Speech Therapy Resource Referral

I know I'm not a doctor. But worrying if a 2 1/2 yr old can't put a sentence together seems a little soon to be concerned. Just my opinion.
Noggin for pre-schoolers is a great channel. On Direct tv it is 301. It's a branch of Nickolodion It's pre school on TV. Also Leap Frog Enterprises on DVD and Sesame Street has developmental DVD's age appropraiate.
Have you gotten a 2nd and 3rd opinion from a doctor?

3 of my kids couldn't speak in sentences until age 3. Not all kids talk at 2, and that doesn't mean there's anything wrong with them!

Hi S.,
I do not know where you live, but The Scottish Rite in Mission Valley offers FREE speech therapy for children. My son went there and they were wonderful. Here is the website for the center, http://sdscottishritelanguagecenter.org/

There is often a waiting list, but the program really is outstanding. Let me know if oyu have any more questions.

Love,
G.

Dear S.:

The Masons (a philanthropic fraternity)provides low cost speech and language clinics throughout the USA. Here is a website that will link you with a listing. I also copied the ones in CA - see below.

Best of luck!

E.

http://www.srmason-sj.org/council/temple/booklet/cldpObso...

Scottish Rite Childhood Language Disorders Clinic
Scottish Rite Temple
1435 L Street
Fresno, CA 93721
Telephone: ###-###-####

Scottish Rite Clinic for Childhood Language Disorders
Scottish Rite Temple
855 Elm Avenue
Long Beach, CA 90813-4491
Telephone: ###-###-####

Scottish Rite Childhood Language Disorders Center
Los Angeles Scottish Rite
6310 San Vicente Blvd., Suite 300
Los Angeles, CA 90048-5426
Telephone: ###-###-####

Scottish Rite Clinic for Childhood Language Disorders
Scottish Rite Temple
1547 Lakeside Drive
Oakland, CA 94612-4525
Telephone: ###-###-####

Scottish Rite Childhood Language Disorders Center
Scottish Rite Temple
150 North Madison Avenue
Pasadena, CA 91101-1710
Telephone: ###-###-####

Scottish Rite Clinic for Childhood Language Disorders
Scottish Rite Masonic Center
6151 H Street
P.O. Box 19497
Sacramento, CA 95819-0497
Telephone: ###-###-####

San Bernardino Scottish Rite Childhood Language Center
Scottish Rite Masonic Center
4400 Varsity Avenue
San Bernardino, CA 92407-4632
Telephone: ###-###-####

San Diego Scottish Rite Clinic for Childhood Language Disorders
Scottish Rite Masonic Center
1895 Camino Del Rio South
San Diego, CA 92108-3683
Telephone: ###-###-####

Scottish Rite Center for Childhood Language and Learning Disorders
Scottish Rite Temple
2850-19th Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94132-1602
Telephone: ###-###-####

San Jose Scottish Rite Childhood Language Disorders Clinic
San Jose Scottish Rite Center
2455 Masonic Drive
San Jose, CA 95125-2036
Telephone: ###-###-####

Scottish Rite Center for Childhood Language Disorders
Masonic Temple
16 East Carrillo Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93101-2707
Telephone: ###-###-####

Santa Rosa Scottish Rite Children’s Language Center
625 Acacia Lane
Santa Rosa, CA 95409-3402
Telephone: ###-###-####

Scottish Rite Childhood Language Center
Scottish Rite Temple
33 West Alpine Avenue
P.O. Box 4798
Stockton, CA 95204
Telephone: ###-###-####

Every state has a program called Early Intervention. (Google California Early Intervention) They offer services to ALL families with or without insurance FREE of charge. They only go up to 3 years so you should act now. It is an incredible service that will evaluate your son and help you learn some great things that you can do in your home. We have gone thru the Nevada program with my 17 month old and have been really pleased with the results. They can help you get your son on track! Good luck.

Here where I live, through the Easter Seals "Early Intervention" Program- they offer FREE speech/development therapy for children 3 yrs. old and younger. Here is their link:
http://hawaii.easterseals.com/site/PageServer?pagename=HI...

I know you live in CA... but, I"m sure your area must have one. All states seem to have this program. You can look at the link I sent you for information and to explain to your Pediatrician... for resources in your area.

Through this program, my son is getting speech therapy. They come to the home or their office, do the assessment, and work wonderfully with the child, for ANY developmental concern. For us, you don't have to be "referred" by a Doctor.

My son, (who is 25 months old), as most boys, is a late talker. He says words... but is also bi-lingual, and he was not found to have anything "wrong" with him developmentally. But, I opted to have this service for him because it is free...and why not? They give the Parent great tips and assistance in how to help your child along.

We too have just one car... and cannot afford the cost of private Speech Therapists... thus, I use this "Early Intervention" service in my city. It is very good, and the Therapists are all very educated & credentialed. It is for anyone... of any income.

Try and look into it.... this is a great service. My son also enjoys it very much... whenever I tell him "Miss DeeDee is coming today..." he hurries to the front door and waits for her and gets all ready. My son sees her twice a month, in our home... at a time that is up to us, and the session is 45 minutes. At any time, the Parent can stop or continue or wait and see. There is no pressure.

*p.s.- I read your other post about your son acting out in Preschool... it's probably because he does not yet "talk" as the other children. He's frustrated... it's about communication levels. My son's Speech Therapist, during the assessment, asks about whether the child gets frustrated and tantrums due to inability to communicate. (my son does not)... and she said this can happen... it can affect their behavior. PERHAPS.. .if you can, maybe having him in Preschool is too early yet. ????? I have heard, that with boys, they are not yet 'ready' as early as say, girls are... and some recommend that boys start "school" later and waiting. For me, since I am a SAHM... I do not enroll my son in Preschool or programs yet... since he is not yet "talking." Although his comprehension ability and response to instructions are advanced for his age. And I work with him at home anyway... and he's fine. There is no rush, to have them in formal programs. Go according to your own child's "readiness."

I also taught my son sign language... it is really a great "tool" for them....and they can communicate this way, for you to use it and communicate with him too. They need "tools" to assist them....so they don't get frustrated and angry about people "not" understanding them, as they don't yet "talk." Even the Speech Therapist uses it in conjunction with helping my son form his words and speaking.

I hope this helps... we love the Speech services we have, and it has been great,
Susan

I don't know where you live, but Cal State Northridge has an AWESOME speech therapy program and it's not expensive at all. We've been there for a year and my son made huge gains. We couldn't afford private therapy either but CSUN equals out to be about $20 per session.

Also, have him evaluated by your local regional center-- what city are you in? Your peds should help you. If your son qualifies his therapy is free, but you have to get in before he turns 3, then they'll refer him to school district based therapy (again it's free).

Wow! Seems like your pediatrician is jumping the gun a bit. I have four sons, and I used to do daycare in my home. I've been around a lot of 2 1/2 year olds. My third son was very slow to start putting sentences together. Thank goodness he was my third, or I would have worried overly. :0) He started with the sentences around 3, became clearly understandable at 4, and really took off as far a vocabulary and speech at 5. He quickly became my most verbose child. He is now almost 22. Remember, Einstein was slow to speak when he was a child. Children who are exposed to two languages during their first years are slower to speak than others, then BOOM! They are bilingual. It often indicates an extremely active mental life, not a speech issue. It is way too early to start worrying about this. Every child develops differently. Your son is an individual. Being slow to start stringing words together is not an indication of a problem - it is often a sign of great mental capacity. If the problem persists, if there is no improvement by the time he is 3, then you can start to worry. Until then, enjoy your wonderful son!

If your son has speech delays, them he can get speech therapy FREE, either through the schools (After 3 years old, I think) or through a program like Early Start. And the therapists can come to your home. (Usually preferred if the child is very young.) You can participate, then learn techniques to practice on your own with him. Good luck.

Hi.

Try contacting your local regional center. Where do you live? Mine is Westside regional center. They evaluated my son and I had speach therapy in my home paid for by regional center.

At 2-1/2 years old, your son probably should be able to qualify for your State's early intervention services which will provide you with the speech therapy services your son needs and they are required to come to your home since that is your son's natural environment. The IDEA Laws (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) require that a IFSP (Individual Family Serice Plan) meeting be held within 45 days of the date of referral. Your phone call to his agency is the the referral so please call them first thing Monday morning. I think this may be the website for the early intervention program in your aread (if not, they should be able to refer you to the entity you should call: http://www.sclarc.org/services_main.html. And here's their other contact information:

SCLARC is located at
650 W. Adams Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90007
Phone: ###-###-####

Your son not speaking in full sentences may not be a big issue but it probably would be considered a language delay and, when your child is languaged delayed, there are certain State run programs that can provide you with in-home speech therapy services, free of charge. Please call them first thing on Monday to make the referral and start the ball rolling. And, although it may not be an issue for you, make sure that they stay true to their 45-day IFSP from date of referral mandate. In this instance, the squeaky wheel truely does get the grease and why not get your son the speech therapy services that your son needs to develop functional language skills that he will need for his future.

I have a friend that is doing theropy with her 2 1/2 yr old. She says it is free through the state until they are three. I would really try to take advantage of this. Then you will have some tools to continue with, to help your childs developement. J.

You need to call your local Regional Center. The website to find the one in your area is http://www.dds.ca.gov/RC/RCList.cfm
It is a state run program that will provide you with a free speech therapist (if your son qualifies - they will test him)and some even come to your home. Once your son turns 3, it is your local school district's responsibilty to provide speech services. You don't need to worry about paying for it out of pocket.
Best of luck!

Have you tried the Nevada early intervention services? I don't really know how it works here since I just moved here. But in California they paid for all my son's therapy and the therapists came to our home to work with my son. The number here in Nevada is 1-800-522-0066 or there website is nvcommunityconnctions.com They are located in those new grey buildings, you go passed the college and under a bridge and they're on the left. At home you could try the baby einstein videos or check the local library, usually they have all kinds of books and movies that you can check out

Check for resources in your community. My son needed speach therapy and got it for two years for free because he qualified due to his disability (independent of our income). I'm not sure where you live, but in Reno this program was through Early Intervention Services. You should be able to check with the family resource centers in your area to see if your child can be evaluated and given services without paying full price. Good luck!

Hi, Not sure where you live but one of your options is to contact your Regional Center in your community. They can be contacted wiht your concern and may be able to do an assessment (free of charge). This is a state funded organization and is there for families with children who demonstrate developmental delays. Once your child turns three, you can contact your school district and state your concerns. They can also assess and determine whether services are necessary for his education. Good luck and try and problem solve and take some action for your child's future. Correction at this age goes a long way in the the big picture. H.

Have you tried the school district. They did everything for free for us. My son was 3 when we started. But My friends son was younger and they had someone come to their house to give him one on one help. Call your school district, Have a friend help you get him to the testings so that he can get the help he needs. I'm here in Eastvale/Corona/Norco area. If you need a ride. J.

If your pediatrician is recommending services, have him right a referral and take it to your local school district. Children are entitled to free services through your district. If you are in San Diego Unified, contact the Early Childhood Program office at Whittier Center (you can find their number on sandi.net under Special Ed). They have a preschool assessment team that will evaluate your child.

Hi, S.--

I don't have recommendations for at-home programs, but when your little boy is three years old, I believe he will be eligible to receive speech therapy at your local elementary school. Our daughter had the same problem almost 20 years ago, and we couldn't get more than an appointment every week or two at Kaiser (our HMO), which was essentially worthless. So we took her to our local elementary school, and she was able to get three half-hour appointments a week through kindergarten. It was a huge help and didn't cost us anything. I'm not sure if laws have changed, with all the budget problems these days, but it's something you might check into, and hopefully you live close enough to the school that transportation wouldn't be a big problem.

When my daughter was that age she understood everything but couldn't really talk. They told me to use 2 word sentences with her. Its hard to do but after awhile she started to do it too. (ex. "Want milk?", "get toy", "eat lunch") Also, your child needs to be around children their age. Good luck.

Dear S.!
My daughter started puting sentences together when she was 3.
She is in 3-rd grade right now and talks so much, it wears me off most of the time. LOL
I suggest waiting another year if you don't see anything else abnormal. Good luck.

Do you talk fast Mom or Maybe Dad, are you to busy to slow down at home he might be having trouble with speech because you talk to fast or whiz around at home to fast, try flash cards also with him nice & slow, maybe ten at a time, a pic of a fire truck, then a pic of a house, then a pic of a ladder, make a sentence from it, The fire truck drives to the house. You get my drift

Good Luck

my 2 1/2 year old also has a speech delay, but we "caught" it early. my pediatrician told me to call my local "regional center" at his 2 year check up, and he's now receiving free services from the regional center, but only up to his 3rd birthday. after kids are 3 years old, they get services from the school district, for free also. since your kid is 2 1/2, that's a tricky age, cuz it's basically too late for regional center, but may be ok to try the school district. you will probably need a referral from your pediatrician to call the school district to set up an assessment for your kid. speech therapy at this age should be free. good luck!

Early Intervention programs are Federally mandated for all states and provide free services for children from birth to 3 years (if they qualify), they usually provide services in home as it is mandated to provide it in a "natural environment". check with your state agency and see if you can request a speech therpay assessment. the SLP could help you, provide services if you son qualifies etc. Act now because 3 years is the age limit, then the referals go to your local school.
PS what does DS stand for?
Best wishes
S. W

If you live in WLA call Westside Regiona Center otherwise call Lanterman Regional Center and get an assessment NOW!!

I agree with most responses about getting in touch with the Regional Center in your area. We used Frank D. Lanterman Regional Center and my son is almost 3 now and talking up a storm through his Speech therapies and Occupational Therapies.
Something to keep in mind, your regional center can also help you with "Parent Reimbursement." This is financial help with gas money if you're driving to a lot of appointments and they can also help with tuition for preschool (if the preschool is contracted with regional center.) These are things I just found about and through my service coordinator at Lanterman. You can ask your Service Coordinator when you get one. I wished I had known about these extra services when my son was diagnosed as speech delayed when he was 18 months old. I had to drive to A LOT of appointments in different cities. I'm taking advantage of both those offers from Lanterman now after my service coordinator "casually" mentioned it just a few months before his services are ending..nice! Good Luck!

Before you write off outside help have you checked with your local school district? Quite a few have great programs, the have nothing to do wiht income levels, and they are usually pretty close to your home. I can feel you on the car issue. I know in Lakeside at Wintergardens Elementry they have a great program. Santee area can also go there. In ELCajon check into Sevick near Kennedy park. We have had friends at both places and both loved the programs. Also in Santee I think there is one at Prospect Elementry. My son will be three in October and we are waiting to take him to Wintergardens for their three to five year program. He has some areas that he needs help in and we know they are great. I hope that you find some help with your little one. Good Luck.

Hi S.,
I see that you have already gotten great links and referrals from other moms. I just want to emphasize that this a service for which there are resources that would cover the cost.
I'd like to encourage you to get the therapy for your son. So many things are easier when they are caught early. The therapists are great and one day this will all be a distant memory.
I know that Regional Center is good for this.
All the best!
M.

Hello.

I am s speech language pathologist. I would recommend that you talk to your doctor (or maybe even look up on the internet) about early childhood programs in your area. These services are typically provided by the state (I'm not sure where you live). If your son qualifies, you should not have to pay for the evaluation or therapy. There are some early childhood providers who will even come to your home.

Another option is to at least pay for an initial evaluation by a speech therapist at an outpatient clinic. I'm assuming you don't have insurance to cover the services, so let them know upfront. They can evaluate your son and help you set up some tasks and activites that you can do at home. I think it's important to have a professional evaluate your son and give you some direction of where the problem exactly lies. I think doctors, sometimes, don't quite understand or know how to distinguish between the different type of issues there are (i.e. speech vs language).

A great resource for speech-language issues is www.asha.org. ASHA stands for the American Speech-Language Hearing Association, our national organization. They have a whole section for the public to look at.

I hope this helps.

As a taxpayer in your city, speech therapy services are available to you free through your local school district. Call the school district office and let them know you would like to have your child assessed for speech therapy services. They will tell you how to get the process started. If your child qualifies for speech therapy, it will take place 1-2 times per week at a school near your home. Good luck!

There is a FREE program through the government here in Vegas. I forgot the name. They helped my son immensely!! Here's some leads. Good luck!!

Nevada Checkup
Hearing Aids. Batteries for your hearing aid. Speech therapy. Return to Benefits List ... Las Vegas: ###-###-####. Toll-free within Nevada: 1-800-992-0900 ...
health2k.state.nv.us/cshcn/nvcheckup.htm - 182k - Cached

Parent Comments on Autism, Asperger, Disability, IEP, Autism Comments.
Jennifer Las Vegas, NV. Learn more about Baby BumbleBee's Products ... Thanks to speech therapy and your videos Tommy now has a vocabulary of over 150 words. ...
www.babybumblebee.com/autism.htm - Cached

Hi S., Go to the public school ask for referrals or help, go on-line and look for references and recommendations for encouraging speech. Do what makes sense, read to your child, label everything and talk WITH him about everything. Go get a couple of speech therapy hours and watch what they do, and mimic if you can't do any
thing else. Then give it 6 months, and see if he is running on with sentences. Give him the vaocabulary rich environment he needs. Turn off the TV, it's doesn't encourage conversation, let the cable go so you aren't tempted to turn it on, there's one hour of therapy $$ for a month and the therapist will try and keep you moving forward. Good luck!! D.

Hi S.,

If you contact your local school district (either Special Ed. dept or Pupil Services Dept.) they can help you get whatever services you need - at no charge. My son currently receives S/L services from at his preschool program. Your son, being younger, and depending on where you live may qualify for transportation to/from services (but if you can take him I recommend that you do - my experience with bussing hasn't been too good.

You should quickly try to get him into a regional center. This is done by the state and paid for by the state. I am not sure what the age limit is but I think your son is quickly approaching it. The services are free and the teachers and speech therapists will come to your home. Our teacher is starting to come next week.

S.,
I'm sorry that you're dealing with that and it is really hard when you don't have the financial resources. Contact the Regional Center and your local schools. You can probably find inexpensive or public speech therapy. Early intervention is really important and the government knows that and makes it available. I did a quick search on the web and found this site. Good luck!

E. T

http://www.dds.ca.gov/EarlyStart/Home.cfm

S.,

Try teaching him basic sign language. Don't panic, it's pretty easy. Pick up a book anywhere (online, bookstore, online...) and give it your best shot. You're not going to be grades, or really using it in public, so the accuracy isn't too important. SOO many studies show that babies and young children that are taught to sign do far better in verbal skills, and in school. All 3 of my kids learned it when they were babies (none of us still practice). It's easy, free, fun and can't possibly do any damage!

Good luck
H.

Call the school district to see if they will do testing at 2 1/2. If not, ask at what age they will do testing. through the schools it is free. Do you have coverage through medical insurance? Getting therapy is important, it will help self esteem, and people will understand him...early intervention will really help.

the problem w/ a video is that your child needs a program JUST for him. A program that addresses his specific problem. You could try going to the library and ask what they have that might help.

Or try calling your local regional center-they are services provided by the state for free-until age 3. I do not know if speech is one of the services that they provide. But, it is worth a try.

Look further in to this. I know of two families who's kids are in speech therapy and they don't pay a dime. One gal even has them come to her home. I'll email them and find out who they go through and update my response if I get an answer. I just noticed the next response and she provided you with a website! Yea, best wishes!
M.

With the Pediatrician referal the public school system should have a program for your son. I think it will start at 3 years old, but check in to and use that resource, that is exactly what it is there for.

Good luck!

If your child is delayed enough then he could qualify for free Speech through Regional Center of OC. All you have to do is call them and they will come out and do a free evaluation at your home. They may have therapists that come to your home to provide services too. Once your child turns 3 if his speech is still delayed he would be able to get speech through your school district. For home DVDs the baby bumble bee series is very good.

Good Luck!

I live in Hawaii, and both of my kids needed some type of therapy, which was free to us, because they were under three years old when the problem was found. Every state has some type of early intervention program to help kids 0-3 years old. In Hawaii, it is called Imua. If you live in CA, you need to find out what it is called and contact them ASAP, because the paperwork takes a few weeks/months and your son will be 3 before you know it. Imua came to my home for the therapy and it was absolutely free (your tax dollars at work). Most speech things will work themselves out, but you always want to do what you can, just in case it doesn't! Good luck - if you need more info on Imua, contact me.

Hi S., My son did speech therapy through the Regional Center of Orange County. http://www.dds.ca.gov/rc/rc368.cfm
This page gives you the contact info. for all of the local field offices. Contact the one closest to you and do it ASAP. They will evaluate your son (they can even send someone to your home to do this, or at least they did when we did it)and if he is eligible, start him with high quality speech therapy, completely FREE. The reason I said ASAP is because it does take a while to get thru the process and get started. Then he can remain with that program until he turns 3 and I mean the day he turns 3! Then they will test him again and if he is still eligible he will move on into therapy at a local school that offers what he needs in your district. Early intervention is key. If you want to ask me more details of the services and what it entails, etc. feel free to contact me! I've been thru this whole thing. Good luck, :-)Janet

There is a speech therapist I know who comes to the home to work with kids. Her name is Shamim Haldankar and her number is ###-###-####. Perhaps if you cannot swing ongoing speech therapy, she could just come out for a consult and give you some suggestions for home-based/ parent-led intervention
M. (mom to two girls, ages 4 and 6 1/2, and part-time working pediatric neuropsychologist)

Check with your local Early intervention Services (State programs). In Nevada it is called Nevada Early Intervention Services (NEIS). Your child may qualify for their programs and if so, the speech therapy may be free.

headstart preschols are run by the state. therefore, they have speech services. try to find a headstart preschool near you and enroll him there, so he will see a trained speech pathologist.

First off, it is good that you are proactive and wanting to help your son with his speech. I do not believe your pediatrician was "jumping the gun", as someone stated. Early speech therapy is important so kids don't get behind and are ready for school.

He probably won't qualify for the school district speech therapy until age 3. Someone suggested the Early Intervention Programs through the state, and he may qualify for those, but usually they have to have other problems, not just speech. And I don't think he would qualify for Regional Center services since the kids have to have other problems besides speech.

There is a program that not everyone knows about, through our state, called "First 5". It is funded with state money. I am more familiar with the program in my own county, but I looked up your county (Orange) and they do have some programs. I would call them and see if they have some resources for you. I know that here, they have some group speech classes with only 3-4 kids, so it is like getting speech therapy. I would think OC has something similar. You don't have to be low-income and insurance/$$ is not involved at all. Here is the website and you can call the # to get more info. Good luck!

http://occhildrenandfamilies.org/commission_staff.htm

http://occhildrenandfamilies.org/index.htm

Hi -
Have you tried contacting your local school district? Many provide free services like speech therapy. My daughter was able to start at 3 years old.
Good luck!

You can go to CSULB for low-cost speech therapy or the school district will do it for nothing.

You know you can go to your local school district and they will gladly test your child for speech. If he qualifies they will provide a speech therapist for him. You may have to take him to the local elementary school or some other nearby place but I'm sure that is a free services provided by school districts.

If you can't afford a speech therapist, be a speech therapist yourself. When he asks for something with just one word, make a sentence for him and repeat it three or four times. Hearing you say things will eventually teach him how to say things. Ask him to repeat what you're saying, and praise him when he does say something.
Two and a half is when they first start to make sentences (that's the "standard" age, anyway.) If he gets to be 3 1/2 and still can't make a sentence, that will be another story. Good luck!

If your pediatrican really thinks that it is a concern then you should contact your local regional center (there is one in Orange County in Santa Ana). You may need to be persistent but if he qualifies after an assessment then they will provide speech therapy until age 3. Also, since he closer to age 3, your local school district should have what they call "child find" and he can be assessed through them and start receiving services at age 3. Depending on his needs he could be placed in preschool or a language lab. But before you contact either, ask you doctor to be more specific why he/she is referring you. Then you can contact regional center and the district with clear reasons why he needs to be assessed. As a teacher for children with Special needs I don't feel that any DVD/books can replace direct one on one services and there is help out there.

Good Luck!
L.

Call your local grammer school. In my district (Coronado)speech therapy is free starting at 3 years old and later if they go to public school. When my first son was just shy of 2 1/2 we had he tested in LA through the Westside Center because he had very few words. A month later he started day care/preschool so he was there 5 days a week averaging 6 hours day. I mentioned my concerns to his teachers and by the 2nd month he was talking. He hasn't stopped. He did end up going to speech therapy from 4 -6 for pronunciationissues but has finished that up.
Good Luck.

S.,

Get a referral from your pediatrician for your local early intervention office. I'm in Las Vegas and here it is in the phone book under "Nevada Early Intervention." EI does services for kids from birth to age 3. The school district takes over at age 3. My now 5 year old is very high functioning autism and speech delayed. We've been receiving services since he was 2. We did EI for one year and this is our 3rd year in the school district program. Both programs are completely free to parents, EI will come to your house and the school district will bus your child to and from school. There are free services available. Not having money or transportation doesn't mean your child can't get the services he needs. Private speech therapy runs $120 an hour and up. We've done plenty of that too. But I highly recommend that you take absolutely all of the free services you can get before you add in any private services (we do private speech therapy and private occupational therapy and have a private academic tutor to help keep him on track and we easily spent $15,000 last year on private services ABOVE AND BEYOND the public/free services he gets). I can tell you that in my experience there is absolutely no substitute for a good, qualified therapist. They will evaluate your son's issues and tailor a program specifically for him and give you activities to address his specific issues. The longer you wait, the further behind he'll get and the harder it will be to catch up. Obviously my son's problems are more than what you are dealing with but I'm a firm believe you can't do too much or too soon. You want your son talking as close to an age appropriate level by the time he starts kindergarten because kids can be terribly cruel and it is really hard to be noticably different. So you want your child to be as "less" different as he can be. I know that your son is only 2.5 but time passes very quickly and he'll be a kindergartener very soon.

With lots and lots of speech therapy my son has gone from completely non-verbal at age 3 to having an age appropriate vocabulary at age 5. He's still difficult to understand and we are still working on that. But he's living proof that appropriate therapy (and lots of it) can work wonders.

Good luck,
T.

California has free early intervention programs. We went through Regional Center for our DD's speeach therapy. It's free up to age 3. Here's the link to the list of Centers. If you can't get to their office, they should be able to come to you. www.dds.ca.gov/RC/RCList.cfm. Once you call and ask for help, they are obliged to respond in a timely manner. I won't hurt to call.
Good luck.
M.

As the others have noted, free services are available. My 2 year old also has a speech issue. We worked with the Lanterman Regional Center (the L.A. County center). They are difficult to get ahold of, so you need to keep on the phone. But, all their services are free. He has a fairly minor speech issue and they are funding 2 hours a week of in home speech therapy and 2 days of preschool a week. It is worth the hassle. They will help you put together a plan to take to the school district when he turns 3. It is worth it to get him "in the system" before he turns 3 and is a part of the district. Depending on the school district, it can be really hard to get services if he is not already tapped in. Be Persistant!

At age 2 1/2 the state school system can help you at no charge. It was our pediatrician who told us about this free service.

I had my son evaluated at 2 1/2 by our local school district and by age three he was enrolled at our local school for speech therapy. We have completed two years of therapy, and just started a third. Even though we are in private school for Kindergarten, we still are entitled to speech through the school district because we are taxpayers (big ones at that!).

Call your local school district headquarters and find out what they have to offer. We also did a free playtime/preschool where I stayed and worked with him 2x a week. We are in the Capistrano Unified School District, and all the speech therapists have been wonderful! Our son has made so much progress and we are so pleased and thankful that this program exists.

One of the biggest things they told us to do was to Read, Read, Read to our children. The more they hear correct speech, the more they will try to emulate you. When speaking to your child always slow down (not too much) but make sure they can hear your words and you are speaking clearly so they can hear the emphasis on the different sounds.

You should try your school district, sometimes they have services for children that are not in school yet, including speech therapy.

Good luck

S.

As everyone has told you speech therapy services are FREE!! Get on the phone Monday morning- Cal your Doctor office and ask for the contact information for your local Regional center. Call the regional center and explain your situation. Call your school district and ask for a transition service facilitator. Call everyone everyday until you get help. The budget crisis really messed up the regional centers, but they are getting back on track. There is also a shortage of speech therpist which is why you need to work really hard for your services. You will need to have your son evaluated, which can take a month or two- but it is so worth it. my daughter has had a therapist since about 2 and 4 months and her vocab has increased as well as her use of words. Just Remember keep making phone calls, ask lots of questions and make sure your son gets his services-that are required by law.

Because your boy is 2 1/2 he could qualify for speech therapy through regional center. Call up regional center and tell them that you want him evaluated and then if he qualifies he can receive services until 3 years. Once he is 3 years old he could qualify for speech through the public school.