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toddler preemies and language delays

BostonLove11BostonLove11 member
in Preemies
Question for those who have preemies older than 18 months and have had dealt with language/speech delays.  My son is 16 months old, 14 months adjusted.  His gross motor skills have always been ahead of the curve but we are now learning he has language delays.  He babbles loudly with expression but still has no words (says mama and dada but not really directed to us).  I guess what concerns me a little more is his comprehension (receptive language skills), he responds to his name and "no" or "sit down"...but that is about all as far as comands he will follow.  He can't identify body parts or point to specific animals in books or wave/clap on verbal command alone.  We already have started speech therapy and everyone seems to agree there are no signs of autism here.   I was wondering who else has dealt with these language delays and when you saw improvements. Any particular helpful things to share regarding "teaching" comprehension or commands?  I feel like so much of having a preemie is waiting...I just want my son to yell "mama" when I walk in the room.  TIA!
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Re: toddler preemies and language delays

  • kar5162kar5162 member
    DS is ahead on language now, but was on the slower end before about 17 months actual (16.5 months adjusted).  He had a few words, but only 5ish and did appear to have fine receptive language overall, but didn't actually respond with pointing, or following directions.  We did a lot of narrating - first we're going to go upstairs and take a bath, now we're going up the stairs, around the corner and up more stairs, down the hall and into the bathroom, there's the bath tub, now we're getting in the bath, etc.  We also read a lot of books and would actually help him point to the pictures...where's the kitty?  I point to the picture, there's the kitty, I take his hand and point to the kitty, see the kitty cat?  Somewhere around 16.5 months he took off and he started pointing, labeling body parts, pointing to pictures in books, and gaining words quickly.  I have no idea if what we did helped or not, but doubt it could hurt.
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  • DenesdiaDenesdia member
    At DD's 2nd birthday, we still had no names and very few objects had an identity, either.  The Pedi referred us to speech therapy a month later, which showed some promise.  She was showing comprehension, but still not expressing herself.  Going to daycare this past May was when everything exploded.  Timing was right, I guess, plus she has continued with the therapy weekly.  I just became mama in the past couple weeks.  The modeling with other kids plus working with us on sight flash cards really have helped.  GL.
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  • BostonLove11BostonLove11 member
    Thank you for the responses! 
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  • lemen99lemen99 member

    Andrew babbled late ("gagaga" at 11 1/2 months adjusted, "bababa" at 12 1/2 months adjusted, then "yayaya") and then had 2 words "car" and "gagi" (daddy) by 18 months adjusted.

     At that time we were obviously concerned and enrolled him in ST.  Finally, after about 5 months in ST he started to try to make new sounds.  At about 6-7  months in ST he took off.  He's been in ST for about 8 months (?) now and he has hundreds of words.

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  • laragabriellelaragabrielle

    Thanks for posting this question.  While my daughter is not older than 18 months (today is her adjusted one-year birthday!), it has been interesting for me to read the responses.  It sounds like many initially late talkers are now really taking off!

    My daughter has been able to babble "baba," "dada," "mama," "gaga" and "lala" for months but only really says "mama" with meaning.  She hasn't added many new sounds recently.  My main concern is not so much the lack of words right now, but that she is pretty quiet.  She'll often babble in her car seat or if I put her in her high chair or the playpen for a minute while I'm doing something, but can go hours without making many sounds.  She imitates some mouth movements and some sounds, but not many.  She is interactive and points and claps and can follow simple commands when she feels like it, but the hours of silence scare me sometimes.  Some of the kids on my adjusted birth board seem to be talking in sentences already! 

    Anyway, good luck to you Boston Love (I see that you are in DC too?) and thanks to everyone for their responses!

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  • lujainlujain member

    My daughter is 22 months, and she has been saying significantly more words in the last couple weeks.

    I've read a few books on speech delays, and this one was the most helpful in terms of practical tips:

    https://www.amazon.com/Takes-Two-Talk-Practical-Children/dp/0921145195/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1309983474&sr=8-1

    To help with receptive language, I suggest simplifying your language.  Instead of saying, "Sweetie, do you want the ball?"  Just point to the ball and ask, "Ball?" 

    Try to use visual aids to show your kid what you're talking about.  Point to the cow in the book, and say "cow." 

    Repeat words a lot, especially the ones that are simplest to say (like vowel-consonant combinations).  For example, for a long time I would say "in" and "out" every time I took sometime in or out of a container.  In and out were a couple of DD's first words.  

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  • lemen99lemen99 member
    imagelujain:

    My daughter is 22 months, and she has been saying significantly more words in the last couple weeks.

    I've read a few books on speech delays, and this one was the most helpful in terms of practical tips:

    https://www.amazon.com/Takes-Two-Talk-Practical-Children/dp/0921145195/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1309983474&sr=8-1

    To help with receptive language, I suggest simplifying your language.  Instead of saying, "Sweetie, do you want the ball?"  Just point to the ball and ask, "Ball?" 

    Try to use visual aids to show your kid what you're talking about.  Point to the cow in the book, and say "cow." 

    Repeat words a lot, especially the ones that are simplest to say (like vowel-consonant combinations).  For example, for a long time I would say "in" and "out" every time I took sometime in or out of a container.  In and out were a couple of DD's first words.  

     

    ditto this

    or like every time we go up a stair we say "up!" and every single stair we go down we say "down" - - 

    we also simultaneously did signing

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  • ssg73ssg73

    At 18 months dd had about 5 words non that she used consistently.  Now at 2 (on Sunday!) she is saying so many words and has started using 2 and 3 word phrases.  It was slow going but she started really picking up with her language around 22 months.  We had her evaluated for EI at about 18 months and we were surprised to see that she was further behind in receptive language that expressive. She didn't qualify for services but we really started working on labeling things and reading tons of books like this one

    https://www.amazon.com/First-100-Words-Bright-Baby/dp/B000F7BPCU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1310053183&sr=8-1

    I also ran a commentary on everything we did.  Just last week she said "Drew that not nice." to the cat.  It was like she had no words or progress all winter an then it all just exploded. 

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