Speech problem??

[Earstou]

I saw my nieces' almost 2 yr old daughter this past weekend for the first time since she was a baby. She will be 2 in July and only says a few words (maybe 6 from what they say). The whole weekend I only heard her say please (pease) and she only said it once. I was even holding her for awhile. I really didn't see her trying to communicate much either. When someone else was holding her, and she wanted her mom, she would turn and look at her, trying to get down, but that was about the only non-verbal efforts she made.
I feel like she should be farther along in development, but not sure how varied kids can be. Mine always talked early, and were putting sentences together by age 2, so I was alarmed. Any thoughts?

 

[J'aime Paris]

Were there a lot of new faces around? Since you haven't seen dniece since she was a baby, it's not uncommon that she would want to stay close to mom and be more introverted.
I'm no expert, but my dnephew said very few words at 2. Lots of pointing and even grunting. Fast-forward to almost 3, and we cannot make him stop talking! For some kids, it just clicks a bit later.

 

[Earstou]

Well, she's not introverted, she came to me willingly and smiled alot. She only wanted her mom after being held by someone else for quite awhile. Then she still didn't make any noise, she just tried to get back to mom.
She was dd's flowergirl, and during the wedding, she would gracefully move her hands in the air while the quartet played, so she hears and responds to music and voices, just doesn't make noise herself.
She's not pointing, grunting, or really making noises at all. Her grandma said she only knows a few words. I was just surprised by her lack of communication at all.

She did have to have surgery at 6 months old for bladder problems, maybe that put her behind a little in developement?

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

Hmm, I just got out of a class on language development, and that does sound like she is behind. Without knowing more, the best advice I can give is to encourage her parents to take her to a speech and hearing clinic for an evaluation. Ask your schools where the nearest one is, they're typically in hospitals or universities.

 

[I Love Pluto]

My son talked late (walked late, too). He finally woke up to speech when he was over 3 years old. He is 34 now - talks just fine - and is a banker at the casino. Trust me, late talking or walking really dosn't dictate how intelligent a person will be.

 

[belle&beast]

I am a preschool speech pathologist and I have previously worked in early intervention. Usually kids are using 100+ words at 2 years old and are combining words especially to make requests like "more juice" or "cookie please." That being said, there is a wide range of what is considered to be typical and you have to factor in her comprehension of language and her use of nonverbal communication. Also, did she have a lot of ear infections or any medical conditions? If she spent a lot of time ina hospital for her bladder issues, that could affect her use of social language.

If you feel comfortable talking to your neice, ask what her doctor says and maybe suggest getting a speech and language evaluation to rule out a delay. My belief is that an early evaluation will never hurt a child, but if a delay is not caught early, it will take longer to catch up.

 

[tazdev3225]

My DGS just turned 2 and has a very limited vocab. He makes his needs known but really doesn't talk. cheese is yes, please and cheese. duce is juice and he throws his cup at me to make sure i get the message. he says no does not say mom. dul is crystal (sister's name). He babbles with inflection but does not talk. The pediatrician isn't overly concerned, won't even consider intervention for another 6 months. I figure when he's tired of me ignoring him he'll start to talk.

 

[KirstenB]

Suggest to your niece to call your local Early Intervention program. That's what it's called here, although other areas of the country seem to have different names for it. It serves children from infancy to age 3. They'll come to her home and do a free developmental screening. The services they offer include physical, occupational and speech therapy, although it sounds like your niece would be interested in the speech part of it.

Anyway, if there's a 25% or more delay, they'll offer speech therapy in her home. Our dd has received services since she was 11 mths old (not just for speech). There's a sliding scale for payment based on income. If you have insurance, they'll file for it for you. Anyway, I'm a big fan of our local EI program. They've helped dd a lot. Good luck with your niece.

 

[Earstou]

Thanks for the replies! My ds was in Early Intervention Preschool, so I am familar with it, and recommend it to others.
I haven't said any thing to my niece or sister yet because it could be a sticky situation. This part of the family can be very opposed to outside intervention. I just don't know how to approach them about this. I think I will talk to other family members first and see what they think about her speech and how to approach it.
Thanks again.

 

[twinspluscade]

I probably wouldn't say anything just yet.....I mean, the kid isn't even two yet, is she? I'd wait a few months; if she still isn't saying anything more by this fall then I'd mention it to them.