Possible Speech Delays in 3Y/o

Speech errors are very hard to correct at home. I tried working with my oldest until I was blue in the face because her pediatrician told me to wait and see before I took for an evaluation. She made no improvement so she started therapy when she was four. I'll never forget when she came out of her very first session and could say her "s" sound. You could have your daughter evaluated and see what they say. If she needs therapy, it can do no harm.

better safe than sorry! i would do the further testing just in case. they always say the earlier speech delays are detected and treated, the better.

I would consider a full evaluation, since it was mentioned. Decide if you need to worry or it was just an off day. I think a speech pathologist will be able to tell you more about YOUR child and whether it's cute or a concern. I think the younger you catch them, the better it will be. My one nephew still speaks with a lisp and I wonder if it was because he didn't enter speech therapy as young as his siblings did. I think that your DH needs to ask that question to the evaluator. I wouldn't go blaming yourselves.

First, thanks for this posting b/c it triggered me to call and schedule early childhood screening for our 3 year old.

I would call the folks who would do the follow up and find out exactly what further tests would be done; would there be any issues in delaying them; and if they do find an issue, when then? At least you'll have more data points and can make the decision without trying to guess. Essentially, I don't think it would hurt to pursue this at least a little. Better to nip these things in the bud, if you can.

Good luck!

Get her tested, it can't hurt. Good luck!

call your local school district and have her evaluated.. it is freee.. if she needs speech therapy it is free through the school district.

My son had speech therapy at 3 1/2. through the schools.. he had problems with the K sound and the G sound. we went for 8 visits and he was released.. his speech is pretty clear now. except for the R sound.. he may need more therapy to correct that sound.

I never noticed my sons speech as being unusual.. it is how he talked baby talk... a teacher mentioned it at preschool.. that is what started me on the road to speech therapy.. it is best to correct it now.. before hse starts school.

Do her a huge favor and get her the help. You will be so glad later on. It doesn't matter that she is talkative and has a fantastic vocab. Look up what articulation means. Children make fun of kids who have trouble with articulation, and that's what she may face in a few years if she doesn't get help.

Isn't this one of the reasons you sent her to a fantastic daycare? To get the maximum amount of help for your child while you are working? This is one of the services they provide - don't turn away from it! Early intervention is everything when it comes to speech.

Good luck,
Dawn

If they are offering help, accept it. No guilt needed. It's highly unlikely that it has anything to do with your parenting.

Our first (4yo) has always been advanced verbally. Our second (now 2yo) is speech delayed (we're trying to get her therapy) due to fluid in her ears for much of her life. She's saying lots and lots of words, but we only understand a small fraction of them.

Good luck!

Personally, I would have her evaluated further if only to ease my mind. If it comes back that she needs speech therapy then you will be able to get that for her and if it comes back that she doesn't need it then you can continue to correct her at home.

At age three children should be using consonants at the beginning, middle and end of their words. However, S and Sh are often difficult for little kids. If you find she is frequently leaving out multiple consonants, then you should probably have her evaluated. If she just has trouble with a few letter sounds then she will probably pick those up soon with your help.

Those "cute things" can turn into a disaster later on if its not corrected now. I would definitely go for the screening.

Did you know that how she talks when she starts school will affect her ability to learn to read? You are doing the right thing to get her help now rather than wait. It will help her be ready for school when the time comes. And no, it's not any fault of yours or your husband's. Some kids just have speech delays; it's really not that uncommon.

My daughter had delays, so we went down this path. Now I'm so glad we did. She's in Jr. High and excels in school.