Anyone have toddlers who didnt speak much at almost 2yo - question please

[Jenvenza]

My cousin - who is a dear friend of mine as well - has a little boy who is 8 days younger than my DD. 22 months old. He is the cutest and sweetest little boy, but he isnt really talking. He says around 7 words and only points to things he wants instead of saying what he wants. He still mostly babbles and my cousin is really starting to worry. He doesnt put words together either. She will ask me what my DD is saying and doing these days and I hate saying anything, because I dont want to make her feel bad or make it seem like I am bragging. Our DD has a great vocabulary, but I dont want to tell her that. She called her doctor today and they are waiting for him to call back. Autism runs in her husband's side of the family, but her son does seem social, so she doesnt think it is that. I told her he was probably just going to be a late talker and not to worry.

Does anyone have any experience with anything like this? Could it be he is just a late talker? I know she is really getting worried and I would love to be able to tell her other people's stories of their children who did the same thing and everything was just fine!

Thanks in advance!

 

[ORMom2Four]

Does he understand what is being said to him? That is a better indication of his cognative ability.

 

[mrsv98]

Lots of kids, especially boys are late talkers. Does he have older sibs? There are studies that show that younger children in a family speak later since the older kids "translate" for them.

As long as his hearing is fine, eye contact good and is communicating in some fashion, I wouldn't worry about it until he is closer to three.

Our DNeph was third in a family of three and didn't speak in sentences until he was well past 3. Today he is almost 14 and perfectly normal and a bright kid.

 

[Gabes_mommy]

My DS is 2.5 and he is just now starting to talk a lot. When he was 18 months old I started worrying a lot. I enrolled him in our community's early steps program for speech therapy. It didn't make a difference.

One day he was just "ready" and started talking a lot. Now he is using new words everyday and is starting to use sentences.

Now that we've been through this I have started to believe that there is a much larger range of "normal" when it comes to speech development. Not every child has a certain number of words by a certain age.

I have spoken to so many people who told me that their child was a "late" talker and turned out just fine.

Your cousin can contact her local early steps program and they will come out and do a full evaluation and it is all free. The pointing and social personality are great signs.

 

[TEENEE]

You say he points to things he wants. If this works for him there is no incentive for him to try to use words. Your cousin should encourage him to speak. If he wants something she needs to help him learn to say the word. Sometimes it's easier to give in but it's really not helping him learn to talk.

 

[cepmom]

my DD9 had speech issues. At 18 months she was only saying a couple of things and mostly making grunting noises and screaming a lot (frustration) I had her evaluated and her expressive speech was at a 12 month level. Receptive speech was about on target, just slightly delayed. She started getting speech therapy along with occupational therapy due to some slight sensory function delays. She made remarkable progress and now you would never know she had any issues. In fact, many days we can't get her to shut up

is he acting frustrated due to his lack of vocabulary? Screaming or screeching to get what he wants? We taught DD some early sign language to help her to express herself, which seemed to help, instead of screeching for things.

he could be just a late talker, but in my opinion, it doesn't hurt to have him evaluated just in case he could benefit from speech therapy. It doesn't make sense to wait until later, because the earlier the therapy starts, the better.

 

[cepmom]

You say he points to things he wants. If this works for him there is no incentive for him to try to use words. Your cousin should encourage him to speak. If he wants something she needs to help him learn to say the word. Sometimes it's easier to give in but it's really not helping him learn to talk.

I agree with this as well...I babysit for a little boy now and he is 15 months. He doesn't say much, but points a lot and screams until he gets what he wants. He has two older sisters that jump up whenever he does that and gives it to him. I have been trying to teach him signs and the words so he will stop and also have been trying to get the girls to do the same. Unfortunately, his mom does the same thing as the girls so when he comes here after being home for a few days, it's like starting all over again!

 

[luvmy3]

She should talk to her ped and get a referral to have him evaluated. My ds was having what sounds like the same issues when he was that age. We did early intervention speech therapy for him and it worked wonders.

 

[RadioNate]

My DS didn't utter a understandable word until he was nearly 3. Even at 3 only DH and I could understand him. Boys seems to be later talkers than girls. FWIW my DS was evaluated at 15 months and again at nearly 2 1/2. Neither time he qualified for services.

Does he understand what is being asked of him? If you ask him to go find a familiar object (like a cup, blanket or favorite toy) in another room can he do it? Do other areas seem on target?

My 19 month old doesn't put 2 separate words together yet. She says "all done" and "bye bye" but not things w/2 separate meanings like "go sleep."

At 22 months I wouldn't be worried too much but as I parent I know that is hard. She should mention something at the 2 year appointment. Until then she can work with him on 'using his words.' If he points to a cup and gets it, there is no reason he has to say "cup."

An overall lack of communication skills is more of an issue than just not speaking clear words.

 

[apirateslifeforme]

My cousin's older daughter didn't speak until after she turned 3. Apparently she simply had nothing to say...if she wanted something, she pointed at it. My cousin would act like she didn't know what she wanted and say, "What do you want? You have to tell me." Courtney would just point more insistently, Jen wouldn't give in, but eventually Courtney would start squealing and Jen would cave at that point. Hey, the kid could break your eardrums! She finally started talking and everything's been fine. She's 9 now and doing well in school...

 

[suejai]

You say he points to things he wants. If this works for him there is no incentive for him to try to use words. Your cousin should encourage him to speak. If he wants something she needs to help him learn to say the word. Sometimes it's easier to give in but it's really not helping him learn to talk.

I was going to make this point as well. My DS14 was like this when he was two, wasn't saying much, but was pointing at what he wanted. I did what TEENEE is suggesting and it seemed to help. He eventually started speaking with no problems and has frequently surprised me with his vocabulary. He always learned things in his own time; just when I would despair he was ever going to _____ he would start doing it on his own. As long as hearing or medical issues are ruled out your cousins son will likely be fine.

 

[worm761]

Please please tell her what your daughter can do and don't feel bad about it. She is asking because she wants to know. Those that don't want to know wouldn't be worried about it.
With that being said....My DS (now 13) had a language all his own until he was about 5. DS has Asperger's Syndrome. He is very very high functioning. We actually didn't get a diagnosis until he was 11. Autism comes in many forms with many different abilities. DS had his own language until he was 5 because no one pointed out to me that he had a sever speech impediment. As his mother I had always heard him talk that way. And even though I was around nieces and other children, it just didn't phase me. Had it been caught early, he could have done a lot more. The only special services he has ever received were the speech classes. The sooner her child is evaluated the better off he will be. I really wish someone would have pointed out the issue sooner than kindergarten to me. She is reaching out and asking you because she trusts you to tell her the truth.

 

[luvmy3]

You say he points to things he wants. If this works for him there is no incentive for him to try to use words. Your cousin should encourage him to speak. If he wants something she needs to help him learn to say the word. Sometimes it's easier to give in but it's really not helping him learn to talk.

My ds had poor tongue muscle development and couldn't use his tongue to form his words, which is why he would point. We would *force* him to tell us what he wanted but he just couldn't say the words. It didn't matter how much we helped him, he wasn't able to. It was only after his therapy and the exercises she had him do that he was able to form more words and phrases and he stoped pointing and started asking.
I certainly think encouraging is the right thing to do but at that age he should be saying more than 7 words and it woudln't hurt to have him evaluated by a speech pathologist. OP since he is due for his 2 year check-up just have your cousin mention her concerns to the ped.

 

[mtemm]

both of my boys were speech delayed. I had them tested with our city's early intervention program and had them in speech therapy from the age of 2 till the aged out at age 3. if they had needed more after age 3, it would have gone thru the schools, but both of mine were caught up by then.

I would definitely not hesitate to contact early intervention. I have friends that waited, based on dr recommendations, or recommendations from friends. some ended up being fine, some ended up with services after age 3. honestly we had such a wonderful experience with early intervention (they were wonderful, caring, effective teachers, and even came to our home and cost us nothing) that I can't recommend it highly enough.

neither of my boys are autistic, btw. a friend's child was diagnosed on the autism spectrum around the same time mine started early intervention (he was 2 years older than my son). my friend was very upset with herself that she didn't start earlier.

 

[tzolkin]

My son (youngest of three) did not talk for the longest time. It didn't help that both my girls talked early and well, so I was really nervous that he was behind. When he was 20mos he had a vocabulary of 3-5 words (and he wouldn't use them consistently). I talked to the doctor and she set us up with an in-home evaluation. His receptive language was great. He could answer questions by pointing to pictures and could follow multi-part instructions better than my 9 year old, but he just would not talk. They said he still tested within the normal range (ahead in all the other areas), so we should try working with him and wait a few months to evaluate him again. He really did not start talking at all until he was over 2.5, but he just turned 3 and speaks very well.

We really noticed it when we went to Disney right before his birthday. Two weeks in a hotel room with him and he NEVER stopped talking. Last year he never said a word. He must be making up for lost time.

 

[Plantlady]

My DS12 didn't talk until after his second birthday. He's the oldest. We had three adults living in the house at that time, and no one MADE him talk. He pointed, we got. Ect.

We did have his hearing tested when he was 18 months old, just to make sure, and to put at ease the mind of the extended family.. because we knew nothing was wrong.

His first word was said around the age of 25-26 months. He hasn't shut up sense. He's fine.

If your friend is worried, have her visit a doctor. If she's not worried.. let it be. We had everyone around us worried for DS12, but WE knew he was fine. We didn't worry for even a minute.

 

[Beca]

Please tell her not to worry yet. My dd was almost completely silent (she sad mama, and nana...but they were more like mamamamamama & nananananana over and over again) until well after 2. I was SOOOOO freaked!! Autism also runs on my dh's side of the family, so I was terrified!! Her doctor told me not to worry, but I took her to a speech therapist when she was 18 months because she was TOTALLY non-verbal (wouldn't even babble in her room when the baby monitor was on...except for laughter, we never heard her voice). Dh's mom kept telling me not to worry, that both of her sons were non-verbal until after 2, but worrying is what mothers are progammed to do...so, that was impossible!!!

Sometime after her second birthday, I handed my dd a drink in a blue sippy cup, and she replied, "Mommy, could I please have the pink one?"....like she'd been talking forever. I burst into tears, and didn't know whether to spank her, or just hug her...she could've spoken all along!! Crying, I asked her why she had never spoken before, and she said, "I didn't want to speak until I could speak like a grown up." SOOO freaky!!! Over the next few days, she began to ask me to interpret things that occurred when she was non-verbal, like "Mom, do you remember when I was about a year old, and you said to the lady with brown hair on top of her head, 'Well, didn't that just take the cake? What does take the cake mean?'" She asked me to interpret TONS of these scenarios....it was so strange!!

A few years later, at the urging of her pre-school, we took her to a psychologist to have her run thru a battery of intelligence tests. When dh and I walked into the consultation, the psychologist asked, "Has your daughter even been accused of being autistic?" I replied that she had. She said, "Well, put your mind at ease....there is absolutely NO autism in this child. She is, however, an Einstein kid." I knew very little about this, but have since learned that these are very bright children who routinely talk late (between 2 and 5). They are often non-verbal as children, and usually teach themselves to read by the time they are 1. These children sometimes exhibit similar characteristics of autistic/aspberger children, and often families with autism and/or aspberger's histories will have these children as well.

I remember the speech therapist asking me if she had her own sign language, and I replied, "No". Well, the other night, we were watching some videos of my dd as a baby, and to my surprise....she DID have her own sign language, and all throughout the videos I would "interpret" this sign language for others...it was amazing!! I had no idea she and I were playing this "game" of sorts!!

My point is....there are TONS of reasons why kids speak late. It is hard for parents to sit back and relax when other children are reaching milestones that your child is not, but it does not necessarily mean something is wrong. Please tell your cousin not to worry....I know it is hard. Get some professional advice, test his son's hearing (we had our dd's tested three times.....we were obsessive!!), and try to enjoy these years...they go by so quickly. I lost so much time just enjoying her because I was so worried that she was falling behind, when in truth, she was just developing differently.

 

[lovetoscrap]

My daughter was speech delayed. Absolutely she should be seeing her Dr. The first thing our dr did was refer her for hearing tests and we found out her ears were full of fluid! She has allergies but they weren't making her miserable so I didn't medicate for them. Well her ears were so full of fluid she wasn't hearing properly. As soon as we started regular doses of Benadryl she started chattering away and her speech and vocabulary are just fine now!

We also had a speech assesment and visit from Early Intervention but it was determined she would be fine once her ears cleared up.


At 2 it is time to have things evaluated and see if intervention is needed. The earlier problems can be identified the better. Or it can put your friend's mind at ease.

 

[jodifla]

OP, please encourage your cousin to check out the natural late talkers board on yahoo. lots of resources there, lots of parents going through the same thing.

In most states, you can get speech therapy through the state between 2 and 3, and in schools after 3. The problem with these "free" services is that they come with an evaluation that may be great, or may be a total joke.

Since the fad of the day is to label every kid who talks late with autism, in can be a very expensive "free" service since some inexperienced person with a checklist will try to label a child with a lifelong neurological condition. So she should be aware of who is evaluating her child.

And their are PLENTY of kids who aren't talking around 2 and 3 who are totally caught up by kindergarten.

 

[Shmily1]

DS started talking and walking at about 7 months. DD didn't talk until she was over 2. Then when she did talk, she said "Mama, can you hand me that!" And this was me-- She hasn't stopped since! She was just listening to what we were saying so she could learn to do it right!