Son Not Talking Much Yet

My 4 1/2 year old son didn't even say a word until he was almost 3. He would point to things and mumble, that's about it. We had Early Intervention for speech delay that mostly helped us help him. All of the sudden, as most people told us, words came suddenly, a week later sentences and now he can't stop talking! Be patient, keep talking to him and with him. If you are concerned, contact early intervention for an evaluation. It doesn't cost anything.

They say boys talk late but I would have him evaluated by Early Intervention (Kennedy Donovan Center in Plymouth). It is a great resource and if your son is eligible a therapist would come to your house once a week for an hour to work on his speech. It is only available until your child turns 3 so I would call soon in case he is eligible. You can refer your own child, you do not need a referral from a doctor.

My son was in the Early Intervention program for speech delay when he was 18 months until 3 years old. I had my younger daughter evaluated just a few months ago when she turned 2 because I wasn't sure if she was talking enough but she turned out to be fine.

It is well worth the phone call!

Hi V.,
I am a speech therapist and I want to assure you that most likely he is just a "boy". Boys are "typically" motor verse verbal. However, I would suggest if you are at all concerned to see a speech language pathologist AKA speech therapist/speech teacher etc. to put your mind at ease. Because he can follow directions-you are probably in the clear.

At 24 months we took my daughter to a speech therapist on the insistance of her doctor. The therapist felt that she was fine and that we didn't need to go back, like your son she understood everything, and turns out she was at a 3-4 year level for comprehension, then all of a sudden about 4 months ago (at 26 months) she started talking in full sentences and hasn't stopped since.

Don't worry. My best friends son barely talked for the first few years, now he talks all the time.

My son who is now 28 months old didn't start talking until he turned 2. He said a few words before then. All of a sudden he won't stop talking. he loves repeating what his 42 month old sister says. Your son will talk when he is ready.

My son also has been slow to talk. We are trying to chalk it up to that he is "waiting until it is perfect"- some kids are inborn perfectionists and feel they have it all right before they show off what they know. He does things that show he is really thinking and aware about his environment so you have to look at the whole child.

Hi at 19 months isabella was saying maybe 15 words and I was very concerned. She just turned 21 months and she has a vocabulary of about 75 words. I cant believe how much she is picking up now its amazing. I think she learn 2 words a day. Like your son she does understand everything I say or tell her. I guess she took alittle long to talk but she if finally doing better. I would not worry yet just read alot to him and point to pictures in the book and try to talk to him constantly.

Talk to the doctor about this and see if there are any signs you should be looking for. You want to rule out Autism Spectrum Disorder, and if you child does end up having even a mild form of ASD, your best defense is a good offense. It never hurts to be pro-active. Best to you,
-J.

I have 4 kids and they all started talking at very different times ( 2 at a year one at 18 mos. and one at 3) . I had early intervention with my son starting at 2 1/2 and it helped so much. The biggest thing I learned from them was just to keep talking to your son and have him watch your mouth when you want him to repeat a word.

My nephew is 3 mo. older than my son and my son who is now 28 mo.
didn't talk until they both turned two years old. A couple weeks after their 2nd bday they both started coming out with sentences. Before that my son said words, but didn't put them together. My pediatrician said they don't worry unless they aren't saying words by two or sentences by three. He said if I was worried I could bring it up again at his 2 1/2 yr. checkup. That's in August and I won't be because now he doesn't shut up. I know people talk about the early intervention so if u are concerned u should look into it. Good Luck!!

every kid is different and he is a boy, and they take longer to do things.. but if you are worried, call your local Early Intervention program..anyone ,including parents can request an evaluation. I did this with my son when he was two, got a year of free speech therapy, free playgroups and now is in free preschool because yes he did have a speech delay. Call your ped and talk to them about it, but anyone can call, even grandparents! it's worth every second if there is a delay!!! good luck! my son is doing so great because of them!!!

My son will be 3 in August, and while he has lots of words to label things, he doesn't put them together much. He has a speech delay, and one pediatrician said he was autistic (later disproven by neuropsych). However, since this whole ordeal, I have spoken to MANY moms with boys and the verdict is... they talk late, especially compared to girls. Maybe you could ask your doctor for early intervention and speech therapy. It does wonders. Better to treat it early.