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19 month old not talking

5 replies

Bluestripeysocks · 30/05/2023 11:33

My 19th month old boy can, but often doesn't bother, say Mama. Same with Dada. That's all. Nothing else. Nothing consistent anyway. Sometimes I think he says something so I praise him and repeat the word enthusiastically but then he wont say it ever again.

He is extremely sociable, loves books and cars. Doesn't have a tablet but watches TV. Not excessively I don't think. Maybe 30 mins a day. Sometimes more sometimes none. He understands most of what we say to him. Sleeps great, eats well most of the time, goes to nursery 3 days a week.

He was referred to SALT who we saw last month and she said he has a "severe expressive language delay". She gave us some exercises to try. Mostly just slowing down on talking to him in sentences and focusing on one word at a time. Like instead of saying "throw the big red ball to mummy" just say "throw ball". I get the logic of this is to help him identify the important words to copy but when I talk to him like that he looks at me like, why are you being weird....

We aren't seeing SALT again for another month. Anyone have any experience this and have any ideas how I can help him? He's starting to get very cross with me that I often don't understand his grunts and random pointing. 😫

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SiouxsieSiouxStiletto · 30/05/2023 17:39

He's starting to get very cross with me that I often don't understand his grunts and random pointing

Oh I remember the frustration when they can't make themselves understood, you have my upmost sympathy OP.

Has anyone suggested using some signs? If you look up Makaton, you could start with Milk, Eat, Sleep, Up and More although my DS' favourite always seemed to be Biscuit Grin

Did he have a hearing test before starting SLT too?

Bluestripeysocks · 30/05/2023 20:58

@SiouxsieSiouxStiletto Thanks for your reply. Yes we have tried introducing signs. We have done food, drink, sleep and milk since he was about 6 months but he's never picked any up. Occasionally he does the sign for food if we are eating but never to tell me he is hungry and usually after I have done the sign first. We have now started introducing more signs. Things he likes, like tractor, car, outside, toast and book but he isn't really taking it on yet.

His understanding is fantastic so I don't think it is a hearing problem but no, it hasn't been checked since birth when it was fine. I will ask SLT if she can do a referral to check. Thanks for the suggestion.

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SiouxsieSiouxStiletto · 30/05/2023 21:09

His understanding is fantastic so I don't think it is a hearing problem but no, it hasn't been checked since birth when it was fine. I will ask SLT if she can do a referral to check

Both of mine had SLT and I always thought that an SLT would want a hearing test done before seeing the child, just to rule out glue ear but maybe I'm wrong?

SiouxsieSiouxStiletto · 30/05/2023 21:11

Can I just ask what led to the referral too? Did the HV refer him to SLT?

Bluestripeysocks · 30/05/2023 22:40

Yes the health visitor made the initial referral. We are very lucky to live in an area where the waiting list is very short for this so when I let the HV know I was concerned he had no words (or maybe just dada) at 18 months, she referred immediately and he was seen very quickly.

SLT did ask if i thought his hearing was OK. I said yes and she could see him responding to me talking so I guess she thought a hearing test wasn't needed? Don't know. I'll still ask again though just incase.

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