My 4 year old doesn't talk

Judith - posted on 02/19/2013

My 1 and 7 month old son doesn't walk yet and talk.He only knew mama, papa,dada and tata.

Nkateko - posted on 01/08/2013

HI I HAVE A BOYFRIEND CHILD, HE HE AN ADORABLE LITTLE BOY" MY LITTLE SUN SHINE" HE IS TURNING FOUR THIS YEAR AND IS NOT TALKING, HE USED TO SAY SMALL PHRASES LIKE MAMA PAPA AND COUNT NUMBER BUT STOPPED. HOW HE BABBLE YOU CANT MAKE OUT WHAT HE SAY AND HE GETS FRUSTRATED IF YOU DON'T REACT. I AM WORRIED, HIS FATHER IS TAKING HIM TO DRS AND HE AS BEEN TO DRS EVEN LAST YEAR AS HE CAN POINT NUMBER WHEN YOU ASK HIM AND SPEND LOTS OF TIME ON PROPERTY MAGAZINES AND HE IS INTERESTED IN NUMBERS. PLEASE HELP

Jessica - posted on 12/07/2012

I'm hearing you....my nephew is almost 4 and he only is able to say mumma or dad... all the other words he sais is yeah to everthing.. i can't understand a word so i have to get him to point to thinks so i can understand what he needs.. i have a 13 month old and he talks better than my nephew. He does listen very well and does as you ask him to do, i also let him play with my sons leapfrog learning toys and also alphabet learning sounds but nothing seems to be helping him.. what steps are next to help him talk he starts kindy in feb 2013 and what can i do to encourage his mother to take him to a specialist.

Edwin - posted on 07/13/2012

I'm a dad actually.My son is going to be 6 on November5.He is going back to a special class this September called the Sunshine Room because he still does not talk very well.Actually,he talks a lot but the thing is that he is very hard to understand.I am very worried about him and both his mother and I are very worried about him.Ha has a sister that is almost nine and she talks completly normal.Actually, we have to often throw our arms up in the air at times and scream out "Why oh why did we not throw this one back when she came.That way we wouldn't have to hear all this talking."Actually that's usually me and I just do it so that she will usually say"Oh that's it.I am going to get you so bad.That's when she usually chases me down,pushes me down and starts to,as far as she believes,beat me up.Actually when she is cloberring me as hard as she can I usually ask my wife,while I'm laughing of course,hey mom are the mosquitoes biting early this year?Of course that just make her even more deterimed because I am laughing and then she tells me she is REALLY REALLY REALLY going to beat me up.It's all in fun but it is part of the fun times my little Princess and I share.But in all seriousness we are really concerned about our little Buddy and I am very frustrated that he is not talking so well.Am I a bad dad for thinking this.I'd appreciate any feedback on this.FRUSTRATED DAD>

Carlie - posted on 09/29/2011

But she can hear, correct? Your question is kind of broad. Have you tried Head Start? Or any other income-based schools? Other than that, has there been any trauma, either directly or indirectly, in her life? Like I said, broad question. If hearing isn't a problem, then tell her tell her tell her you love her. :) And that she can count on you. Don't push her to talk. She will when she's ready-regardless if it's autism or some other speech impairment. Even if someone shows her how to speak, she probably still won't do it, until she's ready. Just be there for her mama. :)

Betty - posted on 09/13/2010

Your 4 year old not talking could just be a lack or confidence or motivation on her part. I didn't talk much at that age and there was nothing wrong with me. I just didn't like talking. Just give her lots of encouragement. You could have her help you make flash cards for words you would like her to say most and make a point to go over them with her a few times a day. Use this obstical as a bonding experiance for the two of you.

Kelly - posted on 09/13/2010

My son is almost 3, and he doesnt talk much. I was offered speech therapy about a year ago but I refused it as I didnt want to push him.
The last couple of weeks he has slowly started saying more words, an I talk to him all the time. Every time he points at something I tell him what it is, then ask him what it is. Even if he tries to say a word but it isnt very clear I tell him hes a good boy.
Albert Einstein didnt talk till he was 4!!

Sarah - posted on 09/13/2010

I don't know where you are from but i'm from WI and we have early childhood programs for kids in our schools! they provide a speech therapist for the kids that need it and you don't have to pay anything for it because its all through the public school system! i had a little boy in my daycare that needed speech therapy and the school would send their speech therapist out to our daycare center to work with him even though he wasn't old enough to be in the early childhood program yet! we also have a birth-3 program that will work with parents on things like that! i would look in to see what your local school offers for help with speech!

Jane - posted on 09/13/2010

As you say "Maylene's health insurance" I would say you are in America so I would go back to the Doctor and ask for a proper check on her ears she could have a problem there like one of the other mums said like listening under water and if that's it it can be fixed easily. If that's not the reason your 4 year old doesn't talk then do what Sarah and the others say, talking to her with pictures and use the internet to fine other ideas. We are lucky in Australia, autism is tested for and speech classes are mostly a matter of time and effort.

Lynette - posted on 09/12/2010

Your not alone, although most of the time you do feel alone. I have a daughter who is almost 4 years old and doesn't talk. She has been tested for everything under the sun & the Specialists at the Children's Hospital can't find anything. It's so frustraiting. You can study & learn all you can but that doesn't really fix the situation. It help but deep down all we want is a fix. We see Speech,Ot & Physio every 8 weeks. Nothing anymore can really help. We do sign lauguage with her to help he be able to communicated but even that can be hard for her sometimes. She also only started walking independently 6 months ago. I am a stay at home mum & spend many hours working with her & helping her to improve. Still, remember that you are a seperate peoson too so take some time out, alow yourself to sit & have a cuppa in peace. You don't have to work on your child all the time or they will get bored & you can't force them.

We've also had ears checked, she has better hearing that me I recon :) All I can say is just hang in there. I take 1/2 a day at a time sometimes. No one will ever understand what you are going through unless they have been through it themselves. Your a strong person & your daughter loves you, hang on to that xxx

Gloria - posted on 02/19/2010

my newphew was like that he cant talk.. his parents where told that he was born with water on the right side of his brain and that he is not suppose to be able to talk or walk but hes walking and as for talking hes starting to speak a little my brother gets a disabilities check so check into what your state does for child with disabilities

Niki - posted on 02/18/2010

einstein didn't speak till he was almost 5. You should check out a book called " Late talking children" by Thomas Sowell

Kelly - posted on 02/17/2010

Go get her ears checked.. my daughter wasnt talking.. she could hear and everything.. she jumped when there was a loud noise.. But i got her ears checked and they said she needed tubes in her ears.. I promise you a week later she was talking cause she could hear.. the doct said she heard as if she was under water

Amanda - posted on 02/17/2010

Talk to her as often as you can. You can also try getting her to repeat names of things with you and offer plenty of praise if she tries. If she is autistic, then you should encourage any effort she makes to talk. Just don't push her to talk because you don't want her to see it as a chore. Also, see what kind of approach the therapist would use and try it at home.

Sarah - posted on 02/17/2010

ok, i have worked with autistic children and my cousin has an austistic 5 yr old (i'm not saying she is autistic) but in my experience it sounds like she maybe. what i suggest is that you get her tested for autism (in austalia they can do this when they reach the age of 3), if it turns out she is you can still take her to speech therapy it may help her to start with small words like mum, cat and dog etc but there are activities you can do at home to help. take photos of things around the home like her bed, doll, tv, ball, bath etc and paste one pic onto a sheet of paper then write what it is underneath. then throughout the day show them to her and ask her what they are, if she answers and gets it right praise her if she gets it wrong correct her, if she doesnt answer tell her what it is. if it turns out she's not autistic have you thought of getting her hearing checked sometimes if they cant hear properly it impacts on their speech development, so this may be the cause. well i hope this helps with your 4 year old who doesn't talk and good luck...

Shella - posted on 02/17/2010

Take things one day at a time, God didnt get the world goin in one day so just help Maylene by reinforcing what she does and giving her good feedback when she does talk, get some books, and try to educate yourself as much as possible. YOU are always your childs first teacher so make sure at home you are working with her.

Betty - posted on 09/13/2010

Your 4 year old not talking could just be a lack or confidence or motivation on her part. I didn't talk much at that age and there was nothing wrong with me. I just didn't like talking. Just give her lots of encouragement. You could have her help you make flash cards for words you would like her to say most and make a point to go over them with her a few times a day. Use this obstical as a bonding experiance for the two of you.

Jane - posted on 09/13/2010

As you say "Maylene's health insurance" I would say you are in America so I would go back to the Doctor and ask for a proper check on her ears she could have a problem there like one of the other mums said like listening under water and if that's it it can be fixed easily. If that's not the reason your 4 year old doesn't talk then do what Sarah and the others say, talking to her with pictures and use the internet to fine other ideas. We are lucky in Australia, autism is tested for and speech classes are mostly a matter of time and effort.

Lynette - posted on 09/12/2010

Your not alone, although most of the time you do feel alone. I have a daughter who is almost 4 years old and doesn't talk. She has been tested for everything under the sun & the Specialists at the Children's Hospital can't find anything. It's so frustraiting. You can study & learn all you can but that doesn't really fix the situation. It help but deep down all we want is a fix. We see Speech,Ot & Physio every 8 weeks. Nothing anymore can really help. We do sign lauguage with her to help he be able to communicated but even that can be hard for her sometimes. She also only started walking independently 6 months ago. I am a stay at home mum & spend many hours working with her & helping her to improve. Still, remember that you are a seperate peoson too so take some time out, alow yourself to sit & have a cuppa in peace. You don't have to work on your child all the time or they will get bored & you can't force them.

We've also had ears checked, she has better hearing that me I recon :) All I can say is just hang in there. I take 1/2 a day at a time sometimes. No one will ever understand what you are going through unless they have been through it themselves. Your a strong person & your daughter loves you, hang on to that xxx

Sarah - posted on 02/17/2010

ok, i have worked with autistic children and my cousin has an austistic 5 yr old (i'm not saying she is autistic) but in my experience it sounds like she maybe. what i suggest is that you get her tested for autism (in austalia they can do this when they reach the age of 3), if it turns out she is you can still take her to speech therapy it may help her to start with small words like mum, cat and dog etc but there are activities you can do at home to help. take photos of things around the home like her bed, doll, tv, ball, bath etc and paste one pic onto a sheet of paper then write what it is underneath. then throughout the day show them to her and ask her what they are, if she answers and gets it right praise her if she gets it wrong correct her, if she doesnt answer tell her what it is. if it turns out she's not autistic have you thought of getting her hearing checked sometimes if they cant hear properly it impacts on their speech development, so this may be the cause. well i hope this helps with your 4 year old who doesn't talk and good luck...