Speech :)

We are in Nashville, TN and my son received speech services from age 3 to 6th grade from Metro Nashville Public Schools. They tested him every year to see if he qualified for services. In the 6th grade he graduated from speech and has been fine ever since. Good luck to you!

My daughter was the same way. I had her hearing tested at the health department to see if she had a hearing problem. She did not and could hear very well. They will do it for free (or at least where I live in NC). What they found was that she had water in her ears like an infection. She has a high pain tolerance and it just did not bother her enough to tell anyone. She did not run a fever nor did she have anything running from her ears. It was virtually undetectable. She eventually gew out of it but in the time when she was forming her speech, everything she heard was under water and she spoke it the way that she heard it. The health department set her up with a speech therapist that came to her preschool 2-3 times each week. She stayed in speech until she was in the 4th grade. She is 15 now. I still have to ask her to repeat some words but mostly she has fully recovered and speaks very well.

It never hurts to get a professional opinion. We had our child tested when he was 3 because he wasn't talking like we thought he should be. We also had a hearing test done as well. He was a late developer as boys usually are. We went to a local university that deals with the speech testing, but the local schools are a good option. He ended up having speech therapy after that as well as in elementary school. We also learned over the course of time that he had a learning issue--auditory processing. We were told he would grow out of it as he had an individualized education plan in elementary school and now has a 504 plan. I guess what I am trying to say is that many things can be connected so just watch for other things that you might question. My son had his own little dialect that only I was able to understand, but that is normal. People would tell me they didn't understand him, but I think there is a connection with moms and kids, so I don't think that is such a big deal. I learned while he was going through speech classes that age 7 is when the "l's" are developed so it will be a while before they are through learning speech all together. There is something about the muscle control of the tongue that doesn't allow them to say the "l" so it may be a while before that develops. Outside of your concern, enjoy every moment of their funny little voices, because my "little guy" just turned 18 yesterday and I miss his cuteness of a little boy. When I see other children that remind me of him at their age, I just tear up! He is now a teenager/young man with a whole new personality and it is like two different people. I do love both of them. You have an older sibling for your daughter so that should help the younger one develop as they learn by example and exercise. Make your younger child talk by asking for things instead of responding to grunts and pointing. That was my downfall! It will all work out with time. But enjoy them now as they are. You will always remember these moments!

You should have her tested by the public school system to see if she needs speech therapy; they have to provide it at no cost to you. By the way, "speech" is spelled "speech", not "speach".

it could just be that shes not around other children. thats the prob with home school they dont learn how to interact with other kids or speak properly. have her hearing tested then go and have her speech evaluated if hearing is fine. i dont know if you are in louisville but their is a great place called cardinal hill rehab. they do speech evaluations and they are wonderful good luck

I have a son who is a little over 3. He also idn't speaking clearly. My doctor says that we should be able to understand 75% of what he says right now. He sent him to an Audiologist just to make sure that his hearing was not affecting his speech and now we have been referred to a speecha nd language therapist for evaluation and language. I would mention it to the doctor next time you go. A follow up hearing screen might not be a bad idea either, just to make sure that isn't the cause.

M.,

Don't worry about it yet. Children speak at thier own pace. Just work with her on pronunciation. My dd i 7 1/2 and she wasn't speaking clearly at all at 3 1/2, but when she went to school at 4 they started working with her to make sure if she had a problem or not. She does, she has a few learning disabilities which effect a few other areas in her learning capacity. However, I was told that a child doesn't necessarily have a problem unless it is a continuous problem after being taught the proper way.

My Beth has speech, inclusion and a reading class. She is behind but she is starting to catch up now with the extra help. I wouldn't really worry about her until she hits 5 and you or someone else can't really understand her. There are many speech combinations that they won't expect until first or second grade. If she still has a problem at 5 then get her tested. But since you home school, she will have the benefit of one on one teaching and will probably grow out of this quickly.

E.

M., I homeschool in Louisville, KY and I know that there are families who chose to homeschool and CAN STILL RECEIVE the early intervention or therapy's elsewhere either privately or through the pulbic school system. I would check your area and talk to other homeschoolers in NC and see what your options are, it sounds like she should be at least evaluated.

Remember to always do what is BEST for YOU and YOUR family.

Hello, M.! First of all, congratulations on your homeschooling endeavor! I too am a homeschooling mom and I love to hear from other moms! Kudos to you!!! Okay, my youngest has a similar problem. He is now 5 but still many cannot understand him. I believe that living in the south is sometimes harder for kids because of those southern drawls! LOL!! I have talked with the pediatrician for many years and he is keeping tabs on his speech progression and at his 5 year old check up, the doctor commented that his speech has dramatically improved over the last year!! Yeah! Speak with your pediatrician and see what they say. It could just be that they need to develop those certain sounds.

Yes, you can get a speech evaluation through your local public school system. They can get you the help you need if there is a problem that your pediatrician diagnosed.

Also, for the poster who thinks we have little hobbles and keep our children to ourselves! Get your information and facts before you make such ignorant comments! I have been homeschoolling for 7 years. My children are very active and participate in what I think is too many things, but they get the interaction that they need. If your child is 10 and still can't speak right, then there is a major problem, but I believe that in preschoolers that is very common. Not every preschooler goes to a preschool nor do their parents send them to day care! There are parents who prefer to parent their children and not send them off every minute they get the chance.

Good Luck, M.!

I was told by my family dr that by 4 yrs old that a anyone should be able to understand the child. I noticed a big difference when my daughter went to preschool. Her birthday falls at the end of Oct, so she was a year older than most of the kids. I could understand the children that were 4 or almost 4, but the younger ones were harder. I had to go on instinct and what was occuring to get a grasp of what they were trying to say. My daughter is now 5 and still in preschool (thanks to her birthday) and the children that just turned 4 are harder to understand to me.

No worries yet. Mommies tend to be the ones who understand their kids best for the longest time. It's not really something to work on in an anxious manner at all until kindergarden age. =)

Hi M.,

If you're asking this question about your second child, then I think you know the answer. I would get her tested. While every child is different, by 3 1/2, you should be able to understand what she is saying. You said it's only sometimes. I wonder if she's saying things differently to you because she's "playing" with her voice and trying different sounds, accents, etc. Since you home school your girls, it may be hard to tell. Have other adults made comments? Do other children understand her? What is her reaction if you tell her you cannot understand her and ask her to repeat it? If you can afford to have her tested before she starts school, I would. Some schools have a very high "standard" for a child to meet before they will refer them to speech, even though they really need it. I wouldn't wait. The sooner you know, the better. There can be a lot of reasons for this. Some serious, some not. I wish you the best. L.

M.,

My husband and I felt my daughter was having problems with her speech. At her 3 year old check up we addressed this with her doctor. The doctor said other people (not us) should be able to understand 75% of what she was saying. Well, we didn't understand 75% of what she was saying. Like your daughter, ours is doing fine in other aspects of learning. The doctor recommended we take her to get tested and we did. She goes to speech once a week and she brings homework home for us to work with her for the remainder of the week. The speech therapy has really helped. Us and other people definitely see a difference.

Yes, there could be a problem. Any child birth to 18 can be evalutated by the local school system. Go to your local elementary school...don't call. If you go to the school, you will be helped alot quicker. Your child can be evaluated by a speech therapist at no charge. But you will probably have to be insistent. Children with any speech delay, including articulation, can not only have communication problems but it can severely affect their social skills/development. Don't wait on this one. An evaluation will determine if the child's speech is within normal limits or there is a problem. And if the child does have some delays then the school must provided therapy if the child qualifies according to the rules of your state.

Take care,

C.

If in doubt, have her tested. Early intervention can save her a lot of frustration as she grows and learns. Even if you homeschool, you should still be able to utilize the speech resources of your local school system. Your tax dollars pay for it. It is different everywhere so give them a call/check their website or call the closest school to you for info. I have friends who utilized speech therapy through the school with their preschoolers and it makes it much easier for the child later on.

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