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

[diznygirl]

My DD was a late talker. She had an older brother who would do everything for her, so what did she need to talk for? We could also tell she was very bright - just not talking. She has since made up for lost time!

 

[Gabes_mommy]

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.

I am so glad you posted this. I hear so many people raving about Early Intervention but our experience with it was awful. Our first Speech Therapist was really nice and DS loved her but she quit and we got a new one. In our first session with her the new ST told me she thought my DS was autistic. Needless to say I was very upset. When she brought it up I disagreed with her, like how can my DS be autistic when he is so friendly, affectionate, makes eye contact, etc? Well the next week she brought back the "Behavior Specialist" and they both set out to convince me that DS was autistic. After this I got some great advice - to call our pediatrician. I called him that day, crying and asked him to see DS ASAP. He got us in for an appt the next day and he did the Autism Screening on DS and ruled out autism. He actually said the people who told us DS was autistic were "crazy". We pulled DS out of the program immediately. It bums me out that DS can't receive speech therapy but at the same time I just felt they were so dead set on diagnosing him with something.

 

[luvmy2boyzz]

My youngest son did not talk much up until about 2. He pointed and grunted for everything. My older ds talked at 12 mo. and walked at 15 mo. Younger ds walked at 10 mo but didn't talk! It's a good idea to ask the doctor, but I wouldn't be to worried about it. It's especially hard to compare a boy and a girl that are the same age because they develop so differently.

 

[DisMomme]

My youngest son (12) was a late talker. His older brother (13) talked for him. It was if they had their own secret language. No matter what Jeff wanted or said, Tom knew and either translated for us or got it for him. We didn't really worry but our pediatrician did. He sent Jeff for hearing tests which came back normal.

I swear that when Jeff started really talking, he spoke in complete, articulate sentences. We often joke now that we can't get him to be quiet. He is a happy, healthy, very bright boy. He is in all AP & Honors classes. There have been no long term effects from being a "late talker".

I think that as long as he is healthy and there are no hearing problems then your cousin should just wait.

 

[SandrA9810]

I only know this because of family stories, but I didn't start talking till after 3. I could've if i had wanted to. But my brother is retarted and can't talk, he just makes a lot of noises. Well instead of learning english, i learned his language. I would know what he wanted and would get it for him. It wasn't until a cousin of the same age came down and I started talking to her. Which I guess was a good thing too since I started school at 4. (The private school i went to had k-4 and k-5 classes).

 

[jodifla]

I am so glad you posted this. I hear so many people raving about Early Intervention but our experience with it was awful. Our first Speech Therapist was really nice and DS loved her but she quit and we got a new one. In our first session with her the new ST told me she thought my DS was autistic. Needless to say I was very upset. When she brought it up I disagreed with her, like how can my DS be autistic when he is so friendly, affectionate, makes eye contact, etc? Well the next week she brought back the "Behavior Specialist" and they both set out to convince me that DS was autistic. After this I got some great advice - to call our pediatrician. I called him that day, crying and asked him to see DS ASAP. He got us in for an appt the next day and he did the Autism Screening on DS and ruled out autism. He actually said the people who told us DS was autistic were "crazy". We pulled DS out of the program immediately. It bums me out that DS can't receive speech therapy but at the same time I just felt they were so dead set on diagnosing him with something.

Unfortunately, we hear stories like this over and over and over again on our Late Talkers board.

Longtime experts like Stanley Greenspan have said that their seeing a lot of children being brought to them these days with wrong autism labels. If you google around, you'll find he's done actually two radio broadcasts on this.

And an NIH study found that almost 60 percent of Dxs at a young age are wrong.

Have you checked out Dr. Jim MacDonald's site (Communicating Parters) or the Hanen books? There's a lot of things you can do at home as well if you like.

 

[tazdev3225]

My DGS was not talking at the age of 2. I told his pediatrician I was concerrned and she put it off. At 2 1/2 he still wasn't talking. He was evaluated by Early Intervention in our city and was found to be on a 12-18 month level. He aged out and went into the next program. He has been identified with a mild hearing problem and is still considered to be speech delayed. The intervention has helped but he is still behind. He is now almost 3 1/2 and is trying to talk more. We understand him although most people still have trouble as he is still behind. He also has behavioral issues from frustration. Having the child evaluated can tell if he is a late talker or if there are other problems. It is definitely worth it.

 

[minkydog]

My three kids were all different. DS#1 didn't talk at all until he was almost exactly two, just lots of undecipherable babbling and pointing. Then one day he said, "Momma, look what i got!" "I got yogurt." He talked in full sentences from that time to this.

My DD talked fluently at age 13 months.

DS#2 talked and babbled until age 2-1/2, then lost it all. He is autistic.

One thing I'd like to mention is hearing. The first thing you want to check when a child isn't talking is their hearing. My nephew had no understandable words at age 3. DSis & BIL decided it was okay because "after all, Einstein was a late talker." They finally took him to an audiologist. He had had multiple ear infections which resulted in hearing loss. He couldn't understand what anybody was sayin! Once they got tubes in he caught up, and actually has an IQ of over 140!

 

[UConnJack]

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.

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

Sound points here, and exactly our situation. Our older DD was talking pretty readily by 2, but our younger DS didn't really talk much until 2 1/2. I think the older sibling had a lot to do with that (translating desires, doing things for him, etc.) We were cautiously aware of it, but never really worried much because he just had that look about him that he knew what was going on, that things were definitely clicking behind those eyes. While DD talked well before DS did, DS seemed to understand language and instruction well before her. And much like other's here have experienced, once DS did decide to talk, it was in inexplicably detailed and coherent sentences. Its funny and annoying, because we can't "talk in code" around him because he figures out what we are talking about half the time. Plus, we can't just gloss over and say "uh-huh" or "that's nice" when we can't figure out what he's talking about, he knows when he's being blown off. I know he can't spell, but he's incredibly perceptive.

While tracking a kid's development is important, I think people often get to caught up in it and make panicky conclusions if their kid doesn't follow the exact average or better timetable in the "What to Expect...." books. I think the rate of kid's development is much less important than significant changes or setbacks in development or behavior. And while autism is a real and scary condition, I think it is diagnosed way too often to explain normal variations in child development, cognitive ability, and socialization, much like diagnoses of ADD and other disorders are too frequently used. Unfortunately, I think laziness or self-serving attitudes on the part of the medical and therapist professions have made these diagnoses way too common, and IMHO really does a disservice to those really afflicted by these conditions and puts parents in a constant state of anxiety.

 

[Minnesota!]

My son had a speech evaluation in the beginning of March. He was 23 months old. They tested everything - things he said, things he could understand, etc. Very thourough.

We were told it was ok he was saying only a handful of things b/c of what he understood. He turned 2 three weeks later and now 3 MONTHS later...he is speaking in sentences. Kids just talk when they are ready!

I would tell her to get him an eval just to see. If intervention IS needed - it is better to get it started earlier!

 

[kymmyk13]

my DD4 was diagnosised with is speech delay and cognitive skills delay(and a few other things, about to have her tested for asperbergers) at 2 1/2, It is better to get it checked sooner then later,she got speech theraphy from early intervention and then once she turned 3 she started a special needs preschool(1/2 of children are typical) at the local elementary school. It has made such a difference. Tell her to have him checked out right away, it won't hurt if it is nothing.