speech delay in 2.5 year old - advice please?

[tichey]

Hello,

I have been reading some of the general posts on speech delay and everyone is suggesting I should post here as you all have great advice.

My daughter is nearly 2.5 years old. She is being brought up in a bilingual household and has a speech delay.

She has been assessed by two speech therapists - one privately in December and again on the NHS this week. Both have confirmed that her understanding in english (her second language) is beyond what they would expect for her age. However her receptive language is far behind her peers. Until about one month ago, she only had about 10 words (all french). Over the last few months, she has gone up to about 30 words (nearly all french) but they are all one syllabal words. Over the last few weeks, she has begun to say the first syallabal of lots of words, but won't complete a word and won't say more than one word at a time. She also cannot say certain letters / sounds at all i.e. l, v and f.

She walked at 12 months, but only crawled when she was two. She is not physically confident (cannot jump or climb up play equipment easily on her own) but has very good fine motor skills and in all other respects seems absolutely fine.

I am worried she may have verbal dyspraxia or even general dyspraxia. Does anyone recognise these symptons? what do you think we should do? The NHS speech therapist is not seeing us again for 2 months? is this too long a wait? should we go private? everything I have read says it is best to get started earlier, but she has not yet been diagnosed with anything except a speech (expressive) delay...

I would be very grateful for any advice...

thank you

[TotalChaos]

I don't think that's correct mumslife re:bilingualism.

I don't know much about dyspraxia, but I think it's very much worth while following up your concerns. I would speak to private SALT and/or NHS SALT in the first instance, and ask them point blank, no harm in in phoning up monday morning. This website has a lot of useful info about dyspraxia:- www.speechteach.co.uk/index.htm

Also worth googling Nancy Kaufman (on verbal dyspraxia or american term is apraxia)

There is also a book called Mr Tongue that's meant to be helpful for practising speech sounds/mouth tongue movements etc.

2 months isn't too bad a wait, particularly as you've just been seen, and if you've got a plan of exercises etc to go through with your DD, but if you can afford it, equally an extra private session will do no harm.

[ICANDOTHAT]

Try posting this message under 'Language/Bilingual' section. I'm sure there will be people who have similar experiences and can help you. Good luck.

[tichey]

thank you very much for all your advice. I have posted my message on the bilingual message board too and some people have come back with some advice already (mainly encouraging...)

Total cahos - do you have any idea where I can get the book on mr tongue? I have seen it recommended elsewhere too but it is not on amazon?

I think the two assessments we have had are full salt assesments? at least that is what they called them. they were 1 hour long each with a written report at the end...is that what you eman or is there something else?

[TinySocks]

Hi tichey,
Just wanted to say that my DS2 is bilingual (he is 24 months old), and no I haven't seen any evidence that being bilingual has slowed his speech or comprehension at all. In fact, he is doing really well in both languages.
Please follow up your concerns and don't let people convince you that being bilingual might be the reason for the language delay.

[littlemisschatalot]

did you have a comprehension assessment in french also?
do you speak french full time at home? if so why assess comprehension in english?
at least her language is improving. from 10 words to 30 in a month.
try buying the hanen book, "it takes 2 to talk "

[TotalChaos]

probably available on here:-

www.winslow-cat.com/cgi-bin/winslow.storefront

[tichey]

thanks totalchaoas - I'm going to order it now.

[Dad111]

When my girl was 2.5 even 3 she did not speak very much, yet she understood very well 2 languages. At the age of 3.5 we started to talk to her only in English, and after that fast progress. Now she is 5 and speaks almost perfect.I seen the same thing with many, many kids, and for most it's just that kind of development consider - normal. Someone may think, that also depends on parents! Yes, but in our situation we have also a boy who is 2years +4months.Same parents and he already speaks extremely well. For basic conversation person must know 1000 words, so I would say that he knows some more then that. Recently he "mastered" computer mouse operation. In seconds he would close all applications ,then find some games or movies and without assistant he just plays like other kids with toys.And nobody was teaching him computers! Kids are fast observant and they learn fast, but each and every one develops in a different way.