Almost 3 and wont talk

brittneylee13

My son turns 3 in September he use to say mom and dad but he wont anymore. He grunts and points at things he wants. When I try to help him and try teaching him words he refuses to look at me and gets really mad. I dont know what to do or how to help him. Any suggestions or pointers would be very appreciated I'm trying my best but feel like I'm failing him with helping him reach his milestones.

ptrevino

Our speech therapist tells us to repeat words three times, pause to see if your LO says it and then move on. Also, to pair the words with actions to help understanding and use gestures. For example, every time I pick him up I say “up, up, up”. He now sometimes repeats “up” after I say it. They need to learn to copy you before speech comes around. Our therapist gave us a list of 11 skills your LO must master before speech can begin and for us that is a big one we are working on.

knottiec1bd6c5399b4642a

I would talk to your pediatrician. They would be able to evaluate him or refer you to someone who can. Many states have early intervention programs that provide free speech therapy and other services. Best of luck to you! 

00kim00

Losing skills (used to say mom and dad but now doesn't) and lack of eye contact (won't look at you) are red flags for possibly being on the autism spectrum. He turns 3 in September, so it's probably too late to get him into early intervention, but there are things you should do:
1. Immediately call your pediatrician to discuss your concerns and ask for referrals for a speech evaluation (because your primary concern, at least from your post, is speech) and a psychological evaluation (to look for ASD or other learning differences). Many areas have wait lists several months, maybe even a year, long to get a psych eval, so get on the list ASAP. Kids should absolutely be taking by age 3, and the fact that your pediatrician didn't catch this doesn't give me much faith in him/her, so I'd say it's likely you have to be very clear what you want and you may have to push for it.
2. Write a letter to your local school districts special education director requesting an IEP (individualized education program) evaluation. They're required to evaluate and meet with you within 60 days, but the clock doesn't start ticking until both the school year starts (summer vacation isn't counted in timeline) AND you sign their consent forms. This can get him access to therapies and free special preschool. 

The reason he isn't talking is NOT because you are failing him! I think the chances are good that his brain (or his body) is wired differently, which means he learns differently than most children and how we naturally know how to teach them. Getting a diagnosis will get you access to specialists who know how to teach in the way his brain learns, and can also teach you those techniques. Good luck, and please update us on how he's doing!