Not Talking - Conroe,TX

Hi J.,
I'm a PPCD teacher (preschool program for children with disabilities) in CCISD. While your child is 2 I would encourage you to contact ECI (early childhood interventiona). They will come to you and if see fit provide services at no cost to your family (speech therapy). At athe age of 3 children can enter PPCD if they are eligible and continue services at no cost. Most of my students have speech impairments and the program is amazing! Students coming in without words and leaving in sentences and ready for kinder. PPCD is ages 3-5. As for now I would do as you said, if she is making noises for something don't get it for her without helping her to try and have better voice approximation. If she doesn't have to work for the things she wants because it's just given to her, there's no reason for her to try because her needs are being met. If you have any questions i'd be happy to help if I can.

While I believe taking advantage of what help the government offers, and being cautions, there are other thing to consider. We often want our children to always be on the schedule of the masses, but remember there have been some great people who did not fit into the mold. Albert Einstein is considered one of the most brilliant minds of the twentieth century, but he did not start talking until he was three years old. So, absolutely stay in check with your doctor & be watchful & encourage her, but she might be like the few who don't fit into the ideal mold.

You should try to encourage her to use the word, not just grunt. Sometimes it just takes some kids longer than others. My son had the same problem. He did not start asking for items until he was around 27 months old and his vocab just took off after that. If you are concerned about her you can have her evaluated for free by ECI. Their website is www.dars.state.tx.us/ecis/index.shtml . I had my son evaluated and they said he was normal just talking slower than normal.

When my son turned 2 the daycare pointed out that they didn't think he was speaking as much as the other 2 year olds. We didn't realize because we were first time parents, but after they brought it to our attention and we started watching other kids his age it was obvious. He would say lots of nouns (ball, moon, cow, etc.) but wouldn't say more than one word at a time. We were advised to contact ECI (Early Childhood Intervention)which is a governmental program for children Birth-3years. They performed a free evaluation of him and began providing him with speech therapy. The cost of the speech therapy services was based on our income, which was not very much considering how much speech therapy costs these days. They provided services for him until he turned 3 and then they submitted paperwork to Cy-Fair ISD to continue to provide speech therapy for him free through the elementary school. His speech really improved when he was enrolled in ECI and continues to improve. To answer one of your other questions, you should try to get her to actually say what she wants rather than just getting it for her because you know what she wants. Best of luck to you and your daughter.

2 things some kids are slow talkers so give her time but given she is a premie you should pay close attention to this give she might show signs of autism. Your pediatrician will tell you by 2 yrs they should be able to verablize atleast 20 to 25 words, he will tell you if there is reason for concern and possibly recommend the ECI program for therapy for your child. Talk to your doctor about your concerns b/c in my opinion you have a reason to be concerned.

My son was doing the same thing around that same age. Texas has a program called ECI (Early Childhood Intervention). Its through your county. They come to your home and work with your child as much as once a week or as you feel is needed. They only help until your childs 3rd birthday. So dont wait to long to contact them. Right before your childs 3rd birthday they talk to you about how happy you are with how much your child as accomplished. If you feel your child still needs some work. They will help you get your child into speech therapy through the schools. I had one of the best experiences ever with ECI and my son. I highly recommend them.

See what baby and toddler milestones are and whether you should be concerned at WebMD

http://tinyurl.com/24cls7

I found it by googling baby milestones

she should have a larger vocabulary than 3 words at 2 years of age, although you should also include words that are not pronounced correctly. i would take her to the pediatrician and ask for a hearing test to rule that out first and then the doctor may recommend speech/language therapy for her.
if she cries and points to something then tell her you don't know what she wants and to use her words. talk a lot to her and label everything. it also helps to read to her on a daily basis. good luck!

Have you talked to your pediatrician about putting her in speech therapy? He should've mentioned that to you as soon as she started showing a little delay. It doesn't sound like anything that a therapist can't fix. Milestones' is a great place. You might want to check them out. They are fantasic! Well good luck!

At wo years old, you daughter should definitly be talking more than she is. I am an Early INtervention Specialist with the Early Childhood Intervention program. We are a non-profit statewide agency that provides a variety of services for children with developemntal delays. I dont want to scre you, but at her age, she should be saying at least 50-100 words and be beginning to make short sentences. PLease contact your local Early INtervention program and we can send someone out to discuss your concerns with you. Most services are free or at very little cost to your family, depending on the type of insurance your daughter has. WE have speech therapists available, also. You can e mail me if you want more information or talk to your pediatrician. The sooner you begin to work with her, the better her chances will be. Have a great day and best wishes to you and your family.

My daughter was similar. I can't remember exactly when she started talking but I do remember she started talking later than my son. My mother-in-law kept saying she doesnt' NEED to talk as I knew what she wanted or she would make a noise and I would just know. I think she just started to talk later than my son, plain and simple. I guess you could play a game with her when she grunts to say "excuse me? Could you say Milk"--or whatever she is wanting..I wouldn't hold out til she said it of course, but it may get her to thinking. Give her high praise for her efforts and her eyes will light up. I worked on sounds of letters, showing my daughter books and reading to her.Some shows on tv are very good with phonics and sounds. She went to a daycare and they worked on it too and being around all that chatter may have helped too---I don't know how I would really know why she started talking one day, but she got high praise!Best wishes,