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Originally Posted by FarrahWaters
I also believe that kids should develop at their own pace, but it sounds like your wife has felt something is wrong early on. I wouldn't ignore that feeling. Definitely go to a hearing center and have his hearing testing. Any other action you take has to be preceded by them ruling out a hearing problem. I'm surprised his Pediatrician hasn't suggested some sort of interventional therapy already.
Texas has a program called ECI (Early Childhood Intervention) that help kids under the age of 3 with developmental delays. I'm sure wherever you live has a similar program. Your pediatrician should know.
I've read a book called "The Late Talker" http://www.amazon.com/Late-Talker-Wh...5781849&sr=8-1
In this book, the author mentions that often parents wait a long time to seek help, because of the "Einstein didn't talk until he's 4" line. (btw, some think that Einstein might have had Asperger's). It's hard to accept that your child might need outside assistance. It's best to go into it calmly, with an open mind. A lot of times, nothing is wrong, and boys are known to develop speech later than girls. On the other hand, it's in your child's best interests to explore other causes.
How does your son communicate? If he is getting frustrated, I recommend the Signing Time dvds that teach ASL. They also have a show on PBS every week, but I think the DVDs do a good job starting off with the basic signs needed for every day life. Contrary to what some people think, learning sign language does not delay speech, it can actually help facilitate it.
Sorry for the long post. Good luck! |
Thanks so much for your thoughts. Our son communicates by walking up to us, grabbing our hand, and taking us to what he needs or where he needs to go. He doesn't point or grunt. We ask him quite a few questions throughout the day about his needs, and we get his "yahs" or "mos."
Our 4-year old loved Signing Time, and our youngest has watched it, but he won't try making the signs. It's in line with him not trying to sound out words. When we try to work with him on a single word, to have him repeat, he won't even try making a sound.
Thanks for the reference to the book. I'll definitely order it.