Responding to a Screeching Toddler

This is just a suggestion, but before you make him dependant on sign language make sure that he doesn't have a hearing problem. He may not be hearing the words correctly so when he repeats them in a request they don't come out right and you don't understand and he gets frustrated. My #2 son was like that, but I didn't "get it" until he was almost 3. He went to speech therapy and over came the problem before he started school. Check with your doctor or even the local school board--some state provide free hearing test for children under 5. You might also check to see if he is tongue-tied. That is when the lingual fraenulum under tongue is restricted. You might want to check this out. http://members.tripod.com/~Caroline_Bowen/tonguetie.html Good luck and keep in mind that some day he will grow up and you will miss that voice.

I really like what Janet R had to say, she is spot on!

Don't do sign language unless your child has a hearing problem. teach him more words with more repetition. Everything you touch and pick up and give to hime wehn he is around, say the name of it and work with his linguistics. Repetition!!

To stop the screeching immediately, place your hand over his mouth and say no. Do it everytime. This is not being mean. Kids learn through repetition and approval/disapproval.

You're right, they don't know SHHH! unless you cup their mouth when you say SHHH!

I've never understood the whole sign language thing. It really delays their speech. It teaches them, to use sign first, instead of speech. They are supposed to speak and use the voice, not the hands. We never signed...we spoke to our child ALOT and repetitive.

The old school methods are the best in my opinion.

I really like the happiest toddler on the block by Peditrician harvey karp.. highly suggest that book and his methods..(totally works for tantrum issues) teaching babies signs for communications..as well//
Using a sing song quiter voice when he screeches.. Instead of responding not so loud.. instead sing gently .. queit voices.. or indoor voice.. or whisper back.. or make little bitty voices.. and ask him to make small voices like you..
Repeat what it is he wants to let you know you have heard it.. sometimes you have to be just as vivacious back so he knows he has been heard.. normally they are happyjust being heard.. then you can express why it is that you will have to be doing something else..

Sign language is the answer. You can teach him simple signs for eat, drink, more, finished, help, hurt, wet (for a new diaper), or potty if he is ready for that. There are books that you can buy specifically for signing with babies. I wouldn't pick too many, but teach him the ones that apply to your daily life that will help the two of you communicate.

for when my #1 wanted to communicate something and signing or words weren't working, the one thing that worked for me was to just pick her up and ask her to point. 99.9% of the time this helped me to know what she was wanting. Whether she could have it or not might be something else entirely :-) but at least I knew we were on the same page (or closer anyway)
I am firmly against leaving a limited or non verbal child screaming - no matter how vocal they are! This is their only form of communication until they learn more. Your dear son has only had 15mos to learn so far - be patient with his cries of frustration.
hth

K. H, mama to
Catherine, 4yrs
Samuel, 1yr

If he knows sign language (which is what I was going to recommend), then you need to tell him to "use his sign" to tell you what he wants. Ignore the tantrums and only respond when he asks you nicely. I use that phrase with my daughter still and she can talk. If she says "I need...." or whines, then I tell her she needs to ask nicely if she wants mommy to help her. If he signs for something and screeches with it, you ask him to "ask nicely". When he signs without the tantrum, you praise him and tell him "thank you for asking so nicely". Once he figures out what you want him to do, then you don't respond to him unless he uses his signs.

I just wanted to edit my response because I utterly disagree with something one of the other posters responded with. Sign language DOES NOT make a child less verbal or cause their speech to be delayed. I taught my daughter sign language for very simple things beginning at around 7 months and she picked it up right away. That doesn't mean that I stopped speaking to her. We talked about everything all day long and she was speaking in complete sentences (grammatically correct I might add) by 20 months old. She is in no way speech delayed. She has been saying more than 350 words since she was 17 months old. In fact, at her 2 year appointment, her doctor said that she is a year ahead verbally. Sign language shouldn't replace talking, but it can give pre-verbal children a way to communicate that is less frustrating. I hope you are able to find a way to help your son communicate more effectively so that you can get some peace.