my son is 3 years & 4 months, & not talking yet..

Soraya - posted on 01/29/2010

My son is almost 4 and he does not talk yet either. he might have a hearing problem like my son and therefore, speech delayed also. Check with a specialist. Dont be alarmed.

Chalee - posted on 01/29/2010

U should have his doctor test his led level. My god-daughter wasn't speaking too well at 2. Found out her led level was 4x's higher then the danger level. And she has been in speech theorpy for 3yrs now but she's talking and her levels were brought down to normal. That could be a problem then it may be something else. Hope this helps u ;o)

Sri - posted on 01/29/2010

hi.. i got same problem too.. my kid turn 2 next month having speech problem. she can hear wat i say and most of the time answer me but i dont understand her language. Sometimes i sit with her and listen what she`s trying to say. sometimes i can figure it out what she`s saying becoz of her face expressions or she show me wat she want. When i look at other child who can speak, i feel frustrated and want my baby to speak well like others. My parents told me wait and give her more time and she will speak soon. But others keep on pressuring me of her language. They feel its funny and difficult to understand.

Adrienne - posted on 01/28/2010

Go to the birth to three program. They can help. How about your pediatrician. What does he/she think?

Heather - posted on 01/28/2010

I would say to take him to the doc and explain. Sounds to me like he just needs a little speach therapy. If he can count, and say his abc's and knows colors, i would just say he needs a little extra boost. But have it checked out.

Nathalie - posted on 01/28/2010

I would definitely talk to his pediatrician ASAP. THis should have been already diagnosed by his current ped so then change his doctor and get a referal quickly.

Nora - posted on 01/27/2010

yes Casay he is home all the time!! :( he didn't start the preschool yet.. he hear me when i say, ( Garen do you want a BALOON, or do you want the I POD) actually he just strated to say 2 new words every 1-2 days.. after i post this story here, so is it good!! im asking you because you said that you're work at a preschool in the 3 year old room.. thank you
& thanks for all the moms, God bless your kids

Kathleen - posted on 01/19/2010

I agree with the bilingual moms on this one. Also, my children can hear perfectly fine but sometime choose to ignore me no matter how loudly I call out to them. They think it is funny. Definately bring you concerns to pediatrician if you think he has a hearing problem.

Jamie Aenn - posted on 01/18/2010

Better consult his pediatrician

Lisa - posted on 01/18/2010

my son tyler isnt talking eaither but thats because he lost his hearing from ear infections for the first year an half of his life but i wouldnt worry about it to much boys are always slower in talking, but if your really worryed about it get him checked out

Kate - posted on 01/17/2010

I would talk to your peditrician,but also consider talking to a child development professional.

Corrie - posted on 01/17/2010

As a teacher I would recommend teaching one language at home before school. He needs survival English like communicating wants and needs (restroom, drink, etc.) But what I have found with 50% of my Kindergarteners speaking learning two languages is that they do create a language all their own because they have a blend of information they are trying to make sense of. If they learn academic, and oral language componants in one language really well before entering school, they can make connections with the second language quicker and they will be better at both languages faster that a child who has a mixed up third language. If you are going to teach both languages at the same time teach the vocabulary together. Offer a lot of conversation speech and even listening to stories on tape / cd. And I loved the advice to get him involved with other children his age. Kids pick up speech quicker if their speech is stimulated. Good Luck!

Megan - posted on 01/17/2010

Get him checked for Autism and other conditions that cause children to develop in areas such as interaction immediately

Megan - posted on 01/17/2010

I would take him to an audiologist and get his hearing checked and if thats fine I would get him in speech therapy asap also at 3 yrs old he should have been started in pre-school already for the social skills and verbal skills.All My Children Are Special needs in some way or another been there done it all

Fawn - posted on 01/17/2010

I was worried about my daughter possibly having a speech delay at that same age and she was not learning two languages. I never had her checked because I wanted to give it more time and within a few months she started making sentences and then when she started preschool it just kept getting better from there. She is now almost five and has no problems with her speech at all. He may pick it up in a few more months or you might want to ask his pediatrician when you should start worrying and have him checked for other issues.

Joanna - posted on 01/17/2010

Hello. Don't freak out, but be pro active.

Make an apt with his ped.

When you play label everything he touches, be interested and excited in everything your son shows an interest in.

Stay just below his eye level so it is easier for him to make eye contact with you.

when you speak to him, use gestures, facial expressions and change the pitch in your voice when speaking.

Less is more during play, keep it simple and have fun!

Casey - posted on 01/16/2010

Is he home all the time? I work at a preschool in the 3 year old room and we had a little boy start who was not saying many clear words at all, a year later and his language has greatly improved, i would consider putting him in a preschool setting getting him around other children could help greatfully

Esther - posted on 01/15/2010

My son is being raised bi-lingual too and he started speaking at around 14 months and was speaking sentences at around 18 months. I do realize that this is not typical (and he's not this far ahead of the game on some other milestones, I guess it's just an area he decided to focus on early) for bi-lingual kids and that they often do start speaking later, however, it does seem to me that your son is a little behind even for a bi-lingual child in this area. It could be something very benign like an ear problem that can be easily fixed or maybe he just needs some speech therapy. But I do think you should talk to your pediatrician about it and get a referral to a specialist. If there is a problem, it's better to be pro-active about it and start working on it as soon as possible.

Georgia - posted on 01/15/2010

My eldest son (turns 3 in 2 weeks) is being brought up bilingual (English/Japanese). I was concerned that he wasn't talking like other kids his age, so I took him to see a speech therapist when he was 2 1/2 at the same time I started teaching him sign language to help him communicate (because it was frustrating him). He's got excellent comprehension of both languages and can carry out complex instructions in either language, so hearing wasn't an issue. Not long after visiting the specialist, he started talking more and more, increasing his vocabulary by 3-4 words a day. Now, he can say 3-4 word sentences, but sometimes it's still hard to understand what he's saying because some sound combinations he's yet to work out.

Your son could just be a late talker, because boys do tend to start talking later than girls and being raised with 2 languages does delay them a bit further. However, he may have a slight hearing problem if he doesn't respond to his name. It wouldn't hurt to have him checked out, because I've heard that late talkers can grow up to have reading problems if their delayed talking was caused by phonological awareness issues.

Good luck!

Savannah - posted on 01/15/2010

My son does the same thing and we just found out he has High Function Autism. I'm not saying that your kiddo does but you should definitely express your concerns to your doctor and get him tested. Its not the not talking that would concern me, its that he doesn't hear you when you are right next to him.
Not trying to freak you out AT ALL. Just think you may want to talk to a professional about it because all we can give you is advice and our own stories.
Kids talk in their own time. Please don't think I'm telling you there is something wrong with your kiddo. As I said, al we can give is advice based on our experience or reading.
((hugs))

Lizanne - posted on 01/15/2010

I just thought of something else - you probably understand more of what your son is saying than you think. Try writing down everything he says, or even video or get in on tape somehow. You'll probably notice words that he keeps saying, and eventually hear that they sound like words you know. Our daughter, who understands everything we say in both languages (Dutch and English) sometimes makes her own version of a word, and we learned to understand what she was saying this way. I'm not saying you should go ahead and let your son speak his own language, but if he feels like he's being understood, he will be more open to further language development.

Please don't think there are all sorts of things wrong with your child! If you want, join the parents of bilingual children group here on Circle of Moms:
http://apps.facebook.com/circleofmoms/e_...
I bet it can help you with some of your frustrations/questions...

Lizanne - posted on 01/15/2010

Oh, my daughter is exactly the same!! You're bringing your son up bilingually? Then your post is reassuring to me!!! My daughter also has her 'own language', but can't even count above 3! I bet you there is absolutely nothing wrong with your son's hearing, let alone problems with autism (although if you have ANY doubts, definitely get it checked out!!!) but in my experience people tend to underestimate the affects of a bilingual upbringing. If I were you, why not see a speech therapist - we're going to do the same with our daughter who is the same age as your son. Hope this helps!

Nora - posted on 01/15/2010

thank you everyone :( and yes Elexis, we're Armenian, live in Bay Area-CA

Jess - posted on 01/15/2010

Get him to the pediatrician immediately. He could have anything from a slight hearing problem to autism.

Elexis - posted on 01/15/2010

Is he learning two languages? I was a Nanny for a french couple and their youngest didnt start talking for awhile because she was learning to seperate the two ...

Crystal - posted on 01/14/2010

Has he been tested for Autism? Or anti-social personality disorder? Good Luck.

Aileen - posted on 01/14/2010

Better see a specialist to see your son as soon as possible...