DId anyone have a late enough talker for EI?

EI told me they need to be 25% behind to qualify. However, mine rarely babble. This is normal playtime with them. We have their nine month next week and I am wondering when I need to get serious about them rarely "talking".

http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f35/Irene_March/?action=view&current=MVI_0815.flv

 

The 25% delay is a pretty typical criteria. Do they babble any more when they are in carseats or high chairs? Is is very common for speech to take a backseat to gross motor skills during spurts of increased skills. I know in our area, EI is much less likely to provide speech therapy until closer to 2 than they are for PT and OT.
Good luck

 

My one son was in PT since he was a year old. His EI coordinator told me that if I felt a need for a speech eval, it would be done around 18 months. I think they were evaluated at 16-17 months and started shortly after.

Both my sons qualified for speech therapy and in Illinois, there has to a 30% or greater delay in order to qualify.

 

Mine were always just at what they needed to do to not be evaluated in the speech department. They werent really doing much at 9 months. I dont think Tyler was saying Da-Da (the most common word) until about a year. We did get the occasional stringing consonant of ga-ga, or ba-ba-ba but not much. At 18 month my Ped wanted 8 solid words and we pretty much had 8 (including momma and dada). But I can tell you the day before their 2nd birthday, they had a "word explosion" that you will typically read about in the 2-4 forum. I witnessed it with my own ears. They both started putting words together and their speech just took off. Hang in there. Some kids just talk earlier than others and the fact that they are boys, twins, and most likely born early puts them in the back of the pack. :hug:

 

Do they laugh at each other or at you? Do they blow raspberries or make other sounds? If they interact with you nonverbally, then there is a lot less to worry about. The pp are right in that speech therapy is often not recommended until 18-24 months because before then you won't get voluntary participation. The only exception is if you are not seeing non verbal cues such as pointing, interacting, imitating. As long as those are there, don't worry. They may be quiet little dudes who once they decide to talk will come out with full sentences!

 

Mine didn't qualify until they were about a year and a half. They were in the birth to 3 program and then early childhood since they turned 3. Now in Fall they will be in a regular pk4 class and still get speech therapy.

 

They blow raspberries but for fun, not in response. As for verbal interaction, they will Ehh to me to get something or put them somewhere or they will cry for something. There is honestly no pointing,sometimes there is looking. I am honestly torn because I think they are ok but worried they aren't. I know they are still young and have time but I want to make sure I don't let this one drop.

 

They are toooo young to worry. Reassess at 18 months. In the mean time sing lots and read t them. Talk to them and point to things. IMO you have no reason to worry.

 

I honestly wouldn't worry yet. My oldest DS (now 3) said ma-ma at 4 months, of course we thought he was "so smart" and then he stopped and never said another word.....nothing, nada not a single babble. We would get an occasional "pop out" word but other then that he was a super quiet kid. Around 18 he still wasn't saying a single word...no ma-ma, da-da, ba-ba.....NOTHING!!! His response to everything was "en" and being my only child and SAHM I always knew exactly what he wanted w/o thinking twice about it. At 18 months he was hanging out with his cousin (from out of state) and it hit us like a ton of bricks how much he WASN'T saying. I immediately took him in and they diagnosed him with apraxia and he was eligible for EI. My hubby and I were devastated to say the least, all we wanted was to hear him say "I love you". Right around 2 he took off like a bat out of hell....I mean he was picking up probably 50 words a day and saying most of them right the very first time. Now at 3 the kid doesn't stop talking....EVER!! He probably speaks better then most kids his age, so needless to say he didn't actually have apraxia.

From the video, the boys seem a lot like my DS. Happy and content to play but not too worried about speaking. IMO I think it's way too early to worry....but I also know that's easier said then done! When we visited with a leading specialist in the field she told us there's not much to be done until they can at least somewhat copy you. I'm no doctor, buy your boys look beautiful and healthy to me!

 

I wouldn't worry yet-they are still young. You are aware of their vocal/speech/oral abilities-so just keep an eye out on it. But at nine months old, I honestly wouldn't worry. My boys said mama and dada when their were infants. But at 12 months, they still weren't using them in the right context. I think at their 12 month appt the pedi mentioned having EI come out. Actually-it might have been their 18mth, because they only took it for six months. Yeah-when they tested them, they said they were at a 7 and 8 month old level-which I didn't believe, but whatever. LOL!

Long story short, they had EI for six months and tested out. Which is funny because only THREE weeks prior, Anthony was found to need additional therapy with an actual speech pathologist. It's amazing how much can happen in so very little time.

And now-they are talking machines at 2.5 years old. Be careful what you wish for-once they start-you can't get them to stop! :laughing: