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SN children

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Original poster

Is it a speech delay

22 replies

Frasersmum123 · 26/01/2009 13:26

if my son makes sounds that do not sound like words?

He chats all the time in his own language, but has been doing this for over a year.

Im all over the place, so sorry for another post like this. My DH thinks im going crazy and DS is like he is because I dont take him out enough, but I dont take him out because its so traumatic for him and for me!

OP posts:

misscutandstick · 26/01/2009 13:47

DS1 used to talk absolute gibberish - but if you werent listening it almost sounded like english as it had real sounding syllables in it. He used that kind of language at around 2.5y and was still unintelligilble at nearly 4yrs.

But going to school helped enormously.

He is 16yrs now BTW and although he still has problems with using the correct word in context (ie "chiming" instead of "ringing" when talking about a phone.)

But that said, he is ADHD, dyspraxic and dyslexic - so this is probably not a helpful post at all

misscutandstick · 26/01/2009 13:48

oh, and he NEVER shut up, like EVER, at all - strangely enough he made more sense when he was sleeptalking!

morningsun · 26/01/2009 13:55

frasersmum hi,how old is he

TotalChaos · 26/01/2009 14:08

unless he is consistently applying the same sounds to mean the same things, sounds like your describing something called "jargon" - that tends to be a stage of normal speech development that comes before proper speech - when a kid imitates the sounds etc of adult speech. DS was still doing this sort of gibberish at 3 as part of his language delay.

Original poster

Frasersmum123 · 26/01/2009 14:13

He is 2 next month.

He doesnt use the same sounds in relation to things, but does make the same sound noises if you see what I mean. He will wander round saying 'Peeker' but doesnt apply it to anything - his other favourite sound at the moment is 'is'

OP posts:

ben5 · 26/01/2009 14:32

ds1 spoke well by the time he was 22months. ds2 however still has problems and he was 3 in november. we have been refered to speech therispt( theres a 12 month waiting list). i take him 2 a toddler group that helps with sign language. also take your child to the doctors to see if he has glue ear.ds2 has also got glue ear and this is why they don't speak so quickly

mogwai · 26/01/2009 17:45

yes, Frasersmum, refer him to SLT yourself over the phone. They are supposed to operate an "open referral system". If they refuse, tell them you know the Royal College specifies an "open referral policy".

I'm an SLT. I'd be a little concerned by your description, mainly the bit about no consistent labelling.

Original poster

Frasersmum123 · 26/01/2009 19:16

Thanks Mogwai - I will try that if I dont get anywhere with my GP tomorrow or my HV on Monday

OP posts:

kettlechip · 26/01/2009 19:51

Frasersmum, it could be what SALT's call jargon. It sounds like gibberish and ds1 did an awful lot of it at your son's age. I think it normally tails off at around 18 months but in children with language delays, disorders etc it can go on a lot longer. ds1 (lang disorder though no dx yet) had jargon until around 3, ds2 is just starting to drop it at 17 months as he gains real language.

Just over a year on, we had a SALT appt for ds1 today and she noted no jargon at all, it had all turned into proper words. I think he was using certain sounds in relation to things or people though, but he probably labelled no more than 5-10 things at that age. We had him referred just after his 2nd birthday.

Out of interest, what makes it so hard to take your ds out? Does he have tantrums or run off? Just wondering..

Original poster

Frasersmum123 · 26/01/2009 20:03

He hates going anywhere new, or meeting anyone new, so he just cries and whimpers the whole time, and clings to my trousers. We do go to a few places, like a soft play centre, and we do go to one toddler group, but he is fine because we have always gone to these places.

OP posts:

mogwai · 26/01/2009 20:18

Frasermum, jargon is usually interspersed with true labelling.

Some kids label people or things with a word that sounds nothing like the target word, but it's the consistent labelling that's the key.

So most kids using jargon are jabbering away with intonnation but also consistently labelling to some extent.

And it's unusual for there to be no clear and consistent words that sound a bit like the target, especially at 2.

Sorry if I'm alarming you, I just mean to get you to self refer. Don't bother with GP/HV, just make them aware what you've done. You will save yourself a couple of weeks.

bubblagirl · 26/01/2009 20:21

i would go to gp with your worries to be reffered to speech therapy its easy to come off the list if no longer needed but really long wait to be on it so earlier the better

early intervention is always best even if all does turn out to be ok butr if now then again early intervention is best again my ds was found to have ASD but with the help is a completely different child

his speech came along really well at 3.5 and is up to age appropiate with his words just not speech sounds now

but without the early help i doubt he would have progressed as he has

i found my gp more helpful than my hv so i would suggest to see your gp

mogwai · 26/01/2009 20:23

slaps forehead with palm

I will not post on speech threads
I will not post on speech threads
I will not post on speech threads

bubblagirl · 26/01/2009 20:24

oh and again it has nothing to do with you not taking him out much as i was told neglected children learn to talk and they have had no one so it would never be your fault there not talking

so please dont blame yourself i did this but then realised it was nothing i had done i talk to ds i read to ds so no reason why he wouldnt talk unless delayed or something more

but im not saying there is more to it to your ds but best to check anyway good luck xx

kettlechip · 26/01/2009 21:01

mogwai, that could well have been a x post. I don't think anyone's trying to undermine your advice, just doing our best to help the OP drawing on our own experiences.

Please do keep posting on speech threads. Those of us with dc's with language difficulties really appreciate the input that people like yourself and moondog put in on these threads.

mogwai · 26/01/2009 23:22

I've been posting on MN for four years. There's always someone comes along who knows much better.

Sometimes that's true, particularly the slant a SN parent can give (which I can't) but oftentimes my (clinical rather than anecdotal) opinion is ignored and the debate rages on around as though I haven't posted.

And then I wonder why I bother, but it's hard not to try and help!

Yes, might have been a cross post. Also I am pregnant and probably hormonal.

However, must not post on speech threads!!

Original poster

Frasersmum123 · 27/01/2009 07:22

Well I really appreciate everyones help, its nice to get both opinions. Its nice to know that im not alone, and other people have the same worries as me.

Please dont stop posting Mogwai

OP posts:

TotalChaos · 27/01/2009 07:59

I don't understand where your clinical opinion has been undermined - as we are all saying - follow up your concerns. The only bit of bubbla's post that was at odds with yours was over the mechanism of referring - that she said go to the GP, and you said she should be able to it herself.

I would be interested to know (too late sadly for DS) how best to deal with a HV/GP who refuses to refer and a department that insists on gatekeeping referrals via HV and a screeening questionnaire. Is it really as simple as saying "RCSLT insist on open referrals"?

bubblagirl · 27/01/2009 08:41

if your on about my post it was a xpost to yours i was wriyting and sent and yours appeared but i wrote of my own experience on another thread rewgarding referring

wasnt ignoring your post as it wasnt there when i was writing mine you just happened to write, a post at same time as you but regardless to that were all offering help and advise i go on my experience

its not about being ,mean or knowing better than anyone of this site its about helping and lots of people offering lots of advise so please dont think i posted to ignore your post im sure the op is able to read through them all and take all imformation on board that we have all written

you can post on sn thread anytime just dont take x post as a personal attack thats not what we do here

sorry if i upset you but i guarantee your post was not there when i wrote mine didnt even notice the funny slaps head post after mine but believe me we dont do ignoring or nastiness on this thread only offer support to our own knowledge and experience and all knowledge and experience welcome not just sn knowledge i was posting on here long before ds was dx as sn

bubblagirl · 27/01/2009 08:42

oh and also i had to go to my gp for the refferral so again i wrote regarding what i had to do not going against what you said

lingle · 27/01/2009 10:28

"oftentimes my (clinical rather than anecdotal) opinion is ignored and the debate rages on around as though I haven't posted."

sorry that's happened Mogwai. Maybe it was on another thread that you got ignored (at our peril!)? that must be annoying, especially if we use a term that has a precise meaning very loosely. Please bear with us and do keep posting! We all appreciate it.

onthepier · 27/01/2009 21:37

Frasersmum, it's worth looking into "speech + language DISORDER", rather than "DELAY". I'm only saying this because my ds used to have his own words for certain things, (still does for some things), + he's in primary school now. He was diagnosed with this while still at nursery.

It can be the way the child's brain transmits what he's hearing. It's certainly worth mentioning this yourself to a Speech + Language Therapist.

I'm not an expert, but your description of your ds does have similarities with mine.

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