My 2yods doesn't speak...

[Pink Fairy]

He does say "ma" for more, and "ba" for bye, but that's it. A lot of his communication is by tone of voice. Instead of "See you later!" with words, he'll use the same tone we do but with his own unarticulated version. We've got an appointment at the pediatrician's for later this month, and I want to know what to expect. Is this totally abnormal? Should I be worried? He's a preemie, by the way--born at 34 weeks.

[newlifemom]

Hmm, how long do you consider a preemie by is origional due date? Isn't for at least 3 years? If so then he is still 2 months shy of 2 right? I would a little less worried, but still, early intervention is key for speech issues. [Ask me how I know :glare:] Your pediatrician may or may not help. My friend had a son with delayed speech. Dr said don't worry. He didn't get speech until he was 4. Big mistake and now at almost 10 still has some issues. I took my son to same dr when he was 2 and told dr that I was calling Early Intervention due to his delays. Dr said good idea. The big thing you want to think about is how many words he has. At 2, my son had less than 10 words. By the time E.I. was done a mere 40 days later, he had over 50. He didn't qualify until he was 3 and while he had words, most were unintelligible.

 

Talk to dr, but don't let him dictate what you need to do. KWIM? Sometimes you have to go with your gut too. HTH.

[Denisemomof4]

I don't know what you should expect but I do think that it's not normal for him not to be talking yet. My neice had to go to a speech pathologist, and started preschool early, to help with her speech. She needed therapy for years but it paid off and she's perfectly fine now.

[Impish]

Hmmm. Our Princess was a late talker. Still is in some ways, she's 2.5, turning 3 in Sept. Honestly, we put it down to being the baby. She has older sibs who are more than willing to talk for her. If I *insist* on her speaking, she will...but she's more content to allow others to anticipate what it is she wants, something I've worked hard (and continue to work hard) to put a stop to. I had the same concern with Tazzie, and he has no issues at all at 4, with the exception of his 'r's, which is completely within normal development.

 

If you have concerns, then absolutely follow up on them. What bugs me is when others *demand* you react one way or another, lol

[4kiddies]

My son didn't speak much at all at 2. He used ma for everything. My ped kept telling me to wait and it didn't. At 3 I decided I wanted an evaluation by a SLP and he was diagnoised with verbal apraxia. He lost a whole year of therapy by waiting and seeing.:glare: Thankfully he is 6 now and while he still gets therapy and probably will for at least another year his speech has VASTLY improved. I would probably talk to the ped but at least get the ball rolling to get an evaluation. I know for us it took 4-6 months just to get an appointment with the IU. Good luck!

[dalynnrmc]

Here in Texas at least, there is a program called Early Childhood Intervention. Kids here age-out at 3, and I wish I'd known in time for my kiddos - especially my oldest. (My middle son was only a couple of months away from being 3 when we found out, and I wasn't concerned about my youngest.)

 

Anyway. Worth checking out. They have folks who will come to you and observe and conduct testing, at no charge, just to see if your kiddo needs the program. :)

[Pamela H in Texas]

How 2 is he?

 

To answer Pam though...my son's prematurity was still a consideration much much later. However, at 22 months, EI was willing to work with him. Maybe some other considerations were invovled (for example, my ds had apnea spells as a baby and oxygen deprivation was the reason given for his specific issues). I don't know.

 

I think some delays aren't worth worrying about. But how does someone know what they are? How do you know if the late talker would be ahead of the curve at 5yrs old without intervention? How do you know if the late reader will read just fine at 14? Would the child possibly not be able to speak well or read despite ongoing therapy?

 

So I think it's wise to have the evaluation and possibly start therapy. And make a decision as you go.

 

Honestly, my son started speaking when I did Teach Your Baby to Read (a decision I made when we were trying to adopt a toddler with CP from Russia and learned that many CP kids do learn to talk when they learn to read, albeit at 6-10 yrs old, not two). His articulation was still WAY off. A few shots at long term therapy resulted in limited progress. Now he just sounds like he should be from Australia. At 14, we've decided this is the way it is.

 

Anyway, again, I think an evaluation is wise. And I'm sure you'll make good choices as you go :)

[Stacie]

He'll likely get an ear exam and possibly scheduled for a formal hearing test. Has he had any ear infections? If so, he could be suffering from issues surrounding that. Otherwise, with a normal hearing test and no neurological issues you'll probably be told to either wait it out, which I don't recommend, or schedule a speech assessment from a therapist. I would also start the ball rolling on early intervention through your county or school district.

 

Be prepared to bring up any other issues he may have that could relate to his inability to properly communicate. My son had more words earlier, but by the time he was 19 months was regressing and within a few more months was down to five. This doesn't seem to be the case with yours from what you've said, so just mention or list how his lack of verbal communication skills is impacting his ability to learn in other areas. This is usually a good push to get the doctor's help!

Edited June 2, 2009 by Stacie

[Nestof3]

Purely anecdotal, but Ben didn't say more than about 8 words until he was 2.5-3. I planned to see a specialist when he was three if he was still not talking. We never had to see anyone.

[RhondaM.]

My oldest didn't really talk until age 3, then he talked non stop.

He did have speech problems (not huge problems though) and saw a speech therapist through the end of 1st grade.

 

My sister's (just turned) 3 year old ds has just started talking. Talks more every day.

 

And my neice (on my husband's side) has a 3 yr old ds that has just turned 3 and he has just started talking too.

 

I don't know if these little guys are all 'delayed' or if they are just the strong silent types. ;)

 

Rhonda

[Pink Fairy]

He just turned 2 last week. He's my fifth child, and he's been a little behind in some areas, a little ahead in others, so for the most part I try not to worry. For the longest time I kept thinking he was going to take off and start speaking, but it never happened, and I'm getting that feeling like something's off. I love our pediatrician, and I'm confident he'll do the right thing (whatever that is), but I want to know what to expect, what to ask for, because I do think he needs intervention.

[Pink Fairy]

Oh, and I meant to add that he's never had problems with ear infections. :001_smile:

[momofkhm]

The first thing they did was a hearing test. We were sent somewhere for that. I'm not sure how they determined it, but decided he could hear fine.

 

Then we went for a speech eval. He was 6-12 months behind in receptive speech and 12-18 months behind in actual speaking. We went to therapy twice a week for 2-3 months, once a week for another 2-3 months. He was discharged after 5-6 months. They told us there were a couple more letter sounds that would come in later because he wasn't old enough to have those sounds yet. :)

 

Now you can't get him quiet. He's forgotten that he ever went to speech therapy. People who didn't know us then would never know that he ever had a delay. Everyone who knows him thinks he talks very well. Not well for his age, but well.

[alegnab]

Ds#1 hardly spoke when he was 2yo. He said a few words (mama, dada, gaga for granny, and possibly a few more), but not many. I used to get strange looks from people because even at 3yo he was hardly talking. My grandma said not to worry because one of my cousins didn't talk until he was 4yo, never had speech therapy, and never had problems once he started talking. My MIL told me that dh was a late talker and that he had speech therapy (I think it was after he started school). My pediatrician wasn't concerned. So, I figured he'd talk when he wanted to. He all-of-a-sudden started saying many new words daily probably 2-3 months after he turned 3yo. When he was 3y5mo, I took him to the doctor for a check-up. He was following the nurse while talking about something, and the nurse said, "He's talking like a 5yo." What a change!

 

Ds#3 was also slow to talk. And, unlike ds#1, he didn't speak clearly when he did start talking. Even at 6yo he didn't speak clearly. His pediatrician wasn't concerned but said that I could have him tested if I was concerned. I waited, and before ds was 7yo, his enunciation improved immensely. I suspect that dh's speech would have cleared up on its own if he hadn't been put into speech therapy when he was in first grade or so (but of course, I can't know).

 

So, you may want to find out if there's family history of late talking with or without speech therapy. I'm not going to say not to have your child tested if you're concerned about it.

[Pink Fairy]

Well, my mom always said that I didn't talk until I was 2 years old, and then I started speaking in complete sentences. But I think she's wondering, too, because all of a sudden she says it was more like 18 months (must have made a better story when it was 2yo :glare:). One thing I know for sure is that he is the youngest, and all of his brothers and sisters were speaking by now. If it's genetic, wouldn't it have shown up already?

[TeacherZee]

I think early intervention is a good idea. In the mean time you might want to look into signing times. Your library might have the DVDs. They are great for giving toddlers sign language which can give them a way of expressing themselves while you work on the speech issues. I have seen really good results with it in cutting down toddler melt downs:D

[CalicoKat]

He does say "ma" for more, and "ba" for bye, but that's it. A lot of his communication is by tone of voice. Instead of "See you later!" with words, he'll use the same tone we do but with his own unarticulated version. We've got an appointment at the pediatrician's for later this month, and I want to know what to expect. Is this totally abnormal? Should I be worried? He's a preemie, by the way--born at 34 weeks.

my 2 yo dd did the exact same thing. We did get into EI speech but it really took some pushing. I had to go find a therapist myself because even though she qualified they "just didn't have anyone available." She started speech a couple months ago and her lang. skills have exploded. Now I wouldn't say that it's so much the skill of the therapist.

 

If you have an hour to dedicate to your son each week, fill in the rest of your family on how to work with him too then you can be doing speech at home with him until you can get an evaluation and services arranged.

 

1. Start with animal names and sounds.

 

2. Do use baby signs http://www.signingbaby.com/main/ for the following phrases and don't forget to use animal signs too!

- more

- please

- thank you

- milk

- potty

- eat

- night, night

- bubbles

make eye contact and do the sign (right next to your mouth) as you say the word. Keep at it until he mimics (take his hand and help him make the sign too) you for at least one sign. We started with "more." As it "more bubbles." Don't forget to over exaggerate your words. Make them interesting sounding. :001_smile:

 

3. Get one of these http://cgi.ebay.com/Magic-Mic-Novelty-Toy-Echo-Microphone_W0QQitemZ220413611489QQcmdZViewItem Magic Microphones.

I've seen it at Target. It's a cheapo toy that has been totally responsible for the language expolosion here. It vibrates and magnifies the voice in a totally cool way. My dd loves it. Therapist says that it's always worked like magic with little kids.

 

What the therapist does isn't rocket science. You can get your son started. At 2 he "should" be able to put two words together. At 3, it's 3 words together....that's what I've been told by our therapist.

 

DD has done so well that we'll probably be "kicked out" of the program shortly. :) She turned 2 in May. She waves at complete strangers now, "HI!"

DD is number 5 child here too. Therapist wondered if perhaps she didn't speak because there were so many people guessing and speaking for her.

Edited June 2, 2009 by CalicoKat

[VanessaS]

Is this totally abnormal?

Both of my children are late-talkers. My DS didn't get any EI and is speaking fine at 4 yo and my 2 you is getting EI but her speech appears to be improving without it. The interesting thing with EI at such a young age isn't what the therapist does with the kids but rather the tips they give you on interacting with the children. And the support is nice.

I'd check into it, if I were you.

[OneRoomSchoolHouse]

He does say "ma" for more, and "ba" for bye, but that's it. A lot of his communication is by tone of voice. Instead of "See you later!" with words, he'll use the same tone we do but with his own unarticulated version. We've got an appointment at the pediatrician's for later this month, and I want to know what to expect. Is this totally abnormal? Should I be worried? He's a preemie, by the way--born at 34 weeks.

 

This was my dd who just turned 3. She was born at 35 weeks and was on 100% oxygen for a little while. She was delayed in her motor skills: rolling over, sitting up, and didn't walk until 15 months. Our pediatrician suggested speech therapy, but I wanted to wait a little before spending any $. She said very little until she was 2.5 and now is our little chatter box. I wouldn't worry yet!

 

As a side note, my ds was born at 34 weeks and hasn't had any speech or motor delays. Imo, it may not be preemie related.

[LizzyBee]

Our doctor wanted us to have dd7 evaluated at age 2 because she only had a couple of words. I wasn't concerned, so I didn't follow up. By age 3, dd was talking more but was unintelligible. My middle dd had talked late, but oldest dd and I could both understand her, so I never worried. But NO-ONE could understand and interpret for dd7 (at age 3), so that was a big red flag for me. We had her evaluated and she had 3 years of private ST. (Our dr recommended going private if our insurance would cover it.) I would like her to still be in therapy, but she was in the very low average range for most measures at her last evaluation, so she's not in ST now. I am planning to have another evaluation over the summer though.

 

So all that to say, some doctors will be concerned if a child isn't talking much at age 2. If you're concerned and you need a referral to see an ST, insist on it. If you feel like it's okay to wait 6 months and see what happens, I think that's okay too.

Edited June 3, 2009 by LizzyBee

[GoVanGogh]

My DS was premature.

He had numerous ear infections, with moderate hearing loss prior to tubes at 11 months. But all his hearing tests after the tubes showed no lingering hearing problems.

We are in Texas and he went through their ECI program, mentioned above, for speech therapy at age 2. DS still wasn't talking after months of therapy. Nothing. Not even sounds. We finally pulled him out of speech after 6-8 months.

A month before his 3rd birthday, DS started talking. Complete sentences. "Dad, may I please have..."

DS hasn't shut up since. :tongue_smilie:

 

He may just be a late talker or he may need speech. It is so hard to take a "wait and see" approach. We were told for several years that DS's eye issues were "nothing" when in reality he needed sugery.

Trust your mommy instinct.

[Cricket]

This is interesting! My ds8 didn't talk much at 2 either. He was also a very late walker (18 mos). I guess I didn't know enough to be worried at the time. He's fine now. I see now that most of it was his personality. He is very cautious by nature. People comment now how precise his speech is. They get a kick out of how he sounds so grown up when he talks. He tries hard to get everything right. He's a better speller than his 11 yo brother. He is coordinated but didn't ride a bike until a few months ago. He was worried about falling over. He doesn't take risks and doesn't do anything unless he is sure he can do it. As a baby he was quiet and very serious.

 

Maybe your ds will be like that too. But definitely have it checked out if you are worried. I think if I had read more, I would have had my ds checked.

 

The more I think about it my ds didn't really do the tone of voice like your ds. He just never said anything. He wouldn't say anything until he could say it clearly. I don't have any cute things that he used to say like I do for the other kids!

[fshinkevich]

If you have not done a hearing test yet I would do that, but otherwise I would leave it be.

 

My daughter was slow to talk and hard to understand in the early years and when I brought it up to our pediatrician she said as long as they are attempting to communicate (making eye contact, grunting, pointing, whining - anything at all to get what they want) that she doesn't look into it at all until age 5.

 

On that note both my dad and my best friend did not talk at all until age 5. My dad wouldn't walk either - he wanted to be carried, lol. No worries in either case, both grew up to be very intelligent adults :)

[6packofun]

I have 6 children and other than my youngest dd, ALL of them were late talkers and we struggled to understand their "toddler speak" until they were 3 or 3.5. All turned out fine. Use your mom's intuition to decide when or if you should do some kind of therapy...I just know from my experience that waiting it out and being more deliberate about speaking with the child was all that was needed. (I'm not the kind of person who talks a LOT nor feels the need to fill quiet spaces with words, IYKWIM, and I think that was part of it! lol)

[Dobela]

My daughter was born at 26 weeks (yes, very preemie) and just turned 2 in March. She has way more words than what you describe your son ass having already. She is also using 2 and 3 word sentences like "me go" and " I want bite" on a fairly regular basis. I know at our last developmental testing in April they were wanting her to say 150-200 words that I could understand (it could be bip for grape just as long as I knew that was what she meant and she used that for grape every time). If it wasn't for swallowing issues she wouldn't be receiving services at all. Some folks stop adjusting for prematurity at age 2, others at age 3. It depends on the evaluator, the insurance, and the philosophy they have. I know because I have asked several times when they prematurity would stop being counted.

 

As a former early educator, I also believe that if you are concerned you should take time to have your child evaluated. Some problems can be quickly corrected at this age. The worst thing that could happen is that the child needs therapy for a short time.

[Bess]

One of our children (boy) did not start putting two words together until he was three, and even then, his speech was not very clear. He seemed smart in EVERY other way, but not in speech. He is now a thriving, very bright (will likely be an engineer) 11 year old. We never got early intervention for him... he just took longer to talk.

[Catwoman]

I agree with those who suggested that you be sure your ds can hear well.

 

Otherwise, my concern would be whether or not his receptive language skills are strong. Does he understand what's going on around him? Does he comprehend what you are saying? Does he respond appropriately to simple commands? If you ask him to point at a specific familiar object, can he do it?

 

There are lots of late talkers out there, so there's probably no cause for alarm if your son is alert and seems otherwise bright and aware. If you have any doubts, you can always get him tested. I don't know where you live, but there is a highly regarded program at Vanderbilt University that tests late talkers, and the head of the program, Dr. Stephen Camarata (hope I got the name correct!) was a late talker himself, so he's not the type to immediately say your ds is autistic or something.

 

I have heard several horror stories from parents of late talking kids who went to the "experts," who checked little boxes on a list and labeled their dc as autistic, mainly because they weren't talking by a prescribed age. (These kids turned out to be perfectly fine, and not at all autistic. They just didn't start talking until they were around 3 years old.)

 

Cat

[Momofeat]

Does he use a pacifier? My ds wasn't talking much at his 18 month appointment, and the dr wanted to refer him for speech. We cut his pacifier time way back, and encouraged older sisters to stop talking so much for him. His word count increased dramatically within the next 6 months. He was just barely a preemie, too, and I've been amazed at how that has affected his development. He really was slower until just a few months ago. Now I think he's pretty much on track.

 

Anyway, if you feel in your gut something is wrong, you probably should go with it. You're an experienced mom. I hope it goes well and that you are satisfied with the dr.'s response.

[Amy in KS]

My little one just started talking a lot this last month and a half. He'll be three in September. He went from saying 10 words to talking in full sentences within a week. He can say anything now.

 

I think you should trust your instinct. If you really think there is a problem, ask for an evaluation.

 

I wasn't worried because...

*he could understand everything and respond to commands

*it fits his personality (more laid back--not easily frustrated)

*he has a history of lots of ear infections--even with tubes

 

Now he can talk full sentences very well (starting in April). If you are truly concerned you can contact your county infant & child services for a speech evaluation. Personally, I'm glad I let my baby develop at his own speed.

 

Now if he had gotten to 3 without improvement, that would have been a different story...

 

Oh, and I do think watching "Signing Time" videos helped (awesome series, uses ASL, probably at your library). We don't watch much TV but we really like these videos (so much we made them our second language this semester in school).

[TxMama]

and I'm getting that feeling like something's off. I love our pediatrician, and I'm confident he'll do the right thing (whatever that is), but I want to know what to expect, what to ask for, because I do think he needs intervention.

 

Trust your gut! If you think there is a problem then insist on finding a diagnosis!

 

First step is a hearing test. You want to make sure dc is hearing all the sounds correctly. We went to a major medical center for ours and they did an awesome job! An indepth hearing test on a 2yo was interesting to say the least by our OE person was awesome with working with our toddler so we were able to complete the test. When getting set up for this evaluation make sure that you will be working with someone who is patient and will take the time to work with a toddler.

 

The next step is a speech evaluation with a Speech Therapist. My state has a Early Intervention program for children under 3 but there is a 3 month delay to getting into the program. Your pedi would have this information for resources available in your area. EI will come to your home for speech therapy work so it is worth it if you are needing services. After age 3 you can work with your local school speech therapist or a private speech therapist.

 

I've had several late talkers in my family. My oldest's speech cleared up without intervention although he was completed non-speaking at 2 1/2. My oldest daughter started talking in the correct time-table so I assumed she would outgrow her incorrect speech patterns. I was wrong and waiting until age 8 to address her speech patterns had long reaching academic repercussions. My youngest son issue is related to weak speech motor muscles. My youngest daughter speech appears to be within the norm but I'm going to have her evaluated at 4 - her speech isn't 100% clear to strangers and I don't want to miss something. You just really can't guess who is going to outgrow a problem and who will not!

 

Best of luck, mama!

[HiddenJewel]

None of my dc talked until about 2-1/2. Now I can't get them to be quiet!

 

Ds just turned 2 the end of April and he finally is saying dada and mama and a few other words. His understanding and non-verbal communication skills are not lacking.

 

Dd#3 did not say all her sounds clearly until she was about 4.

[SheilaZ]

Not every late talker blooms later on.

 

I had three late talkers and one who was even later than the previous three. At 2 years 3 months, he had less than 10 sounds and communicated similar to what you describe. He kind of hum/grunted sounds that sounded like sentences.

 

He went to a speech eval and was diagnosed with profound Apraxia. He had three hours of Speech therapy an OT for years. In fact, he still has 1 hour of ST each week.

He has made huge progress. In fact, he has dropped the Apraxia diagnosis and just has a mild articulation problem.

 

However, I do agree with my therapist that he would have never learned to speak without intervention. It won't hurt anything to get him tested if it would help your worries.

 

http://www.apraxia-kids.org/

[katilac]

I didn't read every reply, but I'm all about early intervention. It's almost always free (both evaulation and services).

 

Personally, I'd call for an eval no matter what the doc says; many peds know surprisingly little about child development.

 

I wouldn't wait six more months to see what happens, either, because it can often take months to get an appointment for the eval, and then additional time to set up services if you need them. So waiting 6 months might really translate into waiting a year (which also might mean he ages out of early intervention programs, and you have to start the whole deal over again with services for 3 & up).

 

My dd had speech therapy when she was 4-5 yrs old; it was great and it was free. She had a mild articulation problem that she would eventually have grown out of, but my thought was, why not address it? Life is easier when people can understand you!

 

Many, many children do simply grow out of speech delays/issues. One thing a full evaluation will do is let you know how likely that is. If there's an underlying physical issue, ie issues with the tongue/palate/etc, well, that's not just going to resolve on its own.

[KidsHappen]

Two of my six didn't start talking more than a few words until they were pretty close to three. One of those two and the youngest were not speaking clearly until much older, 6 or 7. They had hearing test which they passed with flying colors. We had no therapy and they all talk just fine now, as a matter of fact, the youngest rarely stops talking. Honestly, this child talks in her sleep.

 

Is he able to communicate at all, does he engage with people, can he understand you? There are many different things to consider. It could be hearing, or a speech issue or something more or it could just be that he is shy or doesn't really have much to say or the need to say it. What is your feelings on this? What do you think is going on? You really have to go with your gut on this one though. Certainly a consult is a good idea if for no other reason than to ease your mind. And of course, advocate for your son if you think there is an issue that the dr. is not addressing. But also keep in mind that he might just be a late talker.

[ElizabethB]

My son's speech improved dramatically after he watched "Talking Letter Factory" every day for a month and learned all his letter sounds. (He watched when he was 23 months.)

 

It's well worth the $10!

 

You could also try Starfall in the meantime, they now have letter sounds, but you can't beat the repetition in Letter Factory.

[FO4UR]

My son's speech improved dramatically after he watched "Talking Letter Factory" every day for a month and learned all his letter sounds. (He watched when he was 23 months.)

 

It's well worth the $10!

 

You could also try Starfall in the meantime, they now have letter sounds, but you can't beat the repetition in Letter Factory.

 

 

I was just going to post the same thing LOL!

 

My oldest two were talking early - and lots! My youngest turns 3 on Firday and is just now really talking well...were people besides me understand him;). The trick that got the ball rolling (or the child talking..hehe) was LeapFrog Letter Factory. After a few weeks of walking around saying "b" and "K" and "s" everytime he saw the letter....it carried over into words and sentences.

 

I have noticed that words he learned pre-Letter Factory still have a mumbled-babyish pronouciation even though he's saying new words as clear as a bell.

 

General speech helps - read lots of nursery poetry, esp things that repeat. Sing lots of children's songs. The repetitive nature of these get stuck in the head (and drive adults nuts), but serve as a fun expression for kids. It's rained a lot the past few weeks here, so we've been singing "Rain Rain, Go Away" and "It's Raining, It's Pouring..." I see a huge progression with each song he learns. jme

 

If you don't atleast see a slow and steady improvement, I would personally seek out help asap. The worst that could happen is you waste time and $ on an evaluation he didn't need....but if it's a matter of Mommy's peace of mind, it's worth the expense.

[ereks mom]

I'm assuming that you have other children and that the 2yo is your youngest? Could it be that his older siblings do the talking for him, or respond when he grunts or points at something he wants so that he doesn't have to actually use words?

 

Does he use a pacifier?

 

These are some factors that could have a bearing on your 2yo's language development. Another factor could be damage from frequent ear infections, but I think I saw that you said your ds hadn't had many of those.

 

Like your ds, ER was born in the 34th week, but he was actually *early* in his language development, even compared to his age-mates who were *not* preemies. He was speaking in complete sentences most of the time well before his 2nd birthday. ER was our first child -- no older siblings to do the "work" for him or to take our attention from him. So dh & I talked to him a *lot* (and read to him all.the.time). And he didn't use a pacifier, so that wasn't an issue. He did, however, have a *lot* of ear infections, but fortunately, that had no effect on his hearing.

 

I would advise you to ask your ds's doctor to do a hearing test. I agree with the other poster(s) who have said that if there is a problem, early intervention is key.

Edited June 3, 2009 by ereks mom

[Goldilocks]

I didn't read all the replies, but I saw that some others have told their experiences with verbal apraxia. My youngest two have this and the description of what they do/did sound just like your child. All of the services are free for us through Early Intervention.

[OrganicAnn]

Most state's have some sort of early intervention program. In our state it is called "First Steps", but there are different names for it in different states. In our state you don't need a pediatrician referral to get testing. But it doesn't hurt to hear what your pediatrician says.

 

Some states have different levels to qualify for services (we live on the border between two states and one requires a 50% delay and the other it is 75% delay).

 

There are kids that talk late and there are kids that don't talk because of some problem, but you won't know which your dealing with unless you have some examinations.

 

Baby sign language is great no matter what you are dealing with. It allows a kid to express themselves and it doesn't impede speech development. As a child speaks more, the sign language gradually fades away.

Edited June 3, 2009 by OrganicAnn

[Pink Fairy]

Wow, I have a lot to think about. I truly do hope he is just one of those late bloomers, but I don't want to just assume that he is. If he even had 5 or 10 words, I probably wouldn't worry. But two words, and those not clearly pronounced, with no visible progress (these are words he's known for a couple of months)--I'll be honest and say that I'm worried. :blushing:

[Terabith]

Pediatrician is a good idea. But call early intervention yourself. You want to get that ball rolling as soon as possible.

 

It was sooooo good for my older daughter.

[MyThreeSons]

I'm sure the doctor will check his hearing, as that's often a cause of talking issues. But you might want to have his vision checked as well. You'll probably have to go to an eye doctor since they'll have to dilate the eyes.

 

My ds was a late talker, and then didn't articulate well. I knew he could hear fine, so I wasn't too worried. But as it continued, we sought speech therapy. Along the way to getting a referral, we found out the poor kid had REALLY bad vision. Once he got glasses, his speech improved dramatically. It turns out that children watch us as we speak, and learn a lot about forming words that way.

[Mom0012]

I didn't read all the other threads. I don't think it's typical for a 2 year old to not be talking. I know the milestone is that they should actually be putting 2 words together at 2 years old. However, if your child isn't having a lot of behavioral issues, I would be less worried and hopeful that he is just going to be a late talker.

 

Lisa

[SapphireStitch]

I'd like to recommend the book Late-Talking Children by Thomas Sowell. He identifies a pattern of behaviors and inherited tendencies that form a certain profile that applies to some late-talking children. His book confirmed a lot of what I suspected about my late-talker...history of late-talking on both sides of family, engineers, mathematicians, and musicians in the family, etc. He also, though, goes into detail about patterns of late-talking behavior that don't fit this pattern, and helps you figure out what type of help to look for.

 

Both of my children were preemies, both born at 33 weeks. My daughter did everything developmentally either at the same time as her full-term peers or earlier. The only thing she was "late" at was teething.

 

My son, OTOH, was late to roll over, late to crawl, late to walk, etc, etc, etc. He walked at 18 months, for instance. He would not stand up and wobble in the middle of the room or pull up on furniture and cruise much. He went from hanging on tight to furniture directly to walking confidently without falling.

 

At age 2 he hardly ever said anything. He would call me "Ma" and his daddy "Da" and his sister "Ning", but not reliably. Every once in a while I would catch him moving his mouth like he was sounding something out and thinking about talking. And he communicated BIG TIME...this is what kept our doctor from sending him for evaluation. He knew how to make it plain (by signs and actions) that he understood what we were saying to him and he would reply and make his needs and wants known.

 

Our family also fits the profile in Mr. Sowell's book. There are late-talkers on both sides, including my dad who did not talk until he was 4. (Dad is a twin, though, and I wonder if he and his twin talked to each other before they talked to anyone else.) One of my brothers was an early talker, as was I, but my other brother talked very late. My MIL did not talk till she was past 2 years old.

 

At 2 1/2 he suddenly began talking. Full sentences, fairly clear except for his r's. He also became Mr. Conversation and Mr. Vocabulary...using big words and talking with anyone who would listen to him. He is still this way, and people are often surprised at his verbal skills.

 

My theory about him is that he doesn't do anything until he is confident of doing it well. We went through a similar situation with reading. I thought he was not grasping the basics of phonics and blending, and then suddenly he started reading whole paragraphs to me. That was when he was 6. Now he's 7, almost 8, and I'm hoping he gets a similar burst of math understanding pretty soon. :)

 

Anyway, that's our experience. I hope maybe something in that long diatribe might be helpful. :)

Edited June 3, 2009 by SapphireStitch
spelling and clarity

[TXMomof4]

I honestly wouldn't worry. My ds at almost 2 was the same way. Ma and Da and bye bye were the only words he would say - and those weren't used regularly. My ped suggested we have him tested just in case. My middle dd did have delayed speech so it wouldn't have suprised me to find out he did too. So we took him in, went through the testing, they said he's alright, don't worry.

 

THAT VERY DAY - we left the therapist's office and drove to my parent's house. We pulled up in the driveway and ds says "It's granny's house! I drive truck?"

 

I have never come so close to smacking an almost 2 yo.

[Kathy in MD]

.......The worst thing that could happen is that the child needs therapy for a short time.

 

I respectively disagree. The worse thing that could happen is that the child needs therapy and does't get it. I speak from the standpoint of a individual who did't get it and whose child didn't get the full variety of ST that he needed until grade school.

 

As the oldest by several years, my parents were able to spend a lot of time helping me with my diction problems. They got me to the point where I could skate by, but I still struggled with understanding sounds. My younger sister had far worse speech problems than I had, but she recieved intensive speech therapy. She is far more fluent and adept with the English language than I am. Her underlying basic language problems are still worse than mine, as I can understand and speak other languages more easily than she can, though it's still a struggle for me. But in the language we use daily and professionally, she can beat me hands down.

 

As for my ds, I knew that he was struggling with understanding and fluency, but I let his ST bulldoze me. She insisted he had the best diction of all her students and he had an impressive vocabulary. She ignored all my cocers and pooh-poohed the idea of testing prior to "passing" out of ST. Two years later my ds's new reading tutor who was also a ST flipped when she realized that the older ST ignored all of ds's underlyig language problems.

 

So to the OP, you dc may or may not have speech problems that need intervention. I suggest though that if you think there is a problem, push for an evaluation. By federal law, all states are required to evaluate and provide speech and other services free of charge to all dc until they enter the 1st grade. Dc 3 and under are to recieve services in the home (at least for ST). And don't let the therapists ignore your concerns.

[mktyler]

I haven't had an opportunity to read all the posts so if this has already been addressed, please forgive me.

 

Has your son been checked for tongue-tie? My son had it and I caught it at 3 weeks, but had to fight to have anything done about it. My sister's daughter had it and is two, having speech difficulties and . . . having to fight to have anything done about it. My sister is a labor and delivery nurse, and has a coworker whose child had tongue tie which was not found or corrected till she was 5 and required lots of SP. She now checks all the babies when she works and has 1-2 babies with tongue-tie per shift.

 

To check, see how far your son can stick his tongue out. Does it go beyond his teeth? His lips? Check the underside and see where the frenulum is attached. Is it forward? Does your son's tongue have a heart shaped front?

 

If your son has tongue-tie, you can have it snipped. I think by 2 they have to put them under to do, but not sure.

 

Best of luck,

 

Melissa

Minnesota

Reading Program Junkie

dd(11) dd(6) ds(5) ds(1)

[Orthodox6]

This probably won't be a common example reported, but I'll post anyway.

 

Our eldest ds said nothing much beyond "dada" and "mama" until he turned three years old. We were starting to worry.

 

Right after his third birthday -- and I kid you not -- the boy burst forth into complete, complex paragraphs ! We decided that he was so stubborn, he was not going to speak until he could "do it right" ! (This same ds, later that same year at age three, startled his aunt by informing her, "I require liquid refreshment", by way of asking for a drink.)

 

So I have no idea whether you have a problem or not !

[Pink Fairy]

Thank you all so much for sharing your stories and advice. I went ahead and made an appointment with our county's Children and Family Services Commission. They provide health and development screenings every month, and thix month it happens to fall on June 10th.

 

Any tips on what I should say? I will describe everything accurately, but I want more investigation into this, and I'm not going to be satisfied with a 10 minute consultation and a "Don't worry, he'll grow out of it."

[alegnab]

... Does your son's tongue have a heart shaped front?

 

My daughter's tongue is like that, but she was my earliest to talk. By her second birthday she could talk with strangers and they could understand her. She went to a new dentist last year. He suggested she get her tongue clipped. He was a little surprised that it had never negatively affected her speech. She didn't like the idea of getting it clipped, so we didn't get it done; we would have gotten it clipped years ago if it had kept her from speaking clearly. Dh's sister had her tongue clipped when she was little.