Speech delay
Printed From: OHbaby!
Category: Have A Baby?
Forum Name: Toddler Times
Forum Description: Is bubs growing up and getting into everything? How do you train them to use the potty? When do you start feeding solids? Share your tips and advice here!
URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=40646
Printed Date: 17 August 2025 at 7:10pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Speech delay
Posted By: Sharlene28
Subject: Speech delay
Date Posted: 30 September 2011 at 12:36pm
|
My son is 18 months old and apparently has a speech delay. He only says the following words:
Oh no uh oh wow no num num He has great comprehension when I'm talking to him, waves at people, points at things, walks and runs, climbs, doesn't seem to have any problem hearing me at all. Although he is an only child, (for now) he gets talked to all the time, he is always bringing books over to me to read to him and is a very happy child. I spoke to a speech therapist and she said that yes he does seem to have a delay, but recommended that we wait until he is two until we do anything formally about it. Has anyone else been in this situation? Has it gotten considerably better by the time the child turned two? ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
|
Replies:
Posted By: Babe
Date Posted: 30 September 2011 at 12:45pm
|
Yep we have. DS1 was completely deaf til he was one then severely partially deaf til he was 18mo so our assessment was at 2yo to see how he was doing and they didn't think his development was good enough. IMO he was doing just fine as he understood everything but couldn't pronounce very clearly. It wasn't so much a 'development issue' as practice that he needed - thats what we decided anyway. Because of his personality we didn't believe the intensive speech therapy that was suggested would be appropriate as he really takes things to heart, so we decided to work on it ourselves.
We helped him by speaking a little slower and sounding out the words with him as he attempted them. If he asked for a drink using his noise we would say oh a drrriiiinnnnkkkk?? Can I please have a driiinnnkkk?? (clearly shaping our mouths and letting him see) He'd give it another go (this was while we were making his drink - we didn't make him wait) and we'd say great try - drriiiinnnkkk and give him his drink, get a thannkyou and move on. His vocab had more than tripled in 6months and by 3 he was doing well. At 4 hes still not great on pronouncing some sounds but we don't push it we just encourage him to sound the word thats pronounced wrong out once then move on with lots of encouragement and he's getting clearer all the time. HTH 
ETA clarity -------------   
|
Posted By: MamaT
Date Posted: 30 September 2011 at 1:30pm
|
My DS has only just mastered words now at 21 months.
Prior to that he had amazing comprehension, could follow direction, was obviously hearing and listening to what we were saying to him and would point at everything wanting us to give him the word for it, but never even attempted to say anything, his only word was Dada, and everything and anything was Dada. He now has about 10-12 words and is becoming a little parrot. I wasn't worried at any point though, as it seemed to me, that he was just taking it all in and would use it when he was good and ready. He was much the same with walking, wasn't interested in walking, or taking steps, walking along the couch, between objects or anything, then one day at about 16 months suddenly decided he was ready and he was like a pro. Again, it was like he was taking it all in and waiting until he was ready to do it. So, I personally wouldn't worry. Keep giving him words for things, and re-asses the "issue" when he is closer to 2. -------------  
|
Posted By: kandk
Date Posted: 30 September 2011 at 8:49pm
|
At age 2 DS had no words at all. Not even 'no'!
We talked to Plunket, and had a referral to SLT when he was two and a half, which went well. Then about a month after that he started parroting everything he heard, like most children seem to do a year earlier. So as long as you are happy that there is no physical reason (eg hearing) don't stress, keep talking with him, and it will come. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
|
Posted By: Bizzy
Date Posted: 01 October 2011 at 9:50am
|
My first didnt start talking till he was 2. Wouldnt even call me Mummy. then one day he came right and started talking. I think so long as you can see they are understanding you it should be fine, but its hard not to worry. ------------- http://www.myfitnesspal.com/weight-loss-ticker"> 
|
Posted By: Bexee
Date Posted: 01 October 2011 at 3:07pm
|
My DS probably only said a handful of words at 18 months. That said, he did have huge ear issues until we got grommets and that set him behind. At 25 months he has lots of words, but probably is still behind and doesn't really join lots together. However he just seems to be a kid who doesn't say things unless he knows they're right, and plunket and paft suspect that he knows his sentences are quite teh same as ours yet, so is holding off.
I think the understanding is the main thing. |
Posted By: kebakat
Date Posted: 01 October 2011 at 3:47pm
| Daniel sounds pretty much the same. He didn't really start talking properly until he was 3. He now doesn't shut up. I really wish he had a mute button! |
Posted By: JoJames
Date Posted: 01 October 2011 at 8:48pm
|
My 18mo doesn't even say that much! He's very vocal but has no real words. I think as long as his understanding and hearing seems to be ok then he will get there eventually.
I kind of think that when it comes to toddlers, nothing is 'normal' they all do it when they can. ------------- http://www.alterna-tickers.com"> 
|
Posted By: Sharlene28
Date Posted: 02 October 2011 at 9:45am
|
Thank you ladies, the posts I've read on here have made me feel much better.
DH and I haven't really had anything to do with children before we had our son, so have no idea really when to worry and when to take it easy when it comes to development. I find it very assuring that so many of your children seem to be just fine regardless of where they were at 18 months. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
http://lilypie.com">
|
Posted By: blessedmama
Date Posted: 02 October 2011 at 1:06pm
|
Here's a link to the American Speech - Language Hearing Associations developmental milestone charts. These give a really nice indication of where kids should be at at certain ages - though obviously a rough guide rather than a strict timetable.
http://www.asha.org/public/speech/development/chart.htm Plenty of children are slow to talk but if you're still worried or you don't think his vocabulary is increasing I'd have another check in with a Speech - Language Therapist when he's two. Better to check it out and discover he's doing well than ignore it and run into problems later. |
Posted By: LJsmum
Date Posted: 02 October 2011 at 7:14pm
|
another tip is if he is pointing at something or making a sound to indicte he wants something say the word for him so he hears it. This has really helped our DS2 who also has speech delay. He is 22 months old and has
uh oh, bubble, more, muummy, wow, yah yah. So 6 clear and easy to understand words. Heaps of sounds and understands and follows directions. Talking slower, cutting sentences down to the main word has helped. So instead of a long sentence keep it simple. Instead of "lets go outside to play",I say "play outside". He has started to repeat "outside". Good luck he will get there
|
Posted By: monkey33
Date Posted: 02 October 2011 at 9:18pm
|
We have the same issue (well I'm not thinking it's an issue just yet!) Ds only says a couple of words and is clearly behind his buddies at his age. But he understands everything we say - and listens to instructions (ie, please go and get a book from your room - he'll come back laden with books!) etc so we are not concerned just yet. We'll look at going to a speech therapist next year for a checkup if he still hasn't picked up a few more words but I imagine he'll just do it when he's ready ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
|
Posted By: Leelee
Date Posted: 03 October 2011 at 8:21am
|
I was worried about my son at 18mths but MOE wouldn't see him until he was 2. When he was 2 he was assessed and they said he definitely had a delay but wait 6 months to see if there was any improvement, there wasnt so he started speech therapy at 2.5 and around that time his speech started taking off with very little speech therapy. He has been seen weeky for the last 6 weeks but to be hosnest I have been able to get more out of him the SLT(she was a student being supervised). He still is behind, he is only just starting to put 2 words toghether but he can count to 10.
I guess what I'm trying to say is don't worry at this stage and if you think your ds still has a delay in around 6 months ring MOE, you can self refer no need for plunket or drs ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> 
|
Posted By: freckle
Date Posted: 03 October 2011 at 5:14pm
I wasn't going to respond to this thread, as I have seen this same question asked over and over (no offence to the OP) with the same answers given... but given Leelee's post I felt the need to defend my career  (I am a paediatric speech and language therapist(SLT)). Yes, it is true there are a group of children who are delayed in their talking who go on to catch up without any need for intervention, however, a small group of children DO require help to talk. Without an assessment it is impossible to tell which children will have ongoing problems and which will catch up on their own. Further, an assessment by an SLT will help identify if there are any underlying issues, the type of delay/disorder the child is presenting with, and it is useful to monitor the child's progress until intervention is recommended.
There are a number of reasons why intervention is not started immediately with all children, and these are not always waitlist related. For example, speech therapy (which is purely working on the sounds) has been shown to be most effective for children aged over 3;6, so it is not something you want to start too early. I also wanted to add that language therapy for young children (which generally focuses on increasing vocab) usually involves training the parents to use language facilitation techniques, as the SLT only sees the child for an hour or so every week or two, so it is the parents implement the techniques at home. I would expect the parents to be able to get more out of the child, as Leelee found with her son, as they know there parents best, and they spend much more time with them. Sharlene, I do hope your wee one makes some good progress and intervention is not required, and that fact that he has good comprehension is a positive indicator. It's sounds like you're doing the right thing by talking to him lots and reading books etc, so just keep doing what you're doing My biggest tip with little ones, is to keep it short and simple, in context and repeat, repeat, repeat!!------------- mum to 3 lovely girls :D |
Posted By: Shelt
Date Posted: 03 October 2011 at 7:22pm
|
Sorry, this is a bit off topic but I just wanted to ask you Freckle - is it normal for kids language to develop and then go backwards? My DD has always been great at speaking, she had over 120 words at 18 months and had started putting two words together about a month or two before that. But about 3 months ago I noticed she had started stuttering and the clarity of her speech had diminished. It got slightly better but in the last two weeks or so her stutter is worse again and I am having trouble figuring out some of the words she is saying. She has had some issues with fluid in her ears (not thick enough to be glue ear) but I had her ears checked and they are fine this time. Do kids go through periods of time like this or should I be doing something to help her?
ETA to add that she is on the waiting list to have her tonsils and adenoids out because they are enlarged and get infected all the time. Could this be causing her speech clarity to decrease? Although I assume it has nothing to do with the stuttering? ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
|
Posted By: Leelee
Date Posted: 03 October 2011 at 8:17pm
|
Sorry if I offended you freckle, it was not my intentions. We had a great SLT with good techniques but as I said we were mainly working with the student(5/6 sessions) and I just think my son didn't respond or relate to her to well iykwim. I probably just worded it wrong, sorry again if I offended you. I am sorry you felt the need to defend your career. ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">
|
Posted By: freckle
Date Posted: 03 October 2011 at 8:26pm
|
A significant regression in speech and language development signals the need for an assessment (e.g. losing language). However, what you are describing doesn't really sound like that. She hasn't actually lost any language has she? her speech has just become more unintelligible? If this is the case, it quite often happens that as children's language becomes more complex (e.g. the phrases get longer) their speech appears to regress. Basically this is because longer phrases are harder to articulate, than shorter phases, or single words, so become more unintelligible.
It is also fairly common for children around this age to go through a period of dysfluency, however, if it lasts longer than 6 months, there is a family history of stuttering, or there appears to be other associated features (e.g. facial grimaces, prolongation of sounds, complete blockage of sound, clapping etc)then it's is best to have an assessment as early intervention for stuttering is much more effective. However, most will spontaneously resolve without intervention. Hope that helps ------------- mum to 3 lovely girls :D |
Posted By: freckle
Date Posted: 03 October 2011 at 8:34pm
Nah no worries at all and really I wasn't offended ... and I totally agree you really do need a therapist that your child relates to! ------------- mum to 3 lovely girls :D |
Leelee wrote:Posted By: Shelt
Date Posted: 03 October 2011 at 9:44pm
|
No, she hasn't lost any speech I just am having some trouble understanding what she is saying. That makes sense coz she is starting to put a lot of words together now (up to 10 in some sentences) and especially in the longer sentences some of the words are really clear but others are unintelligible. Just out of interest, what do you mean by complete blockage of sound? Gabrielle will sometimes start a sentence and get stuck on one word ie "I will ah ah ah ah ah ah play with the dog" or "I I I I I want to have some cake please". It doesn't seem to bother her and I just wait patiently to finish but it can be hard to listen to her when she gets stuck. I just want to jump in and anticipate what she is trying to tell me, its very tempting! I was just a bit concerned because the stuttering has popped up at the same time her speech has got harder to understand due to clarity. Thanks for the reassurance. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
|
Posted By: freckle
Date Posted: 04 October 2011 at 11:15am
|
blockages are when there is a complete blockage of the sounds, like they open their mouth to say something and no sound comes out... what you're describing sounds like repetitions which is typical of normal dysfluency. ------------- mum to 3 lovely girls :D |
Posted By: escadachic
Date Posted: 12 October 2011 at 10:55pm
|
I have had those problems with Sophie. But she had glue ear, so it's not the same issue I don't think.
But they didn't bother doing anything about it til she was nearly at school, which sucked for her. In Sophie's case, things didn't get better for years. But she has developmental delays, due to the glue ear. Sounds like he's all good on the hearing front and hopefully it's only his speech that is delayed, as that can be fixed at least. Speech therapy definitely helps and they pick up things pretty fast around 2+yrs. -------------   
|
Posted By: escadachic
Date Posted: 12 October 2011 at 11:07pm
This sounds exactly like what my older daughter does. She doesn't have speak delays so much anymore. But for her, she seems to do what you've described, when she's really enthusiastic/excited about something. Could it be that possibly? -------------
|
Posted By: escadachic
Date Posted: 12 October 2011 at 11:15pm
|
Oh, I just thought of something else Sharlene, being he's currently an only child. And Sophie used to be as well.
Sometimes, they do learn they can get what they want without using words and they can be a bit lazy and not use their speech, as they know ways to communicate their needs to you, without vocalizing them. Like you describe, he has a great understanding of things. So he's definitely intelligent. And intelligent children do, knowingly do this. Have you tried encouraging him to use the appropriate word/words, before getting what he desires? I had this problem big time with Sophie. As she knew I'd give her what she wanted, without the use of words. And Kindy teachers would often tell me, she knows the words, she just chooses not to use them. -------------
|
Posted By: TheKelly
Date Posted: 14 October 2011 at 12:03pm
|
My son is two and a bit and has only just started talking more,the OP's son said a lot more than my son did at 18months.
He isn't always the clearest with his speech but hes trying,and hes watching our mouths when we say something and attempts to copy us. He understands instructions perfectly....i'm not worried I reckon in the next few months he'll come along leaps and bounds (and then I wont be able to shut him up ) ------------- 
http://lilypie.com"> 
|
Posted By: HoneybunsMa
Date Posted: 14 October 2011 at 2:54pm
|
I was a tad concerned with DD's speech at 20 mths only after a thread like this popped up however and said they should have so many words. At 18mths I think DD barely said anything, mummy, daddy, where is she? (random random sentence she picked up lol) and a few more words but not consistently. Since she turned 2 she has picked up so many words its unbelievable. We gave her a leaptop for her 2nd birthday and in the last month or so has started repeating the words on that and being able to point to animals and say what they are. Numbers she can count to 9 but misses 5 out. I wouldn't stress at about 2 they start coming to their own and chatting away now we can't shut her up! For awhile now if she has had a word and doesn't use it then we tell her to use her words. I hate having ha uh arguments with her where she points and ha uh when I know perfectly well she can say yoghurt please, or cookie please etc
Shelt your daughter sounds to me to be doing similar to what DP's nephew was like and occasionaly still is. His brain was working so fast that he was having trouble getting his sentences out and would stutter a lot. It was so hard not to jump in and finish his sentences ------------- http://www.myfitnesspal.com/weight-loss-ticker"> 
|
Posted By: Sharlene28
Date Posted: 16 October 2011 at 3:12pm
|
Hi there, I have been away on holiday and haven't seen this thread lately.
Thank you for all your responses, it feels as though I am worrying about it a little early. I am going to give him a chance to develop a bit more and see how he goes. In answer to you Kelly, I have tried getting him to say "ta" (which he seems to know sometimes) when he wants a drink, he refuses and walks off leaving me holding the drink. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
http://lilypie.com">
|