Speech Therapy - Portland,TN

My daughter did not talk until 2 1/2. At her 2nd birthday she could only say about 2 words. 2 months later she was talkimg in 3 word sentences. One day she just opened her mouth. I think it is a little early to be real concerned. Is he communicating other ways effectively? If so then he understands. If not there could be another problem.Keep talking and reading to him and give him alittle more time.

My twin granddaughters didn't talke until after 24 months. They now have huge vocabularies. I wouldn't worry yet. Read on line about Late Talkers.

K.,

My grandson did not say but a mere few words until he reached the age of 2 and now he is 27 months and he is trying to say every word that he hears. Give him until the age of 24 or 25 months and if he is not saying some more words, then see a therapist.

Carol

If you can afford the therapy, do it. If there is a problem, then they have caught it early, before he falls behind. If there is no problem other than delayed speech, then they can determine that as well. Either way, it is a winning situation for you and your son. He could become frustrated in his inability to communicate if it is not helped (this can cause some behavior problems as well). Sounds like you are doing all the "good stuff" for your little guy, keep up the good work.

Hi K.,

The sooner you take your son the better will be for the family. The inability to communicate brings a lot of other issues (like tantrums) that you will like to avoid. I had a great experience with my son.

Good luck,
S.V.

My little guy had ear infections and has tubes, too. He has been seeing a speech therapist since he was about 18 months old. It has helped a lot. Plus, the way I see it is what is the harm in adding another caring adult in your child's life? It can't hurt anything. Also, the First Steps program is awesome. It is much easier to receive therapy for your child when he is under 3 because the system for birth to three is so much better. I say go for it.

Well frankly, I'm surprised that they referred him at such a young age. My 21yo son did not put 2 words together till the month before he turned 3!! I too was concerned but the pediatrician said if he weren't making 2 word sentences by aged 3, then come back. His first sentence was 'Daddy home' (my husband was in the Navy and out to sea at the time). We were thrilled & after that he was talking more and more.

He did receive some speech therapy at the age of 8 after a severe head injury from a 2nd story fall, but it wasn't long & he was only having issues with his R's and S's.

He never had tubes either. We also read to him daily, talked to him constantly. He mostly pointed, grunted or screamed. But you would never have guessed by age 3-1/2 that he'd had any delay (except for his R's and S's).

This is my personal opinion... take it for what it's worth. My son was only saying about 3 words when he was 18 months old and I was referred also. We went thru with it after hesitation for 2 reasons. Our insurance paid for it up to a certain amount (after that we stopped) and what could it hurt if it was free. Ask yourself this... "Is he going to be mute? (probably not) Does he have a real speech impediment?
Here is what to expect:
The state (or county maybe) child services people called to set up an appointment. When they came, they assessed his speech, motor skills, etc. We all sat down and went over the scores and made an action plan.
They set us up with a speech therapist that came to our house 1x a week for 30 minutes. She played games with him and used a lot of repetition. We started with functional words like "help" and "milk" so he would be less frustrated during the day.

The therapist came for about 2 -3 months and at that point insurance ran out and I felt comfortable enough to continue on my own.
Like I said, this was my opinion and experience. I ultimately feel like it was a waste of time. However, it didn't hurt him at all so.....

Good luck!

Hi K.,

My 13 year old was in speech from the age of 3 till last year.
He did not speak at the typical age and then when he did it was indecipherable. A good speech therapist is a Godsend BUT if by chance (and, i hope not) your son begins to stutter or stammer, please know that a speech therapist CANNOT help in those areas.They are simply not qualified.
You would then need a Speech PATHOLOGIST. ok?
Good luck, no worries,
B.

Hi K.. My son is 18-months and isn't talking much yet either. I had been reading, singing, and doing nursery rhymes with finger play with our son, taking him to play dates and story times, etc. What I didn't think to do much yet is to ask him questions and wait expectantly for his response. I also should have been offering him choices and when he gestures towards what he wants (juice or milk, car or ball), I should say, "Oh, you want some milk", etc. Our pediatrician referred us to Child and Family for a speech evaluation, which we took him to this past Monday. He grew fussy (tired and hungry), so we're going to continue the evaluation and follow up next Monday. She watched him play, asked him questions to see if he could follow any directions (he understands way more words than he can say), and tried to get him to talk (but he just said his favorite word, "Cat"). She did recommend that he get some speech therapy. It's bad timing for us, because we're getting ready to move away and we'll be without insurance for a couple months while my husband switches to a new job. Hopefully it won't be too expensive to pay out of pocket for his sessions.

I would just suggest that you go ahead and get your son an early evaluation so you can get him started with early intervention and get all their information. We got 30-40 pages of material all about speech milestones and what we should be doing to help him develop. I've heard that some places around Charlotte, like the Watkins Center, offer free evaluations and use a sliding scale for therapy, so that would help with the cost, but that's only until the child turns 3. The earlier we start getting help for our children, the better off they'll be and the easier it'll be for them to catch up if they need therapy. :-) I know it's a little scary, but the more informed we are, the better we'll feel about it. Good luck.

I have 3 children ages 17 to 8. My youngest was kind of a slow beginner with his speech also. Once he did start speaking regularly, he had several words that just didn't come easily. At age 3 1/2, his preschool teacher recommended taking him to a speech therapist. I bulked at the idea, but now I am so glad that I took him. The earlier you can catch a speech issue and correct it the better. One, the embarrassment factor of other kids teasing or concerned adults over-correcting is lessened if your child is not in school. Two, we found a wonderful therapist and although not many others can tell we've ever had issues, we still see the therapist twice a month to keep him on track...and because my child adores their sessions together. My youngest is more confident and his school work is terrific because we didn't wait. Don't be afraid...trust your instincts...and don't let anyone make you feel bad for getting help.

I went through a similar situation with my daughter. She was a little older before we realized there was a problem. She too had some ear infections however they were not bad enough to need tubes. In fact, it was so slight that we did not even know she had the problem. What we found out was that she was hearing and hearing well but through the infection and/or water that was in her ears. As a result, everything that she heard was under water and it came out like she heard it. We did put her in speech therapy and she stayed there until she was in the 4th grade. She was 3 or so when we discovered the problem. I would say go ahead and put him in speech. The therapist that my daughter came to her preschool and then went to her school once she started big school. You will see a difference in your son's speech. The biggest thing is to enforce the habits that the therapist teach at all times. Do not let him be lazy when they are not around. I got caught in that trap and therefore my daughter had to work extra hard because I did not take the time to enforce it at home. Once I got it in my head that I needed to enforce it, things became much easier for her.
Your therapist will let you know every step of the way what to exect, what they are working on, what you need to be working on at home. My daughter's therapist was supplied through the county health department. She was very good and my daughter absolutely loved her. She met with me periodically just so that I would know what they were doing as well as give me her evaluation of my daughter's prgress.
My daughter is now 15 and an A-B student. Her speech is very good. She still has a problem with 1-2 letters but it is not noticeable unless you are around her all the time and know what to look for.
I believe that your son will be just fine and this will not slow his learning nor advancement in the future.
Be blessed.

My son who is 37 years old now did not talk until he was 3+ years old. He could point at things and knew what things were. His doctor suggested we get one of those things that you pull the arm down and it says phases or make sounds(see and say ?). These are still on the market made by Mattel I think. I saw some in Target and Walmart. There are also other different kinds of toys as well. Read and sing to him also. If you allow it let him watch a few programs that encourage a response from the child. Don't worry about him he is still a baby. Check to make sure he doesn't have a bacterical infection in his ears.

.

i am torn on this one on one hand he needs to be talking as well as he can but at only 20 months he shouldnt be doing a whole lot anyway. and only having the tubes in for a month think of all the new sounds he is hearing. its a lot to take in i would at least wait until hes 2 when he should be starting to talk alot more. good luck!

Hey K.,
Sometimes they just have nothing to say!!! Does he say Mom, or Dad or anything?? How about the other normal things..potty training, brushing teeth, etc?? Scariest scenario, have him tested for autism. My great nephew is a perfect, beautiful little boy, but was diagnosed autistic at 26 months after much frustration for my neice. It is better to know the reason, no matter what it is, so you can begin to research and deal with whatever it is. 1 in 150 children are autistic, so.. It is not the worse thing, but it is something to know. Hopefully, he just has nothing to say yet. My brother was about 26 months and just started sentences!! Every child is different, unique and wonderful!

ok i have a 4 year old that barely says anything and i have been working with people since he was about 2 and a half and he has made lots of progress from then till now but he has also had other things wrong i say if you are worried about it and ur ped wont do anything then get another o and no he hasnt had tubes they ent says he dont need them his ears work just fine so we dont know how things are messing up but do press the issue o and yes he is in a speach therapy class once a week now along with a special needs preschool to help him with that and other thigs

I had the same problem with my youngest, but he did start talking up a storm after the tubes were put in. But he still had to have speech therapy because he was so delayed his words were not correct. So, I would say go ahead with the speech therapy before he starts talking, maybe you won't have the same problems we did. My son is 12 now and still doesn't pronounce all of his words correctly. He has not been in speech since 2nd grade because he doesn't qualify in the state of NC.

It wouldn't hurt to at least have him checked out to make sure there is nothing wrong. My sister's oldest son didn't start talking at all until he turned 3. She has a friend who is a speech pathologist and checked him out, but said there didn't seem to be any physical problems, he just wasn't ready to talk. She did start sending him to a speech therapist at their elementary school when he started talking at 3 just so he could catch up, but it didn't take long. As soon as he started talking, it was pretty much in full sentences and there was no stopping him. He's 12 now and very bright, was even president of his school last year.

Hey K., when my youngest daughter was 15 months old she wasn't say much either so the doctor referred us to the CDSA children's developemental service agency because she was behind in other areas as well as speech. She went to speech at Thera Peds. for a year. She is doing great now. She was diagnosed with Apraxia of speech while she was taking speech. I can give you the website if you want to ivestigate furthur if think this is what your son may have.www.apraxia-kids.com or it may be www.apraxia-kids.org. Try both if one doesn't work. It explains what it means. My daughter still isn't talking like us but she is talking so much better. She can't say full sentences and she's 3. She is in the preschool program through the public school system. You may want to ask your self these questions to see if your son may have apraxia of speech, does he say one word and stops saying it for a very long time? Does he open his mouth like he wants to say something but doesn't? (It looks like he's excited when he looks at a book) Does he babble but it doesn't sound like anything you've ever heard? If you answered yes to these questions then he could have apraxia of speech. My daughter is a mild case. They've done wonders with her (speech and all). I hope this helps. You may want to talk to your doctor to see what he/she says and then go from there. Good luck and God bless all of you. Take care, J. A.

At 20 months I really would not worry about it. I know my son only spoke the few words that he had to till he was about 2 and 1/2. He had an older sister that talked for him. Now he is 4 and his vocabulary is better than a 1st grader. He talks all the time. If you feel it is a problem and it bothers you then take him to the speech therapist. Really they are so into their environment that exploring is their favorite past time. Boys are also slower to talk than girls. It is natural I think. I know my husband doesnt talk unless he has to. It is a fact that girls just talk more.

I live in Nashville and Metro Schools provided speech therapy to my son for free beginning when he was 3 years old. The speech therapist was great. He had speech therapy until he was in the 5th grade. He loved his speech therapist. She changed his life. Finally people could understand him when he talked. When she got cancer and passed away there was a whole church pew full of her students at her funeral.

Hi, K., I can't say that I've experienced this, and always I suggest following the doctors orders unless YOU feel it's not working, then don't hesitate to push a little. Sometimes doctors get overwhelmed esp lately with so many patients and so few docs, and they don't take things as seriously as we feel they should. I have a story about my niece. She was three and my daughter was almost 2. Her older brother was very good about getting her whatever she wanted, all she had to do was point and say ugh...well...my brother was very concerned, had tubes in her ears and still nothing...I asked for her to spend the weekend with us and after taking her home, he called and said what the heck did you do??? She won't shut up! All I did was make her say what she wanted. Repeating "cup, please" and other words until she worked with me and at least tried. It took alot of patience on my part and a little help with my 2 year old not shutting up as well. It could be that he is just a little used to having things done for him with minimal effort, being a first child sometimes we do entirely too much for them. I'm on my third and still do too much for all three! And it could be a medical problem that needs to be addressed. Either way, the extra help with Speech Therapy isn't going to hurt. I hope it's something simple and wish you all the best in this. Our children are our most prized possesions and I understand wanting the very best for them.

My daughter was a late talker due to ear infections, ear wax and a cyst on her outer ear. She got her tubes and cyst removed at 20 months too. She has been about 3 months behind on speech development compared to other kids her age. We read, watch a lot of Signing Time and enrolled her in day care. It will definitely come when he is ready -- and then he might talk all the time like my daughter does.

I am not sure if I can be of assistance, What I do know is this, the Therapist will work with him in a fun way to help him to sound out letters, and to speak and give you some helper tools. what I would suggest is go under Web MD.com and check out some information as to what to expect, and even type in Speech Therapy and see what comes up, I have been in and out of speech theraphy since I was 3 and that was along time ago. I am not sure if this was any help to you.

B.

I have a 5 yr old and a 19 month old...he too only says a couple words...most everything else he says he points and makes this same sound...i figured he would talk sooner than my oldest b/c he hears us plus he does not have the issues my oldest had at his age...my oldest has had speech therapy since he was like 2 months old..i know it sounds crazy but for the first couple years they worked on oral motor skills..my son ended up with a g tube at one month of age..(the oldest) and lost his need to suck , eat, or have anything near his mouth....he still gets speech therapy today...i was told by our ped that if my youngest isn't putting 2 words together by 2 then we prob will want to have him evaluated for services...i say if your insurance covers it...go for it..b/c they say the earlier they start the better...my 2 cents anyway..anyone has other questions ____@____.com

M.

I didn't have the experience with ear infections but my son (now almost three) didn't talk until two. Even daycare commented on the fact that he wasn't talking. Once he did started he hasn't stopped. Now they comment on how well he talks. For someone is age I was suprised at how embarrassed he would be if he couldn't say things right. So he just waited 'til he could say it right. Does he talk to himslef when he is playing by himself? He may just not be ready yet. I always felt that as long as he was understanding and comprehending everything around him that he was just a late talker.
Like I said I didn't have the ear infection issue. If he seems to be tuned into what is going on around him that is a big plus.

Our son wasn't speaking at that age either (nearly 2). Being new parents we didn't realize it was a problem. His doctor noticed that he wasn't talking and referred us for testing, and he tested at a 12-month's level. So we started reading to him a lot, teaching him shapes and colors from the books, and stopped baby talking to him. We also made an effort to teach him words (I had always thought they just picked up language by themselves, but apparently not always). At that point he didn't even call us anything (Mom, Dad, etc.), and would pull us around the house by the finger and point at what he wanted...

He made a lot of improvement from the efforts we made, but was still needing therapy. They did speech therapy concurrently with occupational therapy (both at the same time). They have found that physical movement gets them talking more, thus making the therapy more effective. Within 9 months he was caught up and kicked out of the program.

The research says that the earlier there is intervention the better the outcome. Our son is now excelling in first grade, although he is still somewhat slow of speech (it takes him a while to put his thoughts together and spit them out, I think it is called Apraxia, but that is also sometimes the case with my brilliant husband who is a veterinarian, so it's not intelligence, just a minor issue with speech processing). Check out a book at the library or do research online to see what you can specifically do yourself to help him along. There may well be nothing wrong - Einstein didn't speak until he was 5, but the people in that system sure get excited about it if they're not talking... Good luck!