I have a son who will be 5 in December, and he's said only a few words so far. He does go to speech therapy. He understands just fine--we call it Input But No Output. He's obviously smart.
I've heard people tell me don't worry, he'll talk when he's ready--I'e had people tell me their kids didn't talk until 3 or 4 or 5, and they started talking in sentences right off the bat. But he's going to be starting preschool in September (in what I think is a special education class) and I'm concerned.
I do have first cousins who were late talkers. No, my son is not autistic. But he is VERY bullheaded. He learns by watching.
I'm just wondering WHY he's not talking. So far I haven't gotten any answers.
2006-07-25 07:26:03 · 15 answers · asked by ? 6 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Toddler & Preschooler
His pediatrician said he doesn't act autistic. Another pediatrician said that IF he's autistic he'd be just on the scale-extremely mild. A relative who works with autistic children watched him and said she wouldn't say he's autistic.
2006-07-25 07:32:38 · update #1
You have him in speech therapy so you are obviously taking all the appropriate steps. Preschool will be good because he will experience some peer pressure that might encourage him to talk.
Your son may be in a very special group of children who talk late but have exceptional minds. Thomas Sowell wrote a book called "The Einstein Syndrome: Bright Children Who Talk Late." that may offer some explanation about why he isn't talking yet. My first and my fourth children were very late talkers and the crap you take off of other mothers and family members is just overwhelming at times.
My experience is that they embarass you when they won't talk and then they embarass you when they do talk.
2006-07-25 07:40:49 · answer #1 · answered by psycho-cook 4 · 4⤊ 0⤋
I would doubt he is autistic.......My parents have told the story over and over again about me as well. The speech therapists, the doctors......I didn't talk until then, too. Now you can't shut me up! They too were sentences.
I really would NOT worry. As for this special education class....if the school has that in their agenda, tell the school no chance and have him registered in another class. I have a feeling once he is around children his own age, he'll be talking.
I would be worried if he wasn't talking in addition to not doing what he is told, not playing or keeping himself occupied, not crying when he gets hurt....those types of things.
Some of history's brightest people didn't speak until late as well.
He will be fine....you'll see. He will start talking when he's ready.
2006-07-25 15:52:07 · answer #2 · answered by ? 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well I'm not pretending to know anything, but i have had 7 children. 4 boys three girls. My fifth child was a bit spoiled. His brothers and sisters used to do everything for him. all he had to do was point, he never spoke either until about the age your son is. So i was just wondering how many brothers and sisters he has and if this kind of thing was going on in your home. he is 14 now and has absolutely no signs of speech problems and has done quite well in school. So i may not have the answer But I hope this will be encouraging for you. Good Luck to you and your son.
2006-07-25 14:36:06 · answer #3 · answered by greysonata 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
don't let them put your child into a special education class. my son had the same issues but is very intelligent. he can relate to information that many children 8 or 9 can't understand. he still doesn't really carry on a conversation but as long as the comprehension is there be patient.
2006-07-25 14:32:56 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Pediatrician's don't usually diagnose autism, a psychologist does, and being bullheaded and learning by watching are signs of autism. maybe your just not looking for the answers in the right place.
2006-07-25 18:47:43 · answer #5 · answered by Nicole 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You got the answer already. Because he is his own person. If the dr. have ruled out physical or deep mental issues then the only thing holding back is TIME. One day he might spontaneously start to talk. So, put him in school. In addition, he is more likelier to start speaking if he's around other children who speak.
2006-07-25 14:34:36 · answer #6 · answered by emplifeon 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If there is no improvement with his speech therapy in a few months, take him to get his tonsuils checked. A little boy that went to school with my daughter didn't say much, come to find out that he needed his tonsuils out. They hurt him so bad, he didn't want to talk. He got them taken out of the summer and now they can't get him to stop talking.
I hope this helps.
2006-07-25 14:33:21 · answer #7 · answered by sunflowerlizard 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
May daughter talked late too, not I can't shut her up. :-) Give him time and space, if he is as bullheaded as you say, forcing him to talk will only make it worse. As I am typing this, you may want to try coaxing him into saying a few words. I make my younger daughter who is two say juice before I will give it to her... so I only you know your son and only you can decide.
2006-07-25 15:06:32 · answer #8 · answered by Angela S 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Have you had his hearing tested recently? Children can learn by watching and even understand you enough to get by. But it sounds to me like he might be deaf or even partially deaf in one ear. If it turns out he's not then I'd have him checked by a Child Phycologist.
2006-07-25 14:33:30 · answer #9 · answered by melbel 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
sounds like autism as well to me but i used to work at a special ed school and one of my students, they always said that she was autistic but in reading up on my own, i believe she was more fragile x than autisic.
just wanted suggest that in case you hadn't came across it yet
2006-07-25 18:38:44 · answer #10 · answered by smtiede 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋