My Grandson is 2 and a half but still not talking-Anybody else with the same worry?

Answer 1

You know kids develop at diff rates...but one thing that worrys me is...autism not talking or having a decrease in talking is a sign of that condition....how does he do other wise? Is he okay in social situations? Or does he seem to be in his own world? its something to be checked...that way if its nothing then atleast you dont have to worry and if it is autism...early detection is great in treating it


good luck

Answer 2

Do you mean he is not talking as in mute? Or are you just unable to decipher what he is saying? If it is just that you are unable to understand him give him another 6 months or so, once he joins a playgroup he will probably try harder to communicate if you are still struggling at 3 take him to the health visitor who should refer him to a speech therapist. Don't know where your grandson lives but here in the midlands there is about an 8 month waiting list to see a Speech therapist. My little boy was 2 and a half and he wasn't saying very much at all. We tried to get him referred to a speech therapist but they wouldn't see him till he was three. He is now 4 and 8 months and has just been discharged from the therapy. His speech is a tiny bit behind his peers but nothing that you would notice if you didn't know of his previous problems. Don't listen to any of the scaremongers above, it is a really really common problem with 6 out of the 14 children in his reception class having speech problems. You just don't realise until it affects you and yours. Good luck!

Answer 3

Two and a half is still young to worry too much. If you're really worried have his hearing checked. But, before you take him to a doctor try a few at home tests. Like sneaking up behind him while he plays. If he turns at small noises he can hear you. If he shows no reaction don't worry he could just be very attentive into whatever he is doing. There are a few theories why babies don't talk. One is they're too smart to bother. Talking is realitivly easy. Also, some of the smartest people (Einstein included) didn't start talking till they were 3 years old. One very popular thing now is sign language. I do sign language with my 2 year old son and he loves it. He gets so excited when he does a sign that I'm doing as well. There is information about sign language online at http://signingbaby.com/ . Also a signing dictionary at
http://signingbaby.com/main/?pp_album=main&pp_cat=signing-baby-dictionary .
Start with signs like 'MORE', 'FOOD', 'DRINK'. Also, keep in mind if your family is Bi-lingual. Those children tend to talk later. I hope this helps. A mother of 2 and speech / hearing major.

Answer 4

I had this problem with my son, I kept telling the doctors, health visitors and anyone and everyone, yet no body would listen to me and kept telling me that he was a boy, an only child, and because I would speak for him he was just being lazy. He was 3 1/2 and still not talking before they decided to see what was the matter. I finally got a speech therapist to see him, and he has been diagnosed with verbal dyspraxia, so he knows the words, but can't get them to come out right. When researching verbal dyspraxia I found that it is usually diagnosed between 18 and 24 months and when diagnosed early it's easier to help them overcome their difficulties. Had anyone listened to my worries it might have saved him loads of frustration from not being understood, as he has a lot to say for himself.

If you have any worries, I would suggest to your grandson's parents that they really push to find the cause and not to let health care professionals brush you aside, it might be hard to get someone to listen, but if there is something wrong it is definately worth it, even if there isn't something wrong it, you know that you have done the best for the child, and your mind can be put at ease.

You might want to look into using Makaton (a simplified sign language for kids) to help him to communicate, it won't hinder his speech developement, in fact it has helped my son to no ends with his verbal communication.

Good luck, and I hope that everything turns out okay!

Answer 5

My niece, who is now 11, had a serious speech and language delay. At four, she spoke like a two-year old. Her speech improved dramatically however when she started school. She was under psychological monitoring for years, and the specialists were puzzled because she was developing normally in all other areas. They said she suffered from a mild form of autism, but they were soon proven wrong, I think, as she went on to excel in primary school, and her teacher couldn't believe my sister when she first introduced the problem to her. She is
now an exceptionally bright child and she can be a real chatter-box!
That's why I wouldn't worry if I were you. People are different, from the start. Why some children start to speak earlier than others is a mystery. I believe late speakers take more time to listen first and develop their personality. And what's the rush anyway?

Answer 6

My Grandson was about the same age when HE decided he would start saying more than a few words. He is going to be 3 in February and he is talking, talking & talking... If your Grandson is fine in all other areas of developement I would not worry, no 2 children are the same they develope at their own pace. We did ask my Grandson's doctor about his lack of talking and he said that boys are usually more busy playing, running etc. than "wasting" their time talking.

Answer 7

I`m sure your grandson is fine,some just take longer than others to reach milestones.But if you are concerned get his gp to refer him to a speech and language therapist.

My son is 4 and still can`t talk,he has the speech and language skills of a 15 month old child but he has always had delayed development due to being very premature and has been tested for autism and is now waiting to be assessed for dyspraxia,but like i said i`m sure your grandson will be fine and will start chatting like an old man soon!!

Answer 8

My mom said I was 3 before I started talking and hasn't shut up since all kidding aside I was 3 and started talking the same time as my brother who was 1and a half so It may be that your grandson needs to be around other children his age or a little younger the dr. told her as long as I pointed and she got then I would never talk that she needed to help me say what I was pointing to. Good luck I hope that is all it is.

Answer 9

I wouldn't worry too much! You don't want your grandson sensing what grandma's feeling!!

My son didn't really start speaking until almost 3 - yeah we worried about it but when he went to nursery school (UK) his speech came on leaps and bounds - probably due to being around more kids his age. He was referred to the speech therapist via the nursery school but only had 1 session and the ST said she didn't think there was any problem.

Now he's 9 but everything really "came into place" around when he was 3 years old. Every kiddie is different!

Answer 10

my daughter started speech therapy at 18 months. and most people in the family kept telling us she'll talk when she wants. she's 3 now and just finished speech to start pre-school. she's talking a lot more now, but not completely yet. and now we're being told that within the first 6 months of we will notice a huge difference. you just have to decide how worried you are and what you want to do. you can contact the Early Intervention program in your area and they will evaluate him for free and let you know if he qualifies for speech therapy or not...anything he needs will be free. theres no harm in getting the eval. hope this helps. and remember, he's had a ton of well baby checks and if there were any huge problems the docs would have started to notice by now.

Answer 11

My son didn't talk when he was two and a half. He began saying a few words by age three, and finally spoke a sentence at three and a half. He has been diagnosed with Asperger's, but he is a healthy, talkative child now. Discuss this with his pediatrician. His hearing should be checked, also. It's not "normal," but all children develop at their own paces. Good luck.