Talking

Hi M.! First of all, welcome to Orlando :-) I have 5 year old triplets that talked to e/o in "twin talk" for a very long time. The ped didn't seem to worry too much about it and now I understand why. As soon as we got them in daycare, they stopped talking their own language and now, they don't stop talking.
If it can be done, sit down with just one at a time and read to them. I used to read to all 3 at once and as soon as started doing "mommy and me alone time", their vocabulary expanded.
Find a playgroup close to you and see if they can play with other kids alone, not together, that helped us too. Go online and find info on Greater Orlando Mothers of Twins and Triplets (GOMOTT), you'll find many playgroups and great advice from women going throught the same challenges you are having
Goos luck with EI, I didn't get much help from them, but I guess if you had them in NY, then it would be easier to get help from them here.
HTH, take care,

Patty P

I dont have twins, but my children are close in age. My youngest didnt start talking till he was 2 1/2. He started when his sister started school. My advice is dont worry, they will talk when they are ready!

There's a place called child find thru the duval county school system that will test the kids but they will not test until the kids are 3 yrs old.Then they will place them in whatever program they are eligible for.It takes about 3-4 months from start to finish.At age 3 they should know their colors and speak in sentences according to child find.They are really good people,im taking my son thru it now and i've taken both my girls thru childfind good luck

hello M. my name is T. and i am a mother of 4 all grown and a g mom of 6 now before u start spending a lot of money or doing what the doctors say they will tell u all kinds of things they will start talking when they are readly no mater how many times the doctors tells u they need help i been throught that and my sister son was a preemis and he is talking fine with out help u just keep talking to them and have your friends to do the same just take it one day at a time hope this helps just dont push them they will talk when they are readly

M.,
I would say keep looking for your answers. Noone cares as much as you do about your sweet boys. I can tell you that I have a twin sister and we had our own baby language. My mom says that my sister developed faster than I did and was able to interpret what I was saying. I don't remeber at what age this happened. I will ask her the next time I talk to her. Good luck!
Sincerely,
A. C

Good Morning M., I am Denise and I wrote to another question in legnth but you are on the mark and should check with the Early Steps intervention in your area it is the first place to start to find out...You may read my legnthy response (also today's issue)or may contact me if you like. My email is ____@____.com and I will be happy to help. Each child is different and each child develops differently than even the siblings so use your mom instinct and seek all question or concerns and everything is important to you as your child is your life. Another point I did learn from my research on my son's condition is that if you have an inkling of something being wrong there is usually something to look into and don't let anyone push your inner feelings aside...it is better to seek info or advise and not have a condition than to not seek info or help and then find out that you do have a condition and did nothing...that is tradgic. Thank you. Denise J. L., Deltona, Florida

Hi M.!

I wouldn't worry about it. My 2nd son seemed delayed and never really talked much. He would say some words, but mostly would grunt and point. When he was 4, and the first day that his older brother had gone to Kindergarten, we were having a quiet lunch, and all of a sudden he blirted out "Isn't this a wonderful day, Mommy?" I almost fell off my chair!!! The child hasn't stopped talking since! :O He is now 11. I have seen this quite often with 2nd born. I'm thinking that with your twins, they seem to communicate with eachother just fine and may not see the "need" to talk. Again, I wouldn't worry about it. Just give them time...

Hi ,M.
Have you tried the HOWARD PHILLIPS DEVELOPMENTAL CENTER in Orlando ( through Arnold Palmer) It is free. That is where i took my son when he was not talking by age 2. They helped us find speech theripist that come to the house (free of charge)and work with him. We also noticed other signs with him and he was diagnosed w/ PDD-NOS. i would highly recommend taking them there and get them therapy through them.Hope this helps

M.,
I have twin boys as well. They are 3 now. I encountered the same problem when the pediatrician expressed concern during their 18 month check up. At that time I was told to look into Babies Can't Wait, a local place here that helps with this. We were getting ready to temporary relocate due to my husband's year long remote overseas tour, so I never did get them there. I started them in a preschool two mornings a week, a Little Gym class, and I also took them to weekly story times at the local library. I also found some really great First Word type books from Usborne Books at Home, which I feel, helped them develop more, along with the various social experiences. Your boys will begin talking in phrases I'm sure, just be patient. Best wishes, R.

Try Baby Sign Language- you can get the books at the library or a consignment shop.

My brother has twin boys as well, now 19 months old. They do not even say ONE word yet...
They were born at 32 weeks. Their doctor said just that. Twins tend to develop a language between eachother not needing to learn how to speak as quickly. Also the fact that they were preemies probably have something to do with it. Seems like there is a "twin pattern" here...

This probably didn't help but I just wanted to let you know it might be pretty common amongst twins.

Don't freak out because they aren't talking yet. My son said very little at 2 (less than 10 words) and I didn't say anything until I was almost 3. (Einstein didn't say anything until almost 4) My son is very chatty now and my mom says once I started I never stopped--LOL
Language acquisition is not like other milestone where there is s 4 month period in which 99% of children accomplish it. There is a huge range in which in happens and late talkers are usually completely caught up between 3 and 4.
Also keep in mind that in general boys develop communications skills later than girls, and children with other siblings that talk for them, or had parents that spoke late are also more prone to start talking later. None of these groups are behind remotely at school age. It's just their natural progression.
Look at other things--- do they communicate in other ways--do they understand things? Recognize objects by name?
I think you are really jumping the gun with early intervention--18 months is still really young--you'd be amazed at how much they will learn in 6 months. Just be patient and see how they are are 2--talk to your pediatrician then at their 2 year wellness and see what he/she says. (Mine told me to keep track of how much he was learning and if he didn't add so many words in 3 months that we would re-assess-
and now at 2 1/2 he talks--NONSTOP! :))

Did you try asking your pediatrician about it? I know alot of preemies have delayed motor and social skills sometimes. I don't know if this is why they are not talking. I will find out someday as well. I have 4 month old twin girls.

Jennifer K

Hi M., My name is L., Mother of four. Two of my children are twins. Boy and Girl. They didn't do much talking until they were two years old, and at that they wouldn't say much. I also had my twins in the Early Intervention program, a visiting nurse that kept up on their progress. Evenually they will start to talk more once they are around kids their own age, so don't worry, everything will work out.

Hi M.
I would suggest each parent take one child to the park while the other parent do something else with the 2nd twin, like lay and color and read to him. Try not to leave them alone together, because they tend to do what you said, create their own twin language. do a search on www.google.com and search for twin language and see what comes up. But they need alone time with others. Separate them and spend quality time with them alone, reading, talking, etc. Their brains are still learning and they can actually learn another language now if you want them to, just by having a baby sitter come into the home that speaks only say spanish for example and tell her only to speak that, and they will learn over time. That's kind of exciting. They don't even know they're learning. But that's off the subject. Good luck.

Hi M.,
You are correct, twins do develope their own language.My twins did this very young,in fact, my girl twin could interpret for us to the boy.Maybe girls develope speech before boys.
My son that is two years older than the twins wasn"t speecking well at three.Our doctor suggested that we were not making him ask for things by speecking but by pointing.
As you said your boys were premature babies they are probably just a little behind in this phase which I think is normal.My sister who was premature was a little behind on some things but she turned out just fine.

I am a Speech Language Pathologist in the area who is currently a stay at home mom. It is true that many insurance companies don't want to pay for treatment for developmental delay and speech therapy can be costly if you are paying out of pocket. Many preemies tend to exhibit speech delays anyway coupling that fact with "twin language" is cause for concern. Florida has an early steps progam. They treat kids birth to 3 and often come to your home for treatment (depending on therapist availability). They will do an evaluation and work with you from there. Hope this information helps!
http://www.cms-kids.com/CMSContactUs.htm
1-800-654-4440

Ok... this is just my opinion and you can do what you will with it! =)
First I would like to say... PLEASE don't send them to speach therapy until they are at an age were it is becoming a problem. At 19 months they aren't finished developing and are still learning.
I HAVE twin boys that are 2 and a half. They weren't very verbal at the age your boys are now, but my pediatricain said that boys develope slower verbally than girls and that by the age of 2 to 2 and a half (the age they are at now) they will just start exploding verbally, which mine did. You also have to take into consideration that your babies were premies. Depending on how premature they were that could also delay speach. My twins still talk in "twin talk" and some words I still don't understand but they are sooooo smart, they know how to play on their computer systems and know all their letters and can count to 10 and ALL this has pretty much happened since their 2nd birthday. Just give it a little more time, let them keep doing what they are doing as you encourage other things too.
Like I said this is just my opinion and you as their mother will determine what is best for them.
Good Luck
C.

Hi M.,

I to have twin boys that are 2 years old and they don't speak very well....and their Dr hasn't said anything to me about it.

they mostly say half words but you can get what it is that they want. I wouldn't worry, my cousins boy (who is now 4) didn't speak clearly until last year!! I live near the airport and am always looking for some playdates. let me know.

good luck and don't worry

G. V

Hi M. -

I have an 18 month old who doesn't say anything except for Ho Ho Ho when you ask her what Santa says. My job involves calling on pediatricians and of course I have asked the best of them what they think. Almost ALL of them have said not to worry. They did ask me if her hearing seems fine, which it is. They also asked me if she has had any problems with her ears, which she has not. The doctors have told me that they wouldn't recommend anything until she was 24 months. My daughter walked fairly early and some of the pediatricans have said that when children conquer such a big task, that they may not focus on another for some time.

Not sure if that helped you feel any better or not - hope so!

Good luck - Valerie

Hi M.,

I think scheduling an appt. with EIS is a great idea. I am a PK teacher at OCPS for children with special needs. EIS will test your children to see where they are and if appropriate they will recommend placement in a program such as mine. That is the first step...follow your instincts.

FL has exceptional ed for speech. I think it is called child find, at least in Bay county we do. Read to them, flash card of pictures , magazine pictures name them , any picture and name it. My daughter watched science showed on tV with her dad. When it came to her kindergarden pre test the made a mistake by asking what lived in the ocean, She named everything but a fish. She is now graduating May 2 with a BS in Physics. Also separate the boys. Take one to the store, then next time take the other, Use 2 different day cares

M.,
My name is A. and I am a 32 year old identical twin. We also have a big sister and a little sister. My mom said that we were the same way when we were that age. We would have our own language and not talk at all to other people or our siblings. Our pediatrician (which is also our uncle) said that it was completely normal!!!! So don't worry at all. They will talk when they are ready but at least they have their communication with their best friend! I think twins are a blessing so good luck and enjoy watching them grow up! I talk to my sister 10 times a day and we see each other all the time!! Take care!
A.

My daughter was tested for speech delays at 19 months against both my mother-in-law and pediatricians recommendations. However, a mom knows her child and she failed misserably! We started going to therapy and the therapist actually referred us to Early Steps (I think that's the new name of the program). If the boys are recommended for therapy, it will be free. Since they were premies, they should qualify for testing. My daughter had multiple ear infections with failed hearing tests due to fluid so she qualified because medical issues caused her delay. We went through 11 months of therapy. I found out that most of the issue was ME!! I did everything for her so she didn't need to speak. So although therapy helped her, it was more training for me. I saw she could speak during therapy, but she wouldn't do it for me (or if I was in the room, I had to watch through a window). I finally just had to stand my ground and not give her something until she asked for in (down, milk, juice, book, etc). Good luck. It is worth it to get them tested.

I don't know anything in particular about twins, but I have a 3 1/2 year old boy who was in exactly the same position as your boys when he was their age. My doc was concerned b/c he wasn't saying at least 10 words at his 18 mo checkup. I think he was saying, maybe 4 words at the time. I was concerned about this, but tried to not be too overly concerned b/c we all know they develop at their own rate, etc. When he was 2, he had added a few words to his vocabulary, but not many. It wasn't until he was 29 months that he began to add words to his vocabulary w/ any frequency. What happened was: one day, when he was 29 months old, we were spending the day w/ friends and he said 4 new word that day. After that, he probably said one new word a day for months. Now, at 3 1/2 yrs old, he talks continuously, has a great vocabulary, expresses himself very well, etc. I couldn't ask for anything better. I personally think he was just speech delayed (or he just talked on his own timetable). So, there is hope for your boys!! BTW: My little one was a preemie too -- he was born at 32 weeks gestation. One thing I wish I would've done is tried to get him into the First Words Project at Florida State Univ. (Not sure if you're close enuf to do that?). They only take then before age 2 so call now if you're interested. God bless you!

I guess I have more questions for you before I can really respond to this.

What is the daily/weekly routine? Are they in childcare or do you stay home with them? How much liguistic input are they getting on a regular basis?

Boys are physiologically born with smaller speech centers than girls and therefore prone to be somewhat behind verbally. If they are not getting out to mix with many different people on a regular basis, that may be a good place to start. If you are staying home with them, find a 1/2 day program that focuses heavily on language skills. You can send me a private e-mail if you would like some suggestions.

Most importantly, make them speak. Do not let them "get away with" pointing for items and really take the time to listen to them. Ask a question and be preapared to wait a minute or two until you get an answer. Most kids don't speak because they just don't have to do so.

Good luck!

I definitely agree with following your instincts. Have you tried any sort of baby signs with them? They may be hesitant to communicate with an outside because of fear of being misunderstood. I find that when my son signs, he looks for instant approval. He is almost 18 months old but talks non-stop. Do they babble? My ped said that babies should also have their own sort of language. Hope maybe this helped. I'm sure you're doing an awesome job, keep it up!

Hi M.,
I have 3 year old b/g twins. I know that Early Intervention is a fantastic program that my girlfriend with b/g twins that are 9 days younger than mine has used since her kids were born...then I think the public school system takes over when they turn 4. My advice to you will seem really simple. Read 2-4 books to them every night right before bedtime...in a room with the TV OFF and any other distraction off. Also, always talk to them without using "baby talk"...again...I know these sound so simple...but repetition is the key...I also said nightly prayers with our kids since they were 18 months old...and at 2 they'd say the AMEN all by themselves and by 2 1/2 they had the entire 2 prayers memorized and were saying them back to me...in English & German...so ~ don't give up...and kudos to you for seeking help quickly...Good luck and God Bless. B.

Hi M.,

I didn't go through this with my girls but my nephew didn't utter a word until he was 3, yes 3, except his "secret language" with his older brother. I can tell you that he talks now. He is the American VP of Sales of an international tennis shoe company and does quite well for himself.

Sorry I don't have any advice, but sometimes it's fun to read the last page of the book first, lol!

Regards,

M.