At what age or point in development is speech delay a concern?
DS2 is 19 months and says no words at all. But from an early age he started using hand signs or gestures to show me what he wanted. I didn't really encourage it, instead i'd say the words for what he wanted, though i did respond to them. Examples are; opening and closing his hand for what he wants, laying a flat palm when he wants his hand wiped, nodding for yes, shaking head for no, waving, pointing. Now he does other things like getting a nappy when he wants to be changed or giving me the remote control if he wants to watch a dvd. He clearly understands everything because he follows all our instructions, eg; put your cup on the blue table, we're going out now (he'll go and get his shoes). He also does a lot on his own accord such as bringing an empty plate to the kitchen, putting toys away or getting things. He just does not respond with words, i'll ask if he wants more or likes something and he'll nod or shake his head. For the past few months we've made more of an effort to speak clearly and state words when he makes the signs but he just doesn't seem interested in speaking. The only sounds he makes are "ahh" and "ba", other than that he's pretty much silent, though he is constantly doing something, playing, exploring, he's never really still, very different from DS1, who spoke early and is still a talker rather than a doer.
Doing some research he seems behind for his age as opposed to actually saying words but intelligence wise on track because of the understanding and follow through. I have tried over exaggerating the mouth movements for basic words "mum", "dad", "milk", "water", but he just laughs. He doesn't try to imitate me, he also isn't concerned about the words because he gets whatever he needs by non verbal communication. We are wondering if he's lazy as in not having to talk or whether this is something we should start looking at.
He's 19 months, should i wait a while longer or take him to the GP? a specialist?
Oh you could have been describing my son 2 months ago..
At 18 months I was extremely worried about his speech and like your DS he understood everything and followed instructions (even in Italian) but just would not talk - he would gibber gabber but not say words.
I got a referal to see a SP (he was 18 months) and no sooner had I made an appointment he started coming out with all sorts of words: purple, orange, head, tractor, plane, cow, bottle, water, cruskit, bike, please, tree, boat, pawpaw, apple... he won't shut up! He is just shy of 20 months now and has 3 words sentences - in the space of 8 weeks he has come so far, and yes I do think my DS was just lazy!
In saying that, I think there is nothing better than peace of mind and instinctively you know your child best and what he is capable of.. make an appointment, it can't hurt!
I have a cousin who is the same, although he has just turned 3. He would only say 'bah' as the older children would always talk for him. However we have noticed that since his sister started going to pre-school 2 days a week, he is speaking a lot more.
Most of the family are saying that he needs to see a specialist, and I think his parents have taken him to one, but there was no real concern, and his parent's are concerned as he is communicating a lot more now. I think you will know what is best for your child.
As an added note - my mother didn't talk til she was 7 and had to do speech therapy to learn to talk... she hasn't kept her mouth shut since (not being mean to my mum, it is a running joke in the family )
My #1 was much like that. My thinking is to mention it to your MCHN (if you have a good one, otherwise your doctor) and see what they think. Our MCHN gave us a referral for a hearing test and speech therapy - something good to remember is that speech therapy waiting lists can be around 6 months if you go public, so even if you book speech therapy now and don't need it in 4 months, that's better than needing it in 6 months time and having to wait another 6 months. xo
Our DD2 was the same. She didn't have many words, but her understanding and comprehension was outstanding, so there wasn't a problem there, she just wasn't verbalising with words. She started seeing a speechie at 4yrs 3mths and we had the referral put in when she had just turned 4. A lot of her issues could have been age-related so that's why we weren't overly concerned and your DS's problems could be age related too, but I honestly think that earlier is better and if I had my time again I would have taken her sooner because even though she was saying a lot of words by then, her articulation was appalling. There could also be other issues that could be responsible for the speech delay as well. By his age he *should* have between 10 - 50 words but like anything when it comes to child development some will have more and some a lot less so there is a big scope for a normal range. Plus waiting lists can be very long and it is best if you get him onto a waiting list at least and have him assessed and if they think he is fine, but a little bit behind, then so be it, but they could also pick up that there is a problem and you have plenty of time before he starts school to work on it.
DS1 is 19 months also, the same he says mumma and dadda and bubba but that is all, pead had given us a hearing test referal and suggested we may need speech pathology.
He is not fantastic at following instructions but I think it is more laziness and being cheeky.
At 18 months they are supposed to have a minimum of 5 words. DS only had 4 words so MCHN packed him off for a hearing test which came back fine.
I took him to a private speech pathologist for an assessment which was very reassuring in terms of discovering that his understanding was perfect for his age, but for whatever reason he wasn't communicating back. I hadn't been worried but the MCHN was and I couldn't stand the wait, she'd made me paranoid.
The speechie gave me some exercises to do with him which basically involved trying for a minimum of half an hour a day to only speak to him in one and two word sentences eg "Milk? Want milk?" to try and encourage him to repeat back to me. She did warn me not to overdo it, I would drive myself nuts LOL.
DS at first looked at me like I was an idiot and then got frustrated and angry. He knew exactly what I wanted him to do and would either get embarrassed or cross, so I decided to relax on that part and I would wait and see how he was at the age of 2.
However, there were other tactics that he had a better response to. If he pointed to a bird I would just say "bird" not "oh, look there's a bird!" And if he pointed to a picture in a book then repeat that one word a couple of times. If I got no verbal response in 10 seconds, then carry on. If he did give a verbal response, even if it was just "uh", to encourage that I would say "yes, bird!". 10 seconds is quite a long time to wait but it was interesting to do so, most of the time I found he would make a verbal noise.
The other thing of course is books, books and more books, preferably with him being able to see your face and the book so he can see how your mouth forms words. And if you play on the floor with him, follow his lead, see what he points to, what he is interested in.
All of a sudden, about 2 months before he turned 2, he had what they call a "word spurt" and it all came all at once. So in the end he was just a bit late to start and hadn't really needed speech therapy.
I do believe that concentrating on a couple of words and emphasising them did help a bit though, I was talking to him in the most part in a fairly adult way, which he understood perfectly but had no hope of imitating at that age. It's all worked out fine though because he does have a very mature vocabulary and speech pattern at the age of 3 which quite tickles people to listen to. "Actually, I think I might just go and play cars right now" for instance.
I recommend you go ahead with a hearing test and put your name down for speech therapy. Better to get onto these things asap - you can always cancel the appointment if you decide you don't need it anymore by the time it comes up. The hearing test in particular is very easy and such a simple thing to take out of the equation, at the very least go ahead and do that.
Ta, I want to find a private speech therapist, do i find whom i want to see then get a referral from my GP? or see my Gp first? We live outside the metro area, how many times a week would i expect to need to go, or is it a case by case thing?
DS was also quite slow on speech. He did speak, but it was delayed (but still in the bounds of 'normal'), less words than usual, and unclear. He was better and did understand instructions 1 on 1, but struggled when out and about or distracted by playing etc (basically most of the time)
By the time he was 3.5 the kinder brought up concerns, and i spoke to the GP. We were just going to go and do a hearing test and an auditory processing test through the audiologist (DS first cousins both have an auditiory processing disorder) and he hadn't had that many ear infections or anything, but the GP said go see and ENT and do the hearing test there, and get the other test done at the audiologist - that way you get a health care plan, and i wasn't going to be out of pocket $500 just for the testing alone.
So glad we did it that way - turns out DS ears were very blocked behind his ear drum (basically it is like a salad bowl with glad wrap, you need air in between to vibrate for the noise, his was filled with fluid right up the the brim which makes them appear dull, and hence he couldn't hear very well. They said he had up to 50% hearing loss in each ear - so he could hear, and understand instructions, but only in limited situations. It also delayed his speech, and because he also couldn't hear himself speak either, made his speak unclear (nilk instead of milk, as to him it sounded close enough, fruck intead of truck etc)
The ENT put in grommits, and his hearing is now normal.
The audiotory processing test (well a modified version, as they can't do the real one until age 5-6), also showed he was just above the threshold for an auditiory proceessing disorder, but they though he might improve as it was only done 1 week after the grommits were put in. He is having weekly speak therapy at school (we got 3 sessions basically for free last calender year on the health plan, and now 5 again this year before we have to pay), which is really helping.
I'm so glad we did it this way, the teachers were great about noticing a lot of things with his hearing and attention that didn't seem quite right to them, and they said rule out the easiest things first - do the hearing test and then take it from there.
So if i were you i would see and ENT to do a hearing test first, and then do speech therapy.
Also, they said that part of the reason why he would have been obessed with his dummy and sucking for so long was because it helped with the pressure in his ears.
Push for the public system for speech therapy if you can, but keep in mind that it is extremely hard to get into. I was told that my DS wasn't eligible as he wasn't classed as special needs, and that I would not be given a spot as we don't have a health care card... and no we are not wealthy.
I got a referral to a private therapist who has been great, but the cost of this, the tests and the ENT haven't been easy to cover. I finally managed to get onto the public waiting list for an assesment after begging/pestering for ages and that took 6 months for the appointment. Now we are "waiting" to see if a spot becomes available for the actual therapy.
TBH if I knew how hard it was, I would have exaggerated when discussing his problems to try and get more help earlier.
My DS2 was almost identical to how you're describing your son. I was told by the Dr & the ECHN that he wasn't communicating with words as the older kids were speaking for him. Anyway, just a few weeks ago it is as if someone turned his voicebox on as he now speaks like nothing else... and not just some words but full sentences using large words such as 'purple mountain' and things like that... his favourite thing to say is 'wait a second mummy' when I call him! lol
If you're really concerned, go speak to a gp and get a referral for a hearing test, and take things from there.... most speech therapists will want to know if a hearing test has been performed first before they do anything.
I really despise the public system (no offence intended!), i've just had such bad experiences with my own health that i'll only use private from now on.
So i'm still waiting for an appointment with our GP, when i rang up our long term GP had left! She hasn't been replaced so the clinic is swamped, I see her collegue in one week. Then i'll ask for both the hearing test refferal (though i'm positive thats fine, he can hear you open a packet of biscuits like a kilometre away ) And the refferal for the speech therapist....
I haven't been to the MCHN, i tend to feel really patronised when i go. I suppose they have to treat all mums as if they're clueless but its really irritating. Would she be able to offer advice though??
I've also ramped up the reading big time... as many short stories as i can in a day, and often he brings me the same books over and over. I'll read it, and he'll open it right up for me to read again. Plus the little books with the pictures and word of item (ie, duck, yellow duck etc). He enjoys it, but still makes no effort to copy, or even open his mouth. There's two things he has attempted, mumma - which he says mumumumum and baby (after his bath we wrap him up and my dh would always say baby), he says bah. But not often, and not unless really prompted, he smiles when he does say it though.
What else can i do? keep in mind i have an almost 4 year old who is so over the baby books! And i'm exhausted... i'm still recovering from PND.
i didnt need a referal to see a speechy with DS. i just rang(a private one) and got in. she then refered us to the free service and as were were already in "the system" we didnt have to wait.
I think if your not happy with how he is (or isnt) talking then see someone. you know him better then anyone else.
I'm just going by the developmental guidelines, seems like he should be at least trying to verbalise things by what i've read. But me as the mother.... i think he just doesn't feel he needs to talk yet, he's always doing something, whereas DS1 was never a "do-er", once he could talk he was always talking, and liked reading. Comparing him to DS1, he's way ahead in regards to co-ordination, skills, he does things and we're always saying (to ourselves) "wow Ds1 only started doing that recently," etc and they are 2 years apart. Maybe its a second child thing, i don't know. I'm not worried... yet... but DS1 was talking before now, so thats all i can compare it too.
I'd like things to take their natural progression, but i did wonder if this was a concern, so started this thread because its hard to know.
We had a similar situation with J and R. R was never a vocaliser for such a long time whereas J never stopped talking from the moment he learnt he had a voice box. I was worried about R's speech but my GP told me to worry when he is 3 and not saying anything at all (and partial-sound words count!). He would just grunt or mumble unintelligable things occasionally. Turning two was the turning point! Its like he just suddenly flicked his vocab switch and now he doesnt stop talking. So maybe Ds2 is just happy to let Ds1 and everyone else do the talking while he listens and does things. R is very manual; he loves using his hands, building with blocks, climbing, riding his bike. We figure its just his thing.
I hope a speech pathologist gives you some answers or Ds2 just surprises you in his own time! Never wrong to get concerns checked though; better safe than sorry down the track.
We have had a hearing test which was normal, pead suggested but I didnt need a referal and it was bulk billed.
Also suggested at last appt that could ring private speech pathology. However MCHN has reffered me to a clinic at public hospital as he is not walking or talking and appts will be with physio and speech. Referal was sent last week so should get appt in a few weeks.
I am not concerned more frustrated as I see mothers group kids that walk and talk, but I feel he is just taking it all in.
Maybe its a second child thing cos DD1 was never a huge talker until just recently - and she's around the same age as yours. DS on the other hand NEVER shut up from the moment he was born and was a very early talker. I was worried about DD1 there for a while, comparing her to DS all the time (cos you do that cos thats all you are used to!)
My DS1 didn't talk much at all till he was 2.5 and he has aspergers. Late onset of speech on it's own isn't an issue but it can be if there are other things that he is doing now or he may develop as he gets older. I think if you're concerned it is wise to follow your instinct and get him checked out.
I also think that sometimes they just need a bit more time to do things when they're ready. I'm always comparing mine to each other lol. FWIW you'll probably find that your DS2 will do other things at a younger age to what DS1 did. EG my DS2 might have talked before DS1 did, but DS1 was big on counting and recognising colours at a younger age.
Our council has a group called toddler matters, which is like a supervised play group, that has a few different specialists (speech and OT come to mind but there is a few other types) that can watch your child play. Perhaps you could contact your MCHN or council to see if they have a similar program over there.
HTH
Last edited by ~Raven~; March 23rd, 2010 at 08:39 PM.
When is speech delay a concern?
Reply With Quote
)
... and no we are not wealthy.
) And the refferal for the speech therapist....
Bookmarks