Late walk so late talk?

[NigellaTufnel]

DS late on all milestones. Has just started to walk unaided at 19.5 months.

But now a bit concerned about talking (especially when I see threads saying 'my son can only recite three lines at poetry at 8 months etc etc.')

Anyway, anyone else had a late walker who's also late talker?

[CuddlyKelpie]

Same with my ds, at nursery stage we were sent to speech therapy. At school stage, teacher eventually organised an educational psychologists report. I took the report to my doctor who refered ds to all the appropriate specialists. He has dyslexia, dyspraxia(v mild according to physiotherapists although they have referred him to the occupational therapists) also mild adhd (but I have my doubts about it). Speak to your doctor/hv.
You really need to push this before he hits school or he will fall behind if he is anything like my son.

Check hearing, sight, eye tracking, ask for physio and occupational therapy and with regards to school you need to ask about ESAP funding. Just demand everything and don't let anyone drag their heels.

I hope it's a minor delay but if not please bear in mind my experiences. Also should dyslexia be diagnosed, please look at Toe by Toe www.toe-by-toe.co.uk - it is unbelievable the difference that workbook makes to a dyslexic.

Now all this may be unecessary, I may be scare mongering you. But rather be on the ball than leave it to the school who hedge their bets until it is definite and the child is behind at school.
I wish I had the advance warning, but no-one told me about the possibilities for the future and I think with warning I could have minimised the effect on ds.

As I said, I hope this is not your son.
Books I found useful:
The gift of dyslexia - Ronald Davis
The Incredible Years - Carolyn Webster-Stratton Ph.D
Is that my child? - Dr Robin Pauc.

All the best xxx

[Dior]

Yes, I had one. He now runs everywhere and talks non-stop!

[steviesgirl]

My dd was late with physical milestones, walked at 21 months, but not with mental/talking one's. So it's not always the case.

[Lindenlass]

Early walker - 10m!!! But v late talker. Only just getting a few two or three word utterances now at 26m and the words she does have are pretty indistinct - only those of us who spend a lot of time with her know what she's going on about! That's DD3 btw.

DD1 walked late-ish (15m) and talked average.

DD2 walked early (10m) and talked v early.

Don't worry about it - thy all get there in the end, just so long as he's doing the things he needs to talk (ie. there's nothing wrong), like making different sounds, communicating, understanding you etc.

[Lindenlass]

PS. Kelpie - I think that's a bit OTT when the OP's child is not even 20m! And he's a boy (who apparently do everything later...although have no idea if that's true having four girls!).

Does he have any words, Nigella? Why not write them down and count them - I bet you'll find he's got more than you realise. He's meant to have about 50 by age 2 I think.

[gegs73]

Hi - I agree with Lindenlass write down his words. I was stressing about ds2 at Christmas who was 19mo and to my mind not talking much. Wrote them down and he had 28 words. Now at almost 21mo has more than 50. I also went to the HV just after Xmas as he is a late walker. 21mo in a week or so and still not walking properly! He has been referred but HV said with reagrds to speech, around 18/19mo as long as they have between 4-20 words they are fine. So I would not worry for awhile yet!

[fanjoforthemammaries7850]

I don't think 19.5 months is scarily late to walk, my DD walked at 2 and is doing fine.

Also at her 2 year check the HV said that they are happy if they have a handful of words at that stage!!

[TotalChaos]

Worth mentioning your concerns about speech to HV at this stage - almost certainly HV will say "wait and see" - if he's not talking by 24 months, go back to HV and push for SALT referral. Some kids are late talkers, and say very little when they are 2+, but then catch up quickly without any help. But given that SALT is uninvasive and a couple of unnecessary sessions won't do any harm, better IMO for a parent to get on the list anyway, you can always cancel if a kid's speech comes on.

useful books:-
You make the Difference by Ayola Manolson
Baby Talk by Sally Ward

useful websites:-

www.teachmetotalk.com
www.ican.org.uk

[ICANDOTHAT]

Cuddltkelpie - whoa! Poor OP must be crapping herself!
and Robin Pauc's book is an advert for his clinic with ambiguous nutritional advice IMO. My son dx ADHD aged 6.5 - walked at 11 months and talks the legs off a donkey.
Nigella there are plenty of threads on MN about 'late' walkers/talkers - search on them and you'll see you are far from alone and your little one is not unusual. And as for the threads that honk on about their G & T darling little ones-well, they have to spout off to someone who will listen

[electra]

At this age the amount of speech a child has is not so much of a concern as how their language is developing. If his comprehension of what you are saying is ok I would not worry. Is he pointing to things he wants and to show you things? This is a significant indicator of language development being on track.

[TotalChaos]

electra - am pretty sure OP has posted elsewhere that her child is pointing and understanding well.

[electra]

In that case I would not be at all worried at this stage. I don't think there is a correlation between walking and talking - dd2 was 10 months old when she walked and didn't really talk at all til 16 months but her language was ok.

[DungunGirl]

Just to echo everyone really. Hopefully there is nothing to worry about but I have had a similar experience to Cuddlykelpie.

My DS didn't even take his first steps until he was 19months and his speech was way behind the other children his age.

My childminder who has been minding for more than 10 years suggested I get him checked JUST IN CASE.

So at the age of about 2.5yrs once we were all sure that his speech was definitely behind, I referred myself to a speech therapist ( YES you can self refer ).

They accessed him and since then he has been receiving speech therapy as he is about 12-16 months behind his actual age. AND on the back of this, my speech therapist referred DS for an overall developmental assessesment and the development psychologist determined that he also has an OVERALL developmental delay. He is behind again by about 12-16 months.

Because of this being recognised, now DS is in foundation unit at school, and he has been given a key worker who specialises in special educational needs and also he gets regular visits from the educational psychologist to make sure that he is getting the level of help he needs to help him keep up in school.

So, as much as most people will say it will all be fine, just keep an eye on his speech development and if you get to point you think he is DEFINITELY behind by a mile, then refer yourself for an assessment.

[ilovesprouts]

my son 26months only walks holding on/cruises and does not say much only mama/dadda hes got gdd maybe autism??

[tiredoftherain]

I wouldn't be concerned about the walking, 19.5 months is the later side of normal.

Not sure as haven't read any of your other threads about the talking, I referred ds1 at 24 months when he had about 20 clear words, and wasn't really putting any together. At 3.6 he is doing well but still 11 months behind where he should be.

Definitely better to be on to it if you have concerns, but he's still very young and lots can change so I wouldn't panic yet. Make sure you keep notes of things he is doing and timings, so if you do need to progress things you have lots of info to hand.

[neesi]

Just joined mumsnet because I am worried about my late walker. My daughter was late on all physical milestones: 9 mnths sitting unaided, 13mnths commando crawl, 14mnths crawling, 16mnths pulling up, 17mnths cruising. She is now 19.5mnths and can only stand for about 5 secs unsupported. Had two independent steps but that is it. Only walks holding onto my hands or furniture. Was getting increasingly worried so decided to take her to HV today and have been referred to physio. Feel like such a bad mother - should have taken her sooner . Gut feeling is that she will get there just as she is progressing every day, albeit at her own speed, but now really worried because of the referral! I dont know whether or not to buy her more cruiser shoes or a proper pair of walkers as she needs a new pair - anyone any advice?

As for talking, she tends to point and do lots of ooo's or call everything "this" and points or does all the appropriate sounds instead - so a sheep is a "baa" and so on. However, I started writing down words and she has over 30 (plus about 15 animal noises) but she only uses them when she feels like it. Dont know whether she is shy or just slow to speak.

[5inthebed]

DS1 walked at 9 months old, but didn't say anything until he was 23 months old, and within a month he had loads of words. I'd try not to worry too much about his speaking until he is 2 years old.

[Scottie22]

Hiya
dd has physical delays and didn't walk until 20 months - although pediatrician said this was still in the 'normal range'. 19.5 months is therefore nothing to worry about and well done to your ds
As for talking she's now 28 months and puts sentences together although her speech isn't as clear as some of her peers.
She didn't babble though and speech didn't really take off until she had turned 2.

Try not to worry - I know it is hard when people like to boast tell you all about their superkids!! There are lots of lo's around who are slower to walk/talk but you don't hear so much about them

[TotalChaos]

neesi - sounds like she's doing OK with her talking, having some words and pointing are very good signs, no harm in having a word with HV next time you see her. in terms of shoes - I'ld just get whatever is cheapest for the moment, unless you spend a lot of time outside, in which case I'ld go for the walkers rather than cruisers.

[jeanjeannie]

Well I've got one late walker (19mths) and very late talker (starting pointed at 28mths!) and are now starting speech therapy and looking into poss ASD. However, since she started pre-school session 3 weeks ago her verbal and social skills have gone through the roof. We now have small sentences and she's three in Nov.

DD2 is 16mths - hardly babbled, literally went straight to talking. She puts three words together and anyone can understand her it's so clear. However she's been diagnosed as hypermobile and paed says she'll not walk until at least 24mths - so no correlation there.

[neesi]

My daughter has finally started to walk (just turned 20mnths). Took 15 steps today by herself without holding on to anything then gave herself a round of applause! (modest huh?) Swear she knows we are going to see a paedatrician about late walking next week! It just goes to show they will do it in their own time.

[lljkk]

Crikey, Neesi, 30 words/word sounds? I'd be delighted with that at 19.5 months. I knew someone who discovered her DD had some kind of hypotonia at about age 1yo, so physical milestones quite delayed, but intellect was above average in fact. She needed physiotherapy.

DS smiled at 2 weeks, walked at 9.5 months, but now (20 months) he says only 3 or 4 recognisable words -- plus a couple of hand signs.

[redsofas]

early walker - unaided at just turned 9 months yet quite late talker so it doesnt always go hand in hand!

[mumeeee]

Not always. DD1 didn't walk until she was 21 months but said her first words at 10 months and was talking like a 3 year old by 18 months,

[maxybrown]

My DS walked at 10 months but speech still very poor/non existant at 2.2. Very very able physically though, fed himself with spoon/fork mostly from about 9 months then completely from 12 months. His understanding is amazing though even though his speech isn't there. Hard not to worry though I know!