2 and a half and not yet talking?

Question

my son is 2 and a half and not yet talking. his hearing has been checked and is fine and he has just started speech therapy but i feel like hes never going to talk and i cant help being jelous of my friends children which are similar ages and talking really well. any suggestions?

Answer 1

My son was a late talker as well. He was in speech therapy from the time he was 3 until he was almost 5 and by the time he finished he was caught up and right where the other children his age were. I know it is frusturating and even scary when your child has any sort of developmental delay. You may look into local support groups where you can meet other mom's whose kids are experiencing similar delays. Perhaps ask your child's therapist for any information on groups in your area. Also, please know you aren't alone and it's normal to feel jealous of other parents whose kids seem to just learn things so easy. Your little one will catch up!!

Answer 2

It's natural to feel jealous so don't worry about that. Your son will talk eventually, make the most of the quiet because once he starts talking he won't stop! My eldest is 2 & she has always been quite good with her speech, it just came on over night (or so it seemed). I can't get out though as I also have young twins so it's impossible to manage the stairs (I live in flats with no lift) on my own with all 3 of them & my friends very rarely visit me so my daughter doesn't get to interact with other children at all, that's where I come in, I tell her everything I'm doing, if I'm washing up I'll tell her what it is I'm doing ie, plates, bowls etc. Even if I'm going to the toilet I'll tell her. When she goes to stay at her grandad's I'll find myself telling her what I'm doing even though she isn't even here!

Your son will progress & the fact he's started speech therapy is great. I went to speech therapy when I was little & now I'm quite well spoken, even if I do say so myself!!!! :)

Answer 3

Your son's hearing may be fine at that particular time when his hearing was checked, but has he had a lot of ear infections or allergies of any kind? Both of these conditions can affect his hearing for months at a time! During this time, he would be hearing as if he were under water, which would delay his speech. The fluid in small children's ears can stay in the eustachian tubes for a long time after a cold, allergies, etc. It is important that he see an ear, nose and throat specialist at a children's hospital. Many conditions can cause this "eustachian tube dysfuntion" and it must be corrected before he can catch up to his peers.

My son needed tympanostomy tubes when he was 2 years old because he had had over 20 ear infections in his short life and wasn't saying anything other than a few words.(Tympanostomy tubes allow the fluid to drain out of the eustachian tubes when they have a cold, etc ) My doctor and family told me not to worry he would catch up, but I was worried and I demanded that he see an ENT specialist. Thank goodness I did, because if I hadn't he probably would still have trouble hearing today! He still needs speech therapy (he is now 6) and of course, there is a stigma attached to that. He feels different than his peers. It is really important that he not feel like he is "less" than the other kids or not as capable, it could affect his (and your sons') self esteem for a long time. Hope that helps. Good luck and you know in your heart, as a mom, what is best for him. Dont let anyone tell you any different. xoxo

Answer 4

Boys are often later to talk than girls of the same age, however, if you've had his hearing checked and that's fine and the child developmental experts are not worried then I'd give him a little more time.

Children all develop at different rates and it may just be that your son has not realised the benefit of communication yet.
If his social skills and eye contact are fine, and he is following verbal instructions well and all other developmental check s are OK, then I'd suggest lots of interaction and play at home. Try to praise any little utterances he does come out with and even try to match any sounds he makes with the same sounds back whilst getting full eye contact, big facial gestures smiles and lots of encouragement.

I know it's difficult, especially if you are comparing him with other children, it's what mothers do, but I can promise you, there is still lots of time left yet for your wee one to develop appropriate speech and language

If you are still worried, theres a link below to an excellent yahoo group you might want to check out.

Good luck!

Answer 5

Children develop at their own pace.
Sometimes intervention delays things further, why he is seeing a speech therapist already is a concern to me more than him not talking. Apparently my sister didn't talk til she was almost three but didn't start with odd words she came out with whole sentences, she was not delayed in any way but it would seem she preferred to know what she was talking about before opening her mouth.
If he understands what you are saying and seems to be developing normally then stop worrying and keep talking to him sometimes you can stop short of a word and see if he finishes off, if he doesn't then act like nothing happened if he does then go overboard with the praise
Good luck!

Answer 6

First try to teach him a song. Singing comes from a different part of the brain than talking. Broca's area, the part of the brain where speech comes from, doesn't develop as fast in some children. If he can learn a song then that's where the problem is. More likely though he's just a little behind. When he does start he'll catch up faster than you'll believe.
good luck

Answer 7

I had this problem with my son. Does he have a dummy? If so, take it away. Does he chew his food - my boy didn't and that leads to bad speech. Practise silly games moving the mouth around in mirror. Try and get him to sound out vowels - this works quite well. Speech therepy is a really good step - we didn't have to do that but my son is still not the best speaker, but getting better. He is 5 now and going to speak in the school nativity.
Best of luck xx

Answer 8

All children develop at different rates. Im a nursery nurse and often get parents worrying beacuse they can see other children the same age as theirs doing things they arn't. Dont worry your son will talk when hes ready if there was anything to worry about your doctor would have said so dont be jealous.

Good luck

Answer 9

if you are getting speech help then you are doing all you can for your son. it isn't unusual for boys to begin speaking as late as 3 or even 4 years old.

it is frustrating, but don't let it get to you. just remind yourself that every child has something that isn't as good as the next. for instance, bobby may not talk yet BUT he doesn't need pull ups at night like Janey. And, Miss Sue may still give her 2 year old a pacifier BUT her two year old knows all teh letters and their sounds.

your son has only been on this earth for 30 months! give him some time. be ready though because once he starts he will have lots to say!

oh, and i have 3 boys in my 4 year old pre k class who were delayed speech and they are doing great now!!

Answer 10

Lots of good reasons for this, including being in a bilingual family. Some children just never do anything until they are ready, and then they just take off and catch up with the others - and sometimes overtake them.

It sounds as if you are getting advice and help, so follow that and have a little patience before worrying unnecessarily. With any luck, he will go on to win the Nobel prize for literature!