Speech and language evaluation/ Speech questions (long sry)

missyjg · October 2011

B had her 18 month appointment yesterday. She is looking great and right on or above her milestones except for her speech development. Expressive speech to be exact. She has only 1-2 words that she uses consistently with encouragement, but she understand a vast amount of language that we use. Receptively, she is really on track but expessively is where she struggles.

Her pediatrician recommended a speech evaluation b/c it's free and they would give us some strategies for home. I worked in EI, I've done hundreds of CORE/inital evaluations and know that B will not qualify right now for services. Her pediatrician basically told me the same thing but said that it wouldn't hurt to have it done to get ideas. If I wait until she's just shy of 2, she would have a better chance of qualifying, a much better chance. And if we wait, it would give her a chance to catch up.

B is also very focused on her motor skills. She's always hit her motor milestones really early (she was standing independently at 7 months and walking at 9 months etc.). I think she's just focused on motor skills. B has also had fluid on her ears until recently so I'm thinking that this also has something to do with her lack of language.

I am comfortable waiting but DH wants the speech evaluation done. I'm not sure that they will tell me anything that I don't already know. The evaluation is free but I almost feel like I'd be milking the system a little if I do go through with this evaluation knowing what I know. I donno, maybe I'm overthinking things here.

But... I have to be honest here, I encourage language but when B points or signs something, I usually don't demand she uses language but just get it for her. Honestly, it's better to just give it to her then watch the meltdown that follows. This is HARD for me, I just stuggle with watching her struggle. I know she can make all different sounds, but she refuses to try to use them as spoken language.

So here's my questions:

1. Would you get a speech evaluation done or wait?

2. When your LO was learing to talk, did you just let language develop by encouraging it or did you really demand that they use language instead of non-verbal signs (pointing, grunting etc.)

Telyco · October 2011

I'm on my phone so I can't give a very detailed answer. But i definitely would call. I regretted waiting until Evan was 2...ESP because we had no clue about the other issues he was having like fine motor delay. We assumed everyone was right when they said "oh you'll see, one day he'll have this huge explosion." or "so and so didn't utter a word until she was 2.5...and by three she could read the dictionary" ...Evan is not going to have a language explosion, he's going to slowly get better each day - with his therapy. And in comparing Leah - she just picks up words all on her own. Its totally different than having a speech delayed kid.

wendyj · October 2011

Ian had no words at his 18 month appt, though his receptive skills were very good. We went with the IE eval - within days of me calling, he started saying more, and by the time the eval happened, his expressive language was just high enough so that he didn't qualify. I was happy we went through the process, though, to see where exactly he stood. Once he had tubes put in a couple months later, his vocabulary exploded.

How have her ear infections been? I think that played a huge part in his delay at the time (he basically had one continuous ear infection when he started daycare at 17 months until surgery at 20 months). You may want to get her hearing tested to make sure there's no residual fluid that could be hampering her ability to hear sounds correctly.

jnk062602 · October 2011

I bet her ear issues has a lot to do with it. But from what I understand with EI - and you would definitely know more bc I only have my experience - is that if you get an eval done now and she does not qualify, that does not mean you can't do another one later on. There is no limit, right? So I guess if your DH has concerns and your pedi expressed concerns, I would get it done. They will give you tips and then if you don't see improvements in another 6 months, give it another try.

Oh, and can't believe how old she looks in your siggy now!

Mrs_Hark · October 2011

M basically had zero words at his 18 month appt. his pedi called EI for us to get his eval. he's been in ST since Jan and doing great.

your situation is the opposite of mine as my DH was against ST and i was all for it. he 'knew' that M would just start talking 'when he's ready'. i, however, am less then confident in DH ability to predict the future so i forced the issue. it's free and it can't hurt. and in the words of a friend who is a speech path. he either get's the therapy now or later, and it's better to get it before school starts.

i know you said that you worked in EI and did evals but i don't understand how you know that she won't qualify for ST if she has only 1-2 words at 18 months? even though M is doing great at his 2 yr appt his pedi requested that he get bumped up from 1 day a week to two b/c, though he's made progress he was still behind, and that was approved and honestly i didn't think it would be.

i would not wait to get the eval.

once ST started, when M would sign things like 'more' we would encourage he use the word, holding back the thing he wanted- within reason, of course- and wait for him to use the word

missyjg · October 2011

Thanks ladies. I guess i'm in a little bit of denial and just really want that "burst" of language. Her ears are cleared up. But after reading all of your responses, I think I'm calling. I'm not against SL services, at all, I'm just not sure she will qualify. I talked to several SLP's about this and they've all said "I don't think she'll qualify". I feel a little better about it now after reading your experiences. And DH is all for it. I guess I can cancel if she does have a burst right? And I don't want to regret not calling now. Ugh. Being on this side of things is so much harder than I thought it would be. Thanks again. You ladies are awesome!

mrsoc · October 2011

Best wishes to you! It can't hurt to get it scheduled, especially to ease your mind. I was one of those kids that did not say a word, until I turned 2 and started talking in sentences...according to my Mom. I will say to Evan now to "use his words", but in the beginning stages, I let him communicate as he was and I would often times describe to him what he may have been pointing to,

ArcticFox · October 2011

My friend's son had some delayed speech and I believe around 18 month he had tubes put in and his language got so much better. Her pedi & ENT Dr told them that for her DS, it was probably like being underwater in terms of hearing.

It probably couldn't hurt to have it checked out - I mean being proactive is the best thing for kids issues - but I would be interested in the ear stuff tying into it as well.

We don't necessarily demand our kids to use language, but we do encourage it. So when my DD whines and puts her arms up, I say "Up?" "say up!". She doesn't repeat it all the time, but I do encourage it.

TinyPinkBug · October 2011

I am sort of in the same boat, I am 95% certain Brianna will not qualify so I keep putting off the call. Well, kept putting it off, I called last Friday. Her speach issues are a little different, she actually was speaking better around 20 months old than she is now at 27 months old. She is losing language skills, has odd word substitutions and picked up some incorrect sounds from Tyler (or I assume it is learned). I was really hoping for some explosion after starting preschool, but nothing has changed, other than the substutitions getting worse. I do think she would be more likely to qualify in a few months if she continues on the path she is going.

But then I also think back to some of the EIP meetings I have sat through for other kids, and how many times I heard that if the child had just started getting services earlier they wouldn't need so much more help at ages 3 and 4. There was a boy who only spoke in vowels, the mom kept taking him to the pedi but everyone said those count as words and he would be fine, at age 4 no one could understand him and her was such a frustrated little guy. There was also a girl who didn't speak more than 5-10 words from the age of one to 3 yrs old, she was going on 4 yrs old and could READ, but still couldn't speak. She was starting to just shut the world out because she couldn't talk. After both of these parents had left the meetings, the therapists and school staff shook their heads saying how much better off these poor kids would be now if they had gotten services much younger, kind of blaming the pedis.

d3esika · October 2011

Hi!! I am an SLP, and would recommend going through the eval. If nothing else, they may be able to give you ideas on how to encourage that "burst" of language. I love that you accept her signs though, because it is a definite way of her communicating. It is less typical to get service if only one area is delayed, but if they consider it "severe," it can happen!

When I worked with EI kids a few years back, I did have one who only needed service for a few months, then had a burst of language development. So then services were discontinued. No harm, no foul! GL in whatever you choose!

(PS. The agency I used to work for with is VERY thorough, so feel free to PM me if you'd like their name. )

Want a personalized experience?

Speech and language evaluation/ Speech questions (long sry)

Re: Speech and language evaluation/ Speech questions (long sry)

Choose Another Board

Search Boards