Parents of child with Down Syndrome: speech?

Question

At what age did your child speak in full sentences? My son is 9 and is still speech delayed. He has a visual impairment and think that this impacts on he speech also (beside the low muscle tone, etc.). He is getting speech therapy - but it's a slow process.

Answer 1

My younger brother has Down's Syndrome. He's 34 but he still has the mental age of about 7 or 8. He can speak in full sentences but he has problems articulating his wants and needs. I remember he didn't really start speaking in sentences until around age 7. He is considered moderately mentally challenged, and didn't get all the help that he needed because in the 1970's most doctors and educators didn't really understand what a person with Down's Syndrome was capable of.

Keep up with the speech therapy, and perhaps you could make a game of it. Since he has a visual impairment, maybe you could focus more on sounds and hearing. Talk with his speech therapist and see what he or she has to say. I wish you all the best!