2.4 year old not talking....verbal dyspraxia?

[littleladybird14]

My 2 year 4 month old DS is hardly talking. There are no real distinguished words he uses and instead i have to ask the question of what he wants with him nodding or shaking his head. I've been attending a local sure start centre class for helping speech development and yesterday there was a speech therapist who we could ask questions. When I spoke with her I told her how my DS understands everything I say, he can follow instructions but hardly any attempt at language. She said that concerns her more that he understands so much but not making any attempt at talking. So this panicked me!

I went home and started looking online (worst thing I know!) and I found verbal dyspraxia, or apraxia. The signs and symptoms all look familiar so now I've decided this is what it must be (I know I shouldn't!). The ST said a wait for an appointment on the NHS would be 5-6 months so I've got a gp phone appt tomorrow to get referred and then I'm going to use my private medical insurance and get seen sooner.

I'm racing ahead of myself at 100mph at the minute, can't speak to my husband as he just dismisses my worries as being just that! He says there's nothing to worry about but I've always had this niggling that he's not behaving like other little boys, his attention is short lived, his moods can change within seconds, tantrums are unbearable at times, I don't know I guess he's just a little boy you might say!

Has anyone had any experience of late talkers and or verbal dyspraxia? Any tips or advice? Thank you in advance!

That was my first assumption about ds2 but it turned out to be autism. He also had terrible tantrums. Thankfully I already had ds1 so wasn't influenced by negative stereotypes of small boys.

Sorry that was abrupt, was interrupted. If you've had a niggling thought then you're probably right that there's something.

As I've brought up autism it's worth doing the MCHAT

There were lots of things I thought ds did that he didn't actually do. Like he smiled, but until I really looked he never smiled in response to us. He also understood routines and so what I thought was understanding was just him knowing what happened next, and if it didn't then he was upset.

I'm not saying it is autism obviously! For ds they ruled out hearing problems first, but ASD is more common than verbal dyspraxia as far as I know and as I said, I thought that's what ds had initially.

Hope you get some answers soon, waiting when you know there's something is horrible.

My DS was a late talker – he said his first word (car) at 2yrs 6 months. He is now at grammar school, doing well and talking rather too much at times!

Of course, I cannot say that you will have the same experience with your DS but I wanted to let you know that there is certainly hope.

My advice to you would be please, please, please if you possibly can, just enjoy your son.

A lot of experts were worried about my DS too – they were pessimistic about his future. It made me neurotic about his development. I spent a lot of time agonising over his speech. I wish I hadn’t allowed the opinions of the experts to get me down so much!

You have been responsible and are in the process of arranging for checks to be carried out. There is nothing more to be done on that side for the moment.

Just let it go now. Try to find things that you and your DS enjoy doing together and do them. Those early years pass so quickly and are so precious. Don’t spend that time fretting like I did.

For you and your DS, I prescribe fun – and plenty of it.

Maybe your DS is like mine was and is good at jigsaw puzzles and building things with brio or lego? (Late talkers are sometimes advanced in visuospatial skills.)

Find what your DS likes and is strong in and spend some time focusing on that.

Thank you for both ends of the spectrum. I can't help but worry about one end and it's just the unknown really, what if he has autism, in all honestly I've only been exposed to the extremes of this on tv programmes so it just feels daunting if it is. I know on the wider scale of things there is a spectrum but still, it's all just worrying.
I really hope he is just going to start talking all of a sudden, I do keep hearing people tell me how their child didn't talk till they were 3 etc I'm just hoping he's a late bloomer!
Spoke to my doctor this morning and were booked in tomorrow to see him and he can make an initial assessment so we'll go from there.

Hope you get some clarity soon littleladybird. I do understand the anxiety but it sounds like you are doing all the right things to help your DS.
To add to your fund of anecdotes - DP didn't talk until he was 3 and then suddenly started talking in sentences. There's a lot of variation in speech development.

Good luck with your DS

The first thing I would say to you, as a parent of a child with a severe speech and language delay, and possibly more, is not to minimise your concerns. Minimising will stop you seeking out the care and support you need for you and your child. Well meaning people will tell you countless stories about Einstein not talking until he was 4 etc.

But as a parent, if you are worried, then pursue it. Go to your GP, and ask if they can refer you on. Approach your HV and ask the same. Chase the speech and language therapy unit regularly. Ask your GP to refer your DS to a community paediatrician for a developmental check.

Have you had his hearing checked? Have you had him checked for glue ear? Do this.

My then 2.3 yo DS was tenantively diagnosed with verbal dyspraxia last year. We had private health cover too, but it didn't cover it. So we paid provately for weekly therapy. His language hasn't progressed, and I am concerned that he is on the autism spectrum, so we are in the initial stages of requesting an assessment. It is taking forever. Autism terrifies me too, and I am trying to find out as much as I can about it, but it is hard to take it all on board.

My DS is still wonderful, mischievious, funy and loving, and we love him very much.

Good luck.

I took DS to his 30 month health check because I felt his speech was delayed (the odd word but nothing more). I think the rule of thumb then was that by 30 months main carer should be able to understand 80% of what the child says and I certainly didn't. There were reasons for the delay - he was very very prem (26 weeks) and we moved country/language when he was 1 and I couldn't maintain his first language which impacted his language development.

HV agreed his speech was delayed enough to get a SALT referral. I got some sheets from a freind who was an (adult) SALT and started using them. They made a huge difference as did starting nursery for a few half days when he was 3. It might have been developmental or the the need to make himself understood by others but he didn't start school too badly delayed.

However his speech was still delayed (and noted as such for some years) and even now at 9 he mispronounces some words. But there are no underlying issues.

I agree if you are concerned get a HV or GP to assess him and refer.

BTW I never did get a SALT appt - despite school and HV both saying they would refer. Appointments are like hens teeth around here I understand.

My DS was a late talker and has autism.

Are you sure he understands what you say? My son's SLT told me that she hears parents all the time saying "oh, he understands everything I say!" when in reality they maybe only understand one or two key words in the sentence. For example "go get your shoes and put them on" the only word they need to understand there is shoes. It looks like a three step instruction but it's not. I was surprised when I realised DS didn't understand as much as I thought he did.

I think for the vast majority of parents who have concerns, their concerns are legitimate. You really do know your child best. 5-6 months wait for NHS speech therapy isn't a huge amount of time, I had no problems waiting that long and speech therapy has done wonders for my son's understanding and communication.

Hi, my DD had a diagnosis of severe verbal dyspraxia. The NHS were absolutely brilliant in our case (very lucky). Our journey started with getting on a local Hanen course (Google this) at an age similar to your DS, and the SALT from that took her under her wing, giving weekly therapy and sorting nursery support. We also got a statement sorted out when she started school. Top tips from me would be 1) get hold of the 'More than words' Hanen book if you can't get on a course 2) teach your DS to sign to help communication when comprehension is better than expression 3) be prepared to put in a lot of effort to practise daily any exercises given by SALT. If NHS SALT is not happening quickly then I'd say that it would be worth getting a private assessment. I think that you can do masses to support this (if it is VD) as a parent but you need professional input to get you going in the right direction. We had private insurance through work, but it didn't cover 'development issues' so no SALT. There is a VD FB UK parent group. Hope this helps. All the best....

Please, please try not to worry. I completely understand how silly that May sound when your out of your mind with anxiety. Your DS is 2.4 and is still v v young.

I did exactly this with my DS who was a late talker. He only properly started talking at 3.5 and I was utterly convinced he had verbal dyspraxia. He had a private SALT from 2.9 and he had a few sessions with the NHS SALT, who IMO, wasn't particularly helpful. Hence why we got the private SALT on board. This did help my DS , but it wasn't the main thing to help his language. For us, it was his Nursery .

Does your DS attend a Nursery? If so, are they supportive to his needs? My DS attended one from the age of two until 3. I wasn't happy with DS progress and felt that he wasn't supported at all. Long story short; we changed settings. DS is now at an amazing Nursery and he has come on so amazingly well. He has just turned four and has completely caught up in his language development with that of his peers. My heart swells with pride each time I drop him off and he goes off with his little friends, who are delighted to see him.

I understand your worries regarding other aspects of your DS development. My DS displayed behaviours that you describe, short attention span, awful tantrums etc

We truly had a really worrying and v stressful first few years with DS , but it will get Better with the right support.

You are doing right by getting an assessment and as pp have said, only you know your child best.

Keep doing what your doing - supporting , loving and encouraging. The main thing though is to enjoy your son, as this time will pass so quickly.

Completely agree with outwiththeoutcrowd

DD1 had severe verbal dyspraxia. By the age of three she still only had one sound, which she used for everything and had taught herself sign language by watching Somehing Special on TV :(.

Her behaviour at times was very difficult, but I can now see a lot if that was from sheer frustration at not being able to express herself. She was five before she was able to ask me a question. :( . She was tested for autism but failed the test- it was very obvious to everyone that this was not the issue.

Initially I didn't worry because it was clear she understood completely, even complex instructions ( e.g go in the kitchen and bring me a pink spoon from the drawer and a yellow bowl from the cupboard..)

She had physical difficulties as well, which were not obvious to me until I found an amazing OT. It is unusual to have verbal dyspraxia without some kind of motor difficulties, however subtle. Can your DS kick a ball, jump off steps,climb, pedal,throw and catch? There is a huge connection with motor skills and speech development.

FWIW she is now nine, and her speech difficulties are detectable only to me. She does gymnastics, swims, climbs, horserides and and loves drama and performing. I never, ever thought she would get to this point and it has been a very long hard journey. Without a lot of help she would have been written off as a shy, unconfident child when in fact nothing could be further from the case - she was desparate to express herself.

Early diagnosis and intervention is absolutely vital, so if you have any doubts do not let anyone dissuade you. And don't listen to people who tell you he needs to get out more or go into nursery - for a child with speech difficulties that will honestly do nothing to help.

There are a lot of people over on the Special Needs board who can help a lot if you post there :)