Strange question - I think 21 month ds has a speech delay. Any significance in his inability to blow through a straw??

[MommyD]

ds is 21 months and has about 6 (barely recognisable) words. I saw GP today and have got ds on the list for speech therapy. I remember reading something about one of the exercises at speech therapy being about blowing through a straw. I have just realised today that ds is completely unable to blow (so no blowing out the candles on his 2nd birthday cake )
What's ths link between blowing and not forming words? Can't find the reference I read ages back.... Wanted to know so I can help him more at home. How the hell do you teach a kid to blow? Ta

similar concerns with my dd. She is 20 months and can understand everything you say and follow instructions, points avidly and comments in grunts or aah or ee noises or whatever. However she can say da da (not particularly at anything) and mom (again doesn't actually use it to call me) but can say some other "near words"but nothing concrete. Is there anything we can do to encourge speech. We keep saying when she points or grunts "Grace say" we say Mommy says followed by the word and then grace saybut t no avail!

"but can say some other "near words"but nothing concrete."

"Near words" are all that's really expected at this age

ds is nearly two years old (in a week) and can't say a thing! (so i really worry when i see threads like 'omg ds is 20mths and only knows 8 words!') he communicates quite well though with head nods and pointing.

we just keep being told that all kids are different and he'll talk when he's ready etc etc, with little stories about how a friends of a friends friends child didn't speak until they were 3. it's all very confusing.

Amazed to hear the straw blowing thing! My DS was a really early talker, could argue his case in perfect sentences since before two However at 3.5yrs he has only just, and not reproducibly, learned how to blow through a whistle!! Also he has a tiny tongue which he can't really stick out!

DaddyCool - my DS is the same. Two last month, and limited to saying Mumma, Dadda and Nana. But communicates pretty well by taking us to things and pointing. Not sure if I should be worried or not. Would be nice to hear other stories of late talkers.

My ds has his assesment on 6th july. He's 3 1/2 and I'm lucky to get 8 clear words. I've had everything from high funtioning asd to developmental dyspraxia thrown at me! My son cannot blow through a straw, bubbles etc, lick things off his lips. He babbles well just doesn't say anything! He now goes to a specialist nursery and he's getting all the help he needs. If you are concerned, see a SALT who will be able to tell you if they think there are other problems or ask for a CDC. Heres another hint, if it's possible ask for cancellation appointments, you'll be seen a lot quicker! Hope this helps.

Spursmum, That nursery is fab, DS and DD1 both went there and came on leaps and bounds
For evryone else with kids with Speech problems. Try blowing bubbles with your child, they love it!!

I know this sounds like one of those 'irritating attempt to reassure you' stories but I thought I would share it anyway. My ex-boyfriend, who is still a close friend, told me the other day that he was in speech therapy as a child because he could only babble until he was five. He had no real words, or nothing that aynone could understand. Because the delay went on for so long, he can remember what it felt like, and says he always thought he was 'talking properly', but no-one seemed able to understand him. He was also a bedwetter until he was a teenager, more or less.
This guy is exceptionally brilliant, by the way - he's a philosophy teacher and amazingly charismatic and articulate.
Like I mentioned in an earlier post, my own dd seemed very slow to talk in comparison with her little friends, so I am familiar with the anxieties that can attend this problem. But I honsetly think that often it is just a personality thing, and can indicate a very intelligent, observant and individualistic little soul!
From what I have read (and I have read quite a lot on this subject), speech delayed children who have a good understanding of what others say, and signal their needs and interests nonverbally (through pointing and so forth) almost always catch up without intervention. And even kids who don't do this much are often okay in the long run, although professionals are pretty trigger happy with PDD and autism diagnoses these days. See speech delay.com for stories and advice on this subject - it's a great site with therapists as well as parents on board.

I second that. In fact that is exactly what I was going to write. Also, speechdelay.com was a lifesaver for my nerves. Try it out. But dont get too hot and bothered about what other people's kids are doing or are not doing. My own son who is almost 2.5 still has only a few words but his cognitive ability is much much better.

After asking questions and reading forums on teh internet, i was convinced my son had every possible speech problem and more, including autism.

Your child is still very very young and kids change so quickly. Speech delay is far more common in boys than in girls. I would also say that "they", i.e. speech therapists, etc, dont REALLY know what causes speech delay and for that reason many things might be considered regarding your child. Dispraxia, apraxia, PDD, autism, Autistic spectrum disorders, the list goes on and on and on and on.

Some children are diagnosed with a number of "disorders" and I believe that this reflects the fact that they really dont know what causes the delay. The brain is a magical thing and we have only learned so very little about it.

Most of all keep on enjoying your little one. Dont get yourself into a worry frenzy and miss out on these wonderful months. Learn all you can though before having your child assessed so you know what to ask and can understand what is being said to you if they use medical jargon (which can be quite daunting).

My son is attending his first assessment tomorrow and I will let you know what to expect.

By the way, the straw thing, - I have insisted that my husband pick up his dirty underwear for the last 10 years and he still dosent do it. No matter how much you tell or show someone how to do something, it still might not happen. Maybe your child prefers to watch you blow through a straw. Maybe you doing it is more fun.

Thank you for all these reassuring comments - they help a lot. I am resolved not to worry about it. For a while at least.

My ds 21 mths.
Very few distinguishable words.
He has 4 little friends, from my post-natal group.
They all have 30-40 distinguishable words.
Everyone keeps telling me not to panic - so, I do understand.

Ds says - bye-bye,
mama
dada - yesterday he said daddy.
arf arf = bath.
oohs oohs = shoes.
ooff ooff = woff woof - i.e. dog
e a e o = e,i,e,i,o - old macdonald.

Thats it.
Thats the only things he says.

Please don't worry too much.

I am totally new to this so apologise if I am not using the right jargon. My ds is just coming up to 3yrs old and is attending a special school due to his language difficulties. It would seem he may have a language disorder but we are still unsure what this entails, he is not however autistic as he does not display any of the behaviour characteristics. I think the main concern is the lack of understanding - he struggles with simple commands and this is the area of concern. I would not be concerned by any speech delay if he/she seems to understand as many children (especially boys) seem to say little and then suddenly explode. Anyone else have experience of language disorders?

If your ds is pointing (especially things of interest), can follow a point, and understands simple commands then don't wporry too much about lack of speech.

Being unable to blow through a straw can indicate things like verbal dyspraxia, but tbh I think 21 months is very young to manage straws etc.

To teach blowing do things like paint blowing and use ping pong balls and straws to try and blow them across a tray, or feathers etc.