Any one else with a late talker?

Question

My son is approaching 2 1/2 and has said many words once but will not use them again. He has a few words he uses regularly and they are all pronounced very well. My interpretation of the situation is that I, like my mother, have a tendency to talk to children as if they were adults. I talked late but very like a little adult. I would think that that was the problem except he is older than I was and still not talking and he has a tendency to ignore speech directed at him (yes he can hear just fine) when he's engrossed in some activity. I suspect that he understands alot of what is said to him but it is as if he is trying to not show that he understands. I'm afraid I'm making excuses for him to myself but sometimes he forgets and repeats a word or does something when asked the first time. He has a memory like you wouldn't beleive and will go straight to a button that fascinated him at grandma's 6 months ago. Does this sound like any children you know and how did it come out?

I don't think asberger's is the problem as he loves to kiss and hug and have you say thank you to him when he hands you something. I should mention he babbles alot and it really sounds as if you were hearing a conversation through a wall. He has all the intonations and pauses as well as the hand gestures down. He "talks" just like me all my sarcastic tones and sighs to the tee. However when I say he ignores me I mean even when I'm in his face he will continue to squirm around me to continue his project.

Answer 1

My daughter is 2 and she's a late talker also. We talked to her doctor and he refused to do anything about it so we contacted the regional center for special education. They are sending a speech therapist to my house tomorrow to evaluate whether my daughter can get free speech therapy (paid for by the state.) If she does qualify, great, she's going to get help. If she doesn't, at least I know I've done all I can and if she doesn't, then I know it's ok to wait it out. Maybe you could do the same with your son.

Answer 2

I have been a mom for 27 years and have done daycare in my home for 20 years. My own children were all early talkers, but I have had several late-talkers in my daycare. One of my daycare children is now 5 and going to kindergarten. When she was 2 she had very little vocabulary but generally understood everything you said to her. If there was something needing to be done ("Can someone bring me the wet wipes?" or "Time to wash up for lunch"), she was the first to respond every time. About age 2 1/2 she began saying two word sentences and by 3 she was talking all the time. She now talks practically non-stop and I am just amazed at the progress she made all on her own accord. Neither I nor her parents did anything except let her talk when she wanted to. Try making this a non-issue with him. It may be a bit of a control issue especially if he has every seen you frustrated or heard you talking to someone about him. Not listening when engrossed in something else is pretty typical 2 year old behavior so I wouldn't be too concerned about that. It helps to get down on his level when you want to tell him something and make sure he is looking at you when you talk to him. This will draw his attention away from what he is doing so he can focus on what you want him to do. Example: He is playing with his trucks, you want him to come to the table for lunch. Go to him, kneel and speak his name. When he looks at you, tell him that it is time for lunch. Do not let him go back to playing. Take his hand and lead him to the table if need be. This will get him in the habit of knowing that you mean what you say. There is nothing wrong with talking to children in an adult voice. Baby talk is appropriate for children when they are infants as it is helpful in learning speech patterns. After a year that is not as necessary as their understanding of language is usually quite developed by then even if their vocabulary is not.

Answer 3

My daughter will be 4 in January. I have had her in speech for well over a year. She is starting to talk now, but alot of her letter sounds are not as pronounced as they should or could be. She is a very shy little girl when her brother is not around and they think that has alot to do with why she doesn't talk alot. Her first word wasn't even said until Feb. or this year!!!

Answer 4

If sure you've voiced your concerns to your pediatrician, and they aren't concerned, then I wouldn't sweat it too much. My talked on the late side but when he started...wow!

Two-year-olds will ignore you, whether they're talkers or not...don't take that as a sign of anything but a normal stubborn toddler! Good for you for not speaking "baby talk" to you child, he is learning even though he's not quite ready to let the words fly yet.

You don't mention if your son goes to daycare or not. Our son's talking really blossomed when he was exposed to other children. If you're a stay-at-home mom, you might think about part-time pre-school. Not only will this help his speech, but also his social skills!

Answer 5

Like a couple others said, those are some(not all) of the symptoms for autism. It usually starts to show around 2-4 years of age. I would caution you to not jump to conclusions, and be careful about how you deal with this info. Some autistic people are very high functioning, and really are normal in everyday life, they tend to have difficulties only with interpersonal relationships. Find out as much as you can about it before deciding what to do. I like to explain it as "Spock syndrome", autistic people are usually highly intelligent, very organized, and logical, but emotionally, they seem to have a short circuit.

My son was also very slow to speak, very organized, and seemed different, but now he is a normal 15 year old. He does have a higher than average I.Q., but I don't consider that a bad thing! Like I said, be careful labeling him, but keep it in mind.

Answer 6

Sounds just like both of my sons. My oldest was like that. He just didn't feel like talking. He's just fine now (he's 8) and has been for years. It seemed like he wasn't talking, and then one day he started and hasn't stopped since! LOL

My youngest is 2 1/2 and isn't talking well (he hears fine also) and you can tell he's ignoring you when he's into something. My pediatrician isn't concerned about his not talking, but his main reasoning is that he is the 3rd and youngest, so everyone else talks for him. Which I can see as being true, and we're really trying hard not to do that now.

Answer 7

My son is just under 2 and says a few "nonsense" words is all. I would bring this up to your physician the next time you go for a visit. His hearing is fine, but is it possible he could have autism? A mild form of it? My nephew gets so engrossed in projects that he doesn't hear when people are trying to talk to him. He has a mild form of autism called Aspberger's Syndrome. Good luck.

Answer 8

My son was like that...he rarely spoke until he was almost 3. I even took him to the doctor who told me I was doing too much for him..lol If I anticipated his every want he wouldnt have to ask for anything. He pointed out that children who are ignored a lot often have extensive use of words early. I dont know if he was right but I eased off a little on it and my son started talking but...omg...once he started i couldnt shut him up...lol Your son sounds like he is bright and if you have ruled out anything medical then my guess is that like my son he will be fine.

Answer 9

These are characteristics of autism, although there are other characteristics that would have to be present. My son did not speak in sentences unti lhe was three. He has Asperger's, or high functioning autism. I knew he could say the words, but he refused. He speaks very clearly and correctly. He also is extremely intelligent. You might want to look into it.

Answer 10

My son was a late talker too. He spoke very well when he did. People always use to comment on how well he spoke for his age, (even though it took him a while to start). I use to say the reason he took so long is because he wanted to get it right. I wouldn't worry about how long it's taking, as long as he talks well.