A Mom's Journey

Speech Delay

My 20 month old son does speak at all.   He seems to hear and he does make sounds but he doesn't communicate at all nor does he want to. A few months ago, my doctor got me all worried about it and and I began working with a local organization that brings a developmental specialist and a speech therapist to me at no cost.   I am grateful for the services but I'm just not happy with it. 

My biggest problem is that while my son has made some progress recently I don't think it is because of the services.   So far they haven't taught me anything new.   I was already trying to sign with him, I was already trying to encourage verbalization, I was already trying to encourage interaction.  These people keep coming into my home and telling me to do what I am already doing.    My husband thinks their self-interest is apparent.   The rest of the family in the area think I'm silly to worry about it.

I almost think my son just doesn't want to talk.  Perhaps there is a problem but if so what they are doing is not addressing it.    On one hand I want to help my son progress.  If there is a problem, I want to address it and do all I can to help him.   On the other hand I think if we just leave him alone he'll come along.   I am so ambivelant on the topic I don't know what to do.  

I will probably continue with the services for now because if something is wrong and I didn't, I'd probably never forgive myself.  

Challenges....

10:30 AM, Feb. 25, 2006 .. Posted by blessedindeedby3

This reminds me of the time when my daughter (who is now 12yo) was in K at a public school and they used to send home a paper every single day with a list of assignments for ME to do with her. I was already doing most of them and it was beyond irritating to have them tell ME what to do with my child from the time she got home every day to even on the weekends? There is such a thing as overdoing it and that is exactly what happened to my dd. She came to hate school before she was even halfway through K. And the following year I started homeschooling (not my idea but God's)....Sounds to me like maybe you might be better off researching this on your own and finding your own way through this w/lots of prayer and encouragement! My prayers are w/you!!!

Untitled Comment

5:10 PM, Mar. 1, 2006 .. Posted by momanna98

My daughter was slower to talk than my older boys. She is 18 mo old, and just this month is picking up alot. We have been doing sign language with her, and she loves that. As long as he is hearing fine, I don't think you have to worry yet. (but then, I'm not an expert.) My nephews were behind with their speech, and they had therapy, but I really don't think it helped them because my SIL was doing everything the speech therapist was doing. Once they hit 3, they started talking, and now they are four and have finally caught up to "normal". There was nothing wrong with them, they just didn't talk. I would suggest learning some signs. It makes things a lot less frustrating. I just ordered a DVD from http://www.signingtime.com/. They have video clips that you can watch for free. I sat down with my daughter to watch them and she just loved the songs.

talk talk talk

5:25 PM, Mar. 3, 2006 .. Posted by rondadebi

Letting you know, our youngest didn't talk until she was 7 years old....we had her in therapy, they ran test...there wasn't anything wrong with her..she just didn't want to talk......we took her out of school....bam, can't keep the kid quiet now....
I'm not sure why, but I feel she was too shy, it's nice she can talk and not point any more.....oh another thing we realized, we really didn't give her chance to talk when she was young, she pointed, of course she would say a couple words, but not sentences or even a 4 word sentence....and her brother and sister and myself talked for her......but she can talk full sentences and she can express herself very well, especially when she's mad.....yikes...lol