Should I Be Concerned? (34 Month Old Still Babbles)

I'm not a speech therapist, but I would guess he's just playing/experimenting with different sound combinations. I wouldn't worry about it too much. jmo =o)

Hi,

I would get him evaluated asap by early intervention or speech pathologist. It doesn't sound normal to me-- I would be concerned. Good luck and hope you get some answers soon!

M

Dear B.-

I am a great believer in 'mommy gut'...

All states have a program to have pre schoolers evaluated...some states it is called 'child find'...maybe some states it is early intervention...IN ANY CASE...it is free!!

If he is found in need of services...he will get them...if not...well then your 'mommy gut' will feel relieved!

Win -win!!

Google for your area....
You will be glad you did no matter what the evaluation says!

Best Luck!
Michele/cat

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If this list is accurate he sounds just fine to me. Some kids his age are a little more able to have in depth conversations with grown ups and sound quite smart doing it. But most kids this way still talk non-stop with a lot of babbling thrown in. Some things will be Crystal clear. Others won't be.

He sounds pretty much on track and similar to what my kids were doing around that age.
My daughter is 2.5 (31 months) and she is not a big talker but can talk, including 2-3 word sentences. She just has to be motivated--she can say "ice cream" very clearly! Sometime she uses nonsense words or is hard to understand other times her speech sounds clear. My son at 2.5 or 3 was talking like crazy but hard to understand because some of the sounds he said weren't clear. At 5 he is much easier to understand (still never stops talking), big vocabulary but not every sound is perfect. The preschool teacher said this is normal and gave me a chart (a few sounds are still commonly mispronounced even to age 6 or 7).

If you are concerned talk to the doctor or call Early Intervention before he turns 4 (enough ahead to schedule an appointment so pretty much ASAP). Also go to the library and get a child development book. It will give you so much more detailed information than you can get on this site and you will have a better idea where you child stands compared to the norms. And keep in mind kids often develop unevenly--ahead in one area and lagging in others at the same time.

Oh, I miss our old pediatrician! If she weren't four hours away, I'd still be going there!

When I took my daughter in for her 18 month check up, and said I was concerned because she wasn't talking yet, my ped said, "If you're concerned, I'm concerned. You're the mom and I listen to your instinct. I'll set you up with a speech pathologist, we'll get her hearing tested and get her evaluated."

Wasn't she awesome? sigh.....

If you are concerned, tell your doctor you want your son to be evaluated. Most of what you said sounds okay, but there are a couple things I would consider to be red flags. Do it for your own peace of mind.

BTW, my daughter DID have apraxia, we got her into speech therapy, and now she won't be quiet!

Blessings to you and your son. I'll say a prayer that everything is okay.

I have a friend whose son didn't speak well for the longest time. As a matter of fact I was worried that he was autistic. They had him checked and they said all was fine. Here's the thing - he was with a nanny so he didn't have any social interaction other than the spanish speaking nanny and his parents. He's 4 now and seriously 6mo ago I couldn't understand 90% of what he said. He started preschool and even his teachers are amazed at how much he's talking now. Now I can understand 90% of what he says and he interacts with others his age - before he would barely acknowledge them (another reason I thought he was autistic). I tell you all this because you didn't mention who his primary care provider is. Oh, also turns out the boy had been speaking spanish!!

With all this said - if you are concerned then there is no harm in taking him and having him tested to find out of there is more going on than just slow at talking. He obviously understands what is going on otherwise he wouldn't show concern for others! Good luck.

I think the child is fine...sounds like he is very intelliengent. People in general do not answer yes/no because they did not want to deal with something or want to do something. So they say...okay!

He is going to be fine...Encourage Him !!!

I know everyone means well, but you're getting some answers here with misinformation. ECI (Early Childhood Intervention) is available to you here in the metroplex until your son is 3. I know he's going to be 3 in a couple of months. But if you're really concerned, call them & they will come out and do a free evaluation. I called Ready Start in Denton (we're in Denton country). You could probably call them and they could guide you to your local branch. If they feel he needs some help at all, they can start him on speech therapy pretty quickly. With ECI, you may or may not have to pay for services depending on your income level. Your highest monthly obligation maxes out at $150.

At the age of 3, the child is then transitioned over to your local school district (this is per the State of Texas). If he qualifies for services, they'll do a half or full day preschool for him (varies by ISD) that will include any necessary therapy sessions throughout the week. This is a "free" service. (I say "free" because we're all paying taxes that help to provide these services.)

You don't need your pediatrician to refer you or even to evaluate the child. If you think he needs help or just want to see what they think, call them. It is a service that is there to assist you and is provided by the state.

As for your list ... makes me cry. My son will be 3 in October. He's got a couple of little developmental issues but is pretty much your normal toddler for this age. He has ZERO vocabulary. Not even "Momma". I have dreams of what it will sound like to hear him call for me. He babbles a lot and some sounds are almost words. We have a few "almost words". I'm not trying to discount your concerns for your son at all. Please don't take it that way. I just want you to know that you are very blessed and that he's probably doing just fine. I'd give anything if my son could do or say half the things on your list.

Good luck with everything & God Bless.

When my son (was dx'd at 5.5yo with ADD) was 3yo we could barely understand him. He rarely said anything and really only his sister and I could understand what he said 90% of the time. He did have some words that were clear, but most of the time his words were very slurred or missing sounds/parts. Verbally he was probably closer to 18mo. I can say this cause hubby videotaped him once and replayed an entire conversation of him and I talking and while I can remember what he was saying, watching the video I couldn't understand him at all! It really sounded like he was just babbling at me. Hubby couldn't understand him well or without hand signs until he was closer to 4yo. (We started doing a handful of ASL signs when he was a baby and stopped about when he hit kindergarden.)

And no, his Ped wasn't worried about it. His speech did get better, espically once he started preschool after he turned 4yo. He was talking clearly the summer he turned 5yo although because off the ADD. He talked "slowly", struggling to "find" the words in his thoughts so often his sentences were short. All of those "stary-eye'd looks" and stoic faces that our son gave us, his lack of or lateness in responding, the intensity of focus for somethings or complete lack of focus for other things... all "quirks" that were/are from his having ADD.

A co-worker of mine found out that her LO was autistic when he still wasn't talking at 3yo. They had thought (and been told by the ped) that maybe he was slower to talk because they spoke three different languages at home (mom and dad were each bilingual, but only english as a common). All his other "quirks" were found to be more along the autistic symptoms.

Follow your mommy-gut and get a second opinion. Better to be told that's he is within the realm or "typical" rather then find out that there is something later.

Hi B.-

I had concerns about my son's speech as well, he turned 3 a few months ago. He had several words, 2-3 word sentences, did most of the things on your list and he to babbled a lot. I had him evaluated twice (ECI and by a speech therapist at my local hospital), once at 2 1/2 and again at almost 3...my main concern was the babbling.

The babbling, I was told, was a result of his brain working faster than his "speech." He had so much to say and his language/speech development just hadn't caught up yet, hence the babbling. They told me that in time his speech would "catch up" and to look for and expect progress. Now at 3 years 2 months, the babbling has stopped and his language has really taken off.

Based on my experience, your son sounds like he's developing normally, but why not get him checked out by ECI. All you need is a referral from your pediatrician and they should be out within the month. Best of luck!!

The only concerning thing I saw was that he doesn't know how to answer yes or no yet AND he repeats the question back to you. I would have him evaluated though just too put your mind at ease but don't stress too much there are so many things he is doing well and so many kids need a little therapy before entering school.

That does not sound normal to me. Not necessarily cause for concern, but if it's worrying you, trust your mommy instinct and ask for a referral. You can call your local Early Intervention service (but just for the next two months - kids age out at 3, I think) or ask your pediatrician. If there is anything going on, a professional can give you tips on how to help your son get back on track.

If you have these concerns, talk to your Pediatrician.
I assume, he is going in for his regular well-child check-ups and annual exams????

You tell the Pediatrician, your concerns.

There is a wide range of what is developmentally, expected.

Einstein, did not talk until he was 3+ years old and he is a Genius. Okay well but he was not perfectly developmentally correct, either.

So the bottom line is, talk to your Pediatrician.
And listen to your Mommy gut instincts....
Then you do whatever you need to do, to answer these concerns for your Son.... with the Pediatrician.
IF there is a concern, they will refer you to get him evaluated. Then any other things he may or may not need.
Or he may be okay.

Don't guess.
ASK your Pediatrician.
They are, professionally knowledgeable, about child development.

Now, at his 2 year check up and now... that is many months ago.
So, talk to his Doc, again.

Connect up with Early Intervention. Before age 3, they come to your house for free. After that, it is through the school district, and you have to go there, but it is still free. :-) Don't wait! They will help evaluate for you. Ask your ped if you don't have the info.