Angela - posted on 06/15/2010 ( 79 moms have responded )
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Hi ladies,
Here are my questions for the quick version:
Have any of you had your toddler, around 2 years old give or take a few months, in speech therapy because they weren't talking?
What kind of activities did the therapist have you/your child do?
How often did you go?
How long did it take before you saw real progress or did you think it helped at all?
And here's my story for the long version:
My husband and I started our son in speech therapy with the birth to 3 program when he was 20 months old. He's now 22 months old. He has said words, but doesn't on a regular basis and with baby #2 on the way, we figured we'd do what we can to get him help while he can have our full attention. Even though our pediatrician said most docs won't talk about it until he's 2 years old. Anyway, we were referred to a local place that comes to our house, which is nice. First, one lady came out and did the evaluation and they found he was 2 months to 12 months ahead in every category, accept he was 25% delayed in communication because he doesn't have a verbal response when we ask him things (he does sign). 25% is what qualified him for the program so she came out again to do paperwork and then we met with the speech therapist who also comes to our home, and she did an evaluation and said she thinks he has an oral motor delay (can't remember what she called it) and he wasn't able to get his tongue out far enough due to the thing underneath it being short. So, we start therapy. Has anyone done this? How often did you have a session? And what did the therapist do with your child? We don't want to be ignorant to a problem he may have, but we just don't know if it's worth it every week (at $200 a session, not sure if insurance will cover yet or not) to watch her blow bubbles with him, try to brush his teeth and give him candy suckers (which he doesn't get with us).
We went back to his pediatrician who said the thing under his tongue was short and we should see an ear, nose and throat specialist who could cut it and she was surprised that this wasn't addressed when he was having a hard time nursing. Now he sticks his tongue out, and has been babbling a lot and trying to say things (yuck is his latest) but that started before the therapy did. The pedi talked to the speech therapist (who was CLEARLY irritated that we went that route) and the speech therapist recommended 6 months of therapy before we make any decisions or talk to a specialist. I'm due at the end of August, my son will be almost 25 months old by then. We don't want to ignore an issue but aren't sure what's normal...Has anyone gone through this? How long did it take before you noticed real progress? Oh, I should mention my son is also very strong willed and will not repeat ANYTHING you say, and most of what you ask him to repeat doing (like babbling into a microphone or sticking his tongue out). He's never been like that. He said mama at 6 months and then on and off, going months sometimes between saying it. So how do you know when you're dealing with a stubborn toddler taking his time or if there's really a developmental delay? Sorry for the long post!! Thanks!
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Claryza - posted on 11/13/2013
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Newsflash: MOST pediatricians don't spend more than a 1 hour lecture on speech and language development. A certified speech pathologist has spent 6 years of their lives in school studying language development and a full year in a clinical fellowship after that working on their treatment skills and techniques.
If you are concerned about your child's speech and language you should consult the governing board of SLP's in the country which is www.ASHA.org
there you will find more valuable and evidenced based information regarding speech milestones at every age , when to be concerned, when to refer for testing etc... Be your child's advocate and present the information to your pediatrician. Don't waste your time worrying, get informed from a valid source and then take action to give your child the best start.
A two year old with only 10 words IS cause for concern, whether he's a boy, bilingual or strong willed( all typical excuses. Considering that at the 24 month mark a child should have mastered combining two words to form two word utterances, missing this milestone IS a red flag.
Once you are in therapy rely on your SLP to learn from her and to replicate what she does in therapy at home 24/7. When parents are dedicated to the process of breaking up the faulty system of communication ( pointing, grunting screaming) or lack there of ( nonverbal non imitative) this is when the child will progress the most and show excellent gains. It is hard work , but it is part of parenting. What you do at home for all of the other hundreds of hours he's not in speech therapy is detrimental to his progress. Another news flash an SLP who sees you are motivated and on board, will bend over backwards for your child to see them progress... SLP's don't just happen upon their careers, nor do they achieve their credentials in a effortless task. It takes a specific, special personality. A speech therapist is usually highly sought after and manages a large caseload of patients, if the therapist is telling you there is a problem there is a problem... Trust me she's not looking to add patients to her roster just because... Jump on board and support the process, The sooner you become an at home advocate for what she's doing the sooner you will see the fruits of your labor. By the time she leaves your house her phone is ringing with another pending consultation.
Bear in mind, a baby imitates facial expressions, facial postures, vowels and sounds early on, even as early as 9 months. You don't have to teach a child to imitate, it comes naturally, as their brain is wired to emerge into language through vocal play, which then is reinforced with the parents delight. This is how imitating emerges on the scene... If a child can not imitate at any stage that is a MAJOR red flag as they should be able to effortlessly.
As far as stubborn toddlers go; that is usually a product of parenting. Children need boundaries and structure. They actually thrive and desire it , so be sure that you set firm and consistent boundaries as early as the first year . Yes you can say NO to your child and yes you can put them in time out at the age of 1. A general rule of thumb is 1 minute for each year in age... Yes you will have to dig your heels in at the supermarket and stand firm at the wailing, but you will need to shape his attempts to communicate , it's not going to happen miraculously. If your child gets off to a late start talking, socializing etc... they may still be figuring things out when all of the sudden they have to sit still during story time and actually learn academic concepts in kindergarten. Little kids little problems, big kids big problems.
It would be a whole lot easier for a toddler to imitate " ju" for juice then stand in front of the fridge pointing and screaming while no one knows what they want. If they aren't imitating its because they can't not because they're stubborn, and if there's wishy washy inconsistent parenting that buckles at the first whine, then the behavior or lack there of is being maintained.
I sincerely hope you access the ASHA web page for resources, attend all the sessions, eliminate any caretakers that can not follow through on suggestions from the therapists, ask your therapist for a list of things you can work on at home, and then put your best foot forward you'll be glad you did.
Erika - posted on 06/20/2010
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Interesting story. My pediatrician told me at my son's 18 mo check-up (he's an only-child as well), that if he didn't speak 20 words by 20 months, to call him and he'd start "early intervention". After reading 3 books and dozens of articles about toddler speech, I think my Doctor is CRAZY. I never called him, although my son does NOT speak 20 words and he is 23 motnhs old now. Everything I read said VERY CLEARLY that by age 2, a good percentage of 2 yr olds speak around 6 words only, on a regular basis. I believe this to be true, as my nephew only speaks about 15 words and he is 30 mos old. So its true what they say I think.....they are all different and all have different skills at different times. If it were ME...I would totally not spend that money on any more interventions, especially with not what you expected for progress. It will happen....and remember boys are almost always behind girls with every developmental skill. Its not like he will just never talk!!! It WILL happen....I deal with my in-laws all the time asking about it and I hate that. They can't possible remember when their children talked 20-40 years later!!! Everyone is just so eager for them to talk and be social, but you can't rush them. I am in the process of switching pediatricians because I don't agree with my current one's philosophies. I have 2 siblings, and we all stayed home with our mother, never went to daycare or speech classes or "interventions" and we all talk just fine, LOL.
Rozanne - posted on 03/19/2014
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Here is a video I made on the topic of Late Talkers. Unfortunately, many Pediatrician's think that ALL late talkers will outgrow their delay. Some do. But many don't. I am a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist and work mostly with toddlers.
Natalie - posted on 09/12/2012
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You have nothing to worry about!
So this is a subject that is near and dear to my heart. My son Jake was babbling up until one year old. We went to visit my family in France. We came back and he stopped making any sound. We didn't really notice it until he was about 15 months old and not uttering anything! I started getting nervous. First child and all. Doctors told us to be worried, early intervention, etc. at 18months he didn't quite qualify. We paid for speech therapy out of pocket. It was expensive. We discovered the Hanen method. It's parent involved. Don't send your toddler anywhere where you can't observe and pick up some methods yourself. Hanen is about the parent teaching the child how to communicate. It was wonderful. Jake learned sign language in a day. Jake is also very shy. It's just his personality. We were able to communicate finally. I could tell he understood everything. He was musically and physically advanced too. He never said mama, dada, or anything. 2 days before his 2 nd birthday, Jake wanted to go out. So, like I had been doing for 6 months now, I signed "out" while saying it at the same time. Usually,he signed back without talking. Then I would just say "out" and point to the door. He usually just pointed. I'd wait. He'd sign again, and I'd let him go on this day.he pointed and said "ow". I couldn't believe it! I signed and Sid it again, he said it again. Third time, and then I opened the door. You would have thought we invented fire. But I knew finally something had broken through.
I'm telling you this story because there are so many factors to take into account here. Was it being around my French speaking family that confused him and made him withdraw sound. Was it his personality of being a bit shy and not really wanting to talk to anyone? Did speech therapy help, or did it just calm my nerves and make me feel like I was doing something?
There's one thing I know for sure, you talk to an older parent and they will laugh at all of us for how neurotic the doctors have become. Sometimes received language is what the kid stays on for a while, when they choose to speak, they have understood everything we've been saying for a year! I loved speech therapy. I spent money I didn't have, but it helped me not get frustrated with him either myself or Jake. I hope this helps you. Jake is 3 now, and we have to watch our language in the house! lol! Good luck.
Janet - posted on 09/09/2012
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Well my son has a cochlear implant so he does have speech therapy 3x's a week, however, I act as a speech therapist myself and make everyday activities (brushing your teeth, asking for food etc) into a game where he has to respond to. My son has had speech therapy I'd say about a year now and has made a lot of progress. He was a stubborn kid! He at first didn't want to say anything, and when he did say a word (or try) he wouldn't repeat it.
These are a few things I did:
*If he wants an object, he needs to vocalize for it. It doesn't have to be perfect but he needs to try. If you don't think he's getting it use your husband as an example.
Ex: He wants milk, so you ask him to say milk. If he says nothing turn to Dad and he'll say it and get the reward and repeat the process.
It'll be hard since he won't Want to say it at first, but you'll have to stand your ground and not give in at first. Start with words he has said in the past and move from there. Once he finally says it go nuts and congratulate him so he sees how proud you are of him (if you want you can even give him a sticker!)
*Make up songs or borrow some from cartoons. I use the Barney clean up song when we are done making a huge mess.
Important: Be consistent! It'll be tiring but just talk to him 24/7. In the car talk about the street lights (Green means go, red means stop etc), Airplanes (You can use the Ahh ling sound), cars, buses, etc. Anything can be made into a game or song. And you can play the listen and drop game. (Child puts an object to his hear, listens and when he hears the object or repeats after hearing he puts it into a bucket, cup, hoop, etc. Whatever he likes)
* Make an 'All about *insert name* Book and add pictures of people, pets, and things he sees and does everyday. My son has one, it doesn't have to be anything fancy because he will have the urge to color in it (have tape handy to fix ripped pages) and you just add pictures printed out from you computer, maybe a wrapper from a snack he loves to eat, favorite rhyme songs with pictures (you can find them on the internet!)
There is SO much you can do with him. Speech therapy is important, but your contribution using their techniques on a daily basis is really what's going to get your son up to speed. It might a while, every child is different, but you'll start seeing the results. Make sure to listen to all his babbling, it might be a word he's trying to say and just hasn't mastered. You are Mom so you'd know what he's saying better than anyone :)
Most of all, don't worry yourself too much, go ahead and do an evaluation. Some kids just take a bit longer to catch up. My son's playmate didn't start really speaking til he entered Preschool at three-ish. Maybe having playmates might encourage him to speak up more.
If you'd like any more ideas and whatnot I'm sure other mommy's here have plenty of wonderful ideas! You can also message me if you want I'd be happy to help!