hi, my son is nearly 2 yrs old and he still cannot utter any sensible word but he babbles a lot.?

Question

Can anyone recommend a good speech therapist or early intervention programme? is speech delay always linked to autism? Is there any enrichment programme that he could attend? Thanks in advance for your advice!

Answer 1

If he is normal in other ways but does not speak, then do not worry. Children develop at different rates. Does he seem to be able to comprehend simple words and phrases? Does he point and use a similar sound each time he wants a favorite toy or the attention of a particular person? For example: When you say his name does he look at you? Does he come to you when you ask him to? If you ask him where Mommy, Daddy, Grandma, etc are, does he point, look or indicate where they are? If he is just not speaking, then do not worry, if he is having great trouble understanding what is being said, then talk to your Pediatrician. By the way, I have a 4yr old and a 6 yr old, so I understand your anxiety.

Answer 2

Hi, you poor chicken....worry over your child is no fun. And the big A word is bloody scarey to boot! But I think you'd be jumping the gun if you put your son in that basket so soon! Just because he may not talk as you'd like him to, doesn't necessarily mean he has an issue. Plus, speech delay is not always linked to Autism. A true Autistic child has communciation issues which include speech delay. For instance, they play alone, don't mix with other children, don't give eye contact, have difficulty forming relationships, extremely organizational, dislike change of routine. And, like others have said here, all children develop at their own rate and yours is no exception. However, for peace of mind sake why not have his speech evaluated. My son has early intervention and he (and I) just love his team. He is so happy to see them for all the cool new toys they bring and cries when they leave. Plus they are great at what they do! They are all upbeat, informative and helpful. Look up the white pages in your area and give them a call. In most states it is free, in some you have to pay a co-payment. Once you fill out the paperwork they'll test your son's development from many different perspectives and inform you where there may be some gaps, as well as where he's ahead. Then they target the gaps, forming a team and plan designed especially to meet your child's needs. They have OT's, speech therapists, educationers, nurses and psychologists on board. I would not hesitate to recomend Early Intervention. Good luck with this mommy!

Answer 3

Your pediatrician or school's superintendent can give you the number to your local Early Intervention office. This is sometimes listed in the yellow pages under schools as well.

Early Intervention will come to your home and provide a consultation and evaluation for your son. If a speech delay (or any other developmental delay), is the problem they will provide in home therapies up until the age of 3, free of charge. It is a wonderful service! If no delay or problem is found, at least you will have peace of mind that you are a thorough parent.
Best wishes!

Answer 4

Your son is still young and each child develops differently and boys are often slower than girls. If you have concerns get an assessment done to rule out any problems. There are many reasons speech could be delayed. My son is30 months and he has only just started to come out with several words, until now he has only done the basic mum, dad etc. I have just started him with a speech therapist for his assessment but I think his delays are due to having several heart surgeries and hospital procedures. I am not worried as I know he will catch up, especially by seeking help and getting him the assistance he needs. You may find though, with assessment that you have nothing to worry about. Best of luck.

Answer 5

Just because he isn't talking yet is no reason to panic. When he gets ready to talk...he will. My nephew was almost 3 (just turned 3 this past Jan.) before he started talking. We all tried to get him to talk when he was younger, but I guess he just didn't have anything to say. Now you can't get him to STOP talking. I guess he's making up for lost time.
Speech delay is NOT always linked to Autism. If by chance he is autistic, speech therapy or early intervention programs are not neccesarily going to make him speak either. Some autistic kids talk and some don't. They are varying degrees of autism and several types. Unless Autism runs in your family, I wouldn't worry too much yet.

Answer 6

your son is only 1 yr+, still early for him to develop the full speech ability, esp boys will usually start much later than girls. I wouldn't worry too much about it, but if he is coming to 4 years and still no progress, than u should bring him for a diagnosis. In any case, if u are really worry now, make an appointment for him and get some advice. The specialist will be able to give u a good advice after assessing your son's situation, no one can really give u any good advice here with a few statement.

Answer 7

You don't mention if you have any other children (older or younger). Sometimes a first born will speak earlier than a second or third child. My youngest didn't begin to actually speak words until she was almost 3, then she just started belting out full sentences (I have to potty, I want to color, etc). Each child develops at their own pace and just because your child doesn't speak clearly yet doesn't mean there is something wrong. In the words of my pediatrician, when she has something to say, you will know it. Now, if the lack of speech is accompanied by other warning signs, you may want to speak to your pediatrician, but right now, I wouldn't make a big deal out of it. Also, encourage your child to say things. For instance if he wants a ball, and just points at it, pick up the ball and say "ball" as you hand it to him. Good luck!

Answer 8

Talk to you son's doctor about your concerns, more than likely likely it is nothing. I have gone through the same thing with my son. His doctor didn't feel he was speaking clear enough for his age and sent him to an ear specialist, nothing was ever found! All kids develop differently, do what you can to help him pronounciate his words clearly without getting him upset about the corrections being made, but he will be talking clearly before you know it! My son is now four and while there are still times I cannot figure out what he is saying there are more and more times that the sweetest things come out as clear as a bell! Good luck!

Answer 9

If you have a local headstart preschool in your area they will come out, and do an assesment of your child. If they see a need to work with him then he can start attending the preschool at the age of 3. They did this when my child was about 2 and a half. The one benefit is that he was given free speech therapy until it was determined that he no longer needed it (which was in middle school) best of luck.

Answer 10

His pediatrician should be your number one resource for this type of information! They can tell you where to go and give you referrals to the right people in your area. Early Intervention is wonderful! Good for you for seeking some help for him...! We got EI services for our daughter at around 21 months of age for significan speech delays..... She is now 3.5 and she's a chatty little toddler! :)