How to do "speech therapy" myself w/ 31 month old who doesn't really talk yet?

[Tranquility7]

My DD is 31 mos old and still not really talking (She says maybe 20 words, half of them hard to understand). I was a late talker, as was my mother, though I don’t know exactly *how* late.

 

DS (just turned 6) was also a late talker, but DH thinks he was not nearly as late as DD seems to be. Also, DS was totally quiet during those early years. Virtually *no* babbling or other vocal noise! I used to joke that he was my silent little observer. Once he finally started talking, it was initially kind of gradual, but now he is a very precocious communicator, using all kinds of atypical words for a six year old, like “disperseâ€, “cautiousâ€, “applaudâ€, etc. He learned to read last fall, and now reads at about a fourth grade level, and language arts is definitely his strength, despite the late start.

 

DD is very interactive with others, makes lots of eye contact, follows multistep directions, retrieves unseen objects that she hears me mention (like if I tell DS that he has to wear his shoes outside, she will run get hers too). DD also tries to communicate, making a good bit of vocal noise, and acting out things all the time (it is like she is always playing charades). She seems to work a lot harder at communicating than I remember DS ever doing when he was pre-verbal. She makes a lot of vocal noise, generally, (far more than DS ever did) but it doesn’t not sound like typical babbling to me. She says very few consonants, and many words that she says sound nothing like the actual word (ex., “uh-nyaa†for “thank youâ€).

 

Anyway, apologies for the long post… really, I’m not *that* worried about DD – a little, but not very, since she really is interactive and we seem to be late talkers around here anyway. But my actual question is, is there any book I can buy that will give me some play activities I can do with her to encourage spoken language (beyond the stereotypical “don’t give her the object until she says the word,†which seems like an unnecessary recipe for frustration and not at all incremental)? Or should I just not bother and keep waiting with casual encouragement?

 

FWIW, I have master’s degree in Audiology and took several Speech Lang Pathology classes as part of my program, including seeing a few preschool SLP patients while earning my degrees. But that was 19 yrs ago (ack!) and I really don’t remember much… other than thinking at the time that a mom could do the same things we were doing in clinic, if she just was told how. Now I am that mom!

 

So, any recommendations?

[Whereneverever]

http://www.superstarspeech.com/

[Wabi Sabi]

Have you considered getting an evaluation by a SLP and going from there? We eventually discontinued speech therapy, but the sessions that we did have were invaluable insofar as dh and I being able to observe just HOW the therapist was working with her. The therapist was also great about telling us what we could do at home and at our last session she gave us a large packet of information that she had compiled and went over her suggestions for how we could further continue working with her on our own.

[dtsmamtj]

http://www.superstarspeech.com/

 

:iagree: I have used this with succes and I don't have the credentials you have:D

[ChristyB in TN]

My youngest didn't talk until he was 3. It worried me silly so I researched it and read Thomas Sowell's book on late talkers. It helped a lot. No therapy, he didn't need it. He was simply a late talker. Turns out he was just soaking it all in... Now we have to remind him to keep some of his thoughts to himself. ;)

[Tranquility7]

http://www.superstarspeech.com/

LOL looks like exactly what I was asking for! Although it does say it is more for articulation issues rather than language delays, which is more what our situation is. But I will check it out!

 

Have you considered getting an evaluation by a SLP and going from there?

I've thought about it, I'm just not wanting to feel obligated to continue past one session, and I'm terrible at saying no when getting pressured on that kind of thing. I'd be more open if I really thought something was wrong, but I guess I just don't... hmm... maybe I just need to :chillpill:!

My youngest didn't talk until he was 3. It worried me silly so I researched it and read Thomas Sowell's book on late talkers. It helped a lot. No therapy, he didn't need it. He was simply a late talker. Turns out he was just soaking it all in... Now we have to remind him to keep some of his thoughts to himself. ;)

Ahhhh Thomas Sowell. Love him. ALL of his stuff! He is my Economics Hero!! And I forgot about his late talker book. I should go find that, and I'm sure it would settle my mind on the matter. Thanks for reminding me about it. DS was much like yours, and I'm sure DD is too. I think she is just making me worry more because DS was quiet, but DD says so many *wrong* sounds, and I'm strangely more thrown off by *wrong* sounds than I was by *no* sounds! Weird, not sure why. Anyway, thanks for reminding me about good ol' Sowell :D

[Slipper]

My middle daughter was a delayed talker. Of course, once we had her hearing checked and realized an infection had caused hearing loss in one ear (totally correctable with ear tubes), her progress zoomed. lol If you haven't had a hearing test done, I would suggest to do that first, just to rule it out.

 

After that, consult with an SLP and tell her you want to do it at home yourself, but need a list of things to do.

[Acorn]

 

I've thought about it, I'm just not wanting to feel obligated to continue past one session, and I'm terrible at saying no when getting pressured on that kind of thing. I'd be more open if I really thought something was wrong, but I guess I just don't... hmm... maybe I just need to :chillpill:!

 

 

If you have concerns, I would have an evaluation done. At many places, children do not qualify for services based on the evaluation but the parents are given advice for how to work at home. In my child's case, her articulation problems were helped by therapy twice a week for a year and daily practice with me. The therapy wasn't scheduled until after the evaluation and isn't necessarily with the same therapist that did the initial eval.

[Crimson Wife]

I would be concerned about apraxia of speech given the things you mentioned. PROMPT therapy is supposed to be the best for that, and you can do that on a once-per-month basis with the therapist training you how to work with your child in between.

 

I would recommend PMing OhElizabeth as she is doing that with her little one.

[jennsmile]

We watched Baby Babble by Talking Child. And then we did some Speechercise to work on certain sounds that were noted by the speech therapist at dh's school.

 

Signing also helps with those non talkers and while it doesn't replace speech it helped my little one not be frustrated. Now I wish he wouldn't talk so much. :glare:

[Embassy]

I'd go through an evaluation to get more information on how to help. The lack of consonants is unusual and it sounds like you may be dealing with something like childhood apraxia of speech.

 

Help My Child Talk has many good strategies you can try for language development and it also lists several books you may find helpful. Apraxia of speech would require specific instruction though. I would start her on signing or a picture communication system as soon as possible to help her communicate while she is learning to talk.

[nova147]

Are you in the States? Under 3, kids can get a free in home evaluation through Early Intervention. DD2 is currently receiving in home speech therapy through them. Therapy isn't free, but insurance might pay and they set fees based on income if yours won't pay.

 

Anyway, DD said almost nothing at 24 months. She was very frustrated by this and had been for months, so I had her evaluated. She is cognitively normal, just as you describe your daughter. So I'll share what her therapist does and what we've found helpful.

 

Her therapist, Lauren, started by playing silly games. Lauren would jump while saying a sound like "ta". DD invariably copied the action AND the sound. I was amazed that something so simple worked because I had spent several weeks trying to get her to copy sounds with no success. Once she started making words, DD just took off in her speech.

 

She really likes "Signing Time" DVDs. She seems to pick up the word AND sign as frequently as just the sign. I've been ordering different ones through inter library loan every week.

 

Now Lauren usually plays naming games with DD. She often waits to give DD the object until DD says (or tries to say) the word, though not always. She has encouraged me NOT to refuse to give DD things if she won't speak. Of course, all of us praise DD when she tries to say a word that is hard for her and when she says a word clearly that she often struggles with.

 

I don't know if DD would have made progress if I had tried to do therapy. She responds really well to Lauren because she gives DD her undivided attention. That's really hard for me to do!

 

I hope things go well for you!

[Catwoman]

My youngest didn't talk until he was 3. It worried me silly so I researched it and read Thomas Sowell's book on late talkers. It helped a lot. No therapy, he didn't need it. He was simply a late talker. Turns out he was just soaking it all in... Now we have to remind him to keep some of his thoughts to himself. ;)

 

Same here. Thomas Sowell's book was wonderful, and it described my ds perfectly. My ds was just shy of 3 when he suddenly started talking, not just in complete sentences, but entire paragraphs. He hasn't shut up since. :D

[Canadianmumof5]

WOW! I could have written your post almost word for word. DS2 is EXACTLY the same as your DD and DH was a late talker as well (age 4.5). We're not especially worried given the genetics :001_smile:

 

However, as much as I say, (like you), that I'm not all that worried - it is always in the back of my mind and I always feel like I have to explain myself when we encounter new people and they raise their eyebrows when they see that he is 2 and not really talking much.

 

Our DD had a year of speech therapy for articulation issues when she was 5 so we did call her therapist and asked if we should come in for an evaluation. She said if we wanted to - no problem but in her opinion, it would probably be better to take a wait & see approach and if we didn't see any progress by the time he was 3 - then to bring him in.

 

He is making progress - slowly but surely. Not complete words but new sounds and his own version of words for things. DH & I agree that he just couldn't care less if he talks or not - we all seem to understand what he is saying/gesturing, he isn't frustrated and he has 3 older siblings that talk for him :D

 

That superstarspeech website looks interesting though so I may have to poke around there a bit....y'know - since I'm not *that* worried :tongue_smilie:

[Annie G]

Another Sowell fan here.

 

Ds wasn't talking at all and was diagnosed with apraxia. Speech therapy was a disaster for him. We read Sowell's book, backed off speech, and raised our boy. The summer he turned 5, he started speaking in complete sentences- he was reading out loud his first book, Little Bear. He'd learned how to read just by sitting in my lap and having me read to him. He's just turned 18, and is entering college...he's still quirky but the apraxia diagnosis was dead wrong.

[fhjmom]

I am assuming that since you have a background in audiology, you have already tested her hearing in the booth? The lack of consonants is a red flag for a hearing loss component, so just checking.

 

Other than that, I would also get a formal eval so you know what you are dealing with. Early childhood intervention is an option until age 3 and the public school district, through Child Find, after that. You are under no obligation to continue therapy with them after that, assuming the testing reveals a delay that meets their criteria for services.

 

When we were trying to get a handle on language issues for my DD (who has a late-diagnosed hearing loss), I called several SLP's and was clear I only wanted an eval to take with us to the school district. Testing-only is part of their services so there was no pressure to continue with therapy.

[aug17girl]

I used a book called It Takes Two to Talk from the Hanen Centre with my oldest who was a late talker.

 

http://www.hanen.org/Hanen-Resources/Resources-For-Parents/It-Takes-Two-to-Talk-Parent-Resources.aspx

 

You can see sample pages by following the links on the page before. The program was very straightforward and practical.

[TammyS]

I'm another one with a late talker. My 13 yo didn't say boo until 2.5. Then he started speaking in correct sentences. I think he was just working on other things. Now he won't.shut.up.

[Rosie_0801]

Our speech therapist started us off with 6 months of phonemic awareness activities. She said kids in different countries learn sounds in a slightly different order, so my list won't be of use to you, but we were to work on one each week in the prescribed order.

 

You could certainly get started on that kind of work while you work out what else you might want to look into.

 

Rosie

[zimom]

I was going to respond when I started reading your post until I got to the end.... I'm a masters degreed audiologist (with a focus in peds), home for ~5 years now, so I'm sure I don't have a whole lot to add that you don't already know :lol:

[LittleIzumi]

She really likes "Signing Time" DVDs. She seems to pick up the word AND sign as frequently as just the sign. I've been ordering different ones through inter library loan every week.

 

:iagree: Same with my speech-delayed dd. She learned all her letter sounds from Signing Time ABCs. (Not from my months of work with her. :glare:)

 

I am assuming that since you have a background in audiology, you have already tested her hearing in the booth? The lack of consonants is a red flag for a hearing loss component, so just checking.

Other than that, I would also get a formal eval so you know what you are dealing with. Early childhood intervention is an option until age 3 and the public school district, through Child Find, after that. You are under no obligation to continue therapy with them after that, assuming the testing reveals a delay that meets their criteria for services.

 

:iagree::iagree: My speech-delayed dd turned up a hearing test failure in both ears at her Early Intervention test. (Her infant test was fine.) She also used only vowel sounds and an understanding of vocal pitch (rising, something positive and so she would nod yes, descending, something negative and shake head no) and nothing else.

[redsquirrel]

I am confused why you wouldn't at least contact Early Intervention for an evaluation. Given your background, someone who knows how risky it is to have a child fall behind, it seems that would be the most prudent course.

 

My son was not talking at 16 months. I am really, really glad I didn't listen to everyone who told me to wait, not to worry, that I should read Sowell. There was a problem, there is a problem, and we deal with it daily. Early intervention was a big help.

 

You only have a few more months until he turns 3. He is eligible for EI services until August after his third birthday. DS has a birthday in January so he got services for 8 months after.

 

Once he turns three it becomes much more difficult to initiate services. Many insurance companies won't pay for evaluations. We had to access them via the public school system, but some states don't allow that for home schoolers. They want you to enroll the preschooler in a pre-k program for services.

 

If you get an eval through EI, you are not obligated to use their services. It is all voluntary.

[ELITEANDLOVINGIT]

:lurk5:

[fhjmom]

You only have a few more months until he turns 3. He is eligible for EI services until August after his third birthday. DS has a birthday in January so he got services for 8 months after.

 

Once he turns three it becomes much more difficult to initiate services. Many insurance companies won't pay for evaluations. We had to access them via the public school system, but some states don't allow that for home schoolers. They want you to enroll the preschooler in a pre-k program for services.

 

If you get an eval through EI, you are not obligated to use their services. It is all voluntary.

 

This must vary by state because here in Texas, kiddos transition *on* their third birthday, no matter when it falls during the year. My DD that transitioned from ECI into a district pre-school program started the next school day after her 3rd birthday (because it fell on a holiday weekend). Since her birthday is September 4th, she only started a couple of weeks after the rest of her class, but they had kids starting throughout the year as they turned three.

 

I do agree with your statement that it does tend to be easier to access ECI services than school district services, so if you are considering that option at all sooner is better than later.

 

Any updates?