Need Your Vote: Speech Therapy for a 20 Months Old??

If he were my son id wait until he was a little older before a took him for speach terapy do whatever you are confortable with good lucak A. no thills

He sounds OK but if you try it and you don't like it or it becomes too costly then stop. The regional centers usually do not suggest something if it isn't needed. They have certain steps to follow

If the sessions won't be costing you anything, and a delay has been identified, I say do it. I have a girlfriend who waited a long time and now her 7 year old daughter may need to be held back a grade.

You have nothing to lose, and the sessions might help head off potential issues that could develop later.

Hi Y.,
I am a mom, and a pediatric therapist that evaluates children for Regional Centers. Since your child was 6 weeks early,and has a delay with language skills, I highly recommend you take advantage of the services that are availaable to you. The speech therapist will not only provide fun language activities with your son, she will offer parent education and teach you ways to facilitate language and communication on your own. The Early Intervention program is all about catching delays early on, when the childs brain is most adaptible to change and learning.Your son may only need therapy for 6 months, and therapy will end. Some preemies take a longer time to 'catch up', and will require therapy for a longer period. The recent budjet cuts will be a terrible blow for many children who will fall through the cracks, and not receive the therapy needed. The Regional Center is a wonderful program who have provided important service to so many children for many years.
Good luck.
K.

Hi Y.,
I know we all want the best for our children, and you are definitely no different. I have a 21 month old daughter, and I have come to the conclusion that there is no book that has ever been written nor any that ever will that will be specific as to what milestones my daughter must reach and at what age. I am all in favor of taking my pediatrician's advise, but I also weigh them against my instincts as a mother. Your son was born early, therefore that in itself would mean that he would not follow the cookie cutter milestone requirements of that fictional child all books refer to. 'Whose child was that anyway?' My only advise is, you know your son BEST, and you would know if it was a developmental problem. From what you have said it does not seam to me to be. He IS speaking, maybe not as much as he should be compared to 'that fictional book child', but he is healthy and moving at his own pace. I think we need to let children develop at their own individual paces, because all the pressure we start putting on them at really early ages to meet a certain fictional standard might be detrimental for them in the future. Maybe, he just does not have much to say yet. So let him take his time, he will have a lot to say soon. Just know that he is paying attention to everything that is going on around him and he will soon let you know just how much he has absorbed. Budget cuts and all, every government funded institution is doing everything they can to maintain their funding, but they can not do it at the expense of our precious little ones. Let him enjoy his life, he will soon have to face the pressures of real life, in the mean time, let him be a kid.
Good luck
Sincerely
J

Einstein didn't talk much until age 4. Lots of kids talk later than others. Your Dr. didn't want you to blame him down the line if your kid is the one in 100,000 you can't talk by four.
Just relax and enjoy you little one. Play dates or meeting kids at the park can get him talking faster.
B. v. O.

Dear Y.,
I'm sure that you've weighed the pros and cons, and after gleaming over the answers you've already received, it appears that even we differ in our opinion. First off, I should mention that I have been a speech pathologist for 9 years. My first reaction is.... "Early Intervention is Key". From your description of how many words he has at this point, it sounds as if he is performing within normal limits-- HOWEVER, a language assessment provides much more information. It assesses his ability to understand and "get out" grammar construction, vocabulary, social skills, inferencing (although maybe not at his age), understanding the meaning of part(s) of words (i.e., -s = plurals), narrative analysis (who, where, sequencing of events), and how he says the words. My past experience consistently shows me that mom usually knows best. You know him better than anybody else, his challenges and his potentials. My opinion would be to go forward with the recommendations for additional support-- it can't hurt, and can only give you ideas for language enrichment now and in the future. Now, having said that-- please don't feel as if you're not doing the wrong thing if you opt out of this. I haven't reviewed his assessment protocols, but from your description- it sounds as if you could really lean either way. There are also ways to provide language learning opportunities at home. Not knowing how his assessment reads-- it's difficult for me to provide any suggestions, but a good place to start is www.speakingofspeech.com. It's a website created by speech therapists for speech therapists. If you click under materials exchange, there are some free games that you can print and play with your son. I also have a few things if you would like copies of them. I know it can be a daunting decision-- but I'm sure that if you're wise enough to be seeking the opinion of so many others, you are bound to make the right one.

Hi Y.,
Obviously you want the best for your child, and I agree wit others that you should follow your heart / instincts. However, I also think you may want to give greater credibility to the responders who are either speech professionals or have had their children receive services from the Regional Center.

My son, now 2 and 1/2, has been receiving speech "therapy" for over a year, probably before he was one. The name "therapy," while accurate, makes it seem like there is something wrong with your child. The speech therapist we have is soooo much fun to be with that our son asks about her between visits. I think they should call it speech fun.

IMHO...The most important factors are these:

1. It is play-based learning / therapy. The child has fun, and learns about new words and sounds.

2. Early intervention is key, not from a financial standpoint, but because of how the brain develops. There is a reason why they try to provide services BEFORE age 3 - it has to do with the brain's development. According to our speech therapist, if you wait until after age 3, it takes longer, and is more difficult. If you have services prior to age 3 --the earlier the better-- your child's brain will incorporate the learning as his brain develops. To learn more about this, you can either ask detailed question of a speech therapist, or read about it on the web.

3. While you could listen to every mom in America about how and when their child learned to talk, or how they were delayed and are now an "A" student, none of it really matters because your child is an individual. Follow your heart on what he may need and how speech services may help him. They're certainly not going to harm him. :-)

4. The comments about the Regional Center needing to make money or secure their budgest are completely unfounded. If anythying, it's harder to qualify for their services because their budgets have been cut drastically by the State. (That's why they are asking people to try and get their private insurance to pay for all or part of it; it used to be completely free for anyone.) So if you can get services, especialy free, go for it. You may not have access to them later.

5. The speech therapists are really dedicated and wonderful people. You will be happy to know one and your son will love playing with them.

6. You can always start and, if it doesn't feel right, just stop the services. Again, if you wait to start, the services may not be available to you. They definitely will not be available through Regional Center after age 3.

7. In addition to directly interacting with your son, you will learn some great tips on how you can help your son between the therapy sessions. For example, my son was leaving out prepositions, or slurring them. The therapist recommended that I gently remind him to include them. For example, he's say, "This is a you, Mommy." When what he meant was, "This is for you, Mommy." So I would repeat the phrase with the FOR in it, and he would do the same. We're still working on it, but he now gets the FOR in there about 50% of the time.

8. If you wait until after age 3, and he needs services, it will only be available through the School System.

9. And when all is said and done, the next best thing you can for your child is to talk all the time. Narrate your day, describe what you're seeing as you're driving in the car, ("Can you find the moon? WHere is the moon, do you see it?" And so on.

10. Bravo to you for wanting to do the right thing for your son!

Y., I have had a child at the Regional Center (RC) for 1 1/2 years, she has needed occupational therapy, physical therapy and child development assistance. Fortunately she has improved greatly but they are clamping down at RC. RC has had the worst compliance records in the US (meaning children are in the system who do not need to be) and now they are cleaning out the fraud and waste. The new standard is that a child has to be 3 months behind to be considered. If they said go. I would go. The therapists are great and it is a great bounce for your child even if he is at the margins now, once he gets through therapy he will probably be at par or above. Nothing wrong with that. If you have the time do it.

It sounds like you don't feel it's necessary and I would trust your gut on that. If he's making progress with his speech then it's just a matter of time before he's talking in sentences. My daughter is 2 1/2 and she didn't talk early but now has caught up just fine, and I know some kids who didn't talk until age three! Don't ever feel bad about disagreeing with your pediatrician, you have to make the decisions for your kids, and ultimately you know them better than ANYONE ELSE and pediatricians aren't always right. Don't get me wrong, I think it's good to trust your doctor but if your gut is telling you something it's okay to listen. Good luck, I'm sure your little guy will be talking your ear off in no time.

Hi Y.~

My premature guy was born 24 years ago, so take these thoughts with that in mind. He was 10 1/2 weeks early, and the developmental delays were more apparent. We were glad to get him into state provided therapy classes, mostly infant stimulation classes, that aided his development. Through their aid, he has become healthy and able, in all areas of his life.

Today's world has so many more funding issues that changes the situation. However, even though he may be within normal ranges, there must be something your doc is seeing. If it were me, I'd go with the sessions, if I could afford the 20%. Then I'd ask the pediatrician why he suggested this, exactly what it is that causes him concern.

Continued blessings on you and your family.

A.

Wow, that's a tough one! At 2 years, my son didn't have even one word, so we did get therapy from the State and it was free for one year. One of the best things we ever did because he has autism and early diagnosis is EXTREMELY important. However, there were many other red flags, no eye contact, wouldn't play with other peers, no pointing, and very limited interests...But if your son is not showing any other delays, I personally would not want to have to fight with insurance companys because the therapys are quite expensive and if there is no real cause I doubt ins will pay. Like other people said, read, read, read and try to initiate conversation and try to do it around things that intrest your child. Good luck.

I went from thinking it sounded unnecessary, but was nice that you at least had the evaluation & suggestion for therapy in case it does become necessary in the future, to thinking exactly as you are, that they need to have a certain number of patients enrolled in order to justify future funding. Nothing truly sinister in that, but it certainly does sound like a hassle and an expense for you.

Personally, I would opt out, but ask if this order can stand and find out for how long. By that I mean, can you revisit this in, say, 9 months time? Or a year? I know funding will be cut, but if the order is in the books, maybe...?

I'm not a speech therapist, but I've known a lot of kids who are on the receiving end of speech therapy. I've never known one to receive ST as young as your son is. Your son's doctor wanted him evaluated, and he has been. Have you talked to the doc about the treatment order? Perhaps he/she would be willing to have a talk with the Regional Center about this.

All the best to you & your family,
Colleen

Couple quick things. Regional Centers are not "just trying to fill a quota" at least not that I could ever imagine. There are waiting lists of us Moms waiting for services for children that really need them. If you decided not to, I wouldn't be shocked because it doesn't sounds like he is really all that behind. At the same time, if they will assist you in paying for these services I would take advantage. Give your child every advantage you can. I would do it if I were you.

I have a two year old son who didn't speak much either and my doctor referred me to the regional center at his 2 year check-up and he got accepted. He does not go to the 1 hr. a week but rather 3 times a week from 8:15a.m. to 9:55a.m. with about 5 to 6 other kids the same age into a small class to be worked with. I also was not sure to take him or just wait to see if he spoke closer to 21/2. Let me tell you I am very glad I chose to take advantage of this program and the way they work with these lil children is great! My son also loves to go to his little class and speaks alot more these days.

Y., your little boy sounds like he is doing great. My 21 MO has almost NO words. He mostly grunts, hums and points to communicate. The Regional Center just approved us for 2 hrs a week. The therapist comes to the home, which is great, but we also need to confirm that our private insurance does not cover speech therapy. One the one hand, speech therapy cannot hurt, right? If you are offered 1 hr a week, why not take it? on the other hand, it is a hassle to get it set up. Even though it sounds like your boy is doing great, you might as well pursue the speech therapy. It's an opportunity for your LO to interact with someone new and potentially learn new skills. It's an added effort for you, but your LO might benefit from the stimulation. Either way, I think your LO will be just fine. Good luck!!

Hi there. I was in the same situation. My son is now an amazing talker and doing great in school. He is four. He did speech therapy through Regional Center for a year 2x week. It can only help him. It is also like a private tudor every week and at this young age it only helps them get a leg up for school. It was the best thing we did for our son. Good luck.

You are ultimately the final voice of authority in this situation......this is your child. Speech therapy is essential for children who are delayed and can be one of the catalyst that assist a child in meeting their developmental delays. However, you have said your child doesn't need the services.....What's the big question. Just call the services and tell them you don't want it. And move on.

It couldn't hurt - speech therapy can be very effective - and at worst - it will give him a little boost to help catch up - and believe me, the regional centers have more than enough people seeking services.

Any decent speech therapist will tell you that they can't really evaluate prior to 24 months. My guess is Regional Center is covering its bases to prevent lawsuits. It certainly can't hurt, though. If the co-pay is minimal then why not? If you're denied and Regional Ctr says they'll pay, then you have nothing to lose.

S. Eiges, M.S.W.
aka "LA School Scout"
www.LAschoolscout.com
____@____.com
877 877 6240

I also was recommended referral to Reg. Center, and they found my daughter qualified for services at 28 months old. My husband and I weren't at all worried about her speech though because our first born was also slow to talk, being bilingual, and my daughter was very expressive in other ways. BUT, it was free--and they sent someone into our home. So we did it, and actually by the time services started my daughter didn't really need it anyway. I wouldn't have done it if it wasn't free and had someone sent into the home. If the evaluators said the delay was only slight, I wouldn't go through the hassle, IMO. Good luck!

Hello Y., I am not able to read the other responses yet. But I just wanted to give my 2 cents. Helpful or not. :-) My son just turned 3 and still has problems with his speech. But he is still in normal range. I have considered asking the Ped. if speech therapy would be necessary, but I have not asked. His speech has gotten incredibly better in just the last 6 months. I am sure therapy would not hurt but if it was my decision I would wait. He may just be taking his time. Every child learn different. And i keep getting told by other parents that boys learn a little bit slower. My son is my 2nd child. And he did everything a little bit later then my daughter did. Either way you choose, your son will learn to speak correctly. He is still young and has plenty of time. Good Luck!

As a parent of a child with speech delay I say take the help early if you are offered. We were not until about 32 months and I wish we had it earlier. It can't hurt and will only help. It might seem strange to have it so early but he needs a good foundation to keep learning or else he could be extremely delayed in the future.

i wouldnt do it. if you have had 2 of their people come out and evaluate your son and tell you that he is in the normal range even for being early then why put him in the classes? boys develope slower then girls. i have twin nephews who are a month younger then my daughter (who is 31 months) and they talk less then your son does and they were born full term. what i would do is encourae your son to use real words (ie - bottle not baba, cup instead of cupie etc). constantly talk to him tell him what you are doing. if reading to him point out the pictures and say bear rawr!, dog woof woof, cat meow. thats what i did with my daughter and she was saying will over 200 words by age 2 and saying up to 5 word setences. at 2 they are only saying that they need to speak as much as your son is now. so i really wouldnt worry. but i do agree that if you do take the sessions its not going to hurt him at all and will end up making his vocab even better :)

just wait..let him hit the 2.5 year mark..i was worried too..my son was not talking! My friend kept saying.."just u wait..as soon as he's 2.5 it will all come pouring out..so i waited..and a week after 2.5 he started saying words..by 3 he was totally talking ..now he's 3.5 and uses words like "irregular" and uses it properly! its weird to hear him talk like that..i do let him watch tv..and he is on the computer as well..he likes youtube and a game called kid pix..he goes to school 2 afternoons a week..and i can tell he's learning a lot..and sings a lot of songs from there..you'll see..just keep working on words..if you let him watch tv..try Little Einsteins..my son has learned from that show..he found an hourglass of mine and knew what it was..all b/c that show..
i would hold off on speech therapy..talk to him..also explain things..and expose him to a lot.

D.

Hi Y., I say "do it". My son, who turned two today, has had about 6 in home therapy sessions so far. He is making so many more sounds now and actually saying words. His therapy time is great and he enjoys it. There is nothing wrong with getting a little extra help at no cost to you. Im sure it will benefit your son in the long run.

Well, I wasn't in exactly your situation but similar. My twins were born 12 weeks early. Yes, at 28 weeks. They were in the NICU for 2 months. At 2 yrs. they barely said anything. But I had taught them sign language (about a dozen signs) and their receptive language ("Go get your teddy bear")was far better than their expressive. So I too was not sure if they needed any intervention. They were being followed by several agencies including regional center since they were 5 months old--3 months post discharge from the Nicu. Standard for babies born under 1200 grams and on Oxygen. So needless to say we were on the "radar". I dont remember how it all got started but I wanted them tested just to see if they thought they needed or "qualified" for speech, to see if there was a problem. Given their start in life, we were expecting anything to pop up. Sure enough, receptively they were fine, expressive they were borderline--yet Tricounties/regional center didn't want to extend services. It wasn't a significant enough delay, i guess. Being a teacher myself--and my husband, we pushed for the speech component of services and ultimately "won". I didn't have the insurance issue as you, so it was all no cost for us. We felt that whatever we could do, whatever was offered we would take. It could only help. But again, given their start in life, we had great concern that we could be dealing with some issues down the road, so we were eager to jump on anything that could help. Anyhow, the agreement was a year (school year) of preschool -- a couple hours a week. So at a little over 2 they were integrated into an accredited preschool, with one of their therapists working in the "twos classroom". The idea was that being around their peers would encourage more verbalization. They definitely made progress that 9 months, was it solely due to the preschool situation...probably not. But I wouldn't have changed a thing. My twins just turned 6 and are in Kindergarten. They did a year of preK as well as one full year (2 days a week) of preschool when they were 4 along with that program when they were 2. You'd never know where we have been by looking, talking, interacting with or looking at their school work. Maybe we are just one of the lucky ones, and I do think this is probably more likely the case. But I also believe that without all the intervention we had, we might have had some other issues crop up. Good luck to you in your decision, I wish you peace with whatever you decide.

Y., Is this your only child? Children learn much quicker if they are influenced by older todlers. Does he babble a lot and is he curious? If he is and does try to communicate, I would not worry too much "yet". Give him til about 2 1/2- 3yrs of age. He should be speaking pretty fluently by that time..If not then it might be time for concern.

Also..I just found out that the "Masonic" Organiztion have people that "Donate" thier time for certain special needs children. I have a freind that belongs to the Masons and informed me of this..They will even pick your child up for you if you don't have transportion...

My grandaughter is going to speech therapy. Unfortunately I did not find out about this service until she had already started.
She is 5 and had behaviour problems. Did not speak as well as she should have been at that age. Turns out for her, she had an auditory problem, kind of like auditory dislexia.
She is doing much better now.

ALSO! Do you reqiure him to speak or do you anticipate and
speak(in question form or point) and then get what he wants?

Some kids don't have to talk because Moms are so doting>

Think about it...

Good luck

Sounds like your right on the money about meeting their quota. At 20 months old, I think 30 words or so in just fine. ALOT of boys at that age don't even say that many words. My nephew is 2 1/2 and is barely talking. And not only that, but he doesn't pronounce things properly and you can't understand the words that he does say. His sister is 4 years old and until she hit the age of 3 or so, you could barely understand what she said as well. She speaks perfect english now, it was corrected in just a year with no therapy and I am glad to see it. I thought that it was sad that their mother never took her to speech therapy which she needed despirately. The mom would say, "I understand her". Obviously, most kids grow out of the speach problems, hopefully the boy will follow suit. Anyway, I wouldn't deal with the 1 hour class. You can easily work with him yourself. As long as you can understand what he say.....well let me correct that, if OTHER people can understand your child, then I think he is right on track.
Take care!

My son (who is now almost 3.5 years used speech therapy through Regional Center. When we started when he was 2 and he was about 3 months behind (he was full term) and after almost of year of speech therapy he is so far ahead of his peers. He tested at almost a 5 year old speech ability! (we had a really great speech therapist). So I would definitely recommend doing it (it can't hurt and I can attest that it definitely helps). He also received occupational therapy and his level of coordination and motor skills are also now above his age range. He does not receive any services now and is doing great.

i would wait. i think it's still too early to think he needs any help or is delayed. since he was born early, i think that the amount of words he is saying at 20 months is totally reasonable. if he weren't talking at all or if his speech was incomprehensable or if he had some physical problem with his mouth/tongue/etc, then i would say get him speech therapy now. But if you just give him a little more time, he'll start talking more on his own. spend a lot of time talking to him and really over emphasizing the words. that seems to be helping with my son, he's talking late also. decide on a timeline you are comfortable with and if he's not talking more by then, you can look into the regional center again and re-open your case. maybe you can look up some info online about how to help pull the words out, and try some stuff at home. i feel like sometimes we need to take matters into our own hands and work with our kids directly rather than have someone else do it. trust your motherly gut instinct and do what you feel is right.

Hello, I am a mom with grandkids. I hope this helps. My second and fourth children were not speaking in full sentences before 2 years old. However, when they started using full sentences, they spoke like adults. I think they were just taking it all in. Also, our now 13 year old grandson didn't speak a lot before he was three. He talked a lot of baby talk. He is now in all Honor's classes in school receiving almost all A's. Apparently there was no reason to worry.
We have a grandchild who has Down Syndrome and is working with Regional. They are wonderful. However, I don't understand why they would have your child to go through the therapy when they have tested him as doing so well. I think you might go with your gut feeling. If he is progressing, then you might want to wait. He can be tested later withing the school district before being old enough to go and they can get him started with speech therapy as well.
I also agree with Kristin B. that reading would be good. We did this and continue to read to and with our grandkids. They are all very articulate and doing very well in school.
Good luck with your precious little boy.

K. K.

I don't think it sound necessary. My preemie son (2 months early) was only saying about 30 words at 24 mo. But he babbled a lot from an early age and could make a lot of sounds, so the doctor did not suggest speech therapy. Now at 2 1/2, he has several hundred words and can recite large portions of several of his books. I am really surprised that they are telling you 30 words at 18 1/2 months adjusted age is delayed. It seems pretty normal to me, but I am in no way a professional in the field of speech.

I would probably take him. It can't hurt.

If he has some 2 word phrases he's ahead ... don't do it. As far as not following you doctor... that's an easy one... you have every right to disagree or not do what he/she says. He/She is NOT God... even though they like to think they are. I CONSTANTLY ignore my doctor's advice!! (That's why my son is so healthy)

I have a speech therapist who lives next door to me actually and she spent some time with my son and she told me that 1 year = 1 word; 2 year = 2 word phrase; 3 year = 3 word phrase... easy to remember that way.

Take the offer, you'll be surprise how many of us would love to have been offer the extra help for our premies.
ceci

Y., The Regional Center doesn't need to spend one cent extra on any therapy, there are many older children that need funding and can't get it for speech therapy.
Please use the one hour a week to enrich your childs speech environment, and your knowledge will grow once you observe the therapy. Every therapist I've know wanted me to learn too. You and your child will gain.
Learn to reduce all this stress in your mind and take advantage of the situation for your child. It maybe that you don't want to admit he may have some delays, but this step is a way to reduce any delays now and help with his catching up. good luck, Deb

Don't worry till about 2 and a half, take it easy. Read a lot of books w/him, take him to play groups w/other kdis his age: library story times/craft groups, parks & rec... Expose him to vocabulary, narrate your day, go places, walk...

As I read your post, I was mentally comparing your son's progress to my daughter's when she was the same age...My daughter was saying only about the same number of words as your son, and now at 2.5 years everyone comments on her extensive and mature vocabulary. Granted, girls tend to talk earlier, but I would give your son a little more time. He's young still. As long as you continue to see noticable growth...Just give him lots of opportunities for language growth. I'm a teacher, so I make it a point to read 4-5 books a night with my daughter (we reread books a lot). She's into books about school buses and firetrucks right now, so I make sure we stop by the local fire station once in a while, or talk about where the buses are going when we pass them in the mornings. If your son likes to read about animals, take him to the zoo or natural history museum. And talk to your son about everything you do -- pretrent you're answering his "why" questions -- why are the leaves falling off the trees, etc, talk about your day -- what did you do and what are you going to do. Don't worry if he doesn't have the vocabulary to answer back yet -- just talk to him. Any language expereinces you can give him will stimulate his mind. Then, when he's ready to speak the words, he will. Hope this helps!

i think that if you're being offered the help and feel that it would benefit your son, go for it, especially if they are going to help pay for it. think of it this way-what if you don't accept the help, and a year from now he is REALLY behind?? then you would be kicking yourself in the butt for not doing it now. i would at least try it, and if you don't feel it is doing your son justice, then you can always leave the program. but i have a feeling you will be seeing real results sooner than you think and will be glad you gave it a shot. good luck!!

I bet if your insurance denies, they will not cover it completely, or at all. It seems to me this is just a way to generate income.

All three of my boys were born early. My middle one was slower to speak, slower to walk slower on just about everything. He is now 4 and doing just fine. I wouldn't worry about it. It will come once he's ready. You need to take into consideration the child's personality as well. My middle one is quieter and more reserved in general. I hope it helps.

I used early intervention for my son's speech delay. I didn't get billed for anything. We used our private insurance but did not pay a co-pay. Our insurance changed half way thru and I didn't even give them our new insurance information. I can assure you that if they want to send someone once a week it isn't because they need to get the hours. In my experience they were very short handed and we had to schedule things far in advance. I was very pleased with our experience and felt it was helpful to my son. I did give them my ped's information as well as our ENT doc. I don't know exactly what they sent to my doctor's offices but it was never something I had to deal with at all. If you feel that it isn't necessary AND you will have to pay out of pocket then it doesn't make sense to do it. I would speak with my ped about it to be sure. If you aren't going to have to pay out of pocket then it really doesn't hurt for you to give it a try. You aren't obligated to continue services if you choose not to. My son's delay was pretty severe. He had only 3 words at 18 months and didn't have any more by 2. Now he talks so much I'm crazy and his vocabulary is incredible.

Hi Y.,
I would recommend you getting the Your Baby Can Read program. I do the PR for the program and I cant tell you how many testimonials I have from parents who say their child was delayed in speech and how much this program has helped. Go to www.yourbabycanread.com to take a look. I have parents who have babies that were brain damaged and can now talk and READ from using the program. I would highly recommend trying it before going down this road.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Best,
K. Godfrey
By the way, I am a mom of two little boys and live in Newport Beach.

Y.,
Most definitely take them up on their offer. What a great way to help your son get a leg up before his 3rd birthday. Regional Center is fabulous. The people are wonderful and the speed can only help. My son had absolutely no words at all by his second birthday, but with only 1 hour a week they we able to help him communicate and get him to where he needed to be within less than a year's time! I couldn't have been happier with his success. I know you think it's not needed, but honestly, it can only help. The earlier the better and take it now while it's free because once he's 3 you'll be dealing with the school district and that is not an easy thing. Services are hard to qualify for and they are not cheap if you need them later. Help early on is only to his advantage. Good luck.

My personal opinion, would be to just help him out at home in whatever way you can. Maybe try to find out what kind of activities they do at the classes, and then try to do similar things at home with him. To me, it just sounds like too much of a hassle dealing with insurance companies, etc, just for an hour/week class. If it's something you guys really, really wanted for him then it would for sure be worth it, but I think you'll be able to help him sufficiently at home since he's not "overly" delayed ;)

I have a 3 yr. old that did not speak well, I went to the nearest elementary school and they referred me to a "state pre-school" in my area, they evaluated him and he goes to speech therapy twice a week for free. I've never heard of the Regional Center and that you have to pay for it?
GO TO YOUR LOCAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

I had speech therapy for both of my kids. It is very probable that after a few sessions with your son, the therapist will say that therapy is no longer needed. It won't hurt. You can try it and evaluate it for yourself. It will probably be a positive experience for your son. They keep it pretty fun. You will learn new things, too. As long as it is not impacting your family budget, I would go for it.

I look at it this way -- would it hurt if I went along with the program? Other than some potential financial cost and time, I don't think that speech therapy would "hurt" his current progress. Would it help? Well, like you said, it is probably not necessary, but he might still learn and even speed up his speech development process. So I'd say you have nothing to lose, so go for it.

I also have met a lot of people who rave about the benefit of speech therapies for their kids -- not one complaint about it. So that is telling me something.

My sister is a speech pathologist and she says that even children with good speech skills can benefit from a therapist or at least their programs. Once the problems are there, it is hard to get rid of them and re-train a child to speak properly. I would make it fun for him and try and take advantage of this program!! It really can't hurt!