Speech Therapy - Schooleys Mountain,NJ

i think you are a little early on speech and my oldest did speech and if the speech isn't a game they wont' learn. my oldest speech therapist did everything in a game style. having said that he is talking better than my 2 yr old. but if you are letting him be lazy he will continue to be lazy.

if you give him milk tell him milk if you give him a cookie tell him cookie, if you give him a bath say bath. if hes pointing at a car say car 3 times before giving it to him. if he wants a ball tell him ball 3 times before you give it to him. this is what I am doing with my 2 yr old. if his babble sounds like a word say YES IT IS A BALL VERY GOOD. in a friendly high pitch playful tone.

I know it's difficult to watch someone else work with your child, but the therapist has training in developing your child's weaknesses. You describe his delay quite well- he has a difficult time producing language "on demand", which is the early stepping stone for back-and-forth dialogue and later school achievement. Furthermore, "language" is a very broad term and encompasses social (pragmatic) language as much as production of sound.

She is just getting to know your son and may adjust her methods as they go along, but be aware that it is her job to "push" your son and to find his instructional level. At his age, it's not just about labeling items, but learning how to use his language skills to express his wants/needs and to connect with others. His frustration is a sign that this is very difficult for him and he needs to learn the skills to express himself in a more fluid manner.

I am not a language therapist, but am a developmental psychologist and a special education administrator who has coordinated EI and preschool services for many years. It sounds like she's doing exactly what she needs to do!

Well, two year olds are by no means cooperative. However, having had two sons in EI, I know the drill inside and out. They will not treat your son the way that you do and you dhoulfn't expect them to. They will "push" your son a bit to see what he is capable of and also to keep him ontrack. They only have a limited amount of time with your little guy.
As far as him saying and doing things for you and not her, give it time. He does not know the SLP yet. He will open up and he may even surprise you. My sons were more cooperative and communicative with their EI people than me. I credit that increase in speech production to her higher standards.

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I know this, when my son was getting OT, his therapist made a very real difference in his life. I was NOT with him during the therapy sessions, only the initial evaluation.
No O. is going to know your child as well, or interact with him they way that you do. The speech therapist doesn't have to, in order to make a difference for him.
I'd say, my advice would be to let the therapist do her job. She knows what she's doing. And give it time. Best of luck!

My son had speech Therapy... from about 19 months old until almost 3 years old.
His Therapist, is also not only educated/knowledgeable in "speech" as a Pathologist, but also in OVERALL child development. My son was given an OVERALL developmental assessment, not just for speech, to see where he was at. Per HIM and his age. I was given a print out of his results... overall. From there, the Therapist knows what to work on, what is lagging or advanced. In interactions with my son, they can know what is lacking or lagging or advanced. Then they work with the child accordingly. It is not a thing where they do that same thing, with each child. It depends on the child's own development and level. My son just needed help with speech... in other areas he was even advanced in development for his age.

My son, even at that young age of when he started, was focused and stayed on task, with the Therapist. But, she said the this is not the usual... most young Toddlers, do not stay focused, much less for the 1 hour session. And many times, she has to try and get the child to pay attention... and even if that means following them around the room as the scamper about not paying attention. The nature of kids.

BUT... the Therapist has a job to do... and each session has a purpose. Thus, they do what they are experienced in and how to handle kids... in light of the goals of the sessions.

You may just want to ask her what she is doing and why. Her methodology. Each Therapist has their own style. My son's Therapist also concentrated on not just getting my son to say things/words... but to feel comfortable with her... and on HOW to form words with his mouth and mouth coordination... and to feel confident in it. Speech Therapy is not just about saying words... but also the Therapist observes the child's speech ability... and their mouth/tongue/throat coordination and how they can/cannot form words... and their expressive language ability etc. It is about the mechanics of saying words, as well as the child's understanding and ability to follow direction etc. OVERALL development.

Your child only had 1 week of therapy. That is not much. It is a process.... and the child does need to be "encouraged."

Many aspects to it.
Kate F. also made very good points.

For your son, there must be a reason for his speech therapy? It is not only about how many words they say or not.

My son LOVED his speech therapist.. and he KNEW it was to help him "talk." He gained a lot from it.... much more than i could have done with just my layman knowledge of it.

all the best,
Susan

I used to work in EI. Not all therapists are great. But maybe she needs to get to know your son.
If you feel she is not helping, ask if he can work with another therapist. Or maybe he could be placed in a group session with other children.
Victoria

My son started speech therapy a little past 2 years old. We had a wonderful teacher who always made it fun for him. She was quick to pick up on his interests and used games, songs, etc. that were interesting to him. She didn't force the issue of the talking, but provided examples for him of short phrases he could use to communicate. She also taught me ways to get what we wanted out of him. It didn't always involve talking - she also used series of pictures to get him to point to "more milk" or "bubbles please", different choices he wanted.

This was a school year program which was supplemented by a summer program with a different therapist who used much the same technique. It looked more like they were playing with him, but they made him want to talk. A lot of his progress actually happened outside of the sessions but I could tell it was at least in part because of the sessions.

It worked beautifully and we couldn't believe how different he was just a year later. Pronunciation was never his problem, it was willingness to speak, just like your son. The number of words your son has sounds good, but I disagree with her about the problem being his lack of interaction and cooperation.

Maybe it's just me, but her style sounds more like what I've seen speech therapists do with older kids. I think she needs to loosen up a little with him.

I am not a professional in this area, just a mom of a 4-year-old who has been in early intervention programs since he was 6 months old. He has had speech, occupational, and physical therapy. His "disabilities" aren't huge, but the emphasis is on doing everything you can, early, so he will be "caught up" by the time he starts school for real. Currently where he gets OT and PT, I have had the chance to observe a speech therapist treating older kids as they go around the building on scavenger hunts, etc. Some of them are autistic, but not all of them. Her techniques are similar to what you are describing with your 2-year-old. That is where I get my opinion. My son is also in a special-ed preschool where they do speech therapy with all the kids because many of the kids in the class need it. Their techniques are much more like what my son has had before, than what you seem to be describing.

I'd say, trust your mommy instincts.