3yr old hardly speaking

[EB1]

My 3yr old ds is only saying the odd word and I'm a little concerned as my oldest ds starting talking around 16mnths.

Has anyone else had this problem? Everyone I have spoken to thinks he'll talk when he's ready. He knows everything I say to him & if he wants anything he drags me to it(fridge for a drink etc). I've spent hours sitting with him & talking parrot fashion but he just doesn't seem interested.

Any help would be appreciated

my 2.6 doesnt say any words.we use makaton to communicate, stops the whining!

i have a SALT, maybe you should contact one,either through GP or your local childrens centre?they have given me things to with ds.

don't worry

Contact your HV and ask her to refer you to speech and Language therapy services. At 3 he should be able to do more than drag you to the fridge to make his point. Ds1 was like this at 3, and now has to go for speech therapy at 4, and he has fallen so far behind his peers

Dont delay I agree. There will be a wait anyway until you get to see a SALT and then probably a further wait if therapy is required. If your HV is not very helpful (as many are not sadly) then you can self refer to your local speech therapy centre too. If you dont want to wait and have the finances to do it there are also private SALTs you can get in touch with. We have a 2yr7m old DD who has been seeing a SALT privately since December and only got her NHS assessment in Feb. She in now on the waiting list for NHS therapy probably not happening until August. We referred at the end of August 06 on the NHS system here - though I do not know how long other areas have to wait for, I am sure this is not especially unusual.
Good luck and please feel free to contact me if you need any further advice that I may be able to help with.

When he gets ot the fridge how does he indicate what he wants? If he points himself using his index finger I'd ask fr a referral to SALT, if he points using your hand (ie shoves your hand in the general direction of what he wants) you need to ask for a referral to a developmental paed (don't get shoved down the SALT route if he's not pointing himself)

Hi thanks for all your messages, you've been really helpful.

gess, he doesn't point himself he pushes my hand to what he wants, he does say some words like 'no, down, see, doggy ' and he copies words & sounds from tv.

My sil thinks he's just lazy.

As for my hv, I have just moved to a different area but my previous one wouldn't even return my calls...say no more.

EB1- if he's not pointing (does he point to show you interesting things ever?) he really needs a referral to a developmental paed. Ignore your SIL- he's not lazy. your gp can refer you. good luck....!

Hi gess, you've got me really worried now, he has pointed to things, like aeroplanes in the sky for instance or birds flying over, I know he understands me, if I ask him to go get his shoes he does.

He started to say words when he was about 18months and then it just sort of stopped, I just thought he would start up again, now I feel really dumb and that I've let him down.

EB,bless you you haven't let him down!
On the contrary you are being proactive.

Listen I am a speech and lang. therapist and while what you are saying is slightly unusual it is by no means uncommon.

Get the HV to refer your child,or go via GP to have it done.
Some places allow parents to refer (we do) so find out if this is the case.Phone up your dept.

Private assesssment is defoo an option if a big waiting list.It shouldn't cost more than £100.
I'll do yuo some links..

\link{http://www.helpwithtalking.org.uk/|Bona fide private therapists}

\linkwww.helpwithtalking.org.uk/\Again}

Please work..

ICAN have a lot of useful info.

As do AFASIC

EB1, just a little positive story.
my friend's ds (we see him pretty much every day, go there for tea most days) was pretty much non verbal until he was around three. he did have some speech therapy (not v useful imho) but he just turned four and he is coming on in leaps and bounds stringing sentences together and expressing himself very much more clearly. children can and do catch up surprisingly well.
but I hope you can get a referral - keep pushing!
HC xx

EB1 - I agree that you need a developmental paed, especially as he has lost words. You haven't let him down at all. Don't feel bad - you just need someone who specialises in child development to properly assess what's going on. Ignore your SIL as well!

Thankyou all, this is my 1st visit to this site & I wish I'd been on here sooner, you are all so very kind & helpful, I shall be making an appointment with my gp on Monday, I haven't had much luck with hv's in the past.

Thanks moondog for the links, I shall be visiting them for sure.

He starts nusery school on Monday morning, I'm hoping this will help too.

EB1- it doesn't necessarily mean anything- it's just that not pointing by 18 months is termed a 'red flag'- something that indicates that further assessment is necessary. His understanding does sound good though.

You haven't let him down- your his mum, not a blinking paediatrician! (and tbh even if you had been really pushy from 18 months insisting on every assessment under the sun you wouldn't have been taken remotely seriously until now anyway- it would just have been a long long bottom of the waiting list job).

Tell your GP that he doesn't point and he lost words and he should refer you onto whatever system they have in your area. Here (locally) they have an iCAN nursery- which is great at giving extra SALT help- but you have to have a referral from a peadiatrician (rather than a SALT stupidly) so it takes time.