Hv 'gravely concerned' about dds speach..

[Stretchmarksarethenewblack]

Just that really. Dd had her 1 year review (at 15 months) yesterday. She understands loads and I do give her a commentary of our day to day things but she just doesn't say anything. Well she can say mama and dada... Are there any ways I can encourage her to say more things?? My Hv hates me because I ignored her 'advice' of stopping bf at 6 months so feel like I can't do anything right by her.. Any help please!!? Xx

[lougle]

"I maybe wrong but have you ever met anyone who can't talk?"

sonlypuppyfat - do you mean like about half of my DD's school mates? Many of her (special school) peers are either non-verbal (can't speak) or functionally non-verbal (can make utterances which approximate to words but are so hard to understand that they are considered to be non-verbal).

OP 15 months is quite early to have concerns if she is babbling well with both consonant and vowel sounds and tries to communicate with you.

[Itsfab]

Why do you feel you have to do anything right by her?

I would refuse to have her come again. I cancelled mine. They were really surprised when I said I didn't want them to come as they weren't helpful. Clearly I hadn't got the memo that I had to bow down to HV and treat them as Gods who knew everything about children .

[redcaryellowcar]

she sounds very unhelpful. so sorry to hear this as a good hv would be really supportive.
i think as Barbara says what does hv suggest you do, does she plan to refer you?
think your dd sounds normal based on my experience with ds, i think he had a few words under two, just after he was two we took him to the seaside for a holiday, he started talking loads more after that, not sure if it was worth talking about or if it was just his time? he has just turned three and speaks really well, a few mispronouciations, but chapters away to me, dh and other people as he gets to know them. i suspect he wouldn't talk to a hv much at a check up appointment so maybe they would think he had problems, think how you feel about it is key!?

[JakeBullet]

Okay...read all through the thread now, and am agreeing with you about the HV maybe needing to retire,

I used to be a HV and quite honestly I would not ignore speech concerns from a parent. I rarely (at a year) had any concerns though as babies all develop at different stages.

There can be issues which interfere with speech development and these need to be ruled out. The big one is hearing issues but from what you say in your OP that doesn't sound like a problem. It's probably something I would have said "keep an eye on and come back to me if concerned".

There are children who remain non-verbal ....autism etc but your DD sounds like she is developing speech in her own time and she babbles.

Sounds pretty normal to me.

[Azquilith]

According to the helpful milestones list my local HV team sent me at my DS one year check he was supposed to help with dressing himself. Hello? His help tends to involve hiding his shoes. I would take anything they say with a large pinch of salt.

[RelocatorRelocator]

What jaded said.

At this age I think you just have to keep talking to them, OP (as I am sure you do). One tip I read was to say a sentence normally eg would you like some milk? and then repeat just the key words from the sentence eg want milk? and then again repeat the word "milk" as you hand the milk over. Oh and if she makes any attempt to say milk at all (even if it sounds nothing at all like the word!) you say "yes that's right, milk "

I think there's such a wide variation in early speech and the chances are your dd will be chatting away before you know it. I remember my HV looking for 6-10 words by 18mo. Do keep an eye on her as her speech develops though. Ds3 had glue ear and it really slowed his speech down. I wish it had been spotted sooner.

[MysteriousCircusZebra]

Perfectly normal at 15 months. And more advanced than my ds who didn't utter a single word until 2.5 yrs old. Its way too early to worry. If theres no change at 2 years old then I'd see the GP for a SALT referral. But its very likely your dc will be chattering away by then anyway.

[RelocatorRelocator]

Good point about consonants lougle - when ds couldn't hear he made very few consonant sounds. Most came out as d.

[ExcuseTypos]

My next door neighbours little girl is 19mths, she just started really talking and puts 2 words together .

At 15 months she said very few "words" at all, but she did babble a lot.

Please don't worry OP. I think your HV is worrying you unnecessarily. I'd tell her you don't want to her to come round every week.

[Castlemilk]

Seriously - get rid.

Call surgery, speak to practice manager, tell them she is pushy, unhelpful and her advice appears out of date. You are declining further visits. Please let HV know. Thanks, phone down.

[Realitybitesyourbum]

You know you don't HAVE to see her, don't you. Why are you letting her in? If you want to see another one, go to a drop in at the surgery. If you want to see one at home, then request another one. There is no need to see one at all, you know though.

Do you want to see her?

[sonlypuppyfat]

Well I did say I maybe wrong!

[middlings]

She sounds idiotic.

My DD1 babbled away beautifully until well after 15 months! She is now 25 months and has really quite good speech!

[Stretchmarksarethenewblack]

I have always been perhaps overly protective/ cautious due to dds visual problems so have clung to any morsel of help thrown my way. I just kept giving her the beNefit of thE doubt and hoped she would help me in some way. My parents died last year and as an only child living in a new country I don't have much of support system, just oh and a lovely neighbour. But after reading your responses I'll be cancelling her visits now!

[Stretchmarksarethenewblack]

Ha apologies for my poor spelling of 'speech'!!!!!!!

[ReallyTired]

It is pathetic for a health professional to say she has serious concerns about development and not refer on. Surely your health visitor must know that if the OP does have developmental delay then her daughter really needs to see a community paediatrian.

I had a similar experience when ds was two years and eight months. I told my health visitor to either make a referal or shut up. It turned out my son did have a problem: he had glue ear.

Stretchmarksarethenewblack I am so sorry to hear about your loss.

[bakingtins]

Not that I think you have anything to be concerned about, op, but my sister who is a SALT recommends the website Talking Point, which has normal speech development for each age group and tips for helping with speech and language.

[Stretchmarksarethenewblack]

We are still waiting to see the community paediatrician. We do see physio, ot, hospital paediatrician but none have experience with dds condition so no nor can advise much

[Stretchmarksarethenewblack]

Thank you bakingtins x

[Stretchmarksarethenewblack]

She is blind in 1 eyE so have been referred to so many specialists, most who have admitted they're out of their depth and would like to continue to see dd for observations. So obvs I discharged her as it was a waste of time. I don't mind helping but I'll be damned to let dd be a guinea pig. Apart from her blind eye she is fine, just small!

[Stretchmarksarethenewblack]

Been waiting for comm paeds for a year!!

[TheFallenMadonna]

My dd had delayed speech, and had a number of referrals from 16 months, starting with hearing tests. She didn't babble and she didn't make consonant sounds. Her hearing was fine when checked, but she didn't really speak until she was about 3, and the way she developed her speech was unusual. She still has some peculiarities at 10, although she is very fluent.

I was very glad of the HV support that we got. But then my HV got stuck in with the referrals, and chased up the SALT for us during our stupidly long wait (13 months!!) rather than giving us a one week window for improvement after raising concerns...

[LuluJakey1]

I didn't speak much when I was a child. Was referred to a speech therapist at 3 who said I was perfectly capable of speaking just chose not to waste words!
I remember going there and playing with toys while she sat at her desk and chatted to me.

[LiegeAndLief]

Ds had no words at all at 15 months. He started saying a few words at 18 months and could just about put 2 words together at 2.

He is now 7 and never shuts up. 15 months seems very early to be having serious concerns.