2 Yr Old Seems to Be Having Speech Issues

My son is on the autism spectrum and nothing you've described suggests autism to me. Has the teacher given any other examples of "autism-like" behavior? How is he socially?

The speech thing could very well be something that he will outgrow but it's also something that probably could be addressed fairly quickly with some speech therapy. You could contact ECI to have him evaluated for free.

http://www.dars.state.tx.us/ECIS/eligibility.shtml

Good luck,
K.

hi A.,
my 2 1/2-year-old son sounds just about the same as yours. he says some words clearly, but often garbles/mumbles the middle part of sentences. he also will speak long sentences/tell stories in complete jibberish. i have talked to friends with kids the same age and watched other children in his daycare and have found that this is totally normal for this age.

personally, i would be more concerned that your daycare teacher is trying to label your son as autistic because she thinks her inability to understand him is problematic. a child whose only developmental "problem" is not speaking clearly is not "showing signs of autism." you should check out the autism advocacy website, autism speaks, for information regarding diagnosis, especially if *you* think your son is showing signs of autism: http://www.autismspeaks.org/diagnosis/index.php

My daughter had a similar problem years ago. We had Easter Seals come out and do a full evaluation- for free. At that time she was not quite two. After her evaluation, where they told me she did need speech therapy, a speech therapist came to the house and worked with her (us!) once a week until she was three. After that we were able, through our insurance to go to the Easter Seals office on Babcock, if you live in San Antonio that is, until she was almost five. I don't know if they still have that program, aside from the initial evaluation. We were told by the school district we had to go through them once she turned three, but when we checked with Easter Seals and our insurance we were told that even though she had no other "problems" (e.g. autism, Ausbergers etc.) we could continue. It was out of network for our insurance, but just paid the 20% difference. It was worth it to us as she already had develped a rapport with the therapist and at Easter Seals you get one on one attention for 45 minutes, whereas in the school there might be three or four in the class for the same amount of time or less. And when we spoke with the school speech therapist she told me that I should not expect my daughter to master certain sounds until second grade and they would progress that way. And FYI, my pediatrician told me the same thing yours did. I ignored both of them! My daughter was talking clearly and distinctly by Kinder, our goal for her, and today no one can believe she ever went. Sure, some kids will master speaking on their own, but some won't. If your heart is telling you get help, then listen to that. You are the only true advocate your son has. You go girl!

Hi.

I think that your son's mind is moving to quickly for his mouth to catch up, especially if he has an extensive vocabulary. Try to encourage him to speak a little more slowly if he can't be understood. This might frustrate him at first but it may help. Both of my kids went through the "jumble" stage.

My son did have speech issues. When he was 3 1/2 my nephew Gavin asked why my son couldn't say his name right. It had never occurred to me he was having trouble. He say the letter or sound "v" at all and had problems with "t" and "d".

I really don't think your son has any issues that won't be corrected with time. However, especially if his childcare teacher has concerns it might be best for you to get him evauluated. I scheduled an appointment with my locall elementary school. They evaluated him at the school.

When the diagnosed him with a problem he was enrolled in a speech preschool that was two days a week for two hours. He loved it. Once in kindergarten he was in speech therapy until about the middle of second grade. Everything was great and everything was free. (We are in CA but I think your state would have similiar programs).

Just for your peace of mind, my son's experience with speech therapy was 100% positive. There was never any teasing in fact, the teachers all said that the kids are envious of those who get to leave for special things like speech. Until his pronunciation was corrected the only teasing incident I can remember was an older boy at a birthday party of a good friend. I witnessed it and it broke my heart. Luckily, the boy's father also witnessed it and I would be surprised if that child ever teased anyone again. :)

Call your local school district. It is best to have as much information as possible. But, don't worry too much. I think he just has a lot on his mind and his mouth needs to get it all out there in a hurry.

Good luck!!!

First off, unless his "childcare teacher" is a medical doctor, she has no trained ability to determine that he may have any form of autism. And legally, she is in the wrong for even making this statement to you.

I would go with what the pediatrician says, because yes, every child develops differently.

Have you tried making him slow down the sentence to the point he is basically just saying the words, not making a sentence? Break it back down and build it back up slowly.

You can also contact your local school district. If he does have a speech problem, they are required to begin intervention even before he begins school.

My best friend is a speech/language pathologist, and she often tells parents who are concerned about their preschoolers to contact their school district offices immediately. The people there can advise you about where to get a professional evaluation. If he truly is outside the range of normal, he will likley qualify for "early intervention" services, which are usually free or very low-cost, and then he can receive therapy so this is not a lingering problem when he starts kindergarten. You are wise to recognize that it's a concern when others cannot understand him.
The best case is you're told he's normal, and you are given ideas of how to work with him at home to improve his speech clarity. The worst case is still great, as you have expert help on your son's side to get through this. BTW, speech "therapy" at this age is playing lots of age-appropriate games with tons of attention and validation. Most kids really enjoy it.
Consider not correcting him, but reflecting and repeating his speech so he can hear a clear, correct example without being made to feel that everything he says is somehow "wrong." Also, many children (my own indluded) can perfectly pronounce words individually, but have trouble when the words are part of a sentence, mixed in as part of normal speaking patterns. This requires practice to overcome, and speech therapy can help a ton.
Please don't stress out about autism until you have had his hearing and speech evaluated by a professional. The autism spectrum is enormous, and one teacher's comment is not the same as multiple evaluations.
Best wishes!

My son just turned 4 on the 22nd, and he is just now starting to speak. He is in the ELE program with the LISD, they are realy great and he just started going to speech out side of school once a week and he has improved so much. Every kid is different and some just need a little help. With the ELE program you can even have a bus pick your child up and bring them home(they do use car seats). The ELE program is a 4 hour a day 5 days a week program. I know Austin ISD offers this, just call the local district office or any Elem. and they should be able to get you started, and/or she if he qualifies. My son is now speaking some 3 to 4 word sentences. Best of luck to you. The little ones also get frustrated when they can not communicate like they would like to. Their mind is working but it just is not comming out as it is souspose to.

My daughter is also two, three next week, and knows all her letters, counts to 20, and knows most of her shapes. My degree is in education and I knew, like you, that learning these basic skills are important. Similarly, she does not speak quite as clearly as her peers but there is no way she has any form of autism. I would side with your pediatrician and agree that they all learn at different paces, but it may make you feel better to get him tested. If you get him tested for your own peace of mind, then more power to you!
I cannot believe the childcare teacher suggested autism. She could get fired for that!!

Northeast ISD offers speech evaluations for pre-schoolers. They will assess whether your child shows signs of speech delay or other speech issues (my daughter had a stutter). If your child qualifies then you will receive speech therapy paid for by your tax dollars. I am not sure whether all districts in the area offer this service but it is worth checking out. There are also "developmental pediatricians" who can assess whether your child is delayed or not.

It is NOT normal for a 2yo to know all his letters and be able to count. That, coupled with some speech issues leads me to suggest you get him tested for Autism. The pre-k teacher is usually trained in seeing these developmental issues and you would be wise to listen to her. He may just be exceptionally smart.

This is not a crushing issue and the earlier you get therapy, the better off he will be in the long run, if he is on the autism spectrum!

I whole heartedly DISAGREE with Butch and the other posters who say it is not the teachers job to make observations. While it is not the childcare providers job to diagnose, this is NOT what the childcare provider is doing. She is relaying to you, the parent, some concerns of hers- very appropriate and her job. As a former, highly qualified, childcare provider, we often see things the parents do not. We are trained in child development and how to recognize when to inform a parent about something that is not quite right. It is our job to bring these issues to the parent. She is making an observation and letting the parent know- doing what is in the best interest of the child. What the parent does with that information is her own business.

Testing is often free, through ECI or the school district. It is better to suspect and go through testing than to ignore those little signs and let it go beyond effective, early treatment.

Go with your gut. If you feel he needs to be tested, get him tested. If not, work with him on your own. Say words properly and slowly and let him see your mouth and tongue movement. Often, little boys are slower to develop speech than girls, especially if they are younger siblings. My middle boy did not say one word before he was 3 and then, boom- full, complete sentences were coming out of his mouth.

Good Luck!

Listen to your pediatrician. My 6 year old had a similar situation. His doctor kept monitoring him through his checkups. At age 4, and through insurance, we had him evaluated with a speech therapist and yes he had a speech issue. His speech therapist was so wonderful. She helped him so much that he was released from her care within a year. With her help, he recognizes when his speech goes haywire and corrects it. This was completed before he started kindergarten. He has since been progressing well and thriving. I know every child is different, but I hope this helps. L.

He sounds like he's on track to me. However, if your gut is telling you he might be behind, I definitely think you should have him evaluated for the peace of mind. Also, if they do find something he could use therapy for, the early you start the better. You can have him evaluated through the elementary school he would attend at 5... for free. If you would like him evaluated for other things, they will do that too. Call up there and ask about it. I would call soon because it often takes a month or so to get an appointment.

Autism does have a very wide range, from the barely noticeable to the non-functioning. I am not a trained diagnostician of mental disorders of any kind, but I have had a child that age, and it seems to me that nearly all kids that age (mine included) are difficult to understand...to everyone but their parents, that is! However, you know your child best, and as a mom you have the instincts you need to do what is best for him. Listen to your gut...if you were never concerned about it until the teacher mentioned it, then I wouldn't worry too much about it. If, however, you think there is something there, have it checked out for your own peace of mind. If it's nothing, then you know! If there is something there, then once again, you know, and you can do something about it if necessary. It sounds to me like nothing to worry about, but it's hard not to worry when you're the mommy. :)

You should have your son evaluated by a Speech Therapist. My son has a speech problem and was diagnosed with Phonological Disorder. My son is doing much better, thank God. I think your child's teacher was too quick to give you a possible diagnosis of Autism. Have your son evaluated by a professional.

The best of luck,
Elisa M

You should consider changing childcare provider as it's not their role to make such a diagnosis, only to provide observations. Your pediatrician's suggestions are good ones. Also consider reading routines with your child. The following link provides some ideas on reading and speech development:

http://blogs.goddardsystems.com/Cedar-Park-TX/2009/08/12/...

Sorry I just realized you are in Austin, TX. I would check with the school district and also check to see if there is an early intervention program available.