Is 8months a significant speech delay?

[MrsNouveauRichards]

My son 2.7yrs, has just been diagnosed with a speech delay of around 8 months.

I knew his speech wasn't good, and I wanted to have him referred for assessment, but now he has, I don't know how to feel about it.

I felt very uncomfortable with the therapist, she was terribly patronising, and I was never given chance to explain things fully. My gut feeling is double our efforts and hope he is 'cured' by the time we see her again! But I know that is daft.

He is an august baby, and will start preschool in September, and reception the following September. I am worried that his speech delay will hinder him from the start.

His comprehension is very good, and he has said lots of words, but his day to day usage of language is very poor, he just doesn't seem to see the need!

Sorry for the long post, I just wanted to get enough info in.

We have this problem 0 DD understands everythinbg we say and enjoys complex stores and will even tell us (with signs and noises) about quite complex ideas but hardly uses any real words (we understand her perfectly but doubt anyone else could) and uses a lot of substitute sounds in her words too. Think she MAY have some mild form of Verbal or Speech Dyspraxia. This is where child is unable to control mouth muscles sufficiently well to produce the correct sounds to make all words, so child has limited range and will either not attenpt at all or will use familiar/favourite sounds and substitute sounds instead of the correct ones. Do you think it could be this? I hesitate to Google our child or anyone elses a diagnisis and as we are still awiating our frst assessment with a SALT I dont want to assume anythign but it;s taking months and months and I want to start helping my child talk! I am going to do the execrises listed here to see if they help her (they cannot do any harm so may as well start):
www.dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk/downloads/Developmental_Verbal_Dyspraxia.pdf (pages 3-5)

Sorry should have said, speech delay isnt the same thing - but didnt your SALT give you some exercises to do or any tips that you weren't already doing? Every child is different but I have read that it can take a long time to see resultsa, so you wont necessarily see a massive change very quickly even if you have a good diagnosis and are doing things to help, I guess you just have to perserve - and make it fun?

Also you might find that his speech comes on when he starts pre-school or school simply because he wont be able to rely on familiar people knowing what he is saying, but also wanted to say that children make friends anyway and other kids will find ways to communicate with him depsite his speech delay, even if it does not improve significantly.

If it is still a big issue when he start pre-school and reception make sure staff know about it so they can help him not only by supporting the work you and SALT are doing but also to help him to integrate with his peers - i.e. not asking a child to say or read something unfamiliar (and unpracticed) out in front of the whole class etc.

Ds and I saw the local SALT for an assessment last week and how they phrased what level they would be concerned about was useful. That they should be able to use sentances of the same number of words as their age.

So they would be concerned about a 3 year old would wasn't using 3 word sentaces reguarly. Sorry have no idea what a 8 month delay means.

We were also advised not to ask DS to say things, so not to put in on the spot and make him anxious about talking. We should talk at him loads and loads with lots of describing words to give him more words. And recommend games like playing Simon Says. Pre-school will help as well, as he'll chat to the other children and see the point in talking more in order to play. And if you let the staff know in advance they can support him.

Sorry your SALT wasn't useful, could you ask to see someone else next time?

Thanks for the replies.

Yes I was given lots of information - games, verbal exercises, makaton signs etc.

Generally speaking I have the hide of a rhino, and don't get offended, but she was telling me it would be better to put him in nursery, and showed great surprise that I took him to toddler groups, singing groups, swimming etc. Hard not to be a bit offended!

We also got told not to make him say words, I completely get that, but he can be so frustrating!

She was very pro makaton signing, and suggest I get him to watch Mr Tumble (he refuses to watch it!) I also know that it can really help, but I was interested to know how it would work with a child who uses his own signs instead of using words that I know he can already say. She didn't let me get started on that though!

I am going to try playing some more structured games with him as they say it can help with learning how to converse.

Sorry, meant to clarify what I meant by 8 months.

The SALT said that she wouldn't be overly concerned if he was 23m with his level of speech, so I said did she mean he was delayed by about 8 months and she said yes.

It is frustrating isn't it. DS has just had grommets so is now learning to speak at 3.6 years as he couldn't really hear before. He talks endlessly, but is gobbledygook, so think we have different issues.

Hope the games help, would acting dumb and pretending not to understand his signs help?

Yes it is frustrating. Part of me is glad he has been officially diagnosed with a delay, but the other part was hoping they would tell me I was being paranoid and he is fine.

I worry how he will get on at school. His sister is in reception and flying through with ease, it makes me concerned that he will struggle and wonder why she didn't iyswim?

Poor thing is currently dozing on my lap having puked everywhere. Looks like it could be a long night!

Poor boy, hope you have a puke free night.

OP - ours (2.5) has just been assessed by private SALT aat home visit, as we have waited almost 6 months on NHS and cant stand the frustration any longer. She has speech delay. After various rather intensive tests SALT said comprehension and other language related activity (role play, concentration etc) was actually 12-18 months ahead of expected for a child her age, but this is why her expressive language delay appears even more pronounced - it really does not match her other abilities and she is getting very frustrated (as are we all). SALT said 2.5 (even with good concentration skills) is too young for formal speech therapy, but we will have two further home visits to give us some techniques to use informally, before we start actual speech therapy at around 2.9 or 2.10 years or nearly 3 years, if required. By the way ours goes to playgroups every day but her lack of language is actually making her unhappy and making her appear stand-offish at these groups. She cannot communicate with the other kids when they approach her and avoids singing any songs at playgroup or at home at all as she cannot sing the words (so sad) so we hope the speech work will help.