Speech Therapy - Carrollton,TX

i'm an audiologist and work with little ones with similar difficulties each day. it's true that kids develop at their own pace, but 2 words at 18 months deserves a bit of precaution. if he is understanding simple questions and commands, you can be fairly certain everything is ok. however, i would have a hearing evaluation done to rule out any hearing difficulties and then consult a speech pathologist. if everything is ok, great! if not, you can catch it early and make it better. feel free to email me if you have any additional questions!
M.

My son also had his 18 month appointment last week. I decided that he wasn't saying enough words either (maybe 3 or 4), so I decided to take him completely off of his pacifier, and that has made a big difference. He babbles all the time, and I think the number of words he is saying is increasing. So, if your son is using a pacifier, take it away, and you will probably notice a difference.

I am not a doctor, but I wonder if your child is in daycare? I too have an 18 month old and he probably says about 6 words total. He "talks" alot, but it is his own little language. My son stayed at home and really did not develop his language until he went to daycare about 3 months ago. I would never try to override a doctor's opinion, but as a mom, I would be hesitant just like you seem to be.

I was worried too. I took my daughter to have her hearing checked but it was ok. I can't remember exactly when her vocabulary expanded, but she is 2 1/2 now and her vocabulary is fine. I think this could have to do with her own priorities - she was walking very early. By 10 months. I also read an article that theorizes children with an analytical mind may talk later. Anyway, my pediatrician wasn't worried but believes a parent should alleviate their fears if they can afford it. Be sure to read tips on encouraging talking in your baby book and try to compare against norms rather than kids you know who may not be representative.

My child is just 11 months, however I taught PPCD (Preschool Program for Children with Disabilities) in the Keller ISD for three years. If I were you I would not be OVERLY concerned. With that said, early intervention does work. I have seen kids that have been put into my special ed program--only after 3 years old---and taken out within the same year. The doctor is probably just wanting the same for your child. The earlier the better. I am surprised if he did not mention for you to call ECI (Early Childhood Intervention) which will assess your child and do some therapies if needed at no cost to you (government program--this was or may have changed and you may have to pay a small fee but it is not like going to an outside therapists). I would start there and see what ECI says. All they do is assess children under three years of age, so they should be able to help.

I hope this helps. Good luck.
K.

J.,

I, too, have a late talker. My Ryan is two and has not started combining words. During his 2 year well visit, his doc recommended speech therapy as well.

I suggest the following:

Try Early Childhood Intervention. This is a state subsidized program that helps with any developmental issues before eage three. I like them because the prices are reduced and they come to your house for EVERYTHING. They also have a reduced fee schedule since it is partially supported by the state. I was really interested in this program because our insurance does not cover speech therapy associated with developmental issues only rehabilitation. However, we decided against ECI because they report their info to the school district. This is the only reason I decided against it. I just feel our developmental issues during preschool age are not any concern of the district.

So, we go to a private therapist who charges $100 per hour session. We go twice a week for 30 minutes. The office is called TREAT Services and is located in Plano. It stands for Total Remediation Evaluation and Therapy Services. The pathologist's name is Lauralee Campbell. My son has really been responding well.

However (yes again), what they do in therapy is far from rocket science. They really just play with him and ask him to repeat words and describe things. You could do the same with structured play. This would include lots of board books, story time and discussion, kids music and pretend play. I have started this along with the therapy and have noticed a great difference. They also recommended a book by Hanen Centre called "It Takes Two to Talk". This book focuses on the OWL approach. It says you should Observe your child, Wait and Listen for communication. It stresses allowing your child to communicate in his own fashion. As parents we have a tendency to complete sentences or just "do" for our children. You could read it and use those philosphies to focus on his speech issues. If that doesn't work then I would suggest therapy.

I hope this helps. Feel free to e-mail with any other questions.

- C.
____@____.com

J.,

Let me preface my answer by saying that, in addition to having two children of my own, I study early speech development for a living. You are correct that different children develop speech at different paces. Some children say meaningful words at 9 months; others take longer. The rule of thumb is that children should start saying words around 12 months and that by 18 months, they should have about 10 words. Pediatricians typically refer children who vary from this path to a speech-language pathologist.

Your son is 18 months old and says only 2 words. How many words do you think he understands? How does he request things that he wants (pointing, grunting, words, signs)? Do you have any concerns about his hearing? Has his development been on-target for everything else (rolling over, sitting up, crawling, walking)? These are the types of questions that the speech-language pathologist will ask you.

Taking him to a speech-language pathologist to discover why he does not have many words can only have a positive result. The best case scenario is that everything is fine and that he needs to learn to use his voice consistently to get what he wants and to communicate effectively. Alternatively, if there is a problem, it can be identified and treated at this early age. Early intervention is key for most aspects of development, and speech is no exception.
My advice as a professional and researcher is to follow your pediatrician's advice and take your son to the speech-language pathologist.

2 words is great! my baby is almost 22 mos and is just now really starting to say things. i don't think that at 18 mos he was doing more than grunting. i always knew tht he would speak when ready - and he has finally started. as long as he is understanding most of what you say and responding (with or without words), he is fine. doctors always make parents feel like something is wrong with their kids based on charts and graphs. my baby is small for his age (based on the "charts")but before my doc could start to put fear in me, i told him that my baby is fine. he had a healthy appetite, had healthy poops and was very active. just because our darlings don't do things at the exact time a doctor think they should, means nothing. everyone develops at their own pace. 2 words is something to be proud of and not worried about. now, if he does not progress to more than two words in an appropriate time, then maybe consider a speech therapist. remember, no one, not even a doctor knows your baby better than you do. i am no doctor, but i know my baby and know that all babies develop at their own pace. -J.

I recommend that you go through your school district. They can put you in touch with the Texas Interagency for Early Childhood Intervention. Your local office in the Carrollton area will contact you to set up a screening to determine if your child needs assistance in that area and also if he qualifies for services through the state. Good Luck.

I worked with ECI for 10 years (which is exactly what you are looking for). At 15-17.5 mos, a child should have 10-15 words. By 17.5-20 mos, that will jump to 15-20 words. However, a lot of times parents are just not tuned into what a "word" is with an 18 mos old. Does he have anything that he uses consistly to refer to something. (like "ba" for the dog or an approximation that may not sound exactly like the word). Also, if he uses any signs, those count at this age (if you use signs for "more", "all done", etc). If you are in a bilingual household, it is not unusual for language to develop a bit slower than a family that speaks one language.
Does he have a history of ear infections? That can play a significant role in speech development. When a chid chronically has fluid in his ears, he hears like he is underwater.
If after really listening to his language for a day or so, you still only hear a couple of words that he uses consistently, it would not hurt to get the evaluation. ECI does developmental evaluations for 0-3 year olds for free and provide services on a sliding scale basis. Having the evaluation does not commit you to services and he would not be labeled with anything that would go with him for the rest of his life. It has immense benefits though. Getting a child a leg up on catching up on a delay at a very young age, can really help later on with their social and academic success. By two, you should see him putting together sentences, so he needs to have the words to make that possible.
The program for you area, I believe, would be Special Care and Career Center. Please email me if I can answer more questions for you. :D

My nephew was almost three before he began to talk. He had chronic ear infections as an infant that required tubes, so they automatically assumed it affected his hearing. Once he had his hearing checked, he began speech therapy from about 18 months old until he was almost three, but it was not really helping at all. At age 3, he was then diagnosed with autism. Now, at age 6, he is fully functioning and has really come a long way with his speech.

My neighbor has a daughter who will be 4 in February. She did not begin talking until just recently, after enrolling her in s Special Needs preschool program. She had previously undergone numerous tests and speech therapy, but the tests never concluded anything and the speech therapy did not help either. Her daughter is very smart, though - it is obvious in observing her...

I guess my point is, all kids are different. I would not jump to any conclusions at only 18 months. You may want wait until 24 months before seriously considering any form of treatment. Otherwise, you may waste time and money.

Hope this helps you!

J.,

I have a 19 month old (adopted) and a 20 month old. On our recent check-up our doctor was also pretty concerned about their lack of language development. He didn't suggest a speech therapist at this time, but I know that he probably will if they have not made great improvements by their two year checkup.

I am pretty much with your husband on this one though. Boys for one are much more developmentally delayed with speech. My oldest son did not say his first word until 18 months and didn't really start "talking" until 2. So, at first I was a somewhat concerned that the boys are not talking more, but decided to calm down and let them take it at their own pace. The 20 month old is just now beginning to say more words and imitate sounds. He's probably up to about 5 or so words. They both use sign language to communicate their needs and can actually string words together, like "I'm hungry, food please". The doctor recommended not responding to their signs so that it would force them to verbalize. We tried it, but it wasn't pretty.

So, I figure I have several more months until their next check-up. I'm just going to keep on encouraging words and let nature take its course. If they still aren't really talking by then I will see about a speech therapist.

Good luck to you and your decision.

I went through the same thing when my son was 18 months, now he's 4. I did take him, but I thought it was stupid and we did not go back. I would not worry. You are right every child develops at their own time. I bet by the time 24 or 26 months it will be a totally different story. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Hi J.,

I have been a practicing speech-language pathologist for almost 15 years. I strongly recommend you follow the advice of your pediatrician. Although you are correct in feeling that children develop at their own rates, there are age ranges by which certain skills should be achieved. That is why we use ranges, and not exact ages. An assessment will either alleviate your concerns, or show you what your child needs to help him develop one of his most important skills - communication. Early intervention is continually proven to be the ideal time to intervene.
If you are concerned about price, the Callier Center (there is a branch in Dallas, and one at UTD in Richardson) use a sliding scale. Also ECI (which branch you call depends on your county) will come to your house and assess your child. If you are more concerned about finding someone close to you, go to www.asha.org. You can put in your zip code and see a list of speech-language pathologists in your area. Whomever you choose to contact, be sure that person has a lot of experience with such a young child (ECI only works with birth to 3 years).
Good luck. Your child is lucky to have such a proactive mom.

My daughter has had speech issues. We started out with ECI (Early Childhood Intervention)which is run thru the state. They have someone come out to evaluate your child to find out if they qualify for speech services. I think they may be able to file w/ insurance or you can pay on a sliding scale. You are eligible for this service until your child is 3. My daughter is now 5. We did ECI and then PPCD (public preschool for children with disabilities) She has also had private therapy and currently attends preschool at the Callier Center in Richardson (UTD). She also gets therapy from Our Children's House at Baylor in Coppell. There are alot of options out there. If your pedi was concerned, I would not hesitate to take action. Before the age of 5 is crucial to the verbal development of a child. I am hoping my daughter will be ready for kindergarten next year, but we are still not sure. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

I have experienced this.
My 2 children (virtual twins-3 days apart not biologically related) are 21 months old and we adopted them from Russia when they were 10 months old. We're seeing a speech therapist because they were slightly (by about 3 months) delayed. Although the speech therapist was still very impressed by their receptive language skills considering they had only heard the English language for 8 months at the time of the evaluation. It has been very beneficial for us to work with a speech therapist. They give me strategies to use to help the children's speech and by me implementing these strategies we are quickly closing the gap on their speech delay. OUr kids are 21 months now and they have about 40-45 words that they can speak and actually know the meaning of. Like I said I work with them as much as I can and it has benefitted greatly.
Best of luck!!
A.

I'm in a similar situation with my 16 mo. old. He really isn't saying any words yet. Our ped. recommended taking him to get evaluated. I've read into this issue quite a bit and talked to many moms and evaluators. You'll find a variety of opinions.

We've decided to wait on getting our son evaluated as there are a lot of late talkers in our family. And, I've been told that it is more important that our boys understand and react to what we are saying than actually using words themselves.

The evaluation my doctor recommended is by the Texas Early Childhood Intervention. It is free and may be worth looking into. Their number is 1-800-250-2246.

Good luck and try not to worry to much! Just do what you think is right!!

Hello J.,
I would definitely recommend you call ECI(early childhood intervention, a state funded program that strictly deals with children birth - three year olds. I am an occupational therapist and have worked with ECI for over 5 years. They have speech therapy, as well as Occupational therapy and physical therapy services. At least have him checked out, also did the pedi rule out any kind of possible hearing problems? may want to check that out as well if not already ruled out. I am not sure what the number is but go under google then ECI to get the number, don't wait because studies have shown the window of opportunity for these little ones is 0-3. please let me know if you need any more info
thanks,
K.

J.,
I can understand your husband's reaction. I have not personally had to take my almost 3-year old daughter to therapy (She actually talks too much)but I have ALOT of friends who take their children. There is no harm in taking your child and having them evaluated.

My MOMS Club recently had a speaker from the State of TX Early Child Intervention program (it is actually run through your school district). In her talk she stated a typical 18 to 24 month old should have a vocabulary of 50 words and be able to put 2 word sentences together. I would not use this as a comparision since your child just turned 18 months. I can forward you a summary of her talk via e-mail if you want (it is a word document). Just e-mail me and let me know.

The state runs a program where they do an evaluation and design a program for your child's specific needs. They come to your home (or daycare) to do the therapy. It is completely free for the evaluation and then goes through your insurance. If you don't have insurance the cost is minimal. It wouldn't hurt to look into it.

I hope this has helped.

Good luck!
C. Fischer

The main thing to worry about is whether he understands simple instructions and seems to understand you when you speak to him. Also, is he able to communicate in other ways? Pointing, grunting, whatever. I have a friend whose boy never said much, but did understand what was said to him. All of a sudden at 2 1/2 he's talking up a storm.
Another thing to check would be his hearing. If he has a lot of colds or ear infections, or fluid in his ears, he won't hear well. If he can't hear well, he won't speak well. And, what about his other areas of development? If this is the only area where he's "behind" it's more likely a case of him just taking his time, focusing on other areas, being an individual. And, just a note of encouragement -- the same part of the brain where talking develops is the part where mathematical and musical ability develop. Maybe he's just a little prodigy :-)
Bottom line -- your doc is probably just being cautious. As long as your boy understands you and communicates in some way, I'd say you have a full year before you should really worry. However, it might not hurt to schedule a meeting with the speech pathologist to see if there is anything you can do on your own to encourage his language skills, then check back with them in 6 months rather than start a time-consuming (and possibly expensive) schedule of visits.

I only go on about this because my daughter didn’t walk until she was nearly 18 months old. Our doc basically freaked out at every other well-baby visit. We were sent to get hip X-rays and consult with an orthopedic surgeon twice, and referred to a physical therapist twice. There was a small cause for concern because she was a breech baby, but we got caught up in all this specialist hysteria for nothing. It turns out there was no physical reason she wouldn’t walk independently. The only reason we could come up with was that she simply did not want to fall, so was waiting until she had the skill perfected before she’d dare let go of someone’s hand (if you did let go of her, she’d freeze in her tracks, then drop to the floor and crawl the rest of the way.)

Hi there, I went through this with my son who is now 2 1/2 years old. My son was very "talkative" but maybe had 5 words at 18 months old. We took him for an evaluation at 22 months by ECI (early childhood intervention..also called Birth to Three in some states) (it is called something else in Collin County)...basically they will come out free to give your child an evaluation to let you know if he does need therapy.

We found out our son was delayed with expressive speech (when he could say) but not receptive (what he understood) and did qualify for speech therapy at 22 months old. He only had 10-15 words at that point. By the time he was 25 months old, he had enough words and was showing he was developing in a normal, though slowly, where he really did not need speech.

He is now 2 1/2 and we understand most of what he says now..though strangers don't. We check in with a speech person every 3-6 months to make sure he is just a late bloomer and there are not underlying issues.

I would say you could hold still for now...but if you are really worried, get the number of ECI from your pediatrician (he should have it) and schedule an evaulation..it is free after all!

Hi J.,

I am a speech therapist in the Coppell area. Oh course it is difficult to just advice based on what you wrote, but I will be happy to talk with you more indepth if you would like.

Research says, between 12 and 24 months, infants typically start to develop their vocabulary. By 24 months, literature says they should have about 50 words. And then between 24 and 36 months, the explosion of words occurs and a child's vocabulary literally quadruples.

Now with that being said (don't let that scare you), it is important to point out a couple of things. 1. Boys typically do talk later than girls (the thought is that they develop physically first, crawling, walking and such and communication second). 2. You need to look at how he communicates with you at this point. Is he able to get away with just pointing and gesturing, because you know him so well, that he doesn't have to use words (a very common thing). If this is the case then it is just a matter of teaching him the importance of using words (some times people use sign language as a bridge to words, some people use highly motivating things like food to facilitate this. 3. Is he a second or third child and does his older sibling seem to understand what he wants (basically acting as an interpretter for your son, so he doesn't need to be a clear communicator for you, his interpreter will do it for him). 4. You can always have him evaluated, but typically people wait until 2 years of age especially on boys to see if they just come along naturally. It really may be a matter of giving him the opportunity to communicate. There are some awesome ways to do this. If you would like me to share some detailed activities, or if you want to do a play date some time, I could give you some informal feedback. If you would like to get him formally evaluated you can always ask a private speech-therapist (I do in-home training for parents and in-home therapy for children), or you can contact a speech therapy office (Baylor has Our Children's House, ECI-Early Childhood Intervention has stuff, etc.) By the age of 3, you can go through the schools (if he qualifies, Carrollton should be a good school district to provide services a couple times a week).

Sorry about the long message. This is what I do, my passion, so I tend to be a bit wordy. Let me know if you need any other information or would like activities to try and help him use his language. You are always welcome to call me as well. My number is ###-###-#### and I am in Coppell.

Hope this helps,
~A. E.

Hi J.!

Don't worry about it! Your son is only 18 month! My son is just turned 2 and can say 5 words (but I talk to him on Russian and my husband speaks English). Our doctor said not to worry about it. She said most kids start talking by age 3. And she also said that speech therapy will not help anyway right now, because right age for speech therapy is 3! So, don't worry!
T.
P.S. My son just started preschool and I have already seen improvement with his vocabulary.