Almost Two and Not Talking - Kennesaw,GA

Hi J L I'm C.. My son did not start talking till he was 2 and yes all of the sudden he just started talking in sentences. It was the craziest thing but that is what happened:)

My friends' grandson was doing the same thing. They had to have his adnoids removed, and now he can talk just fine.

Hi Jamie,
I have identical twin boys that are a little over 2 years, and they are not talking either, I mean they have their own language between the two of them, but I feel that it is perfectly normal that he's not saying much yet, does he have any other siblings, or does he go to a daycare center? Some daycare centers provide a speech therapy for children who aren't that responsive yet in that area, I just learned of this myself and am thinking about looking into it for my twins. My actual problem is finding the time, I also have a 6 year old girl and a 9 year old boy, the interaction with the older kids, I think is a plus.

boys are definitely slower and sometimes it does seem like they regress but i think they master a certain word(s) then move on and will start saying it again later. i have a 22 month old daughter and a 5 yr old son and my daughter is already saying sentences like "i want juice, etc." but my boy was not at all like that, so don't worry. if he has an older sibling, sometimes they speak for the second child and that delays them, but as long as you know he's learning and understanding, he's fine. also, before you give him something, try getting him to say what he wants. like my daughter, if she asks for oatmeal, i say "what do you say" and she'll say "please" then i tell her to say " i want oatmeal please mommy" and she will.

Dear Jamie,

I have an undergraduate background in speech pathology. From what I know, I can tell you to relax. As a boy at his age, it may just take him longer to get to talking and it is very unlikely that he is actually developmentally delayed but is just one of his individual qualities. Taking the pressure off for a while could help. On the other hand, 2 year olds should have at least a 2 word length of utterance at this stage. From what I know, this is my advice: turn off the TV!! As wonderful as the educational TV programs are, they are not interactive and he is not required to say anything when he watches them. Get him outside. Interact with him as much as possible. Take him on walks and hikes through the woods. Mention all the things you see in simple phrases. Really spend time playing and talking with him about his toys. Accept any response from him even if it is a babble. Even if you are enthusiastic that he spoke, do not react. Just allow him to develop in a very laid back pressure's off environment. Spend time reading books or really just pointing out in one word phrases what you see on the pictures. Have him point to things as well. I know that you said that this did not work, but you and your husband must reinforce that he asks for things he wants even if at first this is just a babble or a sign. Does he know any baby sign language? Being a physical boy, he may enjoy doing sign language and this is truly a base for communication. This is a great time of learning for him and if he wants something bad enough, he will do what it takes to get it. You and your husband must be consistent every time. He will throw temper tantrums, but you cannot give in. He must give you some kind of sound or word before receiving the item. This is also a great opportunity to up the ante and expect a little more from him as you go along. Maybe after he gives you sounds, you can begin to expect a word, etc. I hope this is helpful. Hang in there and relax. It actually is very possible that you may wake up and he is talking up a storm.

Sincerely,

S.

I too have a boy that did not talk like his friends did that were girls. He is now three and as far as I remember he just started picking up more speach here and there over time. I was worried at the time but am not anymore. I remember him following complex tasks very well as it sounds like your son does. My son is VERY strong willed. He was never a "parrot" as I like to say......you could tell him "say dog" (which was a word he knew) and would flat out refuse to say it. When he did start talking more he was easily understood. It was almost like he had finally made up his mind that he was going to start talking and he did. I have too very close friends with girls the same age and it was hard to see their girls repeating everything they said and even talking more than my son did. But, when I look back those girls may have been repeating everything they were told to say but I know they had no clue as to what they were REALLY saying. Does that make sense? When my son started talking he knew what he was saying and would comunicate clearly what he wanted.....Hope this eases some of your anxiety. Please contact me if you'd like to talk further.
M

Dear Jamie,
I am a mother of two girls. But I have a very close freind who has a son that will be 2 years old in November. From what it sounds like you guys are going through the same thing only her son only says mama, dada and no. She was also concerned and took him to the doctor. They checked and rechecked his hearing. They said his hearing was fine but then found that he had fluid in his ears and said the fluid may be muffling the words being spoken to him. So now he is scheduled to have tubs put in his ears. My friend was then told that this should help him to hear the full sounds of the words being spoken. I realize that all children are different and this may not be the case with your son I just wanted to share this story with you in the hope it may be of some help. I also believe that children will speak when they're ready. My oldest daughter didn't really speak until she was two and now she doesn't stop until she falls asleep.

Good Luck, M.

I would have him assessed by a speech pathologist, just to reassure you. You can do this through Georgia's "Babies Can't Wait" program, for free. Google "Babies Can't Wait" and find their site for more info.

If he does have a problem, I know from experience with my sons that early intervention makes the difference.

I have 2 boys and a little girl. My little girl has fewer words now than her brothers did at this age. What I believe helped my sons talk as soon as they did was baby sign language. You don't have to follow any program. Make up your own signs. As long as you and your son know what the signs represent, you'll do fine. Otherwise, he sounds just fine. Yes, you'll wake up one day and he'll be announcing full complex sentences. The more you push, the more he'll resist. Relax.

Jamie,
My son just turned three and he is only now starting to speak clearly. I have discussed Head Start with his pediatrician several times, and at his three year check up, she told me to calm down, boys speak later than girls... and that he is on the right track. We can't hold our sons (or daughters) up against our friend's children in developmental competition, every child is completely different and will do what he or she wants to do, but only when they want to.

If your pediatrician seems to think your son may have a hearing problem, Head start may be something to look into. However, it seems (from your description) that your son is doing what he wants, which is gross motor development. If you give him one more year before you freak out, he will surprise you.

I have said it on here before, and again:
We all really need to calm down and trust ourselves.
No one knows your child like you do.
Deep down inside, under all the fear and self doubting, you know the answer.

Good Luck,
L.

Jamie -
We have a four year old son, Justin, who can now talk your ear off! While he was speaking more words by two than what you say your son does he had a bunch of words he just seemed to love and would use those in context rather than learn new ones for a while. I remember asking our peds doctor about this and she told us that boys often lag behind girls in speech & language skills. They are often just more interested in other things and, if possible, respond in other ways rather than speaking. I do remember that he would get bored and kind of disgusted (if that can happen at that young of an age) with us when we pushed him to respond verbally, withheld things until he responded, asked him to repeat things, etc. We had that happen in the last 6-8 months when trying to make sure he wasn't color-blind because he never gave us the correct colors for things. He knows them but the way and number of times we would ask him the color of things or question him otherwise about colors - he got perturbed and liked to use our reaction to it - thinking it was almost like a fun game.... At least we know he isn't color-blind!

I've pasted a couple of links below that you might want to review. I would definitely continue to read to him and watch his reactions to the stories - Justin picked up a ton of words this way and now has an advanced vocabulary for his age.

I hope this helps some if only to give you a little comfort - boys are definitely different from girls!

Best of luck.
C.
http://www.asha.org/public/speech/development/child_hear_...
http://www.jamesdmacdonald.org/Articles/FFAQs/Whenwillmyc...
http://utopia.utexas.edu/articles/opa/child_talk.html

Well, my son is 18 months and still not talking except for 'mama", and "dada" , but it doesn't really concern me because he also doesn't display any developmetal delays of any kind. Also,his daddy (my husband) didn't speak a word until he was 3 years old, and there was nothing wrong with him at all. My mother-in-law told me one day he just started talking in sentences so I figure that's how my son will be. From my observation taking care of little ones, boys are just slower (or maybe lazier) when it comes to talking than girls are. I hope this helps to ease your mind. Have a great afternoon! M. *sparkle*

Dear Two and not talking,

My first question to you is...Do you have older children in your home or is he your only child?? I am the mother of three boys 7, 5, and 2. I am a stay at home mom and always have been, so all of my children have grown up in the same enviroment. My two oldest children were right on the "developmentally correct" chart. My 2 year old was walking at 6 months but never "talked" He would make sounds and he knew mommy and daddy and the little words but he wouldn't "talk". My doctor said the same thing your did. "There nothing wrong with him, just give it more time." Well guess what..My two oldest went and spent half of their summer break with their father....and my two year old started talking.... It was never brought to my attention that my 5 year old was talking for him and always had. Because of the age differents in my children my two oldest are only 22 months apart, and there is 3 1/2 years between my second and third child. So my second child was talking up a storm when my youngest arrived. So he just took over for my youngest. And remeber child do things at different ages. You can't compare on child to another. I have a friend who's son didn't say his first "real" sentence till he was well over three years old. He's smart as a whip. So we figure maybe he didn't have anything important to say. Nope, he has three older siblings and they were doing the same things. Hope this helps. Tasha G.

Okay, I have a boy and a girl. Both of my children were late talkers. My son is the oldest and is now 10, but I can remember him talking but saying things that made no sense. I was his mommy so I tended to understand. For example, he would say "Dip da dear" for open the door. I would slowly say, "Open the door." He would just look at me and say "Dip da dear" slowly as I had. He was probably going on 3 before he spoke clearly. My daughter, who just turned 5, was also slow to talk, and again, I was about the only one who could understand her. I called Knox County Schools and had an appointment set up for her with a place called Child Find or Child Help or something like that. Knox County Schools runs it. About a week before her appointment, she just started speaking as clearly as any other child her age. I went ahead and kept the appointment, because there is no charge and I figured that it couldn't hurt. She tested fine and has started school this year and her speech is great. I am having trouble with her being a little behind academicaly, but she is participating in Kingdergarten Intervention, which is an afterschool tutoring program at the school (also free) and it seems to be helping her.

My daughter was like your son when she was at that age-- nothing I would do would convince her to talk in "real English" that could be understood. I withheld what she was asking for telling her over & over that i didn't understand what she was saying, when I actually did know, but just wanted her to say the word correctly. I tried all the other things you have tried. NOTHING! She just wouldn't talk (at least not in any language but her own)!!
One day while out for a walk we saw a kitty run through the yard. She stoppd, pointed at the kitty, then looked up at me with sparkling eyes & said her first word.... it was " Momma, the kitty runned away" !!!!! She totally blew me out of the water with that one!
From that day forward she has never had another problem or issue in talking, and always spoke in full sentences, and started learning letters & beginning reading soon after. SHe LOVED to learn & still does and went on to become a straight A student in every grade and every class she took. (She is now a college freshman & still making A's. In fact, she retakes a class if she doesnt make an A). I chalked it up to her stubbornness ( yes, I admit she is as stubborn as a HERD of mules & has been ever since childhood when I was doing cartwheels trying to get her to talk).
My thoughts are, she just wasn't ready to talk, or didn't want to... perhaps that is the same with your son. My opinion is.... when he's ready to talk, he will, & don't be surprised if he comes out with something very profound or in complete sentences!!!!
I would relax and enjoy him for what he is & what he brings to your life. Soon enough, you'll be telling him to "hush"!

Good Luck!

Karen C.

Jamie,

A friend of mine has a little boy that is turning 5 in October..he did not talk very much when he was small & when he did you could not understand him. She had his hearing tested & it was fine. She had to put him in speech therapy. They came to her house every week (I forget how many times a week). I think mainly it was a thing where he was just not interested in talking vs something actually being wrong. If you give me your email address, I can forward it to her & she can email you with what the deal was with her son & how things have improved.

M.

I was in the same boat. My son started to regress at about the same age. If you are interested they are programs where a speech therapist can visit your home and help with speech (Or lack of speech) issues. It is free and it is great. Call the health dept. and ask for thier early intervention program. It worked wonders for my little guy :)

i have a son that is now 6 and he was a late talking he was always behind on things and he eventually starting talking around 3 pretty good and his first year of kendigarten he took speach and we had to hold him back cause he seems to be a slow learner and he dont pick up on things as fast as everyone else but health wise hes healthy he loves sports and does hands on stuff with a breeze but as far as school work or books ec hes slow at i hope this helps.i think boys are alittle harder to get to learn things with there little .

Hi Jamie!

As a mother of 4 boys (ages 7 to 2.5) I can tell you with conviction, there is nothing wrong with your son.If you already ruled out any other developmental problem and hearing , beleive you me, one day, when he is ready, he'll star talking and won't stop...EVER...;-)

I understand what you feel because I went through the same, I have friends that only have girls and the difference especially with my first, seemed huge, I was always comparing,how soon they talked, how articulate they were,or how fast they were potty trained, etc. Girls are just faster in some of those areas.
My youngest boys are twins, and those two are even slower compared to thier brothers, but that's because they're twins and half of what they say is jibberish and the other half their own languagge.
But I know they'll be giving me an ear full very soon.

So, don't worry, he'll be just fine. He is capturing all that information you are giving him through books, games, etc.As soon as he's done processing, he'll start talking...a lot.

Good luck!
A.

Jamie,
I had the same concerns about my son. I had him evaluated by a speach therapist and everything because I thought something was wrong. I have two older children that are both girls, and they both spoke earlier and clearer than he did, so I was worried there was something wrong with his hearing or some other mental disability. Turns out he was just stubborn.

He is now 3 and he is speaking in complete sentences, and very articulate. After speaking with his doctor, I learned boys tend to be very quiet until THEY are ready to talk. His doctor told me "The more you pressure him to talk, the more stubborn he will be about it. Just continue to repeat words to him, and if he grunts or whines to get something he wants tell him what the word is for it, and repeat that word up to 3 times while showing him the item. Eventually he will give in and begin talking, but only in his own time."

I hope this helps. Let me know.

T.

Hi Jamie,
Georgia has a public health program called Babies Can't Wait that will provide a free evaluation for any child under age 3 with developmental concerns. I work for the program in Dalton.
By 18 months most children should be using 8-10 words that are clearly understood, and by 24 months most children will start to use sentences. It sounds like you're doing all the right things to stimulate him, so a little extra help and attention may be in order.
Anyone can make a referral to Babies Can't Wait (you don't need a special referral from your doctor). The evaluation by a MultiDisciplinary Team is free to you, and if the team determines that your son qualifies for services(Like Speech Therapy or Special Instruction), the co-pay is based on your family size and income. The therapists/instructors will then come to your home for services, and it's all done in a play-based, kid oriented manner.
Every child develops at a different rate, and many will spontaneously start talking one day, but for those who do have delays, it's much better to start offering help early. And it's hard to tell when they're so little who needs the extra help and who doesn't. If he qualifies, then you will have lots of extra support for helping him, and if he doesn't qualify, then it should be very reassuring to hear from the "experts" that he's doing fine.
I'm not sure which county you live in, but you can contact me at the Dalton office at ###-###-#### or 888-276-1558. We can help you get in touch with the right district if you live in another area. You can also find more information at http://health.state.ga.us/programs/bcw/index.asp.
Hope that helps!!
H.

I know this sounds bad, but have you thought of taking him to another pediatrician to check for a mild case of autism? One of my co-workers had almost the exact same situation. His pediatrician kept insisting everything was ok, so they switched peds. and found out at 2 1/2 that he had a mild form of autism. His symptoms were close to what you are descibing. He wasn't able to communicate on the level that he should have been. Physically, he was fine. But communicating is a different story. I'm not saying this is what your son has, but I would definitly look into this further. Hopefully, it's nothing.
Good luck, you and you son are in my prayers.

As a Speech Pathologist, I can say that he should have more than 3 words by now. I also recommend baby sign language. There is a great book called Baby Signs that has some basic signs in it (more like gestures). Both my kids (boy 4 and girl 2) used it and it was a huge help! It reduces both the parent's frustration and the child's frustration. Boys are sometimes a little slower to develop thjan girls so that could be a factor. However, there are many other things that could factor in as well. I would recommend thay you have your son evaluated by a speech pathologist. He may qualify for speech therapy. I don't know where you live but many states have programs for kids under 3. If the child meets the requirements, a speech pathologist will come to your home and work with him every week (sometimes for little or no cost depending on income) It sounds like you are doing a lot with him and I would continue to do what you are doing by playing with him and reading to him. Good Luck!

I have two boys; 4.5 and 1.5. Both were late talkers. But my first son had numerous ear infections and had to have tubes. Before he had tubes, we tested his hearing and there was clear liquid that was just staying in his ears. So he was hearing muffled sounds, which is why he couldn't talk very well. My youngest doesn't talk much at all either, but we are sure he'll grow out of it; although I am going to have his hearing tested soon as well. Take yours to an ear, nose and throat doctor to have his ears checked with this pressure thing that can detect liquid in his ears; this liquid cannot be seen by most pediatricians. Otherwise, look at your family...if there were late talkers in your family, sometimes it can be the same with your kids. Good luck!

Jamie,
I have a little boy who will be 4 in November. He still doesn't talk as well as I think he should. I have had his hearing tested and other things done and they say it is all normal. My case is that he is the baby and he has a 9 year old sister that did his talking for him for about the first 2 yrs of his life. I don't remember how many words we had at 2 but I am sure it wasn't many. I would give him some time and work with him as you are now. Play games getting him to repeat what you say and things like that. I would be concerned but I wouldn't be ready to freak out just yet. He is still young. Some children don't walk till they are a year and half old.
Just my 2 cents
M.

I have a daughter that is 5years old and a son that turned 2 on Sept.9th. My son is not talking at all either and I have been very concerned with this also. Just as you said our doctor said he will do this on his own time and boys are always slower to talk. He is starting to show some improvements but our daughter was speaking in small sentences by now. I felt the same disapointment as you when I am with my girlfriends children and they are speaking so much better. However I feel sure that other mothers who have boys have this same struggle.

Hi Jamie
My daughter was the exact same way! We enrolled her in a program where a speech thearpist came to our house once a week and help with her speech! Now we can't stop her from talking!!!!!!!!

My daughter was like your son, didnt say much till after she turned 2 and suddenly her vocabulary exploded. and she did as your saying actually loose words or at least not use them. she is now almost 5 and has a better/larger vocabulary than most of her friends. I wouldnt worry about it, and just like you said you will wake up one morning and he will be talking and you will do anything to make it stop lol. Sometimes I have to ask my daughter just to be quiet for 5 mins while so mommy can think lol.

I recommend an evaluation for sure...there are possible medical conditions (autism--not to scare you) and to purchase the signing time DVDS and the book. My son has just turned two and can speak in full sentences, count to 20, knows all shapes, including complicated ones, etc. While I know he's advanced, every toddler book I have says they should say at least 10 words by now.

Relax JL I was terrified when my son was two and didn't talk. Leave your son be and after he turns two he will talk. The doctors were ready to send my son to a speech therapist and other mom just kept telling me this same story how their son didn't talk until after he was two and all of a sudden started talking. My son started going to pre-k and two months after starting he began speaking sentences...he started in aug. and he turned two in June. He will be fine. Or just don't panic until after he is two and a half. A.

Some kids are different from others. If your doector says it's okay than dont worry. My daughter will be 5 in April and she has a speech disability and she is behind a year but is talking a whole lot better. If you are really worried get your child evaulated. It will help you a whole lot

This sounds exactly like my son at that age. I took a long time for me to figure out what the problem was, but it turned out that he had fluid in his ears and didn't hear properly. He was talking a little, but was talking the way he was hearing, which was not clear and audible. We got tubes put in his ears, he finally passed his hearing test and then he got started in speech therapy. The speech therapist basically helped him get caught up to where he should have been at his age, because for 2 years he basically did not hear things correctly. Now that he could hear properly, she had to teach him to speak properly. It worked really well and now he's just started Kindergarten and is doing great. In fact, he speaks better than most 1st graders I've met! Hope you find the issue- best wishes!

Hi Jamie,

It sounds like you are describing my son... to the "T"! I think that Shelly's comment was great. I definately got a lot out of that. I think that boys do do the "mental" things later and the "physical" stuff earlier... he was rolling over at 3 1/2 months, crawling at 5 months, and walking before he was 1. My neice rolled at 6 months and never crawled, walked after 1 year old. Children do things at their own pace. I do worry when I get him around other kids his age and they are talking, it kinda bothers me... like I feel like I've done something wrong. But you can't be hard on yourself, at least I try not to. Keep us posted, I'd love to chat more with you. Logan just turned 2 yesterday and we had the exact same plans as you do with the evaluation at the peds - we go in on Sept 20th and I was going to talk to them about it then. Take care, and good luck.

Sincerely,
L. S.
WAHMommy to Logan 8/25/04 & Shane 7/18/06
Personal Consultant, Natural Family Boutique
www.NaturalParentingAndPlaythings.com

It may help you to know that you are not alone. I have a two year old and his favorite word is NO. As far as talking up a storm he is still "babbling" as well. Every now and again he will say something that is recognizable. I keep repeating different words, phrases, pictures, objects, etc. and some words he picks up and some he does not. I am sure that one day he will wake up speaking English. (smile)

Hey Jamie,
YES there will come a day when all the sound you think "Oh my gosh he hasn't stopped talking for over an hour!" I had the same problem...all the way to pre-K, and once he started school I haven't been able to shut him up since. Not that, that is bad! :)

Hi, I also have a son who is now 4 but began similarly. But, he did not speek at all in any understandable language until beyond the age of 2. He gestured and we had a system of our own sign language worked out. His pediatrician was very much on top of things and we ran the gamut of tests with hearing and the psyiology of the ear and pretty much ruled out what wecould. From there, with the assistance of his dr's, he received one on one speech therapy through the state from ages 2-3 1/2 and was diagnosed as speech delayed. Now, he makes up for every momnent he never spoke. And no matter where we live, he is recognized in the public school system as a child that is eligible for speech assistance if needed.

Our son is 15 months old and says only mama, dada, nana, and hey on occasion. His older sister talked before she walked. Our doctor said that our son would be a late talker because his sister talks all the time. If you have any older children it might be the same for you...

B.

Jamie,

There is nothing wrong with your son. I have two boys a 3.5yrs and one that just turned 2. The older one started speaking perfect sentences even before he turned 2. The younger one is the total opposite. He just began to speak a few words now and he completely understands what we are telling him but we think he is slow compared to his older brother. We too tried everything you did as well but nothing seemed to work. It almost seems he knew when he would be ready to talk and until it was that time there is nothing more we could do.

I would only advise you to be patient and every child learns and progresses at a different pace. So hang in there and one day he will be talking so much and so fast that you will wish those quiet days :).

take care

K.

MY SISTER HAS A SON THAT IS 7 YEARS OLD AND HE IS THE SAME WAY SHE HAD TO TELL HIM HE CAN HAVE SOME CANDY IF HE WOULD SAY THE WORD SHE TOLD HIM AND IT WORKED.....

I have a 19m little boy who is saying about the same amount of words or more than his 29m old boy cousin. I think every situation is different. Yes, there are milestones that they "should" be getting too, but with all you're doing, I wouldn't be worried. He will talk when he is ready. I think the best thing you can do is continue to read to him, act very interested in his "mumblings" and talk to him like you understand every word he just said. Every child develops differently. As long as he can hear and understand you, I would just go with the flow. Let him know you love him and softly encourage him whenever the moment arises. Most of all, if your doctor doesn't seem worried, I wouldn't be either.

My son is 24 now but when he was little I didn't think he would ever talk. Like yours he only said a few words, but not to worry he will start talking when he wants probably more betwwen the ages of 2 and 3. I also now have a stepdaughter who will be 3 in December and she is just now talking and putting sentences together. Some things you can understand and others not quite. I wouldn't be too concerned at this point.

My brother has a four year son who does not talk very good at all. His twin sister talks in an understandable fashion, but he mumbles all the time and doesn't talk loud enough for anyone to hear him. I keep telling my brother he needs to get his hearing checked again. I do believe he has something wrong with his hearing whether it is fluid in the ears or just his hearing. Either way he is way behind in his speaking abilities. Don't get me wrong, he is very smart, but can't talk. My two year old talks better than he does. Definitely get everything to do with his ears checked out.

Well, I don't have boys but I do have a 4 year old girl who had the same problem. She was 2 and very hyper and not saying that many words at all. Then at 3 she was the same way and everyone was saying you need to take her to the doctor and put her on something. That was a bad idea. The doctor put her on medication and she started having horrible mood swings, so I heard about speech therpy. They metioned for me to call the elementary school that she would be going to and ask them about speech therpy so I did and turns out they did offer it there. So I took my daughter in to get tested and they said she could do speech therpy but also join their preschool program so thats what she does now and she's like a completely differnet kid. She knows her abc's even when they are not in order, she can count to 20, she tells us what she wants, she knows her colors, its just amazing. Even though he's young speech therpy might be a good idea. My daughters teacher says some children are just delayed a little and then one day it just clicks and they start talking and they get it. So I would recommend calling the school he would attend and ask them about speech therpy, you can be there with him doing it also. It really helped my daughter, and she'll be starting kindergarten next year. Best of luck to you.

I thought I was reading my own post - my son is 21 months old and sounds exactly like yours!!
I keep comforting myself by thinking that its because we are trilingual he is unable to say words - but since Sunday I have been showing him my hand and saying "Hand" several times and he will never say it back !!!!! Its very frustrating ( and not only do we have similar kids but also we seem to have the same friends as well - since all my friends' kids do things faster than my son :-) )
In every other way he seems super-normal

Hi, I have a little boy who is 30 months. He maybe said 10 words until shortly (within the month) of his 2nd birthday, when he just had a vocabulary explosion. It was like something just clicked in his brain. Now he speaks in sentences, although is has trouble with several consonant sounds. Try not to worry. I have several friends who have boys and they told me thier child did almost the exact same as mine, although some were earlier and some later. I would say that if he gets to be 21/2 and he is still not talking, then address it with your pediatrician. I hope that helps.

L.

You can have him tested by TEIS and TIPS to see how on track he is and if he is eligible to receive state aid. The state aid in TN is only available until he is 3 and there are several levels of help he may qualify for. We ended up at Special Kids and Families and it worked wonders. Good luck!

Hi-
I have a 2 and a half year old. He babbled constantly but said few words until just a couple of months ago. He did EVERYTHING late and I was told it was because he is my third and the other two do everything for him.

He refused to walk until he was 19 months, refused to hold his sipper cup etc.

He talks great now. But he just started in July. He can repeat mostly everything he hears.

I would just give your little guy another couple of months and I'll bet he really takes off.
Good luck, M.

It sounds like you are concerned or just want to know if this is just nothing to worry about, I suggest that you contact Babies Can't Wait. This is a program Georgia offers to help. What it is, is Babies can't wait, 5 is to late. It is early intervention. I called when my daughter was having the same issues and what you do is call and tell them you would like to have your child evaulated because he is not talking etc... they will have a case worker assigned and they will call you and set up a time to have your son evaulated. The great thing about this program is, the evaulation is free and they come to your home to do it. IF your son requires speech theraphy, they will come to your home to do that also. The fee when my child was doing it was very small, they look at your income and also if you can't afford it they can not turn you down. Hope this helps.See below for information. There may not be anything wrong but this would put your mind to ease. Thanks, M.

How to contact Babies Can't Wait
Anyone who suspects that a child may be delayed in development can call a toll-free number to find out the closest BCW office: 1-800-229-2038.

My husband and I were in a similar situation with our son. One thing that you have to remember is that you cannot compare your child to other children. It's hard because we as parents want to see our children growing and developing like the rest. One thing I have learned from talking to other parents is that boys are usually a little slower than girls. It was this way with our son who just turned 5. He was also slow to speak. If he did talk it was very garbled and no clear. Our daughter was the opposite! She was talking in complete sentences and was so far above where our son was at the same age. But he is fine. Now in Pre-k, his teachers have told us how wonderful he is doing. And I can tell a difference myslef. Just wait. One day your little one will suprise you! I hoope this helps!

I personally WOULD be a little concerned and not let too much time go by before you, at least, have him evaluated. You can request to be seen by an occupational/speech therapist just to be sure this is normal for your son. He can get a referral from his pediatrician. I have a 21 month old son that speaks a full vocabulary and puts together sentences. Although this may not be the norm, you child should say more than 3 or 4 words at his age. We do not watch television in our house and I am sure that has contributed to him talking so well, but he does watch things at his daycare occassionally so TV does come into play a little. Scottish Rite has a wonderful speech "team" that can evaluate him and they WILL start with his hearing because delayed speech is one of the first signs of hearing loss or deficit. Best of Luck.

My son will be 2 in november and Im having the same problem although he has 2 ahead of him all he says is uhuh like saying no he says byebye ive been told he says dada he says ca ( my soon to be mother in law has a cat that meets us at our car door) but Ive been told he is fine but im not sure whats going on although my mom told me that my younger brother didnt talk until he was 2.5 i think but he had my other brother and me ahead of him but my soon to be step son everyone tells me he was talking by 1.5 I think and he had an older sister. Idont know but I wouldnt be worried as long as you can tell he can hear allrightand is doing everything else like he is supposed to. thats what Ive been told anyways by the pedeatrition

He will talk when he is ready, I have a cousin that did not talk until he was three. Now his a very successful lawyer and accountant.

Jamie
I just wanted to let you know we just moved here from Missouri and my 18 month girl isn't talking, not even mama, dada, etc. Anyway my doctor (before we moved) was concerned and had me check into TEIS (Tennesse Early Intervention Services). It sounds bad, but it's great. They come and test your child-for free-and are so encouraging. My little one qualified for services (and there is not a thing wrong with her except the talking thing) and we have a speech therapist come out once a week and a teacher for an hour also, all free of charge, I figure who wouldn't want that! I recommend at least calling because there is no financial obligation and they will either help your son or tell you he's already perfect! Good luck. TEIS phone # is ###-###-####, our gals name is Christina Schaffer.

Hello,
I have twin boys that will be three in Dec.
Boys do talk later than girls and twins talk even later.
I think with my boys they had me trained well enough that they could point or grunt for something and I would know what they wanted. When I realized they weren't talking much I started making them ask for what they wanted. It caused a little fussing for awhile but now they don't stop talking. The only thing that concerns me is that you said he is talking less now... has there been any big changes lately like moving...
Also, I am currently in Chiropractic school and we have a great pediatic program in our out patient clinic. One of the Docs is a leader in the field of Pediatirc Chiropractics. She is a specialist in looking for development things. She would assess risk factors such as was your son a c-section baby. (my twins were) It may comfort you to get a second opinion anyway. Also if she does think he has some delays she can treat him with out drugs. Her name is Dr. Hanson. If you would like some more info, let me know. She also leads our Pediatric club which meets on Thursday nights from 5-7. You could bring your son and let him run around with my boys and listen to what she has to say. Hope this helps, feel free to contact me if you would like to talk.
H. Welch
____@____.com

Your son sounds like mine. My son is now 2 1/2. I remember at 18 months he knew about 12 words and I was nervous. At 22 months he still only knew about 12 words and didn't really use them. It was more like he could name things when we pointed and asked. I was really nervous at this point. By the time he turned 2, he knew more words than I could count. Now he doesn't stop talking. And to be honest with you I think he speaks more clearly than his counterparts. I think maybe he wanted to make sure he could do it before he tried. Who really knows. I wouldn't be too worried. Also I wouldn't try to force it. At this age they want to be so independent and will go backwards if you try to force anything. We learned that with potty training. Also I have read that some children might not talk yet because they are working so hard on other skills such as physical skills. Anyway I wouldn't worry until the doctor tells you to. I hope this helps and good luck.

Both my nephews had speaking problems. One in particular is now 6 years old and starting the 1st grade and is doing wonderfully. My brother had him evaluated and put him in a "head start" program. They really worked well with him and he loved going. They even came to the house at first so my sister in law could be with him. There main problem was that whenever he groaned, grunted or pointed everyone would just give him what he wanted. It was a hard habit to break. Hope all goes well.

Jamie,
The hardest thing to do as a parent is not to compare you kids to someone elses. I used to do it all the time...well sometimes I still do!!
My son is 5 and just starting kindergarten. He sounds a lot like your son. My son started crawling and walking early. He even started eating table foods and drinking from cups at an early age, but he didn't really talk a lot. He still doesn't, unless it is about Thomas the Tank Engine!!
I too have friends who have girls who at the age of two could say long sentences that made sense. That's why I always compared my son to what their daugters were doing. Now I know my son just wanted to wait to talk. When he started daycare around 2 1/2 years old, he started talking better, and then when he started hanging out with some of the older kids around my parents house he really started talking. He learned that he could get their attention by talking to them. He still amazes me with some of the funny things he says.
Your son will probably do the same. When he gets a little older and interested in other kids he'll want to communicate with them and he'll learn how to use his words. You'll be suprised by how much he is learning and retaining.
If you've gotten him checked out by the doctors and nothing is wrong then one day you are going to be amazed at what your son says.
Also, my son loved to sing. He didn't always say the words, but hummed along to the song and when I would say the wrong word to a song, he would correct me. That was sort of a game we would play for me to get him to talk to me!!
I hope this helps some. I'm sure your son is going to be just as loud and noisy as all the other kids. He'll be telling you stories all day long pretty soon!!
Good luck and keep up the good work!!

I have a son who is not yet a year, so I can't offer reassurance based on my own kids, but my brother was over 2 when he began to speak. My mom was sure there was something wrong with him, as my sister and I (both older) spoke much earlier. I expect my son to be later than my daughter, I have always heard that boys just develop more slowly than girls. They don't really even out until mid teens. If your doc thinks he's ok and you don't see developmental problems in other aspects, don't fret too much. My brother is now getting his PhD in mechanical engineering and advanced powertrain. Trust me, when he started talking, we were in for...

Jamie,

I had to giggle remembering my son when he was between 2 and 3 because he did a lot of pointing and 'grunting' as we called it and very little talking. I have 2 girls also, one older, and one younger than Philip and their verbal skills developed so much more quickly than did his. I took my son to a testing facility at a hospital where they tested what he could comprehend and what words were already in his vocabulary. They asked me to come with a list of words that he was using at that time. I think they said that he should have around 200 which sounded like a lot until I started writing everything he knew. At the end of the test I learned that he was actually above normal somewhat, and that usually girls do develope verbal skills at an earlier age. Also a year later as I drove around and listned to Philip talk nonstop for 30 minutes or so in the car I had to laugh- to think that I was so anxious for him to start talking!!

Hi I have twin 3 1/2 yr old boys. One of my boys was exactually like yours. I had him evaulated by a speech therapist and ended up having weekly sessions. I started to use sign language with him and it was a life saver. The sign language helped with both of our frustrations. We bought a BABY SIGN video and watched it with him and also used other signs from books. Our therapist liked to sing songs that had alot of hand gestures in it like "wheels on the bus". During our speech therapy sessions we played with all different toys and emphasized, on, through, under ect. One of my favorite toys the therapist used was a set of veggies that were velcroed together that my son could cut apart. The therapist emphasized the different sounds of the veggies and the Cut sound. After a few sessions she wouldn't give him the veggies unless he said some kind of sound. Mason eventually started talking when he was 2 1/2 and tested out of the speech program before he was 3. I had him evaluated again when he was 3 to make sure he was still on track. He still leaves off the S on words and doesn't make the back of the throat sounds but that is normal until they get older. I always second guessed my decision to use speech therapy because I wasn't sure if he really needed it. Who knows maybe he would have started talking on his own but my thinking was if he needed help I wanted to start it early so he wouldn't be behind his peers. Hope this helps a little. J.

I am the mom of a 3 year old boy and 6 year old girl. I am also a clinical social worker. The rate that children speak is largely relative, regardless of environment. I have seen many children in the most stimulating environments who are just slow speakers.

I strongly suggest that you get involved with Babies Can't Wait. It�s our states program for assessing delay's in development. The program is not based on income and all services are provided in-home.

This is just a precautionary measure for something your son will probably grow out of. I have lots of friends who have utilized this program for a variety of concerns for their children.

It�s also a great way to make use of your tax dollars :)

Here is the website for more info.......

http://health.state.ga.us/programs/bcw

Here's the website