Your suggestions will be appreciated
My dd is 14m. Her gross motor skills are way advanced (she is walking almost running, she is able to bend and pick up toys). Fine motor skills are average (she does not really points at things but waves, claps hands, etc...) My problem (I believe is mine bc I am over protective and think ahead way too much) is that she does not talk. She yells and screams and grunts but not a single word. She babbles a lot but nothing. It seems she says mama, but it is just a sound.
I asked the pedi. He told me that we will go for a language evaluation around 15m. My husband thinks I am crazy, but cognitive delay let's say that "runs" in his family. Plus, as many of you know, it is hard to constantly hear "she doesn't talk yet? My daughter, neighbor, cousin...talked when she was 5m!!"
My dh spoke around 7m, I did around 9. I blame her delay on the nanny who let her watch too much tv (but I cannot get another nanny---please do not ask it is complicated) and the fact that we speak 2 languages. I actually speak to dd mostly in English and our native language, picking the easy word for each thing from each language, while the nanny, most of the family and dh speak with her in our native language.
I know that some people on this board have greater burden that kids who do not talk, but I was hoping to get some insight and wondering if I am paranoid and too apprehensive or if there maybe some need for therapy.
TIA
Re: Your suggestions will be appreciated
I am not a doctor, but I would probably get her evaluated sooner than later. Trust your instinct. The fact that she isn't pointing and she has no language needs to be looked at. My dd is 14 months old and she has been pointing for 2-3 months now and she has 4-5 words. My ds, age 3, who has autism, didn't start pointing until he was almost two, and that was just to things that he wanted because he didn't have the language at the time.
Is there joint attention there (she tries to get your attention regarding something she likes and wants to share that experience with you)? How is the eye contact? Does she wave bye bye or hello, without prompts to do so?
Try calling both first steps and a developmental pediatrician. I wish I would have done that with my ds at that age (signs were there), but our doctor put us off and ds was our first born, we didn't know any better.
Check out this site, it seems to have some good info and you can post a message to the lady that runs the site and she will respond. Lots of article and I have only read a few but I noticed that you have brought up issues/topics that I have read about on that site.
https://www.teachmetotalk.com/
Max 4-08-08 and Michael 2-03-91 (19 years olds)
https://www.earlyinterventionsupport.com/development_speech.aspx May help you with what she should be doing or not. My youngest son didn't point until around 19 months old and has a few spoken words and a few signs right now. He's 22 months old. We're told he is somewhere on the spectrum.
As far as the tv thing, I know it is kinda one of those "to each their own" thing but we have noggin on most days because we have preschoolers and I found it encouraged language with my boys. In fact, Christopher's first word was "BOB" like Sponge Bob since my oldest son loves to watch that show. I have founds shows like Pinkey Dinkey Doo have helped with comprehension with Matthew who has mot much comprehension of what is read to him and has retention problems. I sit and watch with him, though.
I know this isn't the popular opinion, but I would think your DD is too young to worry about it yet, UNLESS there are other things going on as well. According to the chart I have from EI a child MAY say 5-10 words at 18 months.
You can call EI in your state, they will send someone out to evaluate your daughter and let you know if she is delayed enough to receive services. In MI a child has to be 1 year delayed in speech to receive services, DS was evaluated at 18 months and wasn't delayed enough (he didn't talk, babble or point at all).
People are so competitive, it drove me crazy when people would give me the "he/she isn't talking yet?!?". I always said, "no he/she isn't, but he/she is running all around, climbing all over, etc."
Honestly, based solely on what you wrote, I would wait until closer to 18 months to be concerned. It sounds like she is babbling well, using consonants and vowels. Is she understanding what you say (to the extent that a 14 m/o does)? If not I would be more concerned. However I also believe in a mother's instinct, and if you really feel something is there, I would call now. You should be able to call EI on your own (no prescription needed), depending on where you live.
None of my kids spoke a word at 14 months, they were silent observers. By 16 months my daughter had a vocabulary of well over 40 words, and by 20 months was speaking in 3-4 word sentences. Two of my boys were closer to 2 when they started talking and were well within the normal ranges by their 2nd birthday. My 5 y/o (globally delayed) didn't talk until 3 1/2.
3 boys (15, 8, 6), 1 girl (4)