Toddlers Starting Speech

hi there

I am in the same boat. My son is just over 2.5y and has only recently started talking. He has a good understanding of words, tasks and instructions but is VERY behind with his speech according to the pediatrician & speech therapist that evaluated him. He also has grommets in and we got his tonsils removed due to having ear infection too often.

I really don't want to tell you what to do cause every child is different but here is what helped us....

We enrolled him into pre-school to be exposed to other kids. We also do speech therapy with him every evening, he goes to a speech therapist 1 a week and to a occupational therapist 1 a week. (sounds like hard work and it is yes but we try to make it fun)

We use flash cards, games, books, toys and so on, but the thing that worked the best (and its probably going to sound strange) is we got him a little karaoke system with a microphone, for some reason it works best our of all the 'tools' we use hehehehehe... He copies us and now started saying the words/animal sounds out of his own while we read books with the microphone.

Here is a nice website of some ideas you can look at to do some 'play' therapy at home: teachmetotalk.com

Hang in there and keep us posted on how things go

Hi,

I'm worried as well my son will be 3 soon an mumbles he sounds like Zet! Some words come out. I've had his ears checked and everything is fine but I'm seriously getting stressed out that he isn't talking.

Hi Debs,

I did a bit of reading up on this while I was pregnant.

Apparently you should only start worrying if baby doesn't respond to sounds, doesn't babble by six months, is regressing (losing words he once had), isn't learning new words or can't point to body parts by the age of 24 months.

And even then this is based on average.

If you are truly concerned that there is a problem maybe you should speak to your pead or dr?

Can't give any advice. Just hugs. Being a mom is really a full time mom. Like my SIL said you start worrying the day you find out your pg and then you just never stop worrying.

First off - relax mommy!

You have answered yourself already but let me repeat what you said!

Our oldest started talking early, our second, oh goodness I felt like a first time mom as I worried about her talking! She never babbled like the first, then just after her second birthday she started picking up speed, that we now ask her to please be quiet!

Personally, especially with boys, I wouldn't worry before the age of 3!

Hi Mommies,

I know children develop differently and I dont think I should worry but I am starting to

Lb is turning 18 months on the 16th of July. The only words he says is Mamma (recently), Pappa, Oupa (weekend), eina, uh-uh, and something that sounds like "myne".

I have shown and repeated body parts since forever and all he can show is his belly button (which i did not even teach him?).

My friend's baby is one day younger and can show everything and say the words, ears, nose, eys, mouth, tongue, teeth, arm, hand, fingers, leg, foot, toes, tummy and even his private place :O which i know is amazing but i cant help but feel he is just a litttttle behind?

He definitely hears us so it is not a hearing problem.

Advice? Or any idea if it is a problem? Who do I even go to if it is a problem?