Just joined bit nervous!-toddler speech delay

[Rubycat321]

Hi, I've just joined Mums net after having a bad day with my eldest son who has a speech delay. He is 3 in August and only has a handful of words. He moans a lot and points etc babbles in his own language. Gets very frustrated with everyone. I've got lots more to say but just wondered if anyone was in the same situation :( thank you in advance xxxx

yes been there, he just screamed for years and couldn't really talk. Then he leaped but it wasn't until he was 7 could you have a proper conversation with him but now I can't shut him up.

I flirted with baby sign years ago but thought there wasn't any point, I really wish I had of done now.

Have you spoken to your HV?

Hi thank you for your reply, yes we have had NHS speech therapy but only 5 sessions we have also had a couple of private sessions but the therapist said he wasn't really ready for one to one therapy as he is also quite shy. I pushed for a child development check which is on Monday with a peadiatrition. It's so worrying x

It's good that the wheels are in motion and I agree it is worrying, that as well as dealing with their frustration because they can't communicate with is fast enough.

But just because he's delayed doesn't mean he will never talk. Mine wasn't talking at that age he just screamed. We got a few words when he was at nursery and it got better when he went into reception, enough for him to stop screaming anyway.

I probably would put off the one to one, he's still quite little yet but the pediatrician should be able to put some of your mind at rest.

Always trust your instincts and don't be scared to push for assessments as you have with the child development check. I think they don't believe in early intervention sometimes.

*us

You have done just the right thing. Early intervention is the key here. My ds also had language delay (along with other issues) and wasn't talking at 2.5. We had to push professionals along a little but did eventually receive a proper assessment and the support we needed. I'm happy to say that now at the age of 9, he has a wider vocabulary than most of his peers. He is much more confident about speaking to others too.
Are you concerned about other issues, Rubycat? If so a paediatric review sounds ideal. Let us know how you get on - Good luck.

It's so lovely to hear success stories as right now it all seems like very hard work and like there is no or very slow progress. Today we had a family BBQ and my little boy just didn't cope very well with a full house and lots of people talking to him. It's on my mind constantly there seems to be no let up x

Thanks so much for your reply kickers. I think he has some ASD traits but my other half doesn't think so. He can be quite obsessive... At the moment it's lego...
He is loving and kind, understands emotions and empathy is potty trained and dry at night. He eats well and sleeps well. He is a talented little golfer and loves most sports. He's quite friendly with other children but obviously struggles to communicate with them. He doesn't like his little brother who is 5 months old. Although he will give him a kiss goodnight x
I've written put a page of A4 to take with me to the check on Monday.

My son has a speech disorder caused by glue ear deafness, has your son had a hearing check recently? Mine didn't seem deaf at all but he had mild to moderate loss so it was certain sounds at high pitch he couldn't hear, so I said Bus, he heard Bu and said Bu iykwim.

Hi lovethesa
He has had a glue ear check and it came back fine. He hasn't had a proper hearing check because he had a bit of a meltdown and didn't like the lady performing the test! Also they expected him to put a little man in a boat every time he heard the sound! He didn't understand what he had to do :(

DS is 2.8, bilingual and had glue ear when he was 1. He has grommits now. He babbles a lot, and occasionally new words emerge. He is much keener on sounds than words - ponk, bang, etc and is very good at animal sounds. His CM had a visit from a speech pædagog, which is someone less qualified than a speech therapist, but more specialised than a general nursery worker.

I wasnt very good at talking to him when I was at home with him on maternity leave. I just cant do the running commentary that others can. I partly blame myself for his lack of speech. Next one is due in november and I will be working through the complete works of shakespeare, and having the radio on a lot more. And we will be doing baby signing too.

Hi redexpat
Signing is good my little boy uses some signs for drink etc but needs constant modeling and reminding. Love the Shakespeare ;-)

I think you are right to push for a proper assessment, hopefully the paediatrician will be able to put all the pieces together and sort out a package of care to help with your ds's communication. .
Interestingly, it took a speech therapist to point out to me that my ds wasn't really communicating never mind speaking. We started a picture exchange system PECS (which I was initially a bit reticent to do thinking it would stop his speech coming - in fact it worked the other way) This seemed to kick start ds's communication and when he got the hang of it, it was huge relief to him and us.
Taking some written notes with you to your appointment is a great idea - as is making notes whilst you are there. Do mention that your ds struggles when lots of people talk to him. It may be part of the puzzle.
Lastly 18 months to 4 years with ds were difficult and challenging but I have to say, it is so much easier now. We have a lot of fun together ! You are clearly worried now, but once support is in place then things will get easier. You will have to push for what your little chap needs though!

Thank you kickers you have been really positive and helpful xxxxx

Redexpat,
I can't help with the speech therapy I'm afraid, but when my little man was a baby I felt daft talking to him all the time so I used to read his stories. Whatever I was reading at the time. Sometimes I even did an accent for poirot!
Meant we were chatting but I wasn't bored senseless. Might not work as well with an older child though?
K

Thank you QT pie it is so amazing that you did not worry how did you stop yourself? I now suffer with anxiety partly due to his speech :( I can be quite negative about him x

You are all right I need to narrate my life more lol

Thank you so much, it's lovely to hear such positivity. I'm a teacher which probably makes my anxiety worse as I see children with different conditions etc. we have his big check tomorrow xxx he is a very talented little golfer and is ahead of his peers with balls skills etc x

Have you ever seen "Something Special" - uses Makaton: a very simple signing system that enables language? I also liked the Hanen materials: It takes two to talk.

Both mine have SLI - specific language impairment - language develops abnormally. Sadly, the key is SALT, but accessing it: despite the fact the earlier the intervention the better, is very hard.

When DS2 was 3, it used to break my heart watching other parents interact with their children, he could not do it. Now, you cannot shut him up. There are still residues - he binned a load of stuff recently, when "helping" me tidy up because he hadn't understood me. I'll watch my instructions more carefully next time we tidy together.

Hi,
Sorry to hear you're so worried.
I used to work in speech therapy and often saw children who were delayed at acquiring speech but then soon caught up. Sounds like a good sign that he's communicating by other means if you said he points, uses his own words etc.

This website has lots of good tips on how to help him with learning to speak -www.icommunicatetherapy.com/child-speech-language/child-speech-language-development/activities-strategies-help-develop-speech-language-skills/

Good luck tomorrow xx

Hi there - I once read a similar thread and someone recommended the Suki and Finn DVD (on amazon) anyway at the time my dd was coming up to 1 - I bought it and she LOVES it still believe me I can recite it. My dd doesn't have speech delay however my friends little boy does and she found it helpful too. Basically it's a cartoon of everyday routines - the speech is easy to follow - a SLT reviews keys words and what happened after each segment and there are songs. I read the reviews on amazon before buying it and a parent of a child with autism had found it helpful as it goes over routines too. Obviously it's only a limited resource but my friends little boy did copy a few keys words from it and when you think about it even most kids tv uses quite hard lang is so fast paced I think it's just a nice DVD for any child. GOOD LUCK x

Definitely push for more speech therapy.

I don't think it's helpful for people just to reassure you and say stuff like 'they all get there' and especially 'Einstein talked late'.

He sounds great but some kids do need extra input to get them talking and they don't all 'just get there in own time'

People may say I'm harsh but is important it is said.