Speaking

I have been there. My son is now 32 months old. He didn't really talk until has was about 27 months old. Now he talks, and talks, and talks. He even carries on 4-5 sentence conversations now (which is above his age learning now). So - I know that it's hard to wait... but, trust the MDs. It will come. You'll see. :0)

Judy Abraham is an excellent Speech Pathologist at Life Sculpting. She works with young children and is located in Chandler. I believe she gives free consultations - ###-###-####.

You might want to consult with children's speech pathologist to obtain another opinion and receive advice on how to proceed from hear. Good luck...

I highly, highly, HIGHLY recommend following your instincts and having him evaluated NOW. Best case, the eval says he's fine and you continue as you are. If he is a little behind, the earlier you get started with speech therapy the better. I have seen this with a lot of children over my time working with 2-3 year olds. My two year is also in speech therapy and the support and ideas from the therapist are very helpful in encouraging my son's speech. Some doctor's tend to be a little lax in this area in my opinion. Yes, speech development varies from child to child and I think it's always better to be on the vigilant side of these issues. This is especially true if you and your husband have concerns. Put yourself at ease. Have him evaluated, knowing that you are doing everything you can to help him now. It will help you sleep better. :)

I am not sure where you are, but all state have early intervention services. Your doctor's office should be able to give you information, but you could probably find it in the phone book or online as well.

i have an adopted son who had this and many other problems. we got him when he was 4 and he didnt talk, he grunted and pointed. he was also not potty trained. i know that he didnt have a veryhealthy lifestyle before we got him and that was the reason but your son is loved and gets a lot of attentions. with sean we took him to doctors and therapists and he still didnt talk. and we found out he knew how to talk, he just didnt want to. he didnt want to do a lot of things so he didnt. we finally found a doctor that didnt push theray and stuff. he told us that kids are all different and they do things at their own pace. whe we stopped pushing him he started talking and he started going potty on his own . to this day he is a very strongheaded young man. and i love him for it although its been a hard road for all of us. he is independent and does things his own way and is not afraid to questin anything. he is now 21 and graduated form a trade school, has hisown place and a good job. i wouldnt worry toomuch as long as he is getting the love and encouragement and you dont push him to do things he doesnt want to. i remember the day sean talked. he said several full sentences and i aobut fell down. he said " mom, i dont want to take a bath yet because i want to eat first. when i eat i mess up my face and hands and i dont want to wash them and then have to take a bath too." and this came form a boy that grunted and pointed or shook his head and threw himslef to the floor when he wasnt happy. he still talks with a lisp even though we did send him to speech therapy but if anyone makes fun of him he deals with it whether it be by telling people that its nto nice or by htting them( that is how he dealt with it at school) . he has a lot of freinds and they dont dare make fun of him.

Hi C.,
I agree to go with your gut instinct and to be proactive about this. Also another option I found successful with my daughter, was Baby Signs(R) program. I loved the program so much that I became an instructor but am no longer actively teaching it. There are local instructors in the phoenix area that hold play classes, story times and they are designed to promote language progression through pretend play, mucis and sign language! You can check out more information by visiting their Arizona website to find an instructor or classes at http://babysignsinstitute.com/babysignsarizona/

Hi C.,
I understand your concern, I am a mother of a four year old and work with preschoolers who have a speech delay. I'm not sure where you live, but you should have an "Early intervention program" which works with children ages 0-3. You can ask your doctor for a referral. They will do an assessment and if your son qualifies they will provide speech therapy services. This service is usually free. If your concerned then you should act. You know your child best and developmentally he should speech should be beyond babbling.

We were concered with our son. all he did was scream. Our docter said if we were a little bit concered, find some speach therapy. There should be some free programs. Starting sooner is better, and it cna't hurt him, if he really doesn't need it. Good luck amd I would go with Mama's intuition.

Hi C.! I haven't experienced this myself, but my sister and a SIL and my baby sitter all have. I would recommend calling your local school district to see what steps to take to get your son evaluated for speech therapy. The state actually pays for early intervention in cases regardless of your household income. My baby sitter's five-year old son wasn't talking much around two and they held off until three and she wishes she would have taken action earlier. Her son goes to preschool (at no cost to her) four hours a day now, the bus picks him up and drops him off, and he has improved so much! She acutally just had her 19-month old evaluated because he only makes a few sounds, he is very bright and can do anything you tell him but has some speech issues and he qualified for therapy as well. In his case someone is going to come to her home and work with him and her three or four times a month, once he is four he will probably go to the pre-school her other son attends. Good luck to you, don't stress about it because it is very common and you just want to get him evaluated and get the help he needs before he is school age.

Also, I think it is great that you are seeking advice outside of your Pediatrician's opinion - my son's pediatrician is very aggressive and she would have probably had my son in therapy by now if he wasn't talking.

I would not take the wait and see approach. I would find out from your pediatrician if he will refer you to the correct agency and give you a written referral.

My son was two when the doctor suggested we get him tested. We didn't. We waited. When he turned three our doctor gave us another recommendation. We took his advice. We got him tested and he qualified for speech. By the time my son actually started receiving services he was 3.5 yrs old. He really could have benefited from earlier services. His speech has dramatically improved and I am glad that we started getting help, however, he is in kindergarten and still struggles on a daily basis. Those who know him can understand him, but others can not. Please don't wait. I regret it. Everyday.

I have two boys who were delayed in speech also but I would recommend having him tested by specialist in the Infant and Toddler program that is sponsered by the Federal Government. then enroll him in the Infant and Toddler program as this provides support for you and your son as well as models for your son to imitate. The sooner the better in my opinion as both boys attended speech in elementary school and one all through mid school.
If you are having trouble finding the program, contact your elementary school's speech and hearing specialist. Good luck!!!

my suggestion to you is to notice the other things he is doing OR not doing--- pay attention to everything he is doing--- if he is other age things than no bother being totally concerned if he is sitting down and playing for exceeded periods of time for instance than he is too busy to talk or any of the array of other things he can be doing

My son was the exact same way. By the age of 2, he had 5 words (and that's being a little generous). He qualified for services through the AZIP program, however by the time the services started, he had begun talking. He is almost 3 now and is within the "normal" range, and he did all of this essentially on his own. I started teaching him sign language so he at least could communicate. Then, when he would learn a sign, I wouldn't respond to his whining unless he used the sign. For example, I wouldn't give him a drink unless he used the drink sign. I also manipulated him some. When he would sit down to eat I would put his cup within sight but out of reach. Then when he wanted a drink, he had to use the sign.

In hindsight, he was a classic late talker (as many boys are), but it was nerve wracking at the time. I would have your son evaluated to rule out anything serious, and then just work with him the best you can. If he's like my son, literally one day it will click and then there's no stopping them.

Sounds like you got the same advice from your Pediatrician that I did when my son turned two and wasn't talking. The thing is, your little man has two things going against him in the speech department. One, he's a boy. In general, boys just seem to talk a little later than girls (and a lot less...which is usually true in adulthood as well). Secondly, I saw from your profile that he's your only child. He's literally the pioneer baby in your home, being the first to experience EVERYTHING. Because of this, he doesn't have any older siblings teaching him the ropes...and teaching him to talk earlier. For some reason, kids learn a lot more from each other than they do from us parents. That can be a really good thing and (at times) a really bad thing.

Like I said, my son was in the same situation by his second b-day, and since he was our first, we freaked out a little. Will he EVER talk?!! Is something wrong with him? Well, I'm happy to report that my now three and a half year old boy will NOT shut-up. In fact, the more his speech develops, the more eager he is to share ALL of his opinions. Specifically what he doesn't agree with and how, exactly, he wants to spend his time. ;-) Seriously though, his sentences are long and complex and getting more so every day. It's a little mind-blowing, actually.

My daughter will be turning two at the end of this month and she has been talking well for quite a while now. I KNOW she's learning from Luke because she uses all of his little special words (and pronunciations) for things. Of course, she's also a girl, so she practically came out of the womb talking. :-)

Anyhow, you should try not to worry about it...though I know it's hard. Sometime in the next year, your son will have a language EXPLOSION. Seriously, you'll feel like it happened over night. I think my son's came at about two and a half. So hang in there and enjoy the silence (and the lack of attitude) while it lasts!

C.,

DO NOT WAIT!!! You can get your son tested for free thru the state and if he qualifies for help it is also free. I don't know where you are located but here in Arizona the program is called "Arizona Early Intervention Program" again it is all free! Here is their number maybe you can call them and they can direct you to the program that is in your state. 1-888-439-5609 here is their website too www.azdes.gov/azeip My son wasn't speaking at two and only making babble noises and I had him tested and he qualified for help. Because of the early help that I got him he is not as far behind in school as he could have been. THE EARLIER HE RECEIVES HELP THE BETTER OFF HE WILL BE! I hope this helps.

K. R
SAHM of three children 8,6,4 two boys and a girl.

My nearly 20 year old daughter didn't speak much until she was about 3. (I was concerned as well). She is now majoring in languages and speaks three. Listen to your doctor, but do a few tricks to encourage speaking. Instead of getting him what you know he wants, encourage him to verbalize and ask for things. Speak to him as if you expect him to speak back. Refer to things using their proper name, not "baby talk". Other than that, I wouldn't try to force him to talk or worry too much about it. Enjoy every minute of not having him talk back while it lasts. <wink>

My son was not talking sentences like he should of been when he turned 3, if you go through a public school they will give you info on where to go to get your son tested and it is completly free, after they do the testing they will let you know if your son needs extra help, my son has been in a special needs preschool for almost a year now, he goes for speech, physcial, and occupational therapy.

Hi C.! My 3rd born son (I have 4 boys) who will turn 5 this month did not talk at all by his 2nd b-day. He made a couple of noises and pointed when he wanted stuff. Our pediatrician was not concerned at all because she felt sure that his big brothers were talking for him -- which was NOT the case. I told her that I still wanted to have him checked out because what would it hurt? To make a long story short, by the time they put him through all the testing (they wanted to rule out all the possible reasons for the delayed speach) over nine months had passed and he had started speaking better on his own. I was frustrated with all the red tape at times, but I don't regret having done it because we learned a lot of valuable info on speach. He only had 2 months of speach therapy, because he had made so much progess on his own by the time he received the services. He was just a late bloomer in the speach department. So...my advice to you is have your son tested. You have nothing to lose. If your gut tells you to do it, then don't hesitate. Good luck, and don't stress! Your little guy will be fine! My son is a chatterbox now! You would never know that he struggled with talking once upon a time. Take care and Happy New Year!

Hello C.. When my 4 year old was 15 months old he was not even babbling. I voiced my concern to the Dr. and they wanted to wait till he was 2. I then went back and spoke to a different Dr in the office and INSISTED that my son be referred out for testing. He was tested with-in a few months and we were lucky to get him started on therapy before his 2nd birthday. I would talk to the Dr again. There may be absolutely nothing wrong with your son but if there is, you want him to receive help A.S.A.P. My son was diagnosed with Sensory Integration Dysfunction and is now doing very well :) Please keep us all updated. Moms always know whats best for their kids.

Hi C.-

Your son is not alone at all in this department! My oldest daughter, didn't hardly say a word until just after she turned 2. But boy, when she started talking, it just took off over the course of a couple months. Suddenly, she seemed to be leaps and bounds ahead of other kids her age as far as comprehension was concerned, and she had a huge vocabulary. I was shocked! I really thought there was something wrong when it took her so long to start speaking. Now, at almost 3 years old, her speech is excellent. She talks in full sentences and now I'm always surprised by how well she can express herself verbally.

I had spoken with her pediatrician about her delayed speech back when I was so worried about it. He was not at all concerned that she was 2 and barely talking. He actually said that there's a theory he tends to believe in related to this... that children who speak very early on generally excel at language arts later in life, and kids who are "late bloomers" like my daughter usually are better at things like engineering. Of course, it's nothing set in stone, but I really feel there might be some truth to that.

I would talk to your pediatrician about your son's communication skills before jumping into any kind of therapy. He very well may just be listening closely and surprise you one of these days! Hope that helps ease your mind a little!

T.

If you cannot understand at least five words, I would ask the doctor for a referral to a speech therapist, or whatever referrals he can offer. If all they do is an evaluationa nd tell you he is fine, at least you know, but the sooner you find out if there IS a problem,a nd the sooner treatment can begin, the better for your son. I wouldn't hesitate. This is all about your son and his future--if your doctor refuses, get a second opinion at least.

C.,

From a speech pathologist... go with your gut feeling. If you are in Albuquerque, Alta Mira gives free early intervention diagnostic services. S.

Get him tested - just to be sure for your peace of mind. IF he does need therapy, sooner is better than later and most likely will only be needed for a little time as he is not so far behind that there is so much to catch up on. Most kids who get early intervention do much better later.

I agree with the mom who said to use sign language. It's great - one really effective series is Signing Time - there's a whole series and they've also got Baby Signing Time (which I personally haven't viewed yet).

Go to your school district and ask them to evaluate him. It's free and if he does need some therapy, it's also free. I wish I'd known this when I had my son's hearing tested as we paid to have the hospital test him and insurance doesnt cover it (grr!) then we found out the school district would test him. Oh well. But preschool and everything after that was free and he gets services through CRS. He is now in 1st grade with an interpreter. Reading at a 2nd-3rd grade level so I'd say he's doing great. :)

You probably dont have to worry, but you are wise to monitor it and get a little help, if needed, now rather than more intensive therapy later. Where are you, what area or town are you in?

My son didn't start talking until a few months ago and he is almost three. He didn't even seem to have any interest in it, we had his hearing tested and I enrolled him in a tumbling class and a home day care so he could be around other kids his age and since then he will not stop talking! He learns every word he hears now and is just a regular chatterbox within the span of a couple months, so don't worry too much. I think it just takes little boys a little longer and actually I heard that kids who are more delayed in beginning to speak actually do better in school over time statistically so that's good news!

Hi C.!
We went through the same exact thing with our little girl. She would babble and not say any words except mama or dada. We were worried about it and also saw some other moms putting their kids in speech therapy. Our doctor told us to just watch over the next year and then deal with it. She thought, why put the kid through so much so soon, just wait and be sure there really is a problem. Every kid developes at different times. Our little Sadie took her good sweet time and finally started talking at 2 and a half. She started saying lots of words together and is still doing great. I would say just relax and not to worry! :.) Have a great day!
D. M.

Get intouch with the early intervention services, the sooner the better. As your child approaches 3 they dont want to know as it is that the schools responsibilty.

I started getting my daughter evaluated at 2 years 8 months, the early intervention didnt want to know and it took a long time before she started getting treatment with the school district.

My second child is 18 months and not really saying any words but doctor said just give him another 3 months before contacting early intervention as these conditions are genetic

I had articulation problems too

Usually by two a child should be saying at least one word but all children are different and they all develop at different stages too. Have you had his hearing checked because one of the reasons some children don't speak is because they can't hear words to be able to pick them up?

Knowing what I know now... I would go to a Pediatric Speach Path. for a second opinion.

Do not wait. You can have his speech and language development tested and see exactly where he is vs. where he should be. I have a 13 year old son with Asperger's and his speech was very delayed. We had him tested when he was under 2 at our home through an early childhood development program that was through the school district or the state, I don't recall. My pediatrician also told me to wait things out on multiple issues and long story short we took things into our own hands and eventually switched doctors. You are his mom and you know him better than anyone - if your gut says something is wrong, then pursue it no matter what any doctor says. I'll get off my soap box now - have a great day!

My son is 2 1/2 and we were also concerned about it. The dr asked a few months ago about his speaking and referred us to both have his hearing tested and to a speech therapist. Since he can hear even the tiniest noises and respond to them, we didn't do the hearing test.
But we did take him to be tested for speech. She was wonderful and he scored a little low on the initial test so we scheduled him for 6 appointments. (For the test I had to fill out about 150 questions about his behavior and responses.) During the visits we discovered that 1) he jabbered away with her and spoke fine but not at home with us 2) she gave us exercises to work with him in his speech at home and 3) it was more related to his "big" sister - 17 mo older who does all the talking for him AND his baby brother who he immitates all the time. It's been a month since we stopped going to the therapist and essentially for his speech, I don't think it was necessary. Our insurance wouldn't even cover it until after he turns 3 since they agree with what your dr told you - watch and see until he's 3. BUT for my peace of mind I wanted to go. In retrospect it wasn't necessary. Last week he started speaking in FULL sentences! WOW - just needed to be patient! I understand your concerns, though. You can always ask the doctor for a referral and have him tested for your own peace of mind.

C.:
I'm not saying don't keep an eye on it, but I wouldn't worry too much. My niece never
spoke until she was four years old and when she started she started in sentences.
Every child is so different. I think the good news and bad news is - it's not so good to compare because then we feel something could be wrong. The good news is - if there is something wrong you are watching it and can get help right away.
I will pray for you and your son.
Take care,
K.

C.,

I was at once in your shoes with my now 4 year old son. At about to years old the Dr. referred me to Arizona Early Intervention Program. It was more for me to feel better about the situation, however they definitely put my concerns to rest. Initially I thought our bilingual family may have had something to do with my son's delayed speech or should I say what I thought to be delayed speech. The people at "AZIEP" were awesome. The first step was for them to test his hearing. We went down to their office and had this done. It was a very comforting, colorful, kid-friendly place. Now, don't get me wrong, it was slightly dificult to get a 2 year old to sit still for the test, but they did their best. Once they ruled out his hearing being an issue, they sent a therapist to the comfort of our own home to do an evaluation of my son's speech. They brought book, toys, puzzles, etc. After evaluating my son the said he was perfectly fine and in the correct percentile for his age. This was definitely a relief. He is now 4 and talks up a storm :0) I hope this helps!!

Hi C.,

What Tamra mentioned that her doctor thought...it is certainly true with my two of my daughters. My eldest was delayed until way after two and my second spoke at 9 months. The eldest is a wiz with her father at fixing all sorts of things and my second is a wiz in English. Amazing! Encouraging them to speak is the best thing and watch out when they do. My eldest when she decided to speak, went from one word to major sentences within a month. Best wishes!

One thing you could check is his hearing. I had a grandson who spoke very well before his second birthday, then started babbling - it was because that was what he heard. They found out that he had ear drainage problems. When they cleared that up, he started talking perfectly.

I'm a speech pathologist and my strong opinion is that to "wait and see" at this point would be a mistake, and it sounds like your mommy intuition is telling you the same thing. Although numerous moms have responded saying they have had similar experiences and their kids are excelling now, that is really the exception to the rule. Not saying words by age 2 is a red flag and really should be looked into. You can call your local school district and they will have a preschool screening program that is free of charge, although the wait will likely be months. If you can afford to do so, you can go to a private speech therapist for an evaluation or go to a hospital that has an outpatient speech and language program for children. That would probably be faster than the school district, but you never know. I can't tell you how many educated and attentive parents of 4 and 5 year olds with serious speech and language problems I've seen who have just been waiting for their child to develop when he's ready. Unfortunately, they've lost 2 to 3 years of therapy during the most crucial time in language development. Good for you for realizing that the "wait and see" approach that your doctor suggested may not be the right thing to do. Good luck!

We had the same "problem" when our daughter turned two. She said words, but not many and didn't put them together. Like you, I asked her doctor about it and he assured me that I shouldn't be too concerned YET. But I was still freaked out - my older child spoke complete sentences at a year old, so I thought something was really wrong.

BUT - when she got to be about 2 years and 3 or 4 months old, she just started talking. It was the strangest thing.

So, don't be too worried yet. Every child has their own time frame for doing things. Just work with him - point out things and tell him what they are, try to get him to repeat things (especially familiar things like "cup" and "water" and "ball" - easy things to say). My favorite thing to do was a the grocery store - picking up things and saying the name, hand it to the baby and try to get them to repeat it. There's so MANY things at the grocery store, so it's way fun!

Good luck and try not to worry too much yet!

We were in the same boat a couple of years ago. Doc said, just wait and see. Well, I decided to contact the state services myself and my son has now been in speech therapy for two years and is still far behind, but it making great progress. Services are free, so really why wait. It's better to fix it early.

My son is 2 1/2 and doesn't say a single word. I know how frustrating it is. My son can say all the right sounds( ma, da, ba, ga, ka, la, etc), he just can't form words or make any sense of the sounds. My pediatrician is opposite yours. We had his hearing checked at 18 months (that was fine) than had a speeh evaluation done by a speech therapist. He now works with a speech therapist once a week and it has been wonderful! He's not talking yet but we've at least taught him some sign language which has given us some way to communicate. That has helped with the frustration a lot both for myself and for my son! Most insurances do not pay for speech therapy. However, the state has an early intervention program called Arizona Early Intervention Program which is funded by the state. It is run through the Blake Foundation. We don't pay anything for it. The speech therapist comes right to our home and it really is great. The program is set up for early intervention. The kids get one on one with the therapist until age 3. At that point they have a special pre-school for the kids who still are delayed in speech. So, basically they get one on one until age 3 and than at that point it is a group setting. Everything I researched said that the earlier you get help the better. In my opinion it can't hurt to at least get him evaluated. You are the parent. No one knows your child better than you do. Listen to your gut. You can demand that your doctor give you a refferral for a hearing eval. and a speech eval (most insurances do pay for the evaluation, just not the treatment). If for anything else for your own peace of mind. If you want any more information on the program or just to talk, please feel free to contact me. I know how hard it is! I hope everything goes well and that you have a great new year!
-M.

It does not hurt to have it check out. You can contact Arizona Early Intervention Program. It is free and you don't need a referral from you doctor. They will evaluate him and if he qualifies you will get free speech therapy until he is 3 if needed. At 3 they will help you with transition into preschool through the school district where he can also get speech therapy. Good luck!