To worry that my little boy is never going to talk

[grizzabellia]

My ds, aged 2 and 9 months has been very slow to talk and (after I insisted!) was referred to a speech therapist. We have seen her a few times now, and she has diagnosed an expressive speech delay. She thinks the problem is with speech rather than language - he has absolutely no other difficulties: his understanding has been assessed as age appropriate, he plays imaginatively with his toys, his interaction with other children is normal. The speech therapist has visited his nursery and observed all this.

I am pretty sure his intelligence is normal, he knows things like the names of colours and the names of lots of different kinds of dinosaur (which he can point to!) However, his speech is far, far behind other children of his age. He has a lot of single words but very poorly articulated and doesn't really try to put them together. It is really hard to understand him without context, eg a picture. SALT seems to think he has difficulty forming consonants so wants us to practice single sounds with him.

I just feel so upset and worried, that he will be going to school in just under 2 years (yes, I know it is quite a long time) - he is a lovely, bright, sociable little boy and I am scared if he can't talk by then he will be socially excluded and find it difficult to make friends, I can't bear to think of this happening - I think it is worse as my daughter is currently in reception and is popular and extremely articulate. i can't imagine him in this situation in a couple of years.

I have searched for similar posts but can't find any where there seems only to be this single issue, without any other identified special needs - just wondering if anyone has experienced similar and can give me hope? Any advice would be appreciated!

My ds was diagnosed with verbal dyspraxia. He didn't say anything other than "uh uh" until he was over 3.
He started weekly speech therapy and it was amazing.

She basically taught him individual sounds to give him the building blocks to build words. We had to work with him and continue the exercises inbetween her visits but the progress he made each week was outstanding!

He had to have therapy for just under 2 years and by the time he started school he was speaking enough to be understood most of the time. I was a complete blubbering mess when after being at school for a couple of months, he stood up in assembly and said a 4 word sentence loud and clear!
He is now 6 and has almost caught up with everyone else his age.

My DS1 only had one word at 24 months, it was uh, and meant up. He saw a speech therapist from 2y 6m but at that stage most of the advice is similar to 'It takes two to talk' which is all about playing with your DC, observing what they are doing, what their interest is in and commenting on what their focus is on. It's too easy to talk away at them about what you want them to talk about, going on about the toy cars being red or yellow etc, when they are more interested in pushing the brio train through the tunnel. You are saying, 'look at the yellow car, DS' when you should be commenting on their play, 'train goes through the tunnel,' etc.

DS1 didn't really catch up with his peers until he was 6yo, but you wouldn't know know he's 16! However all the encouraging stories are fantastic, but if there is an underlying problem that is difficult to sort out, remember that you are the best (and only) person to push for the therapy he may need. Keep on top of it, you are his first and best therapist. Any professional advice you are given, take on board, even if it seems just common sense. Good luck. X

My niece. Only a few words at 2 years and 9 months.

After some involvement with SALT and also change of childcare arrangements (nanny at home rather than childminder) - parents and nanny following instructions / guidance from SALT about interacting with her, now 6 months later her speech is really coming along.

Even worse for her as she was born last week in August so will be start school in just one year, but I think it will be fine by then.

Have a look at

www.ican.org.uk

Amazing website by a children's communication charity... Loads of research, links and tips

My son was the same at that age and went to SALT, he never stops talking now and he's 6yrs old.

My Ds2 was like this at that age,I was worried about him . The doctor told me not to worry some kids just talk slower. my mother came from Scotland to visit and with in 5 minutes said " He needs his adenoids checked,your brother was like that at his age"
I took him off to doctors again,who sent me to a pediatric ENT guy who informed me that his tonsils and adenoids were so large he couldnt physically talk and breath at same time :(. He had them removed at 3 and it was remarkable,he was talking in full sentences within a week,literally.

My DS7 has been diagnosed with SLI ( Specific Language Impairment) this year.
His only words at the age of three was mam, dad and boy. That's what he called himself. We've had years of SALT, SEN testing and assessments. His problem is with expressive language.
This time last year he had improved his speech but tense and sentence structure was poor. He struggled with reading and school. We were recommended by SALT to apply for a space at a full time language unit, that he would never cope with mainstream school.
This summer everything seems to have clicked.
His use of tense is getting better, his sentences are more correct then not and last week his teacher told me he regularly gets 8/10 in spelling tests and his reading is now superb - he is in a mainstream class with speech therapy support each week. There is still a way to go for him to catch up but the language unit offer has been withdraw.
What I'm trying to say is good luck and never give up on hope. I had thought he'd never talk. ( He can bore for Britain on Star Wars now!)

I could have written pretty much exactly what you wrote. DS is 2 1/2 and we have been having weekly private speech therapy for about two months now. On the waiting list for public health - but that's 8 months long...
We had so few words before then. We had him checked out by a paediatrician who specialises in ASD. Apart from a few geekish traits (but to be expected with DH and I as parents) he isn't on the spectrum. We also have a few teachers in the family, they think (speech issues aside) that his understanding and problem solving shows that he's pretty intelligent so understanding wasn't the issue.
During the first session we all learnt a few 'power words' in signing, I was unsure but it made a difference. DS could communicate with us and there was less frustration. It was words like yes, no, want, more, open.
We were told to slow down our speech, amp up the excitement (we get like play school presenters!), and praise any trying at speech with good talking rather than good boy.
'M's are a real problem for him, so I'm Daddy as well as DH if he has to refer to me. I am longing for him to call me Mummy.
The difference speech therapy has made is thrilling. We get excited over new words and noises, there's still some way to go before he has caught up but it's looking good that he'll have made huge strides by the time he starts Kindy in 16 months.
I don't regret for one second the money spent on private speech therapy - I'd eat value baked beans on value toast every night before giving them up as I've seen the difference in him. He's less frustrated and can hopefully show his potential to others.

My brother was like this and literally didn't speak until he was gone 3. Once he did start speaking he was using long words and complicated sentences very quickly. He went on to go to Cambridge uni so try not to fret too much.

3asabird - our health visitor said my ds did not meet criteria for SALT referral as well at 2.3 when I had written down all the words he said and there were 14 (being generous). I went back at 2.6 and insisted. I think that is why I kind of expected SALt to tell me there was nothing to worry about so have been upset by implication there might be.
Having said that by time we saw SALT at 2.7 I wrote down his words and there were around 50 though poorly articulated so definite progress. He is coming out with new single words all the time, it is the pronunciation and failure to put them to together that bothers me
I also get really sad and anxious when hear other younger children talking clearly. I worry people will judge him and think he is not very bright (I know maybe there is nothing wrong with that in itself) when I think/know he is and people who know him well say things like 'oh you can tell he's bright' based on things like his interactions, understanding, humour and imaginative play. I am clinging to these things in thinking that people who are reasonably intelligent usually talk by adulthood!

Thanks grizzabilla least you have plan in place now.

I really had to go see hv total 3times since 18months and only think she saw how stressed, fed up and upset i was last week she relented.
His old preschool made me feel like he had issues,.

keep reading various things then thinking maybe thats the issue

If he has issues just want to help him would hate to be huge delay then them say he had problems as then he be at even bigger disadvanatage.

Hv using fact hes a boy narks me off as due to gender sterotying a little boy would get help later.

I do think others judge me I see the concerened stares and get questions. When go to baby group and see other kids chatting to each other get really upset.

The older het gets more judged and awquard I feel.
I chat to him loads, he goes lots places.

preschool last year said he was mute dident make a sound and had no freinds

Im bt panicy about toddler groups tried them in past and he hated it.

I dont think its his hearing i say go fetch something he does. when he went to preschool he would go get his uniform fro the draw.