I just love this site! You have all helped me so much. My oldest 2 1/2 says words. But no sentences other that bye dada or I love you (in her own way). She repeats things she hears others say, "wheres my shoe" SHOE! Get the ball-BALL! Says hi, hello, pap pap, & some others. Her sister is 6 months younger and I was wondering if she isn't speaking because of her sister being younger & not quite caught up to her, she might be holding her back? Or is it the"twin thing" they have their own language? Shes very bright otherwise, she understands everything I tell her-really, everything . I can tell to to get her toothbrush, where it is & she'll go get it. She shakes her head no, or says no if I try to give her juice, she shakes her head yes if I show her milk or what she wants. Am I just doing everything for her so doesn't need to speak?(moms advice) Twin thing? Or not just ready? My friends child did the same thing, then she said it was like overnight he just started talking. They both haven't socialized with other children other than cousins who are little older. My goal is to get them out & about this summer with children of their own age. Do you think I should get a speech therapist? If so what are your experiences & how do I find a good one, I'm in Robinson township. THANK YOU!!!
Hi D.,
I would definitely contact the Alliance for Infants & Toddlers, they will do an evaluation and tell you if speech therapy is needed. My son was not saying much at 18 mos. and he got evaluated, started therapy (in- home 1x/week) and he is doing great now...completely caught up with speech. Even if your child does not need therapy, there is no harm in getting evaluated, if only to make you feel better! Good luck!
Both of my kids had limited vocabularies until they turned two. Then seemingly overnight they started adding tons of new words and speaking is short sentences. It sounds like your daughter might be right at that point where she will soon start talking your ear off. LOL I would either talk to the pediatrician or look for an evaulation on your own, maybe through your local intermediate unit (Robinson Twp is most likely Allegheny Intermediate Unit). In the meantime when she communicates through gestures or single words I would model short sentences for her ("More milk, please." "Let's play ball.") and coax her to repeat them. Give her a lot of praise when she does. Good luck!
I'd say call the Alliance for Infants & Toddlers. They will come to your home and eval your child. I LOVE them. My son didn't talk and they came out and did speech and OT therepy with him. They said I should seek a psych eval...turns out my child has PDD-NOS on the austim spectrum...I'M NOT TRYING TO SCARE YOU, But it's vital to check kids out just in case there is a delay.
IF there is a delay, they will do therepy in your home until your child turns 3 then they goto to DART.
I live in South Park and my child is going to kindergarden this fall. He STILL gets speech in school via DART and he'll recieve speech via the school district. Since my child has a DX he gets private therepy 2x per week.
Feel free to email me if you have any other questions.
Hi, D.,
I just sent you a message on your other request but didn't see this. Ditto, what Nora just wrote, and as soon as possible because it takes a couple weeks to set up the interview with Alliance and then the evaluation and a couple more to get a therapist out to you. Before long your daughter will be turning 3 and those in-home one-to-one services would no longer be available to her, though she could then start going to a DART preschool, where she could receive the same in a small group setting. My 3-year-old had a very positive experience with a speech therapist and an OT through Alliance and the DART school he now goes to is excellent. It's possible, of course, that she's just storing up language and will start producing more when she really needs to, i.e., with other kids or if you withhold things until she uses words to express what she wants. I have to squeeze language out of my son this way, but he's making good progress. Best of luck to you!
L.
