Need Advice..2 Yr Old Son Does Not talk.only Says "Mmm"

Does he sometimes talk now or has he given up talking completely? My son did something similar and was diagnosed with autism at age 3, but he just totally stopped talking altogether.

M. hi
am also a mother of a 2yr old little boy.. just wanted to write to you and let you know my son is the same way an too everyone tells me he will talk all in good time. i worry as well but know he will talk. He will..loves E.

My son (who is now 44 years old) did not talk until he was 3 1/2 although he would do pantomime. I got him a "See 'n Say" and we "played" with that and he would repeat the words from that. It was the ABC one. Good luck.

I have a daughter with a variety of developmental issues, and now that she is 5, one thing I wished I'd done differently was to get her in to a specialist when I first suspected there was a problem. She "talked" around 2, but it was gibberish. Everyone was quick to dismiss her lack of talking to being the third child, persistent ear infections, etc. So, I know it's hard with your first child, but look around at your peers. If your son stands out for his inability to communicate, take him in. The earlier the intervention, the better. Even though he is so young, there is much that can be done. My advice is go with your gut instinct. I would be concerned, frankly. The size of his vocabulary should be larger at this point. Start with your pediatrician. He/she can refer you to a speech therapist for evaluation. If you think there is a problem, keep pushing for services.

If your son has had ear infections from an early age, my experience may help. My son, who is now 18 and in college, didn't speak in full sentences until he was 3. When he was 6 and in 1st grade, his teacher noticed he wasn't keeping up with the other children and suggested I take him to an early education specialist. After his doctors told me his hearing was fine and not to worry many times over, the specialist explained that chronic illnesses of any kind delay brain pathing and prevent the ability for a child to develop basic skills - like putting together a jigsaw. I took Aaron to her weekly for 6 months and all she really did was play games with him - but it completely changed his ability to interact, think logically and catch up on his reading/writing skills. The specialist included a complete assessment and was a godsend for us. In 8th grade, he was top of his class and on college, on honor role the entire 4 years. I suggest you have your son's hearing evaluated by every specialist you can find - go above the pediatrician if you have to. Then take him to an early learning development DOCTOR/psychologist. I took Aaron to Ann Karin Glass (also happens to be an accomplished artist) and the assessment included sensory, pre=operational, development/functional age and formal.concrete learning evaluation. The tests tell her where the child is in their learning and speech cycle. Then she rebuilds the blocks that were missing because of the illnesses. Good luck.

Hello M.- If you have any doubt- any- about your son's development make an appointment with his doctor. They may just say to wait and see, but it's important to make that step and ask the tough questions. If he suggests a language specialist, go. I know from experience how hard this kind of thing can be. In the mean time read and talk to him a lot, and don't put any pressure on him to speak. Hang in there! These things usually turn out just fine.

As an OT in rehab. services and having worked with many speech therapist's, I would have him evaluated, wouldn't hurt, but only provide insight. What does your pediatrician say? I have a good friend whose son is slightly behind developmentally but only due to being in the hospital for 4 months. He is thriving and reaching developmental milestones, just a bit later than others his age. Generally, around 2 is when concern can set in regarding limited or lack of speech, so again, ask your pediatrician for a referral, it won't hurt but provide you with peace of mind and insight. I'm sure there is nothing to worry about, but why not be proactive. Also, it's a positive thing that he is comprehending what you are saying and asking...so it may just be a matter of time where his cognitive pathways connect with his verbal/linguistic skills. Best wishes!

I'm not a speech therapist, but I do have my AA in Early Childhood Education if that helps. My youngest did the same thing when she was 18 months old and I freaked out thinking she was going to be delayed. I was told by my professors to continue to work with her. Concentrate on a list of maybe 5 words each week, words that are very relevant to him: book, car, eat, drink, etc. Easy, one-syllable words that he will want to learn. If he wants a book or the two of you are reading together say, "We are going to read the book. The book." Hold the book in front of him so he can associate the word and the object. See if you can get some sort of response from repeating the word, even if he’s not trying to say it himself, if he nods or looks at the book when you say the word then he is taking it in. One thing I was told to do which really helped calm my fears was to right a list of the words she knew. Once I did that I realized it wasn’t as bad as I thought. And once I was able to start adding to that list, I could see the progress that we were making together. Also, make sure he “needs” to talk. If he is getting what he wants by making sounds and gestures only then he will not see the need for anything more. Don’t force the issue but gently encourage. When he reaches for a cup and only says “mmm,” correct him by saying, “Do you want the cup? Say Cup. Cup.” And then hand it to him even if he doesn’t say it, he’ll start to understand that “mmm” is not the correct label for cup. My daughter is 6 now and can carry on more intelligent conversations then many adults. Your son will take off one day and you’ll look back at the “mmm” phase with a smile and a sigh.

I would check it out especially if your son used to say a lot of words and now is "loosing" his speech. This happened to my son when he was about 15 months. He was saying all sorts of words and then suddenly he started regressing. His speech was not clear ball became baowll and so on... I thought it may be his hearing so we got his ears checked. When the test came back that his hearing was excellent I didn't take everyone's advise that boys are slow learners and "don't worry". I somehow stumbled upon Autism symptoms and although my son had good eye contact and met all his milestones (some a month behind but still told not to worry by everyone)he met some of these warning signs. As it turns out he was diagnosed with a mild form of Autism when he was 2. Now I'm not saying your son has Autims but not speaking is a red flag. I would work very closley with your son and try to get him to speak. Read picture books and get him to say cat or dog etc. If he doesn't improve, check his ears,and see what your Doctor thinks. Please keep in mind that a lot of Dr.'s aren't trained in Autism and miss the signs (mine told me straight to my face that my son did not have Autism and boy was he wrong!!) My best advise is trust your gut and don't stop searching until you find out why your son is not speaking. If I had a dime for everyone (including my husband,family and friends) that told me I was wrong I'd be rich, luckily I had the "mom instinct" and I knew this was not normal. All kids should have all of their language by 3 years old. Good luck to you. I wish you and your family the very best. Feel free to contact me if you would like to talk more. Thanks, D.

I have 4 children, ages 13,10, 7 and 4. Most of them did not speak until they turned 2 and and have not stopped talking since. They were busy learning other things. But if it really concerns you, speak to your pediatrician. All kids learn at a different pace. He might be absorbing more than you realize. Good luck.

Hi - I'm 41 and a mom to five kids ranging in age from 13 to 18yrs. My 14 year old spoke banana as her first word at about 11 months then never said a real word again until she was 5. It turned out that she is learning delayed, but the root of her speech problem (which she still has to this day), is a result of a deformed palate, which she is in the works of getting fixed with orthodontia. So, bottom line is that it may be nothing, but it may be something, and is worth a trip to the doctor to address. All the best, H.

I really wouldn't worry about your son not talking.Remember children have their own wants and needs and a toddler has so little control in their lives that they take advantage of those things they can control i.e. eating, urinating, defecating, talking.Try this for one day-watch him as he makes a request(in other words how does he get the things he wants). If you are jumping to fulfill his desires without him uttering a word you will have solved your problem. Toddlers will often not talk if everything is done for them without verbalizing. I hope this helps.
A little about me: I am a special educator with four adult and one teenage children. I was an early childhood major and currently help my adult daughters with their children(14,9,4,and one month old). I hope this was helpful.

JT

Hi M. -

The advice here pretty much covers everything you should know -- these Moms are right on the money. It's probably nothing, but if you're worried you should seek help -- always better to have someone tell you that it's all okay than to worry!

Kids often go through a bit of mute stage at this age, normally because you're so keyed in to his needs. But, it could be any other reason as well -- speech impairment (either physical or neurocognitive), slight loss of hearing, a symptom of something larger like autism. The fact that he is frustrated shows that you probably should seek professional advice -- if you are in the bay area, I'd refer you to Children's Health Council in Palo Alto and have them do a full work up -- they can (and will)screen for all possibilities. Get a referral from your pediatrician, and it should be covered by your health insurance.

Please know that regardless of what it is, even autism, it's not a death sentence. My son has Asperger Syndrome, and at 15 is a totally rockin' young man, ready to go to college NOW! :)

If there is anything else you need, you can look me up on my website, www.evolibri.com -- I'm a neurodiversity counselor and have a bunch of info I can give you if that's where your road leads. Best of luck, my dear!

J.

Either this is a problem that needs to be addressed (sooner rather than later) OR it is a nothing blip in your son's development. You can respond by waiting to see what happens or by taking him to see the peditician. This leaves you with four basic outcomes:

1. It's a nothing blip and you opt not to have it checked out. In this case, you have saved a little time and a little money. Plus your son progresses just fine.

2. It's a nothing blip BUT you opt to have it checked out. In this case, you are out some time and money. Your son progresses just fine -- and you have peace of mind.

3.It's a problem and you opt not to have it checked out. You will have saved a little time and money NOW but your son's progress will be impaired. Plus, down the line, he is likely to need MORE intervention to recover -- and you will feel horribly guilty.

4. It's a problem AND you opt to have it checked out. You are out some time and money now -- but your son is already on the road to recovery. Earlier intervention can mean an easier or quicker development of missing skills. Plus you can sleep easier knowing that started treatment soonest.

I have a son with autism and consequently, I have met many mothers with special needs children. I have two sons without autism and conseqently, I have met many mothers with only neurotypical ('normal') children.

I've met moms from all four situations. With neurotypical children, not a single mother has regreted that extra visit to the doctors. No mom with a special needs child has regreted that extra visit to the doctors.

But I know plenty of moms with children with special needs who deeply, deeply regret not making that extra visit.

Now, which one will you chose?

It's interesting that your son seemed to learn a few words, but his vocabulary has not increased. Have you mentioned this to his doctor yet? Has he had a lot of ear infections or anything like that? I am the mom of three and a Kindergarten teacher. I am not a speech expert, but I have seen a lot of kids struggle in school because no one addressed their speech issues until they entered Kinder. There are so many reasons this could be happening with your son, including that he may simply be a late talker. But I would encourage you to contact his doctor and request testing, particularly of his hearing. Also, contact your local school district or First Five office because there are speech services available to you there around the age of three if your son qualifies. Try not to worry too much, but definitely be proactive in the next year if his speech doesn't improve. Best of luck to you and your little sweetie!

From a grandma:
You know the one about the 4-yr.-old who would not talk? He was normal in all other development. One day at the family dinner table he blurted out,"These mashed potatoes sure have a lot of lumps in them! I like them smooth!"
His Mommy turned to him and said, "You mean you could talk all this time, but you just didn't want to?"
He answered,"Well, yes, but up to now the mashed potatoes were just right! Nothing to complain about."

It seems like a joke, but it carries a message: Have you given your child motivation to speak? Also, have you thought of trying Baby Sign Language? And remember, boys often start talking later than girls.

So run right into the kitchen and make some lumpy mashed potates and don't worry so much.

Please take your son to a speach therapist, as your friend advised, or even better, a developmental specialist first. I think this falls under the category of "can't hurt, might help." What concerns me isn't so much that your child isn't speaking but that he seems to be *losing* the words he had. That is a totally different issue from being a child who simply takes longer to start speaking. Sometimes kids with Autism Spectrum Disorder go from making progress with speach to losing words and, basically, going backwards. Receptive speach (understanding what you say) isn't affected, from what I understand. Is your son pointing to things, making good eye contact, laughing? All of these are good signs, but even if he is doing these things, go to the specialist. Early intervention is critical to minimizing the effects of the disorder and can be extremely affective. Do not wait because early intevention is key!!!!!!!! From www.autismspeaks.com, here are the speach-related red flags indicating that you should take your child to be evaluated:

No words by 16 months
No two-word meaningful phrases (without imitating or repeating) by 24 months
Any loss of speech or babbling or social skills at any age

Also: "New research shows that when parents suspect something is wrong with their child, they are usually correct. If you have concerns about your child's development, don't wait: speak to your pediatrician about getting your child screened for autism."

From your message, it appears that your son has all three speech-related red flags. While this does not mean he for sure has Autism (there are non-speech red flags as well), it does mean that you need to have him evaluated. Please check the site I referenced for more info. The earlier you know what's going on, the more you can do to minimize symptoms. Amazingly, 1 in 94 boys is on the autism spectrum. And please remember, denial does not make problems disappear; it only makes answers disappear. We have friends whose kids have mild autism (all symptoms were speach related) and started treatment early, and their kids have made huge strides. Apparently, the kids would communicate pre-treatment by spelling words in magnetic letters on the fridge -- these are smart kids! Amongst the interventions they have done, one of the most helpful was making changes in their kids' diets, mainly eliminating wheat. That and other treatments, such as behaviorally based ones are outlined here:

http://www.autismspeaks.org/whattodo/index.php

Please, please take your son to be evaluated by a specialist. Either way your son wins. Either he does not have any form of autism or, if he does, he will get early treatments so critical in managing and overcoming symptoms. Best of luck to you and your family.
K.

You need to contact your Pediatrician and tell him about your concerns. Your son should be putting two or more words together by now. The concern that I see is that he used to say words that he does not or rarely will say now. That is a RED FLAG and he should be evaluated by a Pediatric Developmental Specialist and a Child Psychologist. My son was diagnosedwith Autism at 2 yrs old. He is high functioning and understandsa lot of what I tell him. My son also says "MMMM" a lot and so do a lot of people with autism. Be your child' best advocate and make sure that everything is all right. Tese are only some signs to looks for not all so only a specialist can know for sure. As scary as it may be for you if your son does have a developmental delay there is early intervention that can be started. My son is now three and a half. he has been in early intervention for a year now and he has made great progress! Don't listen to everyone who tells you not to worry, you are your childs first doctor, go with your gut. If there is nothing to worry about then find that out instead of not finding out there is! Hugs!
I copied this form the Autism Society of America's website.
www.autism-society.org

The characteristic behaviors of autism spectrum disorders may or may not be apparent in infancy (18 to 24 months), but usually become obvious during early childhood (24 months to 6 years).

As part of a well-baby/well-child visit, your child's doctor should do a "developmental screening" asking specific questions about your baby's progress. The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) lists five behaviors that signal further evaluation is warranted:

Does not babble or coo by 12 months
Does not gesture (point, wave, grasp) by 12 months
Does not say single words by 16 months
Does not say two-word phrases on his or her own by 24 months
Has any loss of any language or social skill at any age.
Having any of these five "red flags" does not mean your child has autism. But because the characteristics of the disorder vary so much, a child showing these behaviors should have further evaluations by a multidisciplinary team. This team may include a neurologist, psychologist, developmental pediatrician, speech/language therapist, learning

Your son sounds so much like my 2 1/2 year old grandson that I am raising. Just within the last few weeks he is starting to talk and now repeats everything that is being said. I would recommend having your son evaluated. We went through North Bay Regional Center in Santa Rosa www.nbrc.net and he is receiving speech therapy.

We started out by learning a few baby signs. This helped a lot when he wanted his milk since he was able to communicate.
But be patient, he will not learn the signs overnight. It was a couple of weeks before our grandson started responding to the signs. We were thrilled when he made his first sign and you could tell he was extremely proud as well.

Another thing I do is tell him everything that is going on in simple language. For example: open the door, close the door, or roll the ball, ball under the couch, in the basket, etc.
Just talk, talk and talk with him.

Read books with him. Take a few of his favorite book and read those regularly. Gradually add more books. Repetition is important.

My grandson has a few favorite DVD's and he watches them over and over. He has learned a lot from them. Playing music has also helped him along. He is still behind in his speech but catching up quickly. He does know all of the alphabet and numbers up to 12. Oh, and he is being raised bilangual.

It is very frustrating for the child when they can not communicate but it will come before you know it.

Don't hesitate on calling the regional center in your area.
Children up to age 3 are helped through them. Three and up is through the school district. Oh, and if your son qualifies, the services are free.

That is something that must be looked at ASAP...Have your pediatrician check him and also have him refered to the Regional Center in your county...the pediatrician should know... if you need help finding them... contact me and I will try and help you!!! Love, G.. :0)
P.S. With Children regresing in development the sooner they have a diagnose and treatment...the better they will develop!!!Don't let anyone tell you you are exagerating... that is what the pediatrician kept telling me!!! SHE WAS WRONG!!!

I would contact Alta California Regional to get an assessment. It could be that he's regressed because he's learning a new skill, but it could be something else - maybe a hearing problem or something? www.altacaliforniaregional.org

My only advice would be to tell you to keep working with him. Make him use his words when he wants something. In fact, look at him and say "use your words...juice...water...banana" or whatever. Don't interpret for him, make him speak out. And if he gets mad, oh well, he gets mad...he'll get over it quickly when he sees he's not getting what he wants. It sure won't be the last time he'll be mad at you in his lifetime.

One question for you...have you had his hearing checked? My nephew didn't talk for a long time and honestly my brother didn't force him to speak either, but we kept asking if his hearing had been checked. By the time we forced them into having it checked my nephew had almost NO hearing. He had had an infection which had caused scarring in his ear canals and it had cut off his hearing, thus the lack of talking. Might be something to have checked out.

C.

I would call North Bay regional Center, or Early Start, you can find them in your phone book. I would also say not to be alarmed, but there are so many FREE services out there for kids under three who need a little push start or extra help with things like this, why not take advantage of them. I have a special needs son and we have been involved with them since my first son was 11 months old. They are wonderful people and it's absolutly free. They even come to your house to do the evaluation. Maybe they will say, he's fine, don't worry about at thing, but at least you will have that peace of mind. Good luck to you!
Sincerely,
W.

Hi M.! I have a 4 year old that started speech therapy at 17 mo for the same reason, he was saying a few words and then just like a lightswitch "turned off." I would not hesitate with whether or not to go. I suggest going to your local adult school where they offer free speech services through the county office of education. Once you son turns 3, your school district is responsible for the services. Therapy cannot hurt his development and if anything it is great interaction with his peers if you can get him into a group session. Good Luck and keep us posted on his achievements.

Ask your pediatrician for an evaluation. I have a friend whose youngest son was like this and as soon as he started school all the language came tumbling out.

I believe that he will talk. I have a nephew that did not speak until a very late age and started in sentences. I also have babysat many , many children for the last 7 years and have come across that on several occasions. It seems sometimes there is no need to speak if everyone else knows what they want without having to talk. It's work for them. So if mom does whatever he needs without him having to talk he's in control. So if it doesn't bother you don't let everyone worry you. If You feel ther is areal speech issue than see a specialist. You know your child better than everyone else. Listen to your gut. This too shall pass. Take care and hang in there.

this could indicate a problem needing early intervention. it's worth letting your pediatirican know and asking if a further assessment is needed. especially if you child had some words and then lost them, that can indicate a more serious problem.

Yes, I think you should be very concerned. Especially, if he was talking more and now he's not. The earlier he sees a speech therapist the better. It could just be a delay or it could be more serious, like autism. My best friend's son wasn't talking when all the other boys were and she started him in speech therapy. He now talks just as much as the others, but I don't think she would have had the same results had she just waited. He had therapy several times a week and was borderline autistic and now a year and a half later he is in school and doing great. There are lots of government programs for this, but your child needs to be under a certain age and since he's two, it's the perfect time. Your pediatrician should be able to give you a referral. Speech is very important at this age, I can't stress that enough. Have him checked by a professional! What's the harm, they could tell you he's fine or they could help him at a time when it's very crucial.

For you own sanity, and for son's health, have a Dr see your son immediately. Once you can put that behind you, know that kids development often follows that of the parents. Were either you or your husband slow to speak? Social settings might encourage speaking, if he sees and tries to immitate his peers. My friend's son is almost three and didn't speak in complete sentences and was hard to understand until she enrolled him in daycare. Both she and her hubby were late speakers. He's talking all the time now. Like someone flipped a switch.

Try not giving in to his requests immediately until he vocalizes them. Thirsty? try saying water rather than just pointing and getting it. If you give him anything he wants without making him work for it and all he has to do is point, he will just point. Try that. And of course, talk to your pediatrician. If he does not seem concerned about his hearing, I would not be either. Does he hum songs? Does he enjoy music and having you read aloud? If so, he's probably ok. Try singing together instead of talking.

My daughter babbled for a long time. She seemed to understand us and I think she did. She didn't have ear infections and never indicated a hearing problem. Lets face it she had never experienced hearing like you and I. She could say mama and Dada and many other things but had her own cute little way. Everyone teachers and even my doctor told me that it was normal and that she would grow out of it. She didn't and when I had her checked out with an expert on my dime we found that she had fluid in her ears and had learned to speak as if she was under water in a swimming pool. She now is 10 and has tubes in her ears. She is behind in reading but can hear in the normal range. We hope she will catch up with her pears. I only wish that when she was 2 I had checked it out and not waited for her to grow out of it. At 5 we started checking out the problem and by 8 she had tubes. It could have been 3 years sooner. I know of children who didn't speak and then grew out of it. Some in special pre-schools to help them. But for your peace of mind I would look into it. It could be nothing at all, but checking could keep away many other problems.

My recommendatation would be to check it out now. I was told, hey he's 2, don't worry he will talk when he is ready. Unfortunately at 3 he was still not talking and he did need help. He understood everything, pointed to what he wanted, but no legible words aside from mama,dadda...all his words started with Bs..Car pronounced Bar etc.He is 4 now attends a speech intensive preschool and has private speech. We are crossing our fingers he will be ready for kindergarten. Just to be cautious, I would say get her hearing checked and I would get a speech evaluation done. Worse case, they tell you, no worries, she will talk soon, or come back in 6 months for another evaluation. If there is a concern, earlier intervention is the best!

I would talk to your childs pediatrician about this. I agree with the previous advice that it can't hurt and might really help. I work with children ( and am the mother of a two year old) and they all develop at varying rates. What may be right for one child may not be the norm for the next. It has been my experience however that when a child is suffering from a speech delay- which is what it sounds like if he is not using words at his age- they can benefit greatly from early intervention with speech therapy. Speech therapy is fun for the kids- they use games to help the children so it is just like a play session. I have seen speech therapy work wonders in toddlers -you do not want to wait until your child is school age to get help if that is what is needed. I would say that the first step however would be to talk to your pediatrician and see if he/she thinks that speech therapy is necessary.

I suggest that you take him to the speech specialist and have them talk to him. The same thing happened with me with my son, he's four now. And i got him into therapy and happy talker, and he's talking now. But you will need some advice on how to get him to talk. Everyone was telling me the same thing that he will talk one day without any worries. But I was so worried. All the best.

I think that you have nothing to lose by having him evaluated. There is a movement by child specialists to have "early intervention" when children show signs of language, motor, or cognitive delay. If you have your son evaluated and nothing is wrong, you haven't lost anything. If you find out that a speech therapist or other professional would be of help, you will have provided the opportunity for him to get help as early as possible.

I have been working with children for 14 years. My educational background is in Early Childhood Education. Currently I am a Director of a ChildCare center. I would not worry to much yet about your son not talking. He has previously expressed his verbal skills before so this is a good sign that he does not have any type of hearing loss. Also, with the fact that he understands all that you are saying. It is very typical 2 year old behavior to take in everything that they can. I would not force him to say anything it will just make him made, as you have seen. Forcing him to talk can actually delay him from speaking even longer. I would have your doctor check out his hearing just to be safe. Also, encourage his verbal skills without force. Talk to him about the things in his environment. If he points to things say "yes that is a ____" or "you want a ____" Just by you continuing to show how words are very much a part of his environment he will begin to show interest in talking.

Hi,

I am a mother of 4 daughters 19,18,13, and 2years. I wanted to respond because my 2 year old did the same thing but I will give you some other signs to look for if your concernd. If your son looks at you in the eye that is a good sign if he understans what you ask of him thats another good sign and if he can respond to his name thats great. And if he plays with his toys the way they were intended to be played with. I know this sounds strange but my daughter was totally normal and then lost these skills and she needed early intervention. If your son lost these skills check with your doctor don't be alarmed but check it out. If he does everything normal then like everyone else has told you my guess would be that he will start talking up a storm soon, my good friends son did not talk untill 2 1/2 and hasn't stoped since, and my 18 year old daughter has a boyfriend and his little brother is 3 and only has a few words but understans everything he is taking speach class and otherwise is doing great. Good Luck

R.

I think your son is probably just fine. My son is about 20 months and a huge talker but he JUST started preschool a toddler class for 18 months and up and he has totally regressed even though their are 2 year olds in his class. For the past week he has been using "aaaah aaah aahh". I think it is because most kids in this age group DON'T talk a whole lot and he is seeing them and mimicking what they do. My son's teachers and doctors seem very surprised by how many words he knows and I get the impression it really not that common. (In my family kids talk young so I get a LOT of surprised looks from strangers too when my son talks). However we are all just as clumsy as can be. We all have our strengths. So I think your son is probably just fine. I agree with your friends, give it a littl more time and you won't be able to stop him from talking.

Hello!! I think whats going on here is your son wants to do things on his own time. He is a smart guy, and maybe he just doesnt feel the need to talk yet. This happens alot and you have nothing to worry about right now. If at age 4 he has any speech problems going into preschool they might ask to get him tested for it, but even at that age they usually grow out of it. I think especially if he gets mad when you ask him to talk it may just be a control thing. He doesnt want to do it on demand he wants to do it when he is the one in control!!! Enjoy him and try not to worry so much about it. I bet when you just start going with the flow more and dont even ask him to say things, just talk to him like you normally would, and ask him questions, and if he doesnt answer you, just let it go for the time being. I bet soon he will start answering you! Most likely one day he will start talking and in full sentences!! I am not an expert but I think you are doing things right, just be patient and you will see he will grow out of his silent mode!! Good Luck and I hope this helps!!

Blessings, L.

This is how it was with our daughter. I did the same as you, asking anyone and everyone for advice. I got the same response, "one day she will just start talking in sentences"...guess what? She did! Now we can't get her to stop talking! I think this is pretty normal. Try not to worry. (I know that is silly to say huh?) Be patient. Best to you.

I think it would be a good idea to talk to your pediatrician and to get a referral to a speech therapist. By 2 yo he should be saying at least a few words. Good luck.

Please have your child evaluated by both a pediatrician (a developmental pediatrician if possible)AND a speech pathologist. Follow your gut and don't let the professionals 'dismiss' you as an overly worried or inexperinced mom. More important than speech specifically are his attempts to communicate. Does he point? try to get your attention and show you things? Is he engaged with people around him in a typical way. If there is a problem, and I am not in any way inferring that there is, it is much better to know sooner rather than later. Kids are eligible to recieve specialized speech therapy, preschool and other services from the public school system once they turn 3 so if you still have concerns at that time you can ask for the school district to evaluate him.
Good luck to you

Because you have heard him talk then you know he can hear and understand you. It is very important that he uses words. Our brain hears words one way and then processes them into speech another way. In these crucial developmental years, if he is not speaking the words he hears (for whatever reason) he is missing an important part of language development. Do not wait till an outsider points out your sons delay, when more intervention is needed, talk to your pediatrician and insist on a speech evaluation.

Also, stop translating for him. That only encourages this behavior. Instead when he wants something, tell him that you can't understand what he is saying. Fix what you want to for him to eat, even if you think he wants something else and do the same for other things he's wanting or getting your attention for. but do not attempt to make it easier by just giving him what he wants unless he asks for it.

My SIL did the same thing for my nephew. He started doing this at 2 and she just translated for him, saying "well if we have to he will have speech therapy in school". He is now 4 1/2 and his speech has not developed beyond that of a 2yr old. What's worse, he will not be able to start school in the fall and will be held back until he demonstrates cognitive speech.

Don't put your son through the same thing.
He may want some form of control and he may grow out of it. However in this case, waiting for him to grow out of it can damage his speech.

Best Wishes
J.

Our pediatrician recommended taking our son to a speech therapist because he hardly talked at 2 years. I suggest seeing more than one therapist and then select one whom you and your child are most comfortable with.
My son's therapist told us to speak only English at home, which we did. Also, have you used any baby sign language? If so, continue using those methods.
Your school district may have a preschool that caters to children with speech issues. Inquire.

My son is now 3 and is just starting to say words...when he turned 2 1/2 I had him assessed through the district and is now going to a pre school where he meets with speech therapists weekly. He has made huge improvements! My sister-in-law is a early intervention teacher and believes in the earlier the better if you have concerns.

NO!!! do not worry, I'm a mom of 2 and grandma of 2. They usually don't talk because you know everything they want, and give it to them before they have to 'talk' so they don't bother. My sisters son also would not talk, and they thought he would have to have speech therapy;no, not even close. when she quit responding to his 'grunts', he had to talk, and he hasn't shut up yet!!!!!!!!!! be patient...and don't give him what he wants until he speaks...99% of the time thats all it is.... Carol

this could be an expressive speech delay. My daughter was a bit delayed. We got her evaluated by Early Start. She qualified for the program even though her pediatrician wasn't even worried yet.
When I thought my son was behind in speech, I did the same thing. He was on target, and didn't qualify, which put my mind at ease.

Here is the contact info for the regional center:
Alta California Regional Center
2135 Butano Drive
Sacramento, CA 95825
916/978-6249 | FAX: 916/489-4803
www.altaregional.org
AREA SERVED: Alpine, Colusa, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, Sierra, Sutter, Yolo, and Yuba Counties

Tell them you'd like your child evaluated and set up and appointment. It is free.
Here is the link to the Early Start webpage if you'd like more info:
http://www.dds.ca.gov/earlystart/

-C.