Can anyone tell me positive stories abotu speech delay please?

[Rebecca41]

I'm not really worried, just slightly, and hoping we won't need SALT input.

DS2 was 2 a month ago. For a while he's been able to say "thank you", but that's all he says. He babbles constantly, makes numerous different sounds, but seems unable to form them into words. His hearing is fine, and his comprehension is good too.

DS1 was a late talker - didn't say a word until he was nearly 2 - but once he started he was talking in full sentences almost immediately.

DS2 has his 2-year check in a few weeks, and unless things change dramatically between now and then, I'm sure he'll be referred to SALT.

Can anyone tell me stories of children talking this late and catching up easily?

Also, does anyone actually know what SALTs do? Because I can't imagine how you get a head-strong toddler to make sounds you want them to make!

Just to add - I talk to him lots, always pointing things out, and reinforcing the word for the things he asks for eg "you want milk do you, OK, here's some milk" etc etc. And I ask him questions, giving him the opportunity to "reply".

Rebecca - have PM'd you

My DS1 had about 5 words at 2 years and the HV said this should be more like 20. She referred him to the SALT and it took 8 months to get him seen. The SALT said he had a slight delay and kept him on the books but took no further action. When he started nursery the teacher was adament he had a severe problem so we self referred back to the speech therapist who was adament he didn't. She said they don't do a formal assesment in our area until the age of four.

Now he's 4 and about to start school and although some words can be indistinct he has a huge vocabulary and we can't shut him up. He's discharged from the SALT. It has been amazing the progress he's made in just the last 6 months. I honestly think that there is such a wide variation in development up to about the age of 5 that unless there is an obvious and severe problem the best course of action is do exactly the things you have been doing and just wait and see.

Sometimes I think there can be a stigma attached to if your child isn't talking early like you've just stuck them in front of the TV or something which is totally wrong. Its one of the things mentioned in ofsted reports as a poor intake if there are high levels of communication difficulties in the reception class. The SALT we spoke to was lovely she just got him to play with some toys and waited for him to try and start talking to me about what he was doing. We just played basically while she listened. She explained there may be lots of different reasons why he wasn't talking and in all likelyhood it would sort itself out which it did.

Hope that's of some help.

Sorry about the many and varied spelling and grammatical errors in my previous post

Thank you

I agree about the stigma. I mentioned it to the health visitor when she rang to arrange the 2 year check, and she asked me things like "do you talk to him". I know she has to ask these questions, but I felt so insulted!

ds said very little at 2 apart from "duh" and "n-duh". He had hearing problems which were diagnosed around that time and fixed soon after. Cue an amazing transformation and now at nearly 4 he will not stop talking in many and varied sentences. His vocab and grammar is excellent, though his diction isn't great - he saw a SALT around the age of 2. She taught us some signs which helped and gave us some useful pointers but actually his improvement was so rapid he only saw her a few times. Now he's seeing a different SALT to work on diction but it's v different as he's older and (in theory) able to sit and listen and take direction.

I say all this by way of demonstrating that a non talking 2 year old can become a highly articulate and very chatty 3 year old with the right intervention.

Can I add another question? How were hearing problems identified? I don't feel that DS has problems hearing - he responds when I talk to him, and he certainly wakes at the slightest sound at 5am - but is it possible I'm missing something? I'll ask the HV to refer him for a hearing test just in case.

I don't have any answers but am in a similar position- dd is nearly 2 and doesn't really speak at all although she has a good array of animal noises and some sounds for things she wants, like a drink or something to eat. We have an audiology referral and if that shows nothing hv said next step is salt.

I await replies to your op with interest!

Me too, ds2 is 18 months but still only says dadada and occasionally mumum. But neither in reference to me or dh its just random.
Do your dcs understand everything you say? Ds2 does but shows no sign of wanting to talk to me

Rebecca and fishcake -I am in a similar situation, DD has today been referred to audiology and SALT. She said that although she seems to hear, it could be that she doesnt hear everything, especially as the few words she says seem to have only the first syllable- so Bu - can be baby, book, bunny, etc . i think it is a sound frequency thing (?)

mosschops - my DD only directed mama and dada at us inthe past couple of months, she is 21 mo now. She understands but doesnt seem to want to talk.

oh, and apparently all the sounds and animal sounds do count as words. she does a mean snort for a pig

Hi- my DD was the same at 2, had 3-4 words at most, at 2.5 she had 30 but from age 2.5 till now (she's 3.1) she's made up and can't stop talking- speaks in sentences etc. I would say 2 is still too young and to hang in there.

In our area they don't try to do SALT at 2yo, but you get tips on how to talk to them at home. Which is mostly about speaking . like . this . and . very . clearly . saying . the . sounds . in . each . word. You chatter to them about what they are doing, don't ask questions as a rule, though. You're basically showing them how to put words together.

"That's the ball. It is a red ball. You have a red ball. You have a red ball in your hand." etc.

One interactive game that is good for listening skills that you can play now is just having them pointing things out in a book. Take any story book page and ask Qs like "Where's the tractor? Where's the sun? Where's the mouse?" All they have to do is point.

From 3yo you can do basic SALT exercises at home, which are, again, all about listening skills. You're right, you can't make them make the right sounds, but they should want to try to do that innately, anyway (is what makes us human). So listening skills are often what they need.

I don't want to say too much, SALT advice is tailored very much to the specific child. But those are the kinds of things you might be in for.

As for good outcome stories... All mine were late talkers, only one actually needed formal salt sessions: only a dozen in the end. He's another one you can't shut up now (nearly 7yo).

Isaac Newton didn't say a single word til he was 4 and he revolutionised physics. He's probably a genius.

I was sent to SALT, didn't speak until three and a half.

I was competing for top of my class in primary school... good grades throughout high school and I have a DPhil (PhD) in Physics from Oxford.

"Can anyone tell me stories of children talking this late and catching up easily? "
yes, two, but only if you strike out the word "easily"

from what you say about the techniques you are using, have you already got into the "It Takes Two" techniques?

do whatever you need to do to get over the stigma thing.

DD had about 4 words at 2. Not much more at 2.5. Health visitor friend said not to worry as she understood us, pointed at things and engaged with us ( just in her own language ). Her fine motor skills and physical strengh were very advanced at this point. She started using words at about 3, almost full sentences straight away, although hard to understand her speech. I think that my DD's brain and body were just concentrating on developing physically first.
Now at 5 we wonder why we even worried about!

It's funny you should say that labradorlover, because my DS is very physically advanced and dextrous. Like you say, maybe he's planning to conquer Everest before learning how to say it!

My dd barely talked until she turned 3 when she announced 'I can talk now'! Within a few days she was talking in long descriptive sententences. Now age 4 she is probably ahead of many of her peers and 6 year old brother in social skills, will chat to any one and is very bright and perceptive.
I totally agree with the stigma attached to having a late talker, that you never talk to them etc.

My dd barely talked until she turned 3 when she announced 'I can talk now'! Within a few days she was talking in long descriptive sententences. Now age 4 she is probably ahead of many of her peers and 6 year old brother in social skills, will chat to any one and is very bright and perceptive.
I totally agree with the stigma attached to having a late talker, that you never talk to them etc.

ds2 didn't say a word, not a single word, til he was 2. and even then the words came very slowly. then around 2y 6m he just sort of suddenly started speaking in sentences. he's now 3 and is highly articulate.

My DS2 wasn't really talking at 2, just a few words. Over the next year his vocabulary widened hugely but he didn't talk much outside home / grandparents then at about 3 these complete sentences started spewing out.

Sounds similar to fun12's dd although his speech isn't ahead of his peers now - he's fairly average.

When he did start speaking I was amazed at what he knew - like names of makes of cars that people had spoken to him about but weeks or months later he still remembered.

My (just) 3 year old has only just started speaking in sentences. At 2, he didn't really talk at all.

I've taken him to sooo many assessments and he has been under salt for about 8months ( now discharged). There are days I still worry there is a problem, but these are getting further and further apart and i second what the poster said about being fascinated about what they actually know! And I do agree that many geniuses were late talkers (einstein was late to speak too) and i know my DS is a ruddy wizard at computers!!

I also have a 22 month old, who has a vocal of 1000s of words. Chats away having full conversations, counts to 20 (and up to 5 in Spanish, thanks to Dora!)

Both children have exactly the same home environment and i talk to both kids equally... Some kids talk early, others don't.

My cousin didn't speak until he was 3.5, and now he's a professional actor. He went straight from 'bla bla bla' to complete sentences.

I just wanted to add that all these comments are so reassuring. My ds is 22 months and says one word. Which lucky for me is mum. He understands plenty and can communicate in his own way (if he wants a drink he gets his cup and milk and tries to pour it). None the less I still 'worry' that he doesn't speak or even try.

I agree that there is an assumption by people that since he doesn't speak it's because we don't speak to him, when nothing could be further from the truth. In fact perhaps he doesn't talk because he can't get a word in edge way lol!
Rebecca41 - I hope this helps to alleviate your fears just a bit.

My mother always says that my younger brother is the 'talking' story that reassures most mothers.

My mum was really worried that my brother would go to school only being able to say one word. He learnt to say Daddy, then he learnt to say shoes but 'forgot' how to say Daddy!

My brother is now 29 years old and has achieved a First in Ancient History from Exeter and then a Masters. He works for KPMG in their Health Department and is about to move to South Africa to help develop their Health Care system. As part of his job he has to give presentations.

So (although it is hard) try not to worry.