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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To be very concerned about my 18 month old son

86 replies

holsieboo · 25/10/2014 21:28

My son has just turned 18 mo and is still not talking very much. He can only say a few words (I just counted seven words that he regularly says) but he misses the end consonants of words. I.e. Ball is bah, Dog is doh, Bath is ba, Bottle is booh etc. I am really worried about this and I don't know what to do to help him. My DP thinks he is fine and that IABU to worry and stress so much.

OP posts:

ArsenicChaseScream · 28/10/2014 20:31

Leave it till you get home.

If he's behind now, it doesn't mean he won't catch up.

Just make an appt with GP or HV after your holiday. Can't hurt can it?

Try to enjoy your holiday. Worry won't change anything and even a slight delay could have allsorts of causes that are not the end of the world.

Original poster

holsieboo · 28/10/2014 20:43

I know, it just never occurred to me he should be understanding questions before (as stupid as that sounds). I am a worrier and now I can't stop wondering what's wrong with him. I can't explain it I just know something isn't right. :(

OP posts:

NoMarymary · 28/10/2014 20:52

DS (19 mo) hardly says anything and none very clearly, but he was walking at 10 months, fetches toys so he can climb on them, climbs bloody ladders, does all the shape sorting toys fairly reasonably and his receptive language astonishes me. He can turn around, look behind him, etc when asked and follows endless commands easily but just says bugger all!

I think all his energy goes into doing not saying.

My 11 year old niece never spoke or moved we called her the weeble until around 2 and she now operates academically at the lever of a 15 year old geek

Development varies massively with children so don't stress too much and remember its a journey not a race.

vdbfamily · 28/10/2014 20:57

I remember being very worried about my sons speech when I went for his 2 year check as he was not saying much.He did however manage to look out the window,point and say 'daddy car'. They said that was all they needed to know about his language at 2 so two words in a row would be average at that age. Your son still has 6 months to get there but if they do not still do a 2 year check,maybe ask for one as they can reassure you and refer on to SALT if needed.

LemonadeRayGun · 28/10/2014 21:10

Get his hearing checked. My son wasn't talking clearly at 2 and I was very concerned but no health professionals were bothered, I ended up going private and having his hearing checked, he had severe glue ear in both ears so couldn't hear! He had grommets put in which made a world of difference.

ArsenicChaseScream · 28/10/2014 21:14

Yes, if he is refered for a speech concern, hearing test referal should be automatically be made too, but push for that if it isn't. It could be something like glue ear.

mimishimmi · 29/10/2014 08:34

Yes, when you first take him to the GP/pediatrician with your concerns, hearing tests will be the first thing they do. My sons hearing was fine. We also had blood tests done to see if he had abnormally high levels of heavy metals (he doesn't).

Don't dismiss your worries, they are important. If you feel something is not right it probably isn't. With my DS he had a very definite period of regression from 18m to 2 years where he simply wasn't saying anything at all .... previously to 18m he had started saying small two word sentences like 'see moon', 'see car' but that all stopped. Another big red flag was his total lack of interest in having books read to him or singing nursery rhymes. To this day the only nursery rhyme he can sing fully is "Twinkle, twinkle little star'. All the others he fudges up the words in the middle. Yet it wasn't due to a lack of interest in music ... Someone gave him a toy tractor where if you pressed the farm animals repeatedly they would play different nursery rhymes. If I sang a nursery rhyme (and I know the tunes for most) he would immediately know which animal to press and how many times to get to that nursery rhyme. Look up the word 'echolalia' and do you think you recognise any symptoms of that in your son? We thought it was so cute when he would imitate our intonations but then we came to realise that he was never getting the words.

JsOtherHalf · 29/10/2014 09:22

www.ican.org.uk might be worth looking at?

JsOtherHalf · 29/10/2014 09:24

www.talkingpoint.org.uk details what different stages children go through.

LikeASoulWithoutAMind · 31/10/2014 22:45

Based on my own experience, I would ask for a hearing test (and maybe referral to SALT) if you are worried. I think the number of words is totally fine for his age and in all likelihood all will be well but I got fobbed off a lot when I was concerned about my youngest and he would really have benefited from earlier diagnosis, treatment and intervention. (he is doing really well now btw)

cestlavielife · 31/10/2014 23:40

Will he wave goodbye ?
Feed a teddy pretending ?
Copy you eg toy telephone ?
Give him empty box does he get in pretend it is a car boat or plane?

Hearing ok ? Sight ok ?

If you look at a book with him does he seem interested?
Try reading a book and close your eyes then say something about the picture does he touch your eyes or notice you closed them ?

Ask for full assessment for receptive and expressive language. Then you can work on it.

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