Please, Can Someone Give Personal Examples of What a Speech Delay Looks Like?

It does sound like a speech delay for both the kids.

I don't know about the state of CA, but Medicaid in some states pays for free speech therapy for little kids based on need, not income.

It is possible that they will grow out of it. Are they behind in other areas besides speech? If so, they definitely need to be evaluated for therapy to catch them up, or the parent or caregiver needs to try to coach them one on one into catching up.

Speech problems don't always mean mental problems, but sometimes do. So if there are mental delays, then usually not just speech but two other major areas of development are affected too. Sometimes kids are behind because they were preemies and just need to catch up. Sometimes kis are behind because something doesn't interest them and so they don't work on it. And sometimes they are behind because their parents or caregivers have neglected them. Some kids have hearing loss from frequent ear infections or fluid in their ears that affects their language acquisition. It is impossible to know from what you have said.

Look at one of those developmental evals online, not just for speech but for child development and see how many areas they are behind in before you start worrying.

I know you said that a proper evaluation is not possible - but please look into whether there are some programs that can provide you with a free hearing evaluation for the 2 yo (if money is the issue). Most of us mamapedia moms are not experts, and I fully believe that experts should be the ones to diagnose these issues. If the 2 yo has a hearing problem (or other issue that affects speech), then you do not want to simply wait until she goes to school - the sooner it can be addressed by medical professionals, the better off the child will be.

I would take the 2 year old to a speech therapist. They will test hearing and work on speech. A good friend of mine had to do that w/ her son and he talks perfectly fine now. I noticed you said a proper evaluation is not possible, I'm sure there are books out there on how to work on speech. There are also companies that do it for free if you meet criteria based on income. (In Ohio it's called Help Me Grow)
With the 4.5 year old, I think that is normal. When my kids do that, we politely correct them, tell them the proper way to say it. And explain to them why it's said the way we're telling them. it's possible they could grow out of it but I would work with them, not just hope they get over it. And please don't leave it up the schools to work with them. Too many parents rely on schools to teach their kids everything when it should really start at home. Good luck!

the 2 y/o i would have their hearing tested, b/c if they have a hearing imparment then that would have a big impact on their speech. the 4 y/o give the child some time b/c his speech is on track for his age but once he starts school he will learn the correct way to speak the problem seems to be improper word usage and not speech delay

With your 2 year old it could be their hearing. If you talk or ask them a question and they just look and smile they might see your mouth move but may not be able to hear and therefore understand what is being said. It may just be too early to tell and comparing them to other kids will just drive you crazy as they all develop at different rates and can all be perfectly normal. If it continues into the pre-school years then you have a problem.

The way your 4 1/2 year talks does not seem crazy. My 4 year old has said things like, "Her has a pretty dress on" or "this is the funnest thing ever!" and I just make sure to correct it when I hear it and after a few times she remembers to get it right. You might need to help him for a while and tell him what is appropriate to say and make sure you articulate it. My daughter uses the "d" sound for all things "th" so we are working on that.

Each kid will have their thing but I would not be too concerned until they reach school age. If it continues or gets worse as they reach kindergarten then they will need to be evaluated proessionally.

A suggestion - try checking out Signing Time videos from the library (or purchase if you can, but there is a huge set and it's expensive - just go get them from the library - Signing Time with Alex and Leah - others aren't as good.) and use those signs with your kids. Signing Time is absolutely wonderful - my autistic niece did not have any communication whatsoever until she started watching Signing Time about 3-4yo (EVEN though her mom and brother were deaf and signed in the home everyday?! Go figure)