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Success after IF
When to worry about pronunciation?
DS just turned 2 (25 months). He started talking somewhat late, but is doing really well, it seems to me. . . he knows a ton of words (well over 100), and will string 5 or 6 together at a time.
The only "thing" is. . . his pronunciation is such that it's almost as if he has his own language. I'm with him all day, and can usually figure out what he's saying from context. Then, I realize how what he's saying does resemble the word he's trying to say (so it's not as if he's making up words, it's just that he has to work so hard to say them). A quick example - if he wants to watch a video, he says something like "tee chi pee mommy" - which means "tv, please, mommy."
Even DH has to call me in to interpret. And anyone else? - they often just hear jibberish. It's frustrating, and it's beyond difficult to have anyone else help with him as he gets sooooo frustrated when he's not understod. Some days I think it's getting worse. . .
I don't think much of it (and am just excited at all his new words!) until we're out and about. . . But, even then, we're admittedly not around a lot of other kids exactly his age. The closest are 2.5, and I'm amazed at the difference in their speech. But, I remind myself that a LOT can change and happen in 6 months!
I mentioned all this (just how bad it is, that I wonder sometimes if it's gettign worse) to DH last night, and he asked me what, if anything, we should do. I didn't have a good answer. . . I don't know when, if ever, to be concerned. . . my only thought was to wait until fall when he's in MDO and see if his teachers say anything. . .
Thoughts?
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Re: When to worry about pronunciation?
I think this is normal, especially if he is not around other kids a lot.
I know for us we try to get her to re-say things appropriately even when we understand what she is saying before responding to her. Not always but when the opportunity presents itself. I have to remind myself that DD doesn't even know about words, let alone how things are suppose to be pronounced, so if I don't correct her she will continue to think she is saying it correctly, unless she hears us say the same things differently, but even then her saying it and hear it are two different behaviors; she may think she is saying it like she is hearing it unless I correct her.
I imagine there are some activities you could do with him for fun for this; I don't have any to offer but if you can make it a game it is more fun than just being corrected. But I certainly wouldn't 'worry'.
IVF #1 - BFP (6dt)
Unassisted Pregnancy #2 - lost at 15w6d due to T21, severe heart defects, and fetal hydrops
About that age I started to slow down and really model pronounciation for Reed. He had a speech delay initially so I had been modeling speech....then he exploded with a huge vocabulary and I could make him out but other people really couldn't. I started speaking more plainly and working on sounds with him more.
He was also seeing a speech pathologist who gave me some great pointers. Reed used to say "hameem" for McQueen. The speech pathologist said "maaaqueen" really exagerated while clapping and Reed picked up on the correct way to say it right away. At this age, saying things wrong can become habit. Reed used to call Penny "henny" when he could say "Poppa" so I knew he could say the p sound. So whenever he said Henny, I would say Penny Penny bo Benny. And he eventually got it because it was fun and taking him out of his habit.
I have been working on the L sound with Reed lately and our pathologist said that age 5 or 6 is typical for that one. But now I am paranoid:)
Reed still says air instead of oy. So boy is bear. toy is tair.