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He will be 27 mths tomorrow. He isn't talking much. He wines instead of talking. He knows maybe 10 to 15 words but only uses ma ma, da da and bye. I try to get him to tell what he wants when hes wining, sometimes he will but most of the time he won't. When I get him juice, I will tell him that I'm making him juice and ask him to say it but he just wines until I give him the cup. I don't know what to do with him. I've been trying to teach him colors with his Thomas trains, i know that will take awhile to teach him. But I don't know how to get him to talk.
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Well, I can only tell you my experience, in that my younger son didn't talk much at all and I started to worry. He was in a sharp contrast to my older son who was very verbal and articulate at a very young age.
At our two year ped visit our doc said it really wasn't that big of a deal. At his three year old visit, he still thought it wasn't that big of a deal but was happy to refer us for a hearing/speech evaluation. No hearing problems and a slight speech delay. We did do private therapy for a year, once a week. I think it was fine and my son loved his therapist but to tell you the truth, I think he would have done just fine without the therapy. That's just my gut feeling on the whole thing.
What has your ped said? Have you had him evaluated by a hearing and speech pathologist? I would try to do those things before you start worrying about it because you could be worrying needlessly. Every kid is different and they all start things at different rates.
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I have found a VERY big difference b/w 2 and 2 1/2. By 2 1/2 they seem to be much more grown up and articulate. Out of my kids and all those I have provided childcare for, that age difference has mattered the most! I wouldn't worry for a few months, then at your next checkup you can ask your dr for a speech pathologist.
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My older son (3 1/2) talks quite well and has since he was quite young. My younger son, in contrast, speaks much less and much less clearly. He is 17 months old now and it is obvious that he does not have the speech capabilities that his brother does. I was convinced when I had him in for his 15 month well check that he would eventually be in speech therapy. I was shocked to find out that at 15 months, the norm was for a child to say 2-3 words other than mama and dada - which he did. My pediatrician went on to say that 10 words at 2 years old is the norm. My older son had more than 100 words at 18 months and was speaking in complete sentences well before 2 years old. No wonder I thought my younger son had a speech delay!
I would guess that your son is not talking simply because he doesn't want to (or because he doesn't need to). Although it's frustrating, I would continue to encourage him to use his words. Speak clearly. He'll learn through repetition and I would be willing to bet that he'll eventually start speaking more.
If, however, you feel that the issue is that he CAN'T learn and use new words (as opposed to that he WON'T), as Oregano said, it never hurts to talk to your pediatrician about an evaluation by a speech therapist. That's just my opinion though.
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I wouldn't worry too much. My daughter didn't start putting 3 words together until 2 years 5 months. She would say words and point or whine when she wanted something. Most of the time we knew what she wanted and I figured she was just too lazy to talk. We too would encourage her to talk and that would make her whine even more until she got it. My boys talked really early on, so for a girl I was a bit concerned. But then out of nowhere she started putting words together.
I was just as worried as you are and had a friend tell me her son didn't talk until 3. That was a little more reassuring. All my other friends kids (boys) were talking up a storm and my little Ashley wasn't saying anything!
I'd just talk to your doctor if you feel that strongly about it.
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When he is 3-yrs old, your son will qualify for free speech therapy through the school system.
Until then ...
- Don't talk for him. Make him use his words to get what he wants.
- If you notice he has having trouble forming certain sounds, have him practice with you while he looks directly at your mouth while you form the sound. Practice together in a mirror, too.
And don't worry. He's doing fine for a two-yr old boy.
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I know he can say other words but he just won't. He says Thomas( he actually says T). I want to put him in a Parents Day out program but we don't have the money right now. I have noticed that now when he plays he will "talk", so maybe thats a good sign.
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Originally Posted by aands81
I know he can say other words but he just won't. He says Thomas( he actually says T). I want to put him in a Parents Day out program but we don't have the money right now. I have noticed that now when he plays he will "talk", so maybe thats a good sign.
My ds is one of those that even at a very young age (5 - 6 mos.) that if I REALLY really wanted him to do something - he wouldn't. I can't tell you how I worked with him on a sippy cup at 5 mos. and the minute I put it down and turned my back that he would pick it up and use it!! He is even like that now at age 5 - don't get me wrong, he is very easygoing and a well mannered boy. But if I say something - like a skunk - is yukky smelling he'll say, "I LOVE the smell of it! I do! " What I'm getting at is there a chance that you are 'trying too hard' , your ds senses this and is 'stringing you along?' From my experince above, like I said ds was doing this to me at 5 Months! After seeing the Ped., I would just work with him as in giving him an apple and saying, "Oh here is your Apple" and not acting like you were demanding a response from him (I'm not saying you were!!)
From what I remember ds didn't speak much until around 2 and a half and then he took off. He even regressed quite a bit, from age 1-2 he 'lost' a bunch of words that he used to say, and then at around 2.5 he started using them again. Good luck!
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aands81: Thanks for sharing. The reponses have eased my mind about my 16mth old not talking yet. I hope both of our boys are talking more soon!!
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I would express your concerns to your pediatrician. My son began speech therapy at 2 1/2. He was evaluated and recieved the therapy free of charge.