My son is 29 months old, he doesn't say one word...?

Question

My son says moma, and daddy of course. But, that's it. He is very intelligient. He understands exactly what we say. Go to your room, do not touch that, etc. He shows signs of intelligence. However, he will not talk. He loves books, magazines, even newspapers. I work all day, by the time I get home, he is in full gear. He does not want to sit, and pay attention. His hearing is fine. He is not around other kids at all. He is not in daycare. Any advice to get him to start talking? I have bought baby einstein, even the bumblebee learning dvds. I try to hold out, when he brings me his empty cup. You know, to make him at least say cup. He eventually just gives up, and goes on about his business. Some people tell me, he'll start talking when he is ready. I am concerned though. But, then again, I keep thinking he is not around kids. My husband, he talks at him. Not to him, where he actually sees his lips. HELP>>>

Answer 1

Autism, while possible, is probably the least likely of all the scenarios mentioned above.

One more likely possibility is that you are letting him watch too much TV (including DVDs etc.). I know it's easy and tempting to let babies just watch TV and DVDs all day, and kid ourselves that it is ok because those are educational programs. THe problem with this media is that it is one-directional and not interactive. The child basically just gets used to receiving (or being bombarded, more like) information, so much so that he develops a habit of not talking to get stimulation.
If you think this might be the case, cut the TV watching down to no more than 30-60 minutes a day.

Another possibility is something not many people know about. It is the idea that the development of the brain is also very influenced by your child's physical development. In particular, creeping and crawling are very important for developing certain areas of the brain which are also responsible for speech and language. So the question to ask yourself is, how much did you son creep/crawl when he was an infant? Did he only scoot on his bottom, or even skipped the crawling stage altogether and went straight to walking?

There have been numerous examples of children who never got the opportunity to crawl much and later being speech-challenged. But the 'miraculous' thing was that when these kids were made to practice creeping and crawling regularly (when they were even as old as 3 years!), the parents found their speech abilities suddenly improving dramatically.

Of course, it may be difficult to get a 2 or 3 year-old to crawl when they can walk and run. The trick is to make it into a game, where you (and siblings if any) also get down and crawl. You can also buy those shrinkable tunnel toys which you can crawl through.

In any case, I wouldn't worry too much about it if I were you. There are many geniuses and people who are very accomplished in life who didn't start to talk until very late in childhood, so do bear in mind that being able to speak early is not the be-all and end-all of things.

Answer 2

This can be very normal. Have you discussed this with his doctor? You may want to consider a consultation with a speech therapist to rule out or diagnose any problems he may have. He may have a weak tongue or some kind of sensory processing disorder. You can get a free evaluation by contacting your local early intervention or 0-3 program. That way you will know for sure whether he needs some assistance or not. Is he developing at a "normal" rate in other areas or are you noticing some delays? Does he interact with other people? Does he play with toys like you would expect or does he play differently? These are all important things to look at to determine what he's needs may be. Some ways to encourage language are to talk and read to him a lot. Tell him about everything you do such as " Do you want a drink? You do? Okay, let's get a cup. I'm opening the cabinet and reaching high. Here's your cup. This cup is red. Open the refrigerator. Here's the gallon of milk. It is heavy. Let's open the top. I'm pouring the milk from this big carton. Milk is cold and white. Now, I'm twisting the purple cap back on the carton. Here is your cup of milk. Does it taste good? You were thirsty, weren't you?" Make sure to pause after every question you ask to give him a chance to respond and then go forward with your conversation as if he did. Refusing to give him something because he didn't speak will frustrate him. Although it is good to encourage some kind of sound from him and then praise him when he does. For example when he brings you his cup you could ask "Do you want a drink? Tell me drink." If he makes any kind of sound you would respond "Great! You told me you want a drink." This encourages him to vocalize. I would definitely have him evaluated but wouldn't be too concerned. All children develop at different rates.

Answer 3

All children go at their own pace when it comes to meeting milestones. It does sound like your son is delayed in his speech. It may be nothing but it could also be a sign of other issues such Asperger's or autism. The only person that can make that distinction is your pediatrician. Take your son to see him sooner rather than later. Be honest about the situation. He may just need some speech therapy. Regardless, the sooner intervention occurs the better the outcome. On the issue of your son not being around other children you may want to look into play groups or story time at the local library. It is important that he develops social skill with his peers before he enters school. The majority of children that fail kindergarten do so because of social issues not academic. Good luck to you.

Answer 4

You should get his hearing checked again because he is a little old to not be talking. when I started my nanny job a few years ago one of my charges was about your sons age and he didn't say a word except uh. He had everything done for him (he was the baby of 4 boys) Try telling him to "use your words" right now he is relying on you know what he want say I don't know what you want even if you do. Play a little game with him if he gives you a cup try not to look at it say do you want to go out side or do you need to go to the bathroom then if he is still handing you his cup say OH you want something to drink OK say i need a drink please keep doing this even if you know what he want he'll get tired of you playing dumb!:) by the way not being around kids has nothing to do with it. Adults, if they are using proper English, not baby talk is actually better

Answer 5

You need to read the site below:
What should I do if my 2-year-old doesn't talk yet?

Answer: Although it's not typical, your 2-year-old's situation is not necessarily cause for great concern, either. Some more cautious and reserved 2-year-olds tend to wait until they understand a great deal of what they hear before they actually speak. Look for these signs of language readiness:
• Does your child point to objects? Pointing to a toy he wants or to a picture in a book is closely related to the beginning of actual speech. * Does he seem to understand what you say? Does he react when you call his name when you're out of sight? The ability to understand language precedes the ability to talk.

If your child seems to comprehend a great deal of what others are saying, he's well on his way to talking.
• Does your child use gestures and facial expressions to communicate? Many kids communicate what they need nonverbally, and in fact most 2-year-olds develop a host of nonverbal signals.

• Does your child grunt? Research shows that the little grunts 2-year-olds make while pointing to pictures or playing with their toys are actually a kind of commentary. Children who aren't yet talking and don't grunt are more likely to later be diagnosed with a language delay.

If your child isn't showing these signs of readiness, you may want to make an appointment for a speech and hearing screening. Talk with his pediatrician, and, if he's in preschool, with his teacher. His preschool may refer you to an early speech and language intervention program (usually coordinated through the county or public school system) that will provide a free speech and language screening. Or his doctor can refer you to a private speech-language pathologist for an evaluation. In general, the earlier a language delay is detected, the easier it is to treat. Many language problems can be treated effectively during the preschool years so that your child will have no long-term deficits.

Answer 6

I AM SO SICK OF THESE PEOPLE WHO SAY "He might have autism"! They clearly know little or nothing about it. There are many reasons a child's speech may be delayed.
I do not recommend sitting with him with flashcards, as he needs to learn speech and language in a natural environment, as well as in speech therapy. You are not a therapist.
He would benefit from preschool, no matter what is causing the problem. Get him evaluated by a speech pathologist, and get an appropriate evaluation for the RIGHT diagnosis and therapy NOW!

Answer 7

Your son sounds okay to me. All kids are different and he'll start talking when he is ready. Don't worry so much. At least he is saying momma and daddy. Take him to the doctor and see what his baby doctor says. My grandson was like that for a while. Once he started talking he never shuts up. There was nothing wrong with him.

Answer 8

I've read that its normal. Kids progress at different ages. Even though he is 2 and is at the age where his vocabulary should contain regular words just give him time. Sometimes its because they feel they have no need to talk because you do everything and understand him so well. So its like whats the point? They know what i want? It may be harsh, but if he wants juice and you know it, try ignoring him to see if he'll say it. Also your husband needs to talk directly to him not at him. He is capable of talking he just again probably doesn't feel the need to. You may want to find possibly somone around his age for him to be with and if he sees them talking then it may encourage him to finally speak up....If this doesn't help then you may want to talk to his pediatrican, or doctor to see their suggestions. Hope this gives you some insight!

Answer 9

I feel your two a million/two yr ancient is progressing perfectecly high-quality. It's very average for them at that age to make use of restrained phrases and than out of the blue at some point they are going to chat up a typhoon, and particularly seize you off defend. I aslo feel it is form of fresh that your healthcare professional prescribes non medicated cures to regard non severe infections from you youngsters. You might continuously move to the drugstore and purchase over-the-counter medications, however particularly if it is gonna prevent $10.00 a shot why now not do the teas. As good two a million/two yr olds good mine at that age, he under no circumstances particularly desired to sit down and cognizance on a million factor for a long time, 10 mins max. and Even then he I do not feel sucked up alot of that competencies. he was once continuously at the move move move.. If you're particularly involved you'll continuously take him to yet another healthcare professional. In time in case your superb involved approximately his speaking , you'll have his ears checked, & if the blockage is that dangerous with ear wax construct up that might extend matters a little. b/c he are not able to listen adequately. It's as much as you, I feel you must move together with your instenct even though your improper eventually, It will make you believe higher, and than you are going to recognise no less than you installed that additional attempt.

Answer 10

Look for an early intervention screening in your area. My son was like yours and at the time (25 years ago) my Dr. recommend calling Easter Seals and they were able to provide the services he needed to get him talking. It did include a small preschool with a spec.ed teacher. There was nothing wrong with him-he just had a hard time talking. He out grew it and was all caught up by the time he entered kindergarten.