23 months and not talking

[gosssipgirl]

I am worried about my DS's lack of speach...

He only has very few words:
Mummy
Daddy
Oh dear
Go
Nanny
Jack Jack (our cat)
Baa (sheep)

...that's it.

All of his peers are taking in sentances now and counting, doing colours etc so I'm beginning to get worried.

There is a private SALT very close to us - should I schedule an assesment for him or am I jumping the gun?

His behaviour is absolutely appaling so I am wondering if it stems from frustration at not being able to verbally express himself?

As you're already worried, and he's frustrated, then yes, go for it.

She'll help you figure out whether he's got problems with articulation (moving his mouth), problems understanding/processing language or "just" problems finding the right word to say when he wants to.

Ask her about the following book: "It Takes Two to Talk" published by Hanen. Or just splash out and buy it, you won't regret it.

I started helping my son at about 2.6-2.9 and with hindsight would have liked to start at 2.0.

DD is the same age as your DS.

She says:

baa
moo
miaow
woof
gaga (daddy)
ma (mummy)
na (nana)
ba (for ball, balloon, bread, bike, boots etc!)

and a few more bits.

Don't worry, it is perfectly normal. A friend of mine who works with autistic children says you should only worry if they copy what you say and don't say it without that (if that makes sense!)

So if you show him a picture of a cat, if he says "cat" or "miaow" that's fine.

Don't panic!!

Sorry, I don't know what SALT is!

He is under 2 and development can vary wildly at that age, but if you are worried, just go to your local GP or health visitor (or SALT?). They are there to help and you seeking help will not put you or your son on some weird register or anything sinister.

My experience - for what it's worth - is that many kids who take to speech late (if it IS late) catch up so quickly that you soon forget that you thought they ever had a problem. Some kids (honestly!) just don't feel comfortable talking until later for lots of reasons.

Hi, my DD was 2ish before she started talking much and once she did she hasn't stopped since!
She was referred to speech pathology which was actually a bit premature as the only sounds she had difficulty with were ones that don't develop till 5 or 6 anyway.

She speaks well and volumes now and does well in school!

Don't stress.

My DS was the same as yours at that age (and i was beginning to worry, and dreading his 2 year check up) - and now at almost 26 months his speech has come on so much - he's learning at such a fast rate. I think it just takes some of them a little while longer for the brain to kick in regarding speech, and then they're off!

Ok, so general consensus is I don't need to worry.... but I am worried

My DM has very helpfully pointed out that DS has not learnt any new words since Christmas so I am going to make an appointment for him, with the hope that the SALT will tell me that everything is fine and there is nothing to worry about.

SALT = Speech And Language Therapist by the way MrsLadywoman

My DS the same prob said less and now at 5 you can't shut him up!! I wouldn't worry but if you are then perhaps speak to HV/GP first before you spend a large amount of monet going private. And it's probable if they have concerns you can get help from them.

DS1 had very few understandable words at 2, but would go through big 'language leaps' then plateau for ages. It was quite frustrating but now at 3.3yr he's almost completely caught up with his peers. FWIW, his speech improved loads when he started playgroup three times a week. I think having to work harder to get the staff there to understand what he wanted helped.

DS goes to nursery 2 days a week... they haven't mentioned anything to me so they don't think there is a problem (or I am really unapproachable )

speak to HV - if there is a problem it's useful to be in the NHS system as well as the private. And get HV to arrange hearing test as a basic precaution to rule out hearing problems. If there's likely to be any significant delay (i.e. more than a couple of months) before seeing SALT go private. It's not unusual for children to be "late talkers" - i.e. to catch up by 3 without any intervention - but the odd unnecessary SALT appointment will do no harm to a child.

The thing is, getting an appointment to see a SALT won't do any harm and could put your mind at ease - you have nothing to lose by doing it.

My son will be 2 in July and he COULD say daddy, mamma jack (mamma mia) and now he cant say them words he can only say ball, daisy, gamma ( grandma) I hate it because hes never said mummu . He also has very bad behaviour and im thinking it may stem from this. My G.P is sending us to speach theropy. Some people say hes to young but what harm can it really do? If it will help him im willing to go. xxx

I am a SALT. Do get an assessment.

PiratePrincess, you too. You are right to say not to panic - a lot of two year olds are in this boat. Most often, it simply means that this particular area of their development is moving at a slower pace but will develop absolutely typically, much like my baby boy who is 2nd centile for weight but is growing along a centile.

However, it's not always okay and it's not, strictly speaking, definitely 'normal'.

Your friend is only referring to autism. There are many different reasons that children can be delayed in speaking. Many of them resolve spontaneously but there are children who really do need help and it's not always easy to tell - even for a professional - at this early age. Early intervention/watchful waiting is best, with professional assessment when there are only a few words at 2.