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Speech Delays


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Not totally sure if this is the right place.

 

Anyway - my two year old (May bday) has speech delays (expressive and just plain developmental, I guess). She's in the 12-18 month range at 2.5. 

 

We are on the waiting list for therapy, but I'd love to know if any of you had any games, exercises etc that I could start implementing now rather than just wait until whenever we get off the waiting list. All the doc mentioned is to use shorter sentences, but I'm sure there's other stuff I could be doing.

 

Thanks!

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This is a great book.

 

http://www.amazon.com/It-Takes-Two-Talk-Practical/dp/0921145195

 

Unfortunately, it is very expensive but perhaps your library has a copy you can borrow. There are so many factors in speech delay. One activity you can work on is making sure your child has good receptive skills. Following multi step directions (pick up the red ball and place it in the purple basket) and modeling a lot of expressive language yourself (I am putting the dishes in the dishwasher. I put the big plates first, etc) are helpful. Good luck! If you think she may have any other area of delay, could your ped get her in any faster off the wait list?

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A couple of things - have you contacted your state's early intervention services -- you child should be eligible for free services in your home until age 3, at which point they are eligible for services through the public school system.  These services probably aren't as good as private therapy but they're free.  Is there a Scottish Rite Language Center nearby?  These places often do free speech therapy.  There is usually a long wait though. 

 

I would really suggest finding the early intervention program for your state.  They are required to give your child a full assessment (motor, speech, etc).  

 

But if you have any option of getting private therapy through insurance, it is completely worth it.  

 

For suggestions - if you have a ipad - there are some good cheap apps.  I like one called toddler flashcards I think, basically just pictures that say the word.  Just sit and go through pictures, saying the name and encouraging your child to repeat.  Sing songs, finger plays.  Read books, point at items and name them.  Sign language can be good as long as you verbally say the word as you make the sign.  Signs can help them communicate which reduces frustration.  

 

Good luck to you.  Both my boys have speech disorders and it can be very frustrating. 

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I was going to suggest the It Takes Two book underthebridge linked for you upthread. It really is the best I know of...probably equal to or better than the therapy you will get in my experience (assuming it's not a physical issue like apraxia).

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Guest Crickeryn

I've found puzzles of different sorts really useful with my very delayed three and a half year old. We have a wooden Hape letter puzzle and when my little one finishes his other speech "homework" he gets to take it apart and put back the letters, as long as he says the name and the sound it makes (we say it first if he can't remember but he's getting pretty good at it). We also do jigsaw puzzles.

 

For the iPad, we've been really enjoying the Toca Boca apps lately and there's lots to discuss in them, and they're very educational (for regular life stuff like washing dishes and seeing the doctor) in a very gentle way. My little guy loves the Sago Mini Ocean and Forest Flyer apps and there's lots to talk about in those too. I don't know of too many for specifically speech, but our speech therapist actually uses Toca Tea Party in therapy (that's how we found out about them). 

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A couple of things - have you contacted your state's early intervention services -- you child should be eligible for free services in your home until age 3, at which point they are eligible for services through the public school system.   

 

I agree with this.

 

Also, at the risk of sounding like a broken record on the subject, go get a full audiology exam. The SLP will almost certainly ask for one and even if he/she doesn't, it's a good idea to check.

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Another vote for contacting Early Intervention (Birth to Three) and for the It Takes Two to Talk book . EI therapy services are often not that intensive, but the therapists do help parents learn how to facilitate speech development. I also recommend the It Takes Two to Talk book. It was recommended to me by the therapist when we were on a waiting list for English language services overseas and it helped me learn how to interact with my child in a way that encouraged him to try using words to communicate.

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Hey all, thanks for the replies.

 

Insurance covers private therapy, so cost isn't an issue. We did discuss early intervention with her doc and she seems to think private therapy is a better fit for the time being. Also got an audiology exam done, she had some fluid that the ENT is going to take care of, so that may or may not make a difference. We shall see.

 

Thank you so much for your recommendations, I'll be checking them all out for sure. :)

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When my dd went to speech therapy, the therapist played games with her and made sure to say the appropriate words.  For instance, if they were playing with Potato Heads, she would say "nose" several times and encourage dd to say the word also.  With Candy Land you could practice colors.  I'm trying to think of more examples, but the basic principle was to have a visual of some sort and give it a name; then, repeat the name often.

 

Another activity that I remember doing was finding the pictures in the I Spy books.

 

I'll post again if I think of anything else.

 

Best wishes to you and your little one!

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Good news that you've already gotten audiology and ENT work ups. How long is the waiting list for private therapy? If it's only a couple of months, that's not too bad, especially if you can be working through the It Takes Two book. Of they are talking about something like 6 months to get you in, you might want to rethink contacting EI. If there are other private clinics on your area, you can try that, too. You don't want to be hanging out there for months and months at a critical time in early development.

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I would not assume that private SLP's are necessarily better than the ones contracted with EI. The most incompetent one I've dealt with over the years was at the rehab clinic of the local hospital and the SLP that my little one saw through EI was pretty good.

 

I would pursue both avenues simultaneously and then see how they go. You can always decide to discontinue one after a few months.

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I would not assume that private SLP's are necessarily better than the ones contracted with EI. The most incompetent one I've dealt with over the years was at the rehab clinic of the local hospital and the SLP that my little one saw through EI was pretty good.

 

I would pursue both avenues simultaneously and then see how they go. You can always decide to discontinue one after a few months.

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You can do both private therapy and EI, and EI are specialists in infants and toddlers.  You might be able to get into EI faster, if you're on a waiting list. 

 

It Takes Two is a great resource.  We had tremendous improvement with Signing Time dvds, as well. 

 

Definitely get the audiology exam.  But slow down, shorter sentences, repeat things, use lots of gestures.  Look into whether there might be other delays, if she needs an OT or PT or developmental exam. 

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Fwiw, my hindsite, years later, is that if we had called in EI for evals we would have gotten comprehensive evals, not just the speech, and that would have (or at least might have) caught my ds' ASD then.  So like the others, I suggest that unless you have the money or insurance coverage to make those private evals happen, you get the EI evals and your private ST as well.  

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