Those who had speech delayed toddlers…

[Nosleepforthismum]

Did they eventually start talking properly? My DS is 3 in September and is speech delayed. We have good understanding, lots of words, attempting to put words together but my big issue is that his speech is mostly so unclear it’s extremely difficult to understand him. Even words like “mummy” which he’s been saying for ages is variations of “meemee”, “umma”, “ummee” and he really struggles to get it right especially when excited or upset. We are going to speech therapy, he’s in preschool and he’s been making such good progress but then I see an 18 month old say “mummy” clear as day and I just feel really down about everything today.

Has he had a hearing test @Nosleepforthismum?

I was the only person who could understand ds until he was 3. He’s now an adult in a job which involves lots of talking and you wouldn’t know that he was a very late talker.

How’s your son’s eating ? Eating and chewing uses the same muscles as speech so a child with a varied diet is more likely to speak clearly because their mouth and tongue muscles are stronger.

Also has he had a hearing test ? Ear issues and speech are often related.

Oh yes, I should have said. He did but I think around a year ago now. Hearing test came back fine but I have wondered if it might be worth asking for a second hearing test now.

Our eldest had a speech delay but when he did start to speak ( before 3 ) he spoke in complete and clear sentences it was as if he was waiting until he had something worth saying . He was diagnosed with bilateral moderate hearing loss at 6 but had taught himself to lip read , which he still does in preference to wearing aids ( adult now) .

My DC had delayed speech and a stammer. One year of intensive once a week NHS speech therapy, and apart from a blip when they were about 11, all fine now. It can be connected to dyslexia (my DD is dyslexic).

Dd was nearly 4 before she spoke clearly. She's about to graduate from university. Try not to worry too much

Should add that DC is now 18. My mother in law said my husband was also a late speaker with a stammer.

Sorry to keep adding, should also add DC is due to go to a highly regarded Russell Group Uni in September (as long as they get the grades), so try not to worry.

Incessantly. At home anyway, she's still very shy! Nearly 13yo now.
But she surprised me by choosing to take a speaking part in a school play last term!

Yes mine was hugely delayed I feel your pain as when he was 3 I was so upset and worried about it, I had been worried and asking for investigation into his talking/communication from 18 months old. He had help from a private speech therapist when he was 3 to 4 (I think he would have been 18 if we waited for the NHS)!) but he still started school at just turned 4 at about 18 months behind which made it so hard for him. We ended up sending him to a private school as the teacher pupil ratio was so much better and they could do more 1:1 work with him and generally support him so much better and it was the making of him. He is now 11 and talks the hind legs off a donkey! The schooling was definitely our best decision ever.

I do feel so much for you as it was so hard especially when similar aged kids are talking so much which means they can communicate so much more with them making life so much easier and quite frankly interesting I still feel robbed of that year before he started school where he couldn’t really communicate but so relieved that he got there in the end. We were told when speaking to him to keep everything short and simple sentences as it makes it easier for him. Lots of family members used to fill him not talking with a huge list of questions which would have required complicated answers and we realised that just made him anxious and would just go completely silent. Instructions too we were advised to make sure we kept to one part eg can you put your shoes on not can you put your shoes on and go and find your coat and which teddy would you like to take with you.

I was worried in Reception, when her TA said she had Selective Mutism... but her friends were amazing. They have never cared she didn't talk, or very rarely. Same way they never cared she couldn't read (also dyslexic!).

My daughter couldn't be understood by her reception teacher. She's now in year one and what a difference a year has made! The leap in her speech from around 4.5yrs has been astounding

Dc1 was mostly only understood by me, dc2 and select few friends until 5 and a half.

Now at 9, he has lots of friends, asked for a speaking part in the school play, does Drama classes and is understood 99 percent time by 99 percent of the people listening to him.

I taught a teen who his parents told me at parents evening had been non-verbal and speech delayed until Juniors With lots of speech therapy. He was the most eloquent student that I ever taught and had the most fantastic 'Frank Sinatraesque' singing voice and regularly performed and did public speaking. Now not all children are like him but I'm sure when he was younger his parents felt the same as you

Check the obvious physical signs hearing, tongue tie. Lots of modeling language and a range of vocab. You might want to introduce signing to reduce frustration. Other than that time will tell, he is still very young it could all come together all at once. Support with S&L isn't unusual.

DD2 has a condition called 'Cluttering' that was diagnosed at 10yo after her assessments got delayed by the Covid lockdowns (she's now 13). Sometimes when she's very Cluttering I'm still the only person who can understand her during an info-dump. Severe speech delays at all stages of development, lack of clarity and selective mutism from about 8yo. She'll have this for life, but it seems like it can improve with age. Therapies are still being developed with several theories abounding. Cluttering also affects writing skills.

She also has hearing loss and will be diagnosed with autism when we get there (+++anxirty). She's intelligent, artistic, kind, generous and in Set 2 for English. She loves learning French (apparently once you become fluent in another language you'll Clutter in that too, but she's not there yet). Her SaLT focuses more on resilience than on actual speech.