UPDATE: For those with Speech Delayed DCs...

[ha98ed14]

UPDATE: The specialist came this morning to do the initial evaluation of DD and to interview me. Her assessment was that DD was on target for receptive language (understanding commands, knowing the names for things) and motor skills (put the circle block in the circle hole) but was pretty delayed for expressive language (no real words). This was pretty much what I expected from the reading I had done and observing frinds' DCs of the same age as DD. I will take her for a full assessment by PT, OT and Speech Therapist some time next week. The specialist today thought she will be fine for PT and OT, but will probably need Speech Therapy.

Thank you to all who replied for the encouragement to get the eval. Now that my suspicions are confirmed, I am glad I called. Hopefully she will catch up and be ok.

____________________________________________
For those of you with speech delayed DCs, when did you know there was a problem?

DD is 16 mos. She babbles a lot, with varied intonations and syllables, but there no words. She says "mama" but it is not connected to me or DH and she usually says it as "ma ma ma ma," just repeating "ma" 3 or 4 times. She has no "words" that I can discern. I was worried at 12 mos where the AAP said they should have one word and I could not find one. The closest I can come is that she consistently says "ba ba ba ba" while carrying around a ball. She does this often. I have also heard her saying "ba" when I am cutting up her banana for breakfast.

She seems to understand these words, "Her name (she will turn and look at you; No; Go get X toy; Come here; Go in this room (with me pointing where I want her to go.)." She communicates by pointing and shrieking

Am I being paranoid or should I be worried that DD slow to talk?

[daisy1234]

I was in that same boat at that age...always worried. DD is 3.5 now and is in speech. In retrospect I wish I called Early intervention when I first had those concerns. My advice is if you are concerned call your local birth to 3 program (Early intervention). They will schedule a time to go to your home to do a through eval. It is free and it will give you peace of mind. I asked all the experts including a speech therapist friend and the pediatrician ...all who gave me ideas that we were already doing they also said don't worry she'll talk. We havea small delay in articulation and it requires speech therapy 1-2 times a week. Early Intervention is soooo key and they give you such great ideas to work on with your child! Call tomorrow! And who knows they may say...yes there is a delay ...and you would then get speech services or they may say she is right on track...which would take away your worries....they may say everything seems ok but they may still keep your file open...in case you have concerns again in a month or so down the road! Good luck!!! PM me if you need any more info! keep us posted!

[kijip]

I would keep watching her but I would not worry too much. There is a large range of normal and 16 months or later is not too late for a first fully pronounced word. It sounds like she is doing everything she should be to develop speech. T had a handful of words and got his letters before 2 but never really talked much at all until after two. He is not at all delayed verbally now (quite the opposite). I was very delayed verbally and had an impairment which resulted in a years of speech therapy so that is why I always take a special interest in speech threads.

An EI evaluation is a good idea, mostly because it should put your mind at ease.

[lizajane]

dylan did not have however many words at 12 months (# of words peds ask if they have.) he did have a few words by 16 months, but we are talking maybe mama and dada and dog. and that was all. at 18 months, he had maybe 5 words. and at age 2, he didn't string words together in phrases, just thank you." he did babble at the "right" age. my ped was not worried at ALL. by 2.5 he was totally caught up and at 3, you can't stop him from talking! lol!!

my Godson did not babble. he growled. he had no real words at 12 months and not even really at 18 months. he maybe said "da" at the dog, or "ba" at the ball. but nothing consistant. at 22 months, they are doing speach therapy and he qualified for free early intervention services. he tested at a 9 month old level. however, he tested right on his age for receptive speach- if you asked him to go get the ball and put in on the chair and then go get a truck and bring it to you, he would do exactly that.

i think the babble is a great sign. but if you feel uneasy, then get a test done. why not!!! can't hurt! and try not to worry too much- i know easier said than done- catching up happens FAST as soon as it happens for most kids. :)

[willow33]

I wouldn't worry. My oldest ds didn't have any words other than mama at 15 months. I remember being worried and even asking my ped about it. He said that we would reevaluate at 18 months. By then he was talking up a storm. It was like one day it just turned on.

I know every child is different, but I would give it a few months and then see how she is doing.

[NewfieNat]

I wouldn't worry yet.

DS is 4+ and has been in speech since he was 2. For me, the BIG red flag was not combining words by 2. Our health region slogan is "Two by two, understand me by three" so that was drilled into my brain.

The other issue was ommitting final sounds from words. He had maybe 200 words at two but almost none were correct. For example, dog would be da. I thought it was normal for kids to make mistakes, and it is, but it's not normal to have NO final sounds. He didn't get that until almost 3.

Looking back, he did not babble. Yes, he made sounds but that's it. He was my first so I didn't know any different.

We are still struggling with some major issues but for the first time he has tested with a moderate delay rather than severe (just in speech/articulation, receptive and language is normal) Progress is being made!

[JBaxter]

20 months he said very few words at 24 months we started speech therapy he graduated at 4 1/2

[maestramommy]

With Dora we didn't get concerned until she was closer to 18 months. In our previous state (CA) they won't evaluate until that age anyway. We decided that if she wasn't saying any words by her 18 mo wellcheck, I'd ask the ped for a referral. Which we did.

At the evaluation, Dora tested ahead of her age for receptive language, but 50% delayed (or more) for expressive language. At that point she was saying mamamama or dadadadada but unrelated to us. She would also babble on na.

Interestingly enough, even after she started saying words she didn't say mama or dada right away. That was like word number 20. I guess she just didn't need to say those:)

After one year of speech therapy, she tested almost at age level for expressive language. In her case, the issue was motor planning. And it still is. She has trouble talking and doing something else (like walking) at the same time, and often in a sentence gets hung up on repeating a word over and over before she can move on.

[GlindaGoodWitch]

My own .02 is to try not to worry, but set up an eval with ECI since your taxes pay for the service anyway.

You might also want to check into whether or not your insurance will cover therapy and if so find the "private" practices in your area and set up evals there too. Take it from a mom with experience - if you actually end up needing ST (or any other kind), you'll be glad you got on the list early. And if not, you can always cancel.

Our ECI program only allows for the ST to come 2X a month at DD's age, but private we go once a week. Also our ECI coordinator told us last week that per a recent lawsuit in FL, you ARE allowed now to double up on services. Previously if you were getting ST 4X in private and were evaluated to get it 2X through ECI the ECI would be canceled out.

Good Luck and you are SO not alone (in case you were feeling that way).

[brittone2]

I would suggest an EI eval if you are concerned. FWIW, I worked in early intervention as a pediatric PT, and while speech/language is definitely not my area of expertise, I did a lot of screening and was part of weekly evaluation teams that paired an SLP with a PT.

Many, many kids will catch up on their own. The problem is that even as therapists, we can't always predict which kids will catch up through a sudden developmental spurt and which won't. And the ones that aren't catching up continue to fall behind when they may just need a bit of a boost to get going, kwim? For a parent, IME it is almost impossible to predict which kids will catch up and which kids will not.

It sounds like she has decent receptive language skills (which can make therapy go much more smoothly if needed) and the babbling is a positive sign. Are the only sounds DC makes pretty much limited to "ma" and "ba", or is her babbling more varied (even if they aren't "words" do you hear a variety of other sounds?).

An eval will give you more information. You can always get the eval and still not pursue therapy yet, but it will give you a baseline. Sometimes the evaluating therapist will say, if DC is not doing XYZ by age 2, give us another call. Even if you don't opt to pursue therapy, or DD doesn't qualify, the evaluating therapist should be able to give you suggestions on ways to work with her at home in the meantime.

Early intervention for 0-3 is a much more family-friendly, cozy situation than speech therapy is once they enter the school system. In most states it is free (some states do charge or have a sl iding scale) regardless of income, and the therapist will come to your home if the child is under 3.

eta: agreeing w/ the PPs that mentioned getting on a list now if you are concerned. SLPs in particular are in high demand these days. Sometimes parents/physicians push off the eval until 2, or 2.5, and then by the time they get an eval scheduled (can sometimes take several weeks), then evaluated, and then waiting for services start (can sometimes be quite a few weeks after the eval depending on laws and therapist availability), they are getting close to aging out of early intervention at age 3. The school system is a different animal from 0-3.

[ha98ed14]

It sounds like she has decent receptive language skills (which can make therapy go much more smoothly if needed) and the babbling is a positive sign. Are the only sounds DC makes pretty much limited to "ma" and "ba", or is her babbling more varied (even if they aren't "words" do you hear a variety of other sounds?).[/QUOTE]

Her sounds are mostly ma and ba, and slurred other sounds that I could not try to spell. And screetching. I know she has *something* to say because she is very assertive, so its not that she doesn't have the thought, "I want that," or "pick me up." Its more that she can't tell us in any other way than pointing or shrieking.

I did call early intervention. They took my name and asked me some questions and said someone will call me in 2 weeks. Made me glad I am calling now instead of 6 mos from now when she is closer to 2. Thanks for all the advice to call now rather than later.

[JBaxter]

Nathan's therapy was through EI also :) Good for you getting things checked out now instead of waiting

[sidmand]

Many, many kids will catch up on their own. The problem is that even as therapists, we can't always predict which kids will catch up through a sudden developmental spurt and which won't. And the ones that aren't catching up continue to fall behind when they may just need a bit of a boost to get going, kwim? For a parent, IME it is almost impossible to predict which kids will catch up and which kids will not.

:yeahthat:
I cried when they told me that based on what I described DS *would* qualify for services, but I think I knew it for awhile. Like others have said, some kids catch up no problem, but some don't. And there is no way to know which will be the ones to catch up until it's late in the game.

DS babbled, but had no words at 12 months. I wasn't *that* worried. His pediatrician said if he had no words at 15 months we should check out EI. If it was just speech, I'm not sure I would have moved so quickly, but in our case there was more than just speech. But he still had no discernible words at 15 months. He wasn't pointing or waving either. So at 15 months I called EI. We've probably only had specific speech therapy though since about two years old.

It's hard to get an evaluation (hard to hear sometimes), but good for you for getting the ball rolling. It can take awhile sometimes and better to get started asap.

[icunurse]

DS babbled a ton - to the point where everyone really thought he was saying something, even though DH and I knew he wasn't. By 15 months, I mentioned something to the ped, who took a "wait and see" approach. At 18 months, I was really concerned (still babbling a ton, doing signs, but really not saying many words - maybe 15?), but the ped said to wait until he was 2 to be concerned. At 2, the ped gave us the handout for EI and he qualified for services and still receives them through the school district (though he may "graduate" as he is up to age level, but noted to be "at risk" of falling behind if not monitored).

I look back now and could kick myself that I didn't investigate more on my own as far as getting EI to evaluate. I took what the ped said as DS needed a referral for an eval (nope, anyone can call at any time for an eval) and now I tell everyone I know to get an eval done if they have concerns. I know too many people DS's age or younger who were told to wait-and-see by their ped and then required therapy. Would the extra 6 months have really changed things for my son? Probably not, but they sure wouldn't have hurt (and the services were far better than though the school system IMO).

DD doesn't babble nearly as much as DS, but seems to have better receptive skills. She only says thank you, welcome, kitty, mama....I think that's it. If things don't improve by 18 months, I will not hesitate to call for an eval. I hope she doesn't need therapy, but, if she does, I want her to get an early start on it. And, if nothing else, we will at least get some tips to help her.

[ha98ed14]

DD doesn't babble nearly as much as DS, but seems to have better receptive skills. She only says thank you, welcome, kitty, mama....I think that's it. If things don't improve by 18 months, I will not hesitate to call for an eval. I hope she doesn't need therapy, but, if she does, I want her to get an early start on it. And, if nothing else, we will at least get some tips to help her.

Ok, Now I am glad I called. It sounds like our DDs are similar ages. Yours says all this? Mine say nothing. Glad I called.)

[Melbel]

BTDT. DS was significantly speech delayed and at age 2, he qualified for speech therapy through our EIP (FL). The evaluation was in a government building, not our home. From what I recall, he did not have many words at that time, and did not have many sentences either. Similar to your DD, DS had better receptive language skills (understanding what is said to him) vs. expressive language skills (speaking). DS often would point or grunt to give him what he wanted.

The speech therapist, a fun, sweet engaging young woman came to our home 1x per week. The therapy was largely games that DS really enjoyed. I figured that it could not hurt to have the therapy, and it may in fact help. The therapist also taught us how to help DS. For example, rather than allowing DS to simply point/grunt for something, we worked with him to use words. The therapist also encouraged us to use a simpler vocabulary and sentence structure with DS. We were encouraged to continue reading to DS each day (which we were doing already). We also began repeating short sentences describing what we were doing. By age 3, DS had made tremendous improvement. Beginning at age 3, services would have been provided in a group setting at a nearby school. Both the therapist and DS' preschool teacher felt that he had made enough progress to discontinue services at age 3, but we continued to monitor his progress to see that he did not fall behind again.

As a reassurance, by age 4 he went from reading Dick and Jane books to dinosaur encyclopedias within a matter of months. DS has been and remains academically at the top of his class at school, so the speech delay did not hinder his development. I assure you that I was VERY concerned and worried excessively about DS at the time. Now it seems like a distant memory.

[icunurse]

Ok, Now I am glad I called. It sounds like our DDs are similar ages. Yours says all this? Mine say nothing. Glad I called.)

To be fair, while kitty and mama are quite clear, thank you is said "tonk ooh" and welcome is "welka". DS's speech therapist understood her when she said them, but I'm not sure others would. From my experience, you will never regret getting an eval.

[Gena]

A great book is "The Late Talker" by Marylin Agin and Lisa Geng: http://www.amazon.com/Late-Talker-What-Child-Talking/dp/0312287542
It focuses primarily on apraxia of speech, but discusses other reasons why a child might be talking late. It has a great section on how to tell a delay from a disorder and what to look for at various ages.

I read this book when my son was 20 months old and this was what got me started on seeking evaluations and therapies for him. I highly recommend it.

[ha98ed14]

UPDATE: The specialist came this morning to do the initial evaluation of DD and to interview me. Her assessment was that DD was on target for receptive language (understanding commands, knowing the names for things) and motor skills (put the circle block in the circle hole) but was pretty delayed for expressive language (no real words). This was pretty much what I expected from the reading I had done and observing frinds' DCs of the same age as DD. I will take her for a full assessment by PT, OT and Speech Therapist some time next week. The specialist today thought she will be fine for PT and OT, but will probably need Speech Therapy.

Thank you to all who replied for the encouragement to get the eval. Now that my suspicions are confirmed, I am glad I called. Hopefully she will catch up and be ok.