediatrician but a Neuropsychologist. My daughter was diagnosed with PDD-NOS which stands for Pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified, but I did not know of this untill she got to preschool because the pediatrician told me she would be o.k., but I felt that she could be speaking more. Well, with the pediatrician telling me she was probably o.k. and that she would outgrow it and that she would eventually talk more, I decided that since she was a doctor, that she would know what she was talking about. Well, I was wrong! Pediatricians don't catch on to what neuropsychologists are trained to look for. It wasn't till her year in Kindergarten that a school psychologist decided to evaluate her and they determined that she was on the Autism spectrum. That's when I was in denial and decided to get a second opinion. Noone wants to admitt that something like that could happen to their child. I made an appointment with Texas Children's hospital (which by the way, there is a waiting list to see a neuropsychologist). It was within three visits that they evaluated her and determined she was on the Autism spectrum and that her formal diagnosis was PDD-NOS. Since then, I've done all I can to help my daughter and there is hope. My daughter did not speak very much when she was two and my son who does not have a developmental delay, spoke well at two. But, as a first time mom, I did not know what to look for with my daughter. I regret not knowing sooner because if I had known I would have placed her in speech therapy and had her placed in an ECI program (Early Childhood Intervention program) at her school, which some schools accept at the age of three, but I believe Texas children's has a program for 2-5 year olds. I say that because it took so much time for the evaluations and the school decided it was best to hold her back one year so that she would be comfortable in first grade. I accepted, although I did not want to, but it helped out. Speech therapy has helped out a lot but so has the GFCF diet (Gluten Free Casein Free diet)which, i wish I would have started sooner, but started last May 2007. The gastroenterologist was skeptical about the diet, I had to see her about that too. She thought it would not work, but she was also wrong. It has been working, thank God! My daughter speaks a lot more now and she can be a chatter box. I do still have to correct her speech from time to time, but the diet and the speech therapy have helped out tremendously. There is no cure for Autism, but there is support out there. If my case happens to apply to you, please feel free to ask me any questions. I will be very happy to help! God Bless

As a nurse, I have these possibilities/suggestions:
1. Have your pediatrician schedule a hearing test. If your child cannot raise his hand or drop the toy in the bucket when he hears the beep, then he can be tested while sedated. Before sedation, try to sleep deprive him by putting him to bed late and waking him up early and no napping, so that he will need less medicine to sedate him.
2. Surely the pediatrician has checked his ears for debris, as kids like to stick things in there.
3. Boys tend to speak later than girls.
4. Sometimes moms do so much for the child and anticipate their needs so much, that the child doesn't HAVE to speak to get their needs met.
5. If your child is not making eye contact with you, then let his doctor know about it.
Best wishes to a proud and loving mom.
Linda C.,from Texas

What does your pediatrician say? Has your child's hearing been checked. Your pediatrician needs to order a hearing test called an ABR (Automatic Brain Response). That will tell you if the audio nerves are working in response to sound Your child does not need to respond to a given stimuli as they will be asleep - not with anesthesia.

If your child proves to have normal hearing, then you need to look at other factors. With the ABR you will eliminate one issue.

Good Luck! I am a Mom with a 14 year old, deaf teenager. She has been raised in the Oral tradition. She wears a hearing aid and a cochlear implant. She is in a mainstream school and can talk on a regular telephone! Deafness is not the handicap it used to be.

call Keep Pace. Yes, they should be talking your ear off by now. Keep pace help developes their moter skills. They can determine if anything is wrong. They are torally FREE and they come to you. They come to your house. It is free untill the age of three then they turn it over to the schools. Call now!!!

You should consider a hearing test and a speech evaluation. For kiddos who have NOT had their 3rd birthday, you can go through an ECI program, such as the one here: http://www.ucphouston.org/eci_infant_program.html

(you will see info on this site about cerebral palsy, ignore that, these folks are a GREAT resource for ANY question about early childhood development)

You can also contact your local school district and they can give you information on who to contact for an evaluation.

The earlier kids get help with speech if they need it, the better they do in school and so on.

It generally is free or reduced to get an evaluation, so all it costs is your time. And you'll feel better knowing you had your concerns addressed!

Best of luck to you! I hope you find some answers.

Also, FYI, kiddos should be talking in 2 word phrases by 2nd birthday, i.e., "go out" "get down", things like that.

Call your local ECI (Early Childhood Intervention)office. If you can't find the number contact your local school district or Head Start Office. ECI will have your child tested and begin providing services ASAP. Hope this helps. This is all free too.

Hi C.,

Don't worry too much. My children were all different when it came to talking. We use the baby sign language too and sometimes when a child is bilingual it will take a little longer to start verbalizing. I was worried about my first child (now almost four and he wont stop talking) he wasn't talking but he understood everything that we were saying. The important thing is that your child understands. You might be surprised when all of a sudden your little one start spouting sentences. Einstein didn't talk until he was four.(that's what my mother always said to me)

Hi, C. L.,

I test children with special needs. If your child is under the age of three, you need to contact your local Early Childhood Intervention (ECI)agency. If the agency is not listed in the phone book, call the Special Education office of your public school district. They will provide you with names/phone numbers, etc. Most ECI agencies will send a team to your home to do a developmental evaluation to see if there are delays in areas other than speech/language.

If your child is already three, call the Special Ed. office of your local school district. They will contact an in-district assessment team to conduct screening and/or a full evaluation. If your child meets state & federal guidelines with a speech/language impairment, speech therapy will be provided by a certified speech therapist.

What does your pediatrician have to say about the language delay? Has your child's hearing been checked?

Feel free to contact me if you have other concerns.

Good luck.

S. Claybrook, Educ. Diagnostician
E-Mail: ____@____.com

I went through the same issues with my child. I went to a speech therapist with him and she said to continously say things and have him repeat. At first, nothing will be coming out but you will see his lips to try to form the words. I did this and about 1 1/2 weeks later he started to say simple words like mommy, daddy, come, bye bye, hi. Try this and see what happens. I do recommend you to take him to a speech therapist soon though. I would not wait too much longer because the sooner they start working with him, the sooner you will know how to respond and help him to communicate. Good Luck and Best Wishes. Also, if you can't find a speech therapist in your area that can see him soon. Try to get him enrolled in ECI in your area and they will work with him until he goes to school and the school will continue with what they started and plus more.

My second child was a late talker, we figured it out the hard way that everyone was doing his talking for him. When we quit anticipating his needs and he had no other choice, he started to talk. But truly, if your concerned it never hurts to have it checked out by the professionals.

i am a speech language pathologist. your son should be saying words, and starting to put two to three words together in short sentences, "i want ball", "please, mama", etc. you should have him evaluated to give you more accurate information. he can be tested for free...contact your school district to find out how. if he has some speech delays, he can receive free services from them as well. you can also contact a local speech and language clinic in your area for testing. sometimes insurance helps pay for that and therapy...but if they don't, it can be very expensive. you also want to get his hearing checked out. i would not wait much longer on this, the earlier he is seen and provided therapy, the better he will be in the long run. good luck!

C.
2 things. The first possible is easy. He/she might just be not talking because it works for them and they are still getting what they want. You might try reacting like you don't understand and make them say it before they get it.

The other is what was wrong w/ my son. He couldn't hear so he wasn't talking. I had to insist on a hearing test as they don't usually do them this young. He got tubes in his ears and everything was fine. He was talking w/in weeks afterwards. On this note - sometimes they will also walk late or be "tipsy" also. It is worth getting their hearing tested though.
Hope this helps!
God Bless you all.

He may not be hearing well, have his ears tested.

R. P.

Hi C.,

It does sound like your son may need some help with speech. Since he's under three, there are several sources for help you can try. In Texas we have the Early Childhood intervention program that sends speech therapists to your home and is state run. Easter Seals also may be a resource for you. Your pediatrician is the best place to find out what is available in your area. Many of these programs are free or low cost. Your son's speech abilities will later affect his ability to learn to read which is fundamental to his education. Once he reaches age three, your local public school is responsible for providing speech services. Thankfully, these services are free. If you don't find help now, when he turns three go to your local elementary school and request that he be screened for speech. Two of my seven children needed speech therapy. Both are doing fine now, but it was a great help to them to get caught up with their peers.

God bless, J.

This is a common problem for children with older siblings, but if your child does not fall into that category you should definitely check with the pediatrician. Also read to him often and ask him questions about the book and pictures. (Like point to the pig or where is the red ball.)

I recommend having your child evaluated by a Speech Therapist. Both my girls went to Polly Gardner in The Woodlands. If that is not near you, ask your church preschool program director or call the closest elementary school and get a recommendation from them. Good Luck!

Hi, I am a 27 year old stay at home mother of 3, ages 8, 3 and 2. My children all talk exceptionally well. I too have a 2 year old, and he talks like he is 4. What I did was if any of the children made a noise like "unh" to show that they wanted something, I would ignore them. After a few times, I asked what it is that they wanted even if I already knew. Then I would say what it is, like "oh you want your cup" and say cup a few times. I didn't give them the cup unless they at least tried to say it. After a few rounds, they will pick it up. It's like a game, but it worked and my kids have very big vocabularies for their ages. Good luck!

Sometimes children don't talk and then they seemingly start speaking overnight. You ma not need to worry, yet. If you have concerns (you may notice other things), you might want to speak with your pediatrician or a developmental pediatrician. A good one in the Houston area is Dr. Daniel Williamson.

No, it's not normal, unless possibly you speak to the child in different languages. Bilingual kids take longer to speak, but when they do it's often in full sentences. The public school system can help evaluate the child and give him remedial help.

There certainly could be various reasons for your child's speech delays, however at this point I would encourage you to schedule a hearing evaluation with your pediatrician or an ENT---many delays in speech are due to a hearing loss and early intervention is important in helping to meet the language delays and development that naturally happen because of missed speech sounds--if a loss is at hand, it could mean simply dealing with trouble caused by reoccurring ear infections--early child intervention programs (from infant-preschool)are available to the hearing and/or speech impaired child through your local school district (at least in my state)---even as I write this my 8 year old son (whom I am homeschooling this year) is attending his neighborhood school for speech services--I encourage you to read, read, read to him and take care to engage in much conversation with him as you introduce items and he requests them--making sure that he touches, feels, smells, listens, etc as you give words their "labels"---I am a teacher of the hearing impaired by trade and I applaud you for exploring his delay---you never know, sometimes those little guys are on their own time tables, but at times the delay could be a wonderful marker for you so that you are encouraged to seek assistance so as to begin filling in some of those things that he might be missing--your any thing will mean everything to him!

Many Blessings.
Lesa

as someone with a severe hearing loss I can tell you the first thing to do is get his hearing checked!

Most "speech" probelms in young children are actually hearing issues.

Have his hearing checked. If he has no hearing loss and your family is bilingual, check with your local elementary school about getting him enrolled into a bilingual pre-k program. Public schools are equipped to handle speech deficiencies and the speech therapy is part of the school program at no charge to you.

Hi C. I have a 2 in a half yr old son that is speech delayed. He started getting speech therapy with Easter Seals. They come to your house and children get therapy once a week for 30 minutes. My son will be going to school when he turns three. Easter Seals only do early intervention and they start when your child turns T. and set everything for your child to get evaluated so he can go to school when they turn 3. People kept telling me that my son will be fine but as a mother you know something is not right. I'm glad I went with my instict. If you want more info on Easter Seals let me know and I will send you information.

Good luck,
Elisa M

I have had many many 2 year olds while working in day care and while they all developed speech at different rates it was rare for a 2 year old to really be talking until almost three. Most of it was grunts and points. But if you are concerned you might want to talk to your pediatrician (mine tested my girls' hearing.) Early Childhood Intervention may also be able to help. New Mexico's site http://www.health.state.nm.us/ddsd/fit/

My oldest had advanced speech, my second had 9 words by 12 months but then regressed (probably autistic- did your son loose his words or did he not develop them to begin with?) She didn't start talking again until nearly three. ECI didn't want to do therapy with my second child because she met the expected vocabulary by 2, which was three or four words.

My third is almost three and she does have words but you can't understand them much of the time. This is really what you should be looking for- a desire to communicate and 'babbling' resembling sentence structure, even if you can't quite understand it. I do know what my daughter is saying most of the time, it's just very poor annunciation.

According to http://www.medem.com/MedLB/article_detaillb.cfm?article_I...
By the third birthday a child should be able:

Language

* Points to object or picture when it's named for him
* Recognizes names of familiar people, objects and body parts
* Says several single words (by 15 to 18 months)
* Uses simple phrases (by 18 to 24 months)
* Uses two- to four-word sentences
* Follows simple instructions
* Repeats words overheard in conversation

If he is very close to two, he may not be putting two words together yet. But if he is closer to three he should definitely be saying things like "Me drink" or "me want" or "no more."

My nephew and my best friend's daughter are going through the same thing. In those cases, they both had fluid very deep in their ear canal which caused them to be partially deaf. For months and months, they both assumed the kids were just ignoring them. They both had behavioral problems, as they would get so frustrated they could not communicate. My nephew ended up getting tubes (more than once, and still when they fall out, have to be replaced to ensure fluid does not get back in there)and went to speech therapy. He is a little behind in his kindergarden class, but has improved by leaps and bounds. When he had the tubes put in when he was 3, he had a vocabulary of 8 words that only family could understand. With my best friend, her vocabulary was a little better, but very hard to understand. She had her tonsils and adnoids removed and tubes put in about a week ago. We'll see how that goes....

My advice- take your baby to a ENT specialist ASAP to make sure this isn't the problem, as it can cause permanant damage- not only with their ears, but educationally too.

Hope that helps!!
M.

Have your child checked by the doctor. My daughter did not speak at that age either. She qualified for PPCD through the school district and it worked wonders for her. She still has trouble processing information and struggles a bit in school, but she is offered all kinds of help through the school district. Also, I have a friend whose daughter wasn't talking either and she had a hearing problem. Please have your child checked now. The earlier you catch these issues the better. Best of luck.

Have you taken your child to see your pediatrician about this? Children develop at different rates but your pediatrician needs to rule out any physiological problems.

Beyond that, just make sure you work with him - naming objects, people, etc. Also, you might try not responding to his requests unless he uses words. Why would he speak if all his wants/needs are met without it?

The primary thing though is to have the pediatrician check him over.

Have you talked to your child's pediatrician? They can usually reccommend a good speech therapist. You can also call Any Baby Can if you are truly concerned.

Hi C.,
I have the same no talking issue with my 2 1/2 daughter. She has been using sign language sense she was 18 months. Thanks to the ECI program. You need to call them in your area and get your son enrolled. They can only help you tell he turns 3 then they will help you get help through the schools. The eci program will come out and give you a free evaluation. I had my daughters hearing tested it's fine. She is just suborn and has a older sister that talks for her. Please please check into eci or some program to help your son if you don't he will struggle with speech in his early years.And be behind when he gets in school.

I don't know if you have received many responses or not. But have your doctor refer you Early Childhood Intervention. You might can find all the info on the web. I had them come and check my son that was not talking out. He was only 3 months behind and didn't qualify but they gave me some tips that really helped. He ended up taking off after that. My doctor also recommended that we have like a cookie that he wanted and not give it to him until he would say cookie. So for items like that we would work with him to try to get the words out not the grunts. Good luck.

Definitely you should talk to your doctor about this. He may not think much of it yet, but I would think he would want to check further into it and possibly refer you to Early Childhood Intervention (ECI). My son used to receive FREE SERVICES from ECI, but I don't know if it is free for everyone. He was born 3 1/2 months premature and had many issues. They sent a dietician, a speech pathologist, and an occupational therapist to my house to work with my son periodically and give me tips. Your child probably wouldn't need all of that unless he has other issues. If you are referred to ECI or if you just contact them on your own, someone will probably call you for an appointment to interview you. They will then determine with you what types of services you may need and how often you receive them. IT WAS A WONDERFUL PROGRAM THAT REALLY HELPED MY SON AND GAVE ME MORE CONFIDENCE AS A MOM!
Angie Z.

You didn't give much information about what your child is doing. I am the mother of 4 and a school teacher, here are just a few things I would try.
First. If your child has not had a check-up, take him to the pediatrician and let him know your concerns. I would want his hearing checked as well to make sure that there wasn't any problem medically.
If all is fine there: Remember, all children progress at different rates, don't stress about it! If your child is babbling, that's good. "Read" lots of books with everyday pictures in them. Be sure to point out objects and name them. Ask your child to tell you what the objects are. When he points to something, ask him to tell you what he wants. If he wants his cup, ask him to say cup. If he wants a ball, ask him to say ball, etc. He will eventually start talking, especially if you tell him that you don't understand what he wants unless he tells you.

I think you need to take him to a pediatrician to make sure there is nothing physically or mentally wrong. Don't take it for granted that everything is ok. Sometimes if there is a problem it can be corrected easily if diagnosed early.
The older the child gets the harder it is to "teach" out the unwanted acts.
Only my opinon...I am not an expert. At that age my daughter spoke quite a bit to me but not anyone else even daddy. But I knew she could talk.

Is your child able to follow directions, does he respond to his name and seem to understand what is being said? If he is able to do these things, his hearing is probably okay- if not I would have his hearing checked. You can contact BACH/ECI (Early childhood intervention) and they will come out to your house and do a speech/language assessment for free (I believe it is still free- if not it is on a sliding scale) and if they feel he needs it they will come out to your house and give you strategies. When your child turns 3, if he/she still needs services- they can receive services free through the school district (just fyi). I would suggest calling BACH/ECI and setting up a screen/assessment. It's always good to start intervention as early as you can. In terms of what to do at home- talk about everything you do and everything you see- let them hear you name things. If two languages are being spoken in the home, choose one because it might be confusing to your child and then later you can use both. Hope this helps. A little about me, I am a mom of 2 and am a speech/language pathologist. I work in the school and do private practice.
J.

Have you had your child tested for hearing. He might be hearing impaired and is only able to pick slight sounds that sound like sighs to him/her.

I am an education major and have had to take a lot of child health classes. Everyone will tell you that each child reaches different stages. Some children learn quicker then others where as some slower then others. Boys tend to be slower learners then girls. Try associating things that he enjoys and already knows how to say. you should never try to correct him if he is saying a word wrong because children have their own set of language. Child Psychology books or research may be a good thing for you to look at.

C., it is good that your son relays his needs to you by sign language. Children begin to talk at various ages. Some have difficulty forming the words while others may have autism, which affects 1 in 100 children now.

Have you had him checked by a pediatrician? If he has no hearing problem and is otherwise healthy, you may want to begin learning American Sign Language with him. We are doing this with my grandson, who at 4 years also communicates primarily by signs.

Just love your little fellow and rejoice that he is able to communicate with you in ways that work.

God bless you.
M. T

C.,

Have you made sure he doesn't have trouble hearing? My daughter wasn't talking at 18 months either and it was due to her not being able to hear! We had tubes put in her ears, finally, because of ear infections and immediately after that, she started making recognizable sounds. The poor child just didn't hear how we were pronouncing words so she didn't know what to do! She is 19 now and I tell her after that, she never stopped talking! So I recommend checking with your pediatrician. A 2 year old should be talking.

C.,

My granddaughter was about that age and we
started to get concerned that she was not
speaking but made sounds and pointed to whatever
she wanted. We had her hearing checked and found
out she was deaf and needed hearing aids. I don't
know if you have done this already but I thought I
mentioned it. Good luck!

Hi C.,

Type the following into your browser (I used Google, and don't put the phrase into quotes):

"normal speech, two year olds"

I got a ton of information, including an article from a speech pathologist, who suggested that a parent get the child's hearing checked ASAP. You are smart to be concerned. If your child is developmentally delayed in any way, including with hearing and speech, know that school districts may be legally bound to provide special education programs (including transportation to the school), speech services, etc. for pre-school aged children. This process could take awhile. Whether or not your child has a hearing loss, and even if he qualifies to receive speech therapy services from the public school district--if I were you, I would talk to your pediatrician; ask for a referral to a pediatric speech pathologist; check with your medical insurance; and also get my child private speech therapy. Good luck! jenifer

I wouldn't worry too much. Children develop at such a wide range in mile stone achievements. You can always encourage him to talk by repeating the word of the object that he wants and sounding it out before giving it to him. After a while don't give it to him until he makes an "attempt" to name the object with your coaching. Any attempt should be rewarded, even if it sounds nothing like the real word. This way he will be motivated to try out some more words.

As long as all he can get what he wants by sighing then that's what he'll use. If he wants milk - show him the milk, say the word milk and wait for him to use the word or a fashion of the word (pronunciations may vary for his age). Be prepared for fit throwing, he's trained you to respond to sighs, now it's time for you to train him to use words. He'll be happier as he learns to talk. Don't forget to reward with hugs!

Your child should be speaking rather well at this point. Get to the doctor for a speech evaluation and they can refer. Depending upon which city/state in which you live, there are plenty of county (tax payer) funded early childhood intervention programs designed for your child. Get help soon as the longer you wait the greater the gap becomes once school starts. Good luck! There are great programs, be proactive!

I know of two children who both didn't speak at age 3 (or almost 3). Both of them were tested and put into the speech delay program in the public schools. It helped them both tremendously. My cousin who started the program in August is now speaking in full sentences -- and is a huge "drama queen". It was histerical to watch her at Christmas. Last year she said nothing, but this year she played toe to toe with my 4 year old son.

Good luck!
L.

Hi C.,

All children develop at different rates, and some kids just talk later than others. Some kids need a little extra help. My middle child wasn't saying the "normal" amount of words that his pediatrician looked for at 18 mths, and again at 2 yrs. We were referred to an early intervention service that was available through the state (we were in Florida at the time) at no charge. So I contacted them, he was evaluated, and they recommended speech therapy for him. It worked wonders.

Check with your doctors office to see what TX offers. I assume your little one has been evaluated and there is nothing physical that is delaying his speech. I hope this helps.

My son John didn't talk at all - until he was 3!!!! Now, he won't stop. He could speak all the time... he just didn't want to. Then, he started speaking in complete sentences. I don't know what to tell you except: don't worry. If his hearing is OK, it's not a problem. Otherwise, you might get his hearing tested - just to be on the safe side. e-mail me and we can talk. ____@____.com

C., first, is he saying any words? I am a mother of a grown son and a 14 year old daughter. My son, babbled with the exception of a few clear words until around 3 years of age and then one day he just started talking. My daughter who was born very premature started to literally speak sentences at 9 months (however she was around my mother and I daily 24/7) and we talked to her constantly and she was exposed to a lot of kid educational programs. Your son like my son may just be an introvert and will do things in his own time. However, if you are really concerned about his speech talk with his pediatrician to put you mind at ease. And if you are still concerned after that, schedule a visit with a Speech Therapist. Happy parenting! :)

HI, I was having the same problem with my 5yr. old. I took him to my pediatricion and they sent me to an ENT. We found out he had some infections and he had lost some hearing. So you might want to talk to your doctor and maybe get a physical. I hope this helps you.

Ruthie Rouse

I am a Speech-Language Pathologist - My suggestions are:
1. Have his hearing evaluated by an Audiologist.
2. Have his a Speech and Language Evaluation done by a Speech-Language Pathologist.

In the meantime, give him small portions of his meals and drinks and have him imitate "more" when he wants more of the food or drink - do this every meal and with toys.

2. Blow lots of bubbles and use words like "pop" when you pop the bubbles, "up" and "down", have him ask for "more", take turns and use as much language as possible.

3. When playing/dressing, etc. give him 2 choices of items and name the choices then ask him which he wants - e.g. Do you want the red block or the blue block? - encourage him to answer with a sound or words to get the block... do this many times.

Feel free to email me - ____@____.com if you want/need to ...

J.