Speech Delay?

[lynn cheung]

sign language

I found that teaching my son sign language helps us to communicate better. You can read an article about it in:
http://speechcomm.la.psu.edu/faculty/daniels_article.htm
I started teaching sign when my son was 7 months old, and now he can sign 38 signs (he's 12 months now). He started talking when he was 6 months old, but till now can only say 8-10 words, so the signs help a lot. He can ask for food (bread, cheese, cookie), he can tell us (butterfly, airplane, train, shoes, etc) when he sees them. And he still like to babble and sometimes try to imitate the words we say.
There're a lot of books abt this, too. So you can find them in the Internet.

 

[rani]

We taught D a few signs as well, but just the basic feeding signs - more, water, milk and finish. We started at 6 months and at 7 or 8 months he was able to communicate with us using them. I only wish we had taught him more cos we never thought he'd be a late speaker.

Would recommed Joseph Garcia's signing kit -

http://www.shopinhk.com/product.php?productid=79913

Rani

 

[momo]

My son did not start talking until he was almost 2.5 yrs. Now he is 3 and we cannot stop him talking. Just keep talking and reading to your son, I am sure he is absorbing it all and one day everything will "spill" out from his mouth.

 

[lynn cheung]

I use Joseph Garcia's book, too.
Reading also helps.
I taught my son to call me "mama", and his first word was:"mama" (6 months). Around this time we read 1 book abt baby monkey, inside there was a word:mommy. Andrew surprised us when one day he called me "mommy!" (around 8 or 9 months). Now he still call me "mama", but once in a while he'll call me "mommy."
So, just keep on talking, reading, singing, etc.

 

[Nicole]

Hi Mom's & Jools,

We just got back from HuaHin - Thailand...It was such fun and my son Erik won't stop playing around the beach and at the pool. I sent some his home meals recipes to the hotel for the room service requested, it worked really well...AND he was bubbling non-stop, it was not clear words at all...BUT I can tell he wants to communicates with us, he looked at me and started BABABABABABAB and NANANANANAN...at the same time, I was non-stop talking to him and singing to him. Macdonald Farm, Twinkle Star, Humpty Dumty and ABC...) and I took some mini play dough for him, he DID came to me with play dough and put it on my hands, he did not talk at all, BUT he did looked at me. His eyes were telling me to open it...I am so excited!! I wish I can send you all some pictures that I took for him on Elephant riding and Baby Monkey feeding...

Oh, by the way, I just ordered the book Joseph Garcia's signing kit -

http://www.shopinhk.com/product.php?productid=79913

Thank you all so much for the cheerful information and support.

Nicole

 

[jools]

Hi DiscoveryBay,
That's fantastic news, I'm so pleased for you. It sounds like you got so much pleasure from your interactions whilst on holiday and there was real communication going on. Children are this little for such a short space of time; you enjoy your son, every smile, babble and look is so precious.

Jools

P.S. Good idea to send recipies to the hotel for room service, I shall remember that for the next time we are on holiday.

 

[lynn cheung]

Have fun signing! Even my husband & my mom have learned a few signs, and I can tell that they have fun, too.
Another fun thing to do: every meal time I put on some children cd and then sing with the cd to my son. I make faces, clap hands, etc. Sometimes he follows my actions, sometimes he takes the inisiative to lead (clap hands, applause, etc). He enjoys it so much that every time we put him in his highchair, the first thing he'll do is to ask for music! We play the same cd for several days, because children learn by repetition.
There are good articles abt learning from Parents magazine:
http://www.parents.com/age/school.jsp

 

[b_thompson]

3 and still not talking???

Hi, I was reading these posts and had questions for myself. My son is 3 and he still doesn't talk either. I don't know what to do, he is a smart boy but just doesn't talk. I read to him and me and my husband try to get him to talk but he doesn't. He does try to pronounce some words but can't really say it clearly. Any advice???

 

[emilyc]

My son is 23 mth and he does not talk except for a few single words.

I have done some reading myself and apparently

(1) crawling and walking helps to develop the brain which eventually will lead to speech and all sorts of good things
(2) speech therapist asks me to start with basic sounds, such as diphthongs and build on
(3) heavy metal is a speech impairment so get the child checked out
(4) of course, more interaction, such as reading etc

I am trying to do the above.

Also, I found that my son stares at other 2 yo when they talk. So I organise some kids to come to our place on regular playdates and hopefully my son will feel like talking.

Hope this helps.

rgds

e

 

[Nicole]

Hi Jools and moms,
We just had him check with specialist in New England Child Medical Center in Boston while we were home this summer....I had a tough time and still struggling to help my son when he ddiagnosed as a PDD-NOS....and the 3 doctors from all different specialist were at the rooms at same time to monitor my son with us in Boston had told us, no matter what kind of diagnosed for the children's between speech delay, or any developmental delay, the therapies are all same. It called ABA therapy. Floor time...
I bought the DVD for enhance to get him engage with his speech and others, It called. Bumble Bees vocabulary builder. and its great!! Normally the DVDs or cartoon are one way communication, But I found this one is different. I am watching with him every 30 min a day and a floor time.

If you need more information or wants to sharing same type of experiences , please call me or email me directly. I bought the books over in Boston as recommended by the doctors and therapist, which needs to be educated my self in order to help my child. Therapist is the must, because the earlier to get him engage is the better for the child. I just want to help my son to get his life back!!

My email is [email protected] and the number is 9092-8468
Nicole