speech language

Tricia - posted on 01/11/2009

OT is occupational therapy. It's almost like a combination of speech and physical therapy together. They work on alot of different things at one time instead of focusing just on one thing. For example, with my daughter in speech the therapist works just with her using her mouth muscles and the OT therapist has her sitting on a ball to balance herself plus trying to get her to make sounds etc. Does this make sense? (I know what I'm trying to say but sometimes to type it out I get a little flustered...my brain seems to work faster than my fingers!! LOL)

If you have any more questions let me know...

~Tricia

Amy - posted on 01/11/2009

Leticia,

we been through this I can't think how many times I fianlly convinced my daughters peditirican to recommend someone for her speech.. I sometimes think these dr.s all they care about is making money, not the patient.. I hate to be that way, but can't help but wonder that sometimes..

Amy - posted on 01/11/2009

Amity,

Yes I've had their hearing checked and they are fine.. I have a hearing loss myself and we thought that may of been it, but it's not..



By the way- what is OT? lol I'm new to this.. lol

Tricia - posted on 01/11/2009

Malinda~

With my kids the speech recommened OT as well as they work alot of muscle which helps with speech. My daughter is also in PT as she has low muscle tone. So my daughter is getting all 3 services. I can see w/my son in OT that it has helped with his speech as they to work on fine motor skills and gross motor as well. One thing I did forget to mention in my previous posts is that my husband also did not talk until he was 3 and needless to say hasn't quit since. The reason that I pushed speech for my kids is that I have a hearing disability and with the school systems the way the are these days I don't want my kids to be behind. I find it rather strange that they think kids in kindergarden need to learn to read.

Leticia~

From my own personal experience I would push for speech or even a speech evaluation to see what can be done. I'm not sure how the areas work where you guys live but here the kids have to "pass" to even enter preschool!!

How my kids got referred to speech in the first place was they were both in Early Infant Development which in ND is a free service to kids newborn to age 3. They were working with my kids and basically things weren't improving so they recommended speech which in turn the speech pushed for OT. My daughter is 19 months old and just started walking about 3 months ago. Now w/the OT and PT she has recieved she is practically running after her brother! I totally agree with Amity as well is to have their hearing checked. My son had ear infection for the first 3-4 months of his life and had tubes put in at 7 months that is why I think he has the speech delay because he missed out on sounds when he was so little.

If you guys have any other questons let me know!! I'll be more than happy to help! 

~Tricia

Amity - posted on 01/11/2009

Don't know if it's been suggested but did you get her hearing tested? Always something to consider. Contact me if you want the name of a good audiologist..

Leticia - posted on 01/10/2009

i am going through the same thing. my son is going to be three next month and doesn't talk much and what he does say you can't understand. i have asked his doctors about sending him to a speech therapist and they keep saying "oh he is still in the normal range. there is nothing to worry about". i just think the military doctors we are forced to see are just too cheap and lazy to send us to see a real professional. when i take my son for his three year check up i am putting my foot down so we get referred out.

Jocelyn - posted on 01/10/2009

hi there, my son is the same way, he just turned two and still doesn't talk.  not a single word.  but his dad talked late too, so i guess that's where he gets it from :)  it's anoying, but i've been told not to worry and to make him "use his words"  i think we're making a little process.

Malinda - posted on 01/10/2009

I'm glad to know about the speech therapy. Physical therapy and speech therapy have been recommended for my 16 month old (she understands most things but says very few words, and one of her legs is slightly shorter than the other so she has trouble balancing). I didn't know that OT and speech went together--I'd appreciate more of your thoughts on that.

Tricia - posted on 01/10/2009

Amy,

I just wanted to write back and let  you know that you are doing the right thing by trying to make her "use her words". That is one thing our speech therapist told us, was if he wants something he needs to say it before he gets it. I started doing that with him after he started speech and it seems to work. I think also he realized that if he told Mommy what exactly he wants with words he will get it. My kids also go to daycare every once in awhile and they said that my son doesn't really talk to the other kids that much but he will chatter away with them one on one which I think in part is because I am home with him all the time. It's just the 3 of us a majority of the time. He has however started talking to his sister. Just thought I'd let you know this.

Tricia

Amy - posted on 01/10/2009

Hi Tricia,

Thanks for responding back.. Lindsey used to say all kinds of words and slowly she didn't use the words anymore.. All she says now is; Hi, Bye, where's zoe (our dog), where he go and no.. She used to say banana, grandpa, nana, mommy, daddy, etc.. but you don't hear it no more.. I can't figure out what it is.. If she wants some juice out of the frig, she'll jump and whine.. my husband or I or our parents would repeat what it is- JUICE and she gets fustrated and doesn't want it.. so we stopped doing so.

She understands everything around us like your son.. and we can ask her what our names are and she points to us.. ha but other than that, she's very smart.. she just doesn't talk.. We did have her in day care thinking it would help and it helped a little, but we had to pull her out due to money issue- we just simply couldn't afford it..

Thanks for writing back..

Oh I also have a 1 1/2 old daughter as well too and she only says a few words as well.. She says a few words, but not much.. I'm so glad that your son is doing great on his talking! Thanks again Tricia

Amy

Tricia - posted on 01/10/2009

Hi Amy,

I also have a 2 1/2 year old son that has been in speech therapy for about 6 months. Before he started speech therapy he said maybe 2 words but understood everything that was being said to him and around him. Now that he's in speech he talks and talks and talks. It might be hard at first but they will come around. My son would resisit alot at first because he thought that talking was hard for him so he would throw tantrums etc just be aware that it takes alot of patience.  I also have a 1 1/2 yr old that is in speech as well she says no words yet but she will be very soon. My daughter has some muscle issues which is the result of her delay in speech. Both my kids are also in occupational therapy as well. Many people don't realize that speech and OT kind of run together. If you have any other questions let me know!! I hope this is helpful for you!      ~~Tricia