language delay

[tums]

My 2.8 year old can only say about 6 words. He makes lots of 'sounds' though. We have been seen by speech therapy.

All the therapist has ever said is 'Let's wait and see'. Seen her since he turned 2.

He's getting close to nursery age and I'm petrified and generally frustrated with the SALT.

She is quite young and just seems so laid back. Maybe I'm stressing over nothing?

Should I ask to see someone else? She hasn't even been clear that he has a delay - I've come that conclusion myself.

Can anyone please please advise or let me know of your experiences.

Thanks in advance X

2.8 is still quite young and plenty of time for your DS to suddenly put everything together to say words.

A few questions: You say he makes lots of sounds. What sort of sounds? Are they a variety or m, d, g, b, etc, or just vowel sounds of a, e, i etc? - I ask because the sounds that come from the back of the mouth are far harder to grasp than the vowels, but if he is making a whole variety of sounds, it is probably just needing to put the sounds together. If he is only saying vowel sounds he may need more of an input form SALT.
Is he an only child, does he have older siblings? - From my own experience my 4th child would sit and accept a drink, for example, when the other 3 were given a drink and he had no need to ask for one! (plus he was a lazy lump very passive child) DD1 and DD2 spoke a lot earlier.
DD3 had a lot of speech problems, which I wont go into now, but the SALT team didn't do a huge amount about it til she was about 3 years old.

By the way, we had a very young, inexperienced speech therapist, but she was totally on the ball and did a fanastic job at diagnosing DD3 fully and helping her get the help she needed.

Good luck.

My son has speech delay. Was seen by an NHS therapist and by a private therapist around the age of two. Both of them said there was no actual problem, just a delay.

He's now three and his speech has greatly improved, although I would estimate he's still about six months behind his peers. I believe he will catch up in time without the need for any therapy.

Thanks for replies.

By sounds I mean squawks(sp).

He is the youngest but there is a big gap between him and dc 2. We are alone together during school hours.

I'm just frustrated because the only advice I get is - speak to him

• Model his speech
• play together
• nursery/toddl grp

I do all of these, as with my older dc.

I suppose I will have to be patient but would love any ideas that could help.

tums, you have my sympathy. DS is also 2.8, very bright but similar level of speech to yours. I do have a good salt though at the min. He is alos going to have his name put down for a language unit for nursery/reception years.

Am also meant to be doing makaton - can you ask for someone else to assess him?

Leterland and Fun with Phonics engaged my son and he started to speak properly between 3 and 3 and a half. Over a year later and he is just a liitle slower sometimes than his peers in finding words, but I am sure this is because he hasn't had so much practice yet! Good luck!

Lots of children have some delay in speech, but by 2.8 years they normally have some words even if only you understood the words ie "bot" for "bottle". If your are worried have a chat with the therapist.

My DS had v slow speech development - now 10 yrs and still having speech therapy. but his speech is much improved - it does get better. My DS got so frustrated - it landed him in so much trouble at nursery and school. Thinking back I wish we had got some help with sign language.

Have you had his hearing tested? if there is a problem with his hearing he will not hear the sounds to make up the words - my DS had glue ear and auditory processing problems. Can he understand what what you say and follow 1 or 2 to separate instructions - my DS couldnt remember more than one instruction at a time.

Good luck