I have a 4 year old who doesn't speak good HELP!!?

Question

As cute as she is, she is hard to understand. She will be starting school in Sept. and i am afraid her speech will not get any better. I tried almost everything thrown at me. I read to her religously, I buy grammer games you name it. I was wondering on new ideas. A therepist is to costly for this single mom. Help us please!!

Okay i get it WELL. You happy! I wasn't clear on school. She will be going to a perschool next fall and i wanted to work on this over the summer. I would hate for her to feel like she is diffrent because i failed to try something. Your help is appreciated.

Answer 1

Okay, that is so rude of everyone to correct you...I would expect a bit more decorum from the folks using this forum. That aside...

My son (3 1/2 years) has a speech delay, and he has received speech therapy services through the school district since he was 3. This is the problem that you're going to run into---since the school-year is probably already out in your area, the district won't evaluate her until the fall. It is best to not wait that long. Several districts offer one to two week long summer camps which focus on early speech development and grammar. Here in Dallas, there are two speech camps, and each costs about $90/week.

Second, as a single mom, I know all about money being an issue. Have you considered applying for Head Start for your daughter? It is a federally-funded program for 3 & 4 year olds from 9-2 p.m. each day. The focus is mainly early academics; however, the environment is language-rich and perfect for kids with speech issues. To qualify for the program you must be either: very low income, a speaker of a language other than English, active military, or have a diagnosed disability (such as a speech problem--but already diagnosed by a doctor or speech therapist.)

It sounds like you already have your daughter enrolled in some sort of program for the fall--(pre-K???), so that's good.

If you can't get your daughter into any programs during the summer, just keep reading and working with her at home. Also, I'd recommend watching some TV to hear good language/grammar models. The only shows I really like are on PBS Kids (which is federally funded, so the content is developed to be educational) and Dora the Explorer (on Nickelodeon) is also good. Childrens' programming on the PBS network often invokes participation from its audience and encourages creative thinking.

Hope these ideas are helpful! Remember, lots of kids have speech issues that they eventually grow out of on their own. Good luck!!

Answer 2

You won't need to pay a speech therapist - if her problems persist they will be treated through school. Early intervention is so important, tho - look for 'child find' in your county, or some other program of early identification. Many of my friends did this and the programs are free.

Has her hearing been tested? Many kids are not understandable to anyone but their parents. Do you speak to her and let her speak a lot?

Kids learn to speak from their moms. Since you're a single mom, is she a day care baby who spends most of her time around kids? That's gonna impair her ability to speak well. So, when you are together, maximize the amount of talking you do. Use complex sentence with subordinate clauses. Then, as I'm sure you already do, listen patiently and carefully to what she says. Ask her questions that require more than a yes or no.

Answer 3

In my area, you can call your school district and request a speech language evaluation for a child who is in preschool (age 3-5). The evaluation is free. If your child qualifies for therapy, the therapy would be free. When you call, tell them you want a speech language evaluation for your preschooler. THe secretary will then be able to direct your call.

If your daughter does not qualify, the therapist will most likely give you some specific things you can do at home to help your daughter improve.

You may also want to look into your health insurance....many insurance companies will cover some speech therapy for a short amount of time. Call them or your doctor.

Answer 4

The boy quite desires to make certain a well being care professional. If he's having universal "properly-baby" doctor visits, i'm specific they could desire to be attentive to this. My doctor is already asking what words my son can say and he's barely 10 months previous. My daughter in ordinary terms exchange into asserting some words by employing 15 months and my doctor reported if she exchange into an analogous at 18 months he could refer her to a speech therapist to make certain if there have been larger subject concerns to handle. She exchange into speaking ok by employing 2 years. it somewhat is ultimate to have him checked in case of something like autism the place early intervention is the ultimate probability for the youngster.

Answer 5

I have a 4 1/2 year old son who at times is hard to understand. I know how you feel because it is very frustrating. I have taken him to speech therapists and they can't help him due to the fact that he clams up and won't say nothing at all to them besides point. Talk to your daughter's preschool teacher and let her know what is going on. I know my son's preschool teachers worked with a little more then the other kids and he was talking alot better. Then we moved to another town and I couldn't get him into a preschool. So we are back at that trying to understand him stage again. His dr. told us to speak clearly and slowly but not tooo slooow if you know what I mean keep things simple. Read lots of books and get her to join in. If you go to Wal-Mart you can buy books like Dora that help kids to learn how to read. They are like $4.00. Read her the book and then go through the book with her and the books have a picture of different words that the kids can "read" and try that. I am not sure what the symptoms of autism is but has she been tested for that? I am thinking about going to have my son tested for autism. I am not sure if this helped you out at all but I do wish the best of luck to you and your daughter.

Answer 6

Check with your local school district. Many of them offer developmental screenings at no cost. If your child is starting Kindergarten in the fall speak with the principal about getting her screened for speech. The school will flip the bill for these services but don't be surprised if you have to fight to get some of them. Get a copy of parents rights for children's with disabilities. Your child has the right to receive services through school. Best of luck

Answer 7

IS it a speech impedimant? did you talk to her pedi?
I like how some peopel have nothing better to do than focus on your grammar insteadof just being helpful. Snooty people who think they know all cannot help your child. It may be hard for her to pronounce things because od physical problems that's why i aked if iyou had spoken to her pediatrician....you should also speak withthe school itself they may just give her an IEP(Individual Learning Plan) until she can transition into "normal" classes. I knwo when i was in school I didnt write legibly so they took me out of class about an hour a day to work on it and gave me special tool(a pencil grip) to help

Answer 8

I have a son who did not speak clearly at that age as well. The school with be able to assist you. Speech therapy is very common in school. My son is entering high school now and is still affected by his early speech impediment. Reading is much harder for kids who have issues with speech so give her some slack as she gets older. Give her plenty of encouragement, easy on the pressure it is really hard for them emotionally. Best of luck!

Answer 9

You are smart to be concerned. A four year old girl should be easy to understand by almost everyone she meets.

Have your child assessed for a speech & language delay. You can do this for free through your local school district, child development center, or university. (If they can't do it for free, they will refer you to who can.) School districts are required to find children with disabilities through "Child Find" programs. If your child qualifies, she will receive FREE services. It's the law.

Also, your local school might have kindergarten screening programs for all incoming students. They will have a professional assess you daughter's skills in all areas, including speech and language.

Answer 10

Let me correct your own question. "I have a 4 year old who doesn't speak WELL. Ok, now that we're passed that, there really isn't anything you could do to improve your little girls speech without a therapist. They do work wonders, my brother had problems so he went to see one AT school. It was free, so you should look into that. If none of that jazz works, you should try reading up on trouble talking to see if you can learn any techniques. Good luck! :)