Is there a cut off age for a child to learn to speak?

Question

I have a Down syndrome student who is six years old and is not speaking. She sometimes repeats but this is very infrequently.

Answer 1

There is not a cut-off age, but as a special education teacher, I have heard many speech and language specialists say that kids who are not verbal by age 7 are not very likely to become verbal. Does your student have some other system for communication? Sign language is sometimes taught to nonverbal kids with Down Syndrome, and often they do well with it because they tend to be good mimics. My preference, though, is for a picture communication system, because most people in the community don't sign and so can't communicate with someone who does. There are commercial systems and trainings available (Picture Exchange Communication System is one) but you can easily make your own, either with photos or with computer icons.
The good thing about both signing and a picture system, aside from the fact that everyone needs a means to communicate, is that they often do stimulate speech if you pair speech with it. Since this child sometimes repeats, she has the ability to produce sounds, and if she learns to hand you, for example, a picture of the book, you can prompt her to verbalize "book" as well.

Answer 2

As with the previous answer, there is not necessarily a cut-off, but more like a time-frame when meaningful communication cannot be achieved. Usually for children with emotional disturbances in their lives, (such as the child who had been locked in a basement for most of her life without anyone to talk to) there is a time when they can no longer pick up on the small nuances of communication. When they found that child above, she was 14, and although therapists worked with her for years, and she learned to speak, it was not functional communication. She could not carry on a conversation with others and didn't understand non-verbal signals. I agree with the other answerer as well, PECS or signing or a computer-aided form of communication is appropriate to teach. We have had children at the center I work at do all three kinds, and at least if they can't communicate with words, they still have some way to "talk". Usually, the time-period when functional communication learning is best is from birth to 7 years.

Answer 3

I have to assume that this student is receiving speech therapy within your school setting. If not, then something is seriously wrong. If you are a teacher, then talk with the speech therapist in your school. Some children with DS are essentially non-verbal, either due to cognitive issues or physical issues [difficulty in motor control of tongue, lips] The student in question should be given an alternative means of communication. I would not suggest sign language, as many children with DS cannot form the signs correctly due to low muscle tone in their hands and fingers. A communication board would be hi-tech, a communication book with pictures, icons, etc would be low-tech. Does your school have board maker or another icon based software program? Do you have someone in the special ed department at the district level with expertise in special ed technology? This child should be getting maximum support from the school, as mandated through IDEA.

Answer 4

The most important years for language development are the first few years of life. The range of ability among children with Down syndrome is very broad, and while some children learn to speak well, some children are never verbal. There are several very good books on the topic. I've included links to a few of them. I hope they are of some help to you.

Answer 5

I am a mother to a child with Down Syndrome. Our children do sometime have a delay in communication skills. My suggestion would be to look at Communicating partners website. to look for suggestions. Dr. McDonald has great tips on how to help with speech. Also I would learn a few signs to help your student. Good luck.

Answer 6

There isn't a cut off point, children all learn in their own time...if you are worried, then it might pay to visit a specialist in the field of down syndrome, and ask if speech therapy will help...however, there are differing degrees of severity with down syndrome, in some cases the answer can be yes, and unfortunately in others ...no...I wish you good luck