speech therapy (meal, baby, toy, parent)

[SBeasley]

My two year old isn't speaking at all. He can hear me wisper and answers comands but won't speak? What can I do to urge him to speak?

[FarNorthDallas]

You might call the local Early Childhood Intervention folks and hook him up with a free speech therapist.

[Rhaven]

First off I wouldnt panic. If your 2 yr old can hear you whisper and can answer simple commands, you know it doesnt have to do with hearing issues or with understanding. Some kids just talk later than others.

If you are truly concerned though, look through your county for public special needs evaluation. We have a 2 yr old who is like yours, and can understand, but has a very hard time speaking, which was causing him massive frustration. We called our local county childrens services and scheduled a speech evaluation. They came to our house with 3 specialists and spent 2 hours playing with him and seeing how he did. he was onthe cusp of moderate to significant delay in expressive speech (meaning he has a hard time saying things although he tries very hard and wants to) which they think might be caused by a motor delay. Nothing major, and something with a little special attention by a ST he can overcome I dont know if your child is trying to talk or not at all, but it can not hurt to at least get an outside professional opinion.

My best advice to you though is to not fret, especially around him. Kids pick up vibes, and while he may not talk, trust me in that he understands most of what you're saying. If he hears you think something is wrong with him he will worry. And until or if you get some outside help, just keep smiling and reading to him, pointing things out and telling him the word for it. The more you do this the more he picks up. And give him lots of hugs

[kc2sweet4ne1]

Did he speak before and then stop?

[veuvegirl]

Talk to your pediatrician. It is probably nothing, but early intervention is key. Many of my friends did not speak until age 3, and they went to Ivy League colleges.

[stormy night]

My niece didn't utter a word until nearly three. She graduated from college 4 years ago and is doing very well. Don't worry.

Do you expect him to answer when you ask a question? Do you give him time to answer? Do you talk to him like you're having a conversation with him? Maybe it just hasn't been necessary for him to talk.

[mainerwoman]

I would suggest you contact your pediatrician soon. Early intervention is the key in these situations. At 2 yrs old my dd used maybe 25 words, and that was stretching it a bit on some. We had her evaluated by Child Development Services, and she was diagnosed with severe expressive language delay. She began speech therapy in a group setting and has had wonderful success. Her diagnosis has changed from the expressive language delay to an articulation difficulty. She will turn 4 shortly and I never thought I would ever beg her to be quiet but I have. You can take the route of waiting but in most cases it isn't that the child doesn't want to talk but actually can't. My dd's speech therapist explained that many children with this form of delay need the therapy to help their brains form new pathways for the speech neurons. She said that in their brains there is a crimp in the neuron pathway that prevents the info from going from the brain to the mouth. It is very frustrating for them because they know what they want to say but can't. They may find other ways to get their point across. My dd at 2 attempted to tell my father that she was going to McD's for lunch but he couldn't understand her. She ran and got a happy meal toy and then showed it to him and said Poppa, me go yummies. Which to her meant Poppa, I'm going to McDonald's for lunch. Think how smart this baby had to be to understand her grandfather didn't know what she was saying and to find a toy to help her out. I wish you good luck!

[GracieJJ]

I know a few two year olds that had the same thing, until they got enrolled into my youngest son school and it maracoulasly broke their silence. Perhaps they need to be with kids of their age more offen?

[ejun]

Tell your pediatrician first off...then she/he can make an appropriate referral for further testing if needed. At home engage your child in lots of language enriching activities. Get down on the floor and play with them and talk about what you are doing (i.e., "The dinosoar is up on the house" or "Mommy can jump high"). Playing with your child is a great way to teach your child and they will love and grow from the experience.

Another MUST is to read to your child. Ask questions on each page, don't just read the words. You can ask questions that just work on comprehension if they aren't speaking much (i.e., "Where is the bear?" or "Which one is yellow?")...they don't have to speak but just point...and if they answer it incorrectly provide them with the correct answer. Ask questions that require verbal responses (i.e., "What color is bear?") If they remain silent YOU answer the question for them....MODELING speech is a great way for them to learn.

Best advice, if your child needs help, don't be afraid to get it. Don't feel ashamed, you are a great parent. Let your child know you love them no matter what, DON'T make them feel like a failure because this will lead them no loose confidence and not want to speak at all. If they make a mistake just model back the correct way. like this:

CHILD SAYS: "I see the ba_."
MOM SAYS: "Yes, that is the ball."

You are still responding to child's idea, but modeling the correct way to say it. Best of luck!