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Toddlers: 24 Months+
26 month old speech therapy advice LONG
My son turned 2 in June and his speech seemed delayed to me just before he turned 2. His pediatrician kept saying hes not 2 yet give it some time he will be talking before you know it and he was going to see where he was at with his speech at his 2 yr check up. When he went in july a month after he turned 2 he asked was he saying 2 word sentences or at least 20 words functionally and he was not. He asked does he understand everything I tell him and my answer was yes everything. But he screams to communicate. So he said put him in daycare so he can pick up the language with other children and wait until september when he comes in for his flu shot to he how hes doing then.
Well its august and his speech is slightly better. He does not use 20 words functionally like yes mom, all done, or say no when he dosent want something or using 2 word sentences. But if I tell him to say a word he will repeat it or try. When I give him something to drink I say juice and he says juice but if hes thirsty will he not say juice or milk he will scream and cry. if his sippy cup is within reaching distance he will say hunh and give it to me. He just started saying no but he just says it because I think he knows how to say it.He dosent say NO like he dosent want something or NO its mine in that sense. But for the most part he can repeat alot of words but he dosent use them functionally. I try to use words with him so he can know when to say them if that make sense..like Ill give him his cup and say cup or Ill show him his juice and say juice. If he dosent want something and shakes his head no Ill say No.
I also have been reading to him every since he was a baby and I mean like 3 months old he has a ton of books! I do flash cards with him and pint things out around the home. He is not in day care and not around children that are his age which I think would really help but everyone in my family are almost teens. My cousin has a 4 year old but she is distant. My friends who do have children live in a different state. So I am trying to work on finding a play group he can go to because right now I have a 2 month old and cannot afford daycare at the moment for him his aunt baby sits them. Daycare is expensive for him $200.00 a week.
So I looked into speech therapy who his pediatrician for some reason seems against. He keeps saying wait wait boys are slower he will be talking before you know it. He is making slight progress but its still majority of babbling and screaming. I will try to put him in daycare next year but if I can but I want him to be speaking at the level he should be and be able to communicate to me whats going on. As of right now he dosent and time is flying. His aunt will be done babysitting for us as of Feb 2012.
Do you think the speech therapy will do any harm? its covered by my insurance and I figured the help shouldnt hurt. But his pediatrician says I should just wait it out and Im afraid if I wait then what if he really is delayed.I always here early intervention is best when obviously caught early. I already had a meeting with the counselor and she did say she believes when he is evalauated this monday by the speech therapist he will be elgibile because she can clearly see he does alot of babbling and does not use actual words. Also he is not autistic.
What would you do? Any advice? Have you used speech therapy any pros or cons?
Thanks,
This discussion has been closed.
Re: 26 month old speech therapy advice LONG
No--speech wouldn't hurt and I think is necessary. He sounds like my son--and they were very concerned at his early intervention eval---- and 9 mos after starting speech therapy he hasn't made tons of progress--so he's actually going in to a developmental preschool program at the elementary school this fall. He's testing in at a 12 month level--which sounds a lot like your little one.
I would definitely do it--- if anything, they have fun playing--because that's pretty much what they do.
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Notes:
If you have early intervention in your area I would call for an eval (they are free) altho if your insurance covers private ST you mine as well go with that.
At 22 months one of my DDs had about 20 words but was only using the to label things...she would ask for "milk" by saying the word...but there was a lot of crying and whining (out of frustration I think) b/c she just couldn't communicate...we had her evaluated by EI and she qualified for ST.
Now at 26 months she is using 2 word phrases (sometimes 3-4) repeating almost everything we say...picking up new words constantly...it is amazing to see her progress...I would absolutely recommend ST...they had suggestions for us to help her "get" it...we introduced a few signs (more, eat, help, etc.) to help her communicate her wants/needs before she could say the words which also helped...
really I don;t see where extra help for your son wouldn't be beneficial (and I don't get why your pedi would be against it)...and if you can get EI services - they usually run a playgroup in conjunction with their program which is free which sounds like it would benefit you son as well..GL!
I would go with your gut feeling for sure. If you feel like he's behind.. there is no harm done in checking out speech therapy. DS is 2.5 and he talks like crazy. Sometimes I can't even believe the things he says to me or the sentences that he strings together. I do know a few 2 yr olds that don't talk that much and maybe it just depends on the kid.. they all develop at their own pace.. but there's no harm done in looking into. If anything, you could at least have some reassurance. I would definitely look into it if I were you.
I do think the play group is a great idea!! DS has been in daycare since he was 3 months old and I do think that plays a role in his development. But I totally hear you on the daycare costs. .it is expensive and you can't just throw him in and pay that much if you can't afford it. It's easier said than done!
Good luck to you!! I think you're being as proactive as you can be at this point so give yourself some credit for being a great mom!!
Ditto pp you need to talk him to early intervention and get him evaluated it is free. FOund out what organization does it in your area. It is easter seals in my area. You can also call the school it is the child find program here and they will direct you where to go since your child is under 3.
DS went to camp this summer and it helped his speech a lot but he still sees his therapist once a week. As my friend the ESE teacher said it is much better to get it taken care of now when they are little and think it is fun then to wait until older elementry and middle school when they are likely to get teased.
Also, if you get your son evaluated you can refuse services and they don't have to report it to the school system. If that is a concern of yours.
If you do EI, the evaluation is free. It is a relief and provides you with a general pic of your child's needs and voila- they can meet them. EI is provided through a private provider, so they tend to be a little leniant in getting kids services. My DS is in it and what I like about it is I did not like the first therapist and 2 weeks later another was assigned. It is nice because when you first get that long list of what's wrong with your kid you have a support network.
Get him the free eval and try the services, and switch to private if you don't like them. But do it before he is 3, because he'll age out of the EI and then services are through the school system. And that' is not always a great idea.
Pedis see hundreds and hundreds of kids and almost every single one develops normal speech, some are saying sentences at 12 months, others' first words come at 3, but odds are your kid will get it so they don't refer.
Sorry so rambly, DD is wasting away and begging for goldfish, trying to rush!
At 12 months my son was red flagged for a speech delay so we contacted and early intervention specialist and he's been working with her ever since. It HAS made a difference and we found out he has low muscle tone in his face so it's harder for him to make sounds so she coaches us on how to help him and it makes it like playing for him and the whining and screaming for things has decreased dramatically.
Ignore your doctor and call EI. It can't hurt, and if they aren't concerned than at least you know you did your due diligence as a parent.
My son now speaks 300+ words and three word sentences, no joke. This from only having about 40 just "naming words" at 17 months (pointing and labeling but not asking for wants/desires).
Good luck!
I think you may need to look into another pediatrician. You are showing valid concerns about your child and he doesn't seem to be listening. Most insurances require the doctor to sign a prescription for speech therapy so he may not sign them if he doesn't think it is necessary.
To answer your question, there is no way that speech therapy will damage your child. Wouldn't it be better to give your child all the help he may need now rather than wish you had in a year? I work with developmentally delayed preschoolers daily and the earlier you catch these issues, the higher the success rate is.
Everyone has already given you tons of advice about EI but I didn't see anyone help in the playgroup department (unless I missed it). check out the website www.meetup.com. You can create a account and look for playgroups in your area. You can join as many as you want and the playgroups do online calendars so you can go to the playdates you are interested in.
Just an FYI though, many are learly of new members to weed out possible pedifiles and such so they have some safety protocols to follow. For example the one I'm a part of the leaders want you to come to a playdate to meet you and your little one before they will let you sign up. They want to make sure you are a legit parent to make sure the group stays safe. So if they ask you to do that kind of stuff you will know why.
I hope that helps a little.
This! We made the call in May and DD has been receiving services and we have seen a vast improvement! I'm shocked that your pedi keeps telling you to put it off and to enroll in daycare when it is an added expense.