Does this sound like a speech delay?

I have a very good friend that has a little girl that turned 2 in early November (she is 27 months). I am 99% confindent that her daughter has a speech delay and it doesn't seem to be improving. Here is where her speech is...

- She has a very very limited vocabulary and she cannnot repeat things that you say to her. (e.g. I was trying to get her to say "all done" the other day. I was breaking it up into two words and asking her to say "all" and "done". She doesn't even attempt to repeat.)
- I would estimate she doesn't say more than 20 words and most of them are not words that help her communicate her needs.
- Unlike other two year olds that I have been around, her speech doesn't seem to be improving, it is kind of "stuck" at its current state.
- She says a few word combinations like "please mama" or "bye daddy" and that's about it. There aren't any other combinations.
- Some of her 20 words that she says are just one letter sounds (e.g. "gee" for grandma).
- She is potty trained and has made up her own word for "poop" and it doesn't sound anything like it.
- She calls lots of people (like myself for example) "mama"
- She says "dis" meaning "this" all day long.
- She tends to have many tantrums throughout the day. I think related to her inability to express herself.
- She doesn't do animal noises beyond horse & tiger.
- Her comprehension is months beyond what her expresive language is.

Does this seem like a speech delay? My daughter is five months older than her daughter and has been talking in sentances since she was 18 months old. Not that I am trying to compare, I know all children don't talk at the rate she has. I do think however that this is hindering my friends ability to make a good call on if her daughter should be seen for a speech evaluation. I think she does a comparision and comments on how advanced my daughters speech is and figures that's why there is such a discrepancy. Honestly though, at her age, I think she should be attempting more language than she is. My gut tells me she needs an evaluation. Should I try and convince her to take her daughter for an evaluation or just let it be? I don't want to upset her, but at the same time I feel she needs someone to convince her to take her.

 

I dont know what constitutes a speech delay ,but I would say that if she is a good friend then she would welcome any suggestions within reason that would help her daughter.

 

We have boy/girl twins and Emily is talking up a storm, but Ethan sounds just like what you put in the post. I did have him elv. and he as a severe speech delay. A speech ther. is coming to the house twice a week to work with him. I am a teacher and I would for sure stress the importance of starting speech early to your friend. The other concern I would have is that she is a girl and most girls don't have as hard of a time with speech as boys. Good luck!

 

I have 2 boys that have needed speech therapy. My first I put it off...thinking I understood him, but most others did not. I finally got him into speech at age 4 he was tongue tied and needed help Excersizing that tongue. Definitely say something. It might be as simple as she has fluid in her ears or lots of ear infections which can delay speech...if she has then bring it up that way. If she is a friend then she will realize you are only trying to help and will not hate you for it! I wish I would have helped my son sooner....it would have reduced some of the fustration between us.

If she is under 3 then have her check with her Ped or Early CHildhood intervention in your area. Once they hit 3 then you contact your local elementary school which is where my boys received speech therapy.

Cindy

 

complete sentences at 18 is very rare adn very excelerated.

My first two kids did 6-7 word senteces at 2 y/o and were considered advanced.

My twins are Nov 9th and sound very similar to what you describe. I have had them evaled and neither have qualified for speech. (dd gets OT already)

They will try to repeat things you ask them to say but it rarely sounds anything like what I asked them to say. most things are 2 syllables but often the same syllable. "da-da" is "daddy" and "amelia" (Can't figure out that one).
"please" is "pee"
thank you is also "da-da"
all done is "ahh-dah"and things like that.
My kids throw many tantrums since they are so frustrated with poor communication so I must pray that will change soon before I pull all my hair out.
My kids do about 3 a nimal noises, cat, dog, and duck.
Mine are not potty trained an not ready to be.
They seem to understand everything but can hardly say anything.

I have been told by EI that when kids are learning things (like being potty trained) that require much attention, then will often put other developmental things on the back burner, like speech. MAybe this is what is happening?

I would say it can't hurt to have an eval but odds are not much is done before the age of 3 anyway unless they are not making sounds. (at least that was what I was told). It could be different in your area.

 

It sounds pretty borderline to me. Sarah was a lot like that, and while she was diagnosed with a speech delay, it was considered mild at 23 months. The not repeating is not necessarily a big deal -- a lot of kids won't repeat things when you ask them to. And making up their own words for things is pretty normal.

The things that the SLP did think were a problem for Sarah were:
- having a very limited number of 2-word combos -- this has improved A LOT since 23 months, she now talks in 4 and 5-word sentences
- most words being one syllable -- this has improved a little
- never using ending consonants -- this has not improved at all
- missing most consonant sounds and substituting "B" or "D" for nearly all of them -- this has improved a tiny bit

But the only thing she thought was a big warning sign was the 2-word combos, and that's the thing that has improved the most. The other things, she classified as an "articulation problem," as distinct from a speech problem, and said that therapy around age 2.5 could be really helpful. (We'll be starting that in a few weeks, hopefully.)

Anyway, I just wrote all that as a point of comparison. If she is a good friend, I don't think it can hurt to say something, but if she's already considered it and decided it's not a problem at this point, I wouldn't push it.

 

QUOTE(twoplustwo @ Feb 25 2008, 10:15 PM) [snapback]640503[/snapback]
complete sentences at 18 is very rare adn very excelerated.


I do know that. I honestly don't expect her to talk the same way my daughter does. I have other friends with two year olds as well so I see a lot of variation in their speech ability.


QUOTE
It sounds pretty borderline to me. Sarah was a lot like that, and while she was diagnosed with a speech delay, it was considered mild at 23 months. The not repeating is not necessarily a big deal -- a lot of kids won't repeat things when you ask them to. And making up their own words for things is pretty normal.

The things that the SLP did think were a problem for Sarah were:
- having a very limited number of 2-word combos -- this has improved A LOT since 23 months, she now talks in 4 and 5-word sentences
- most words being one syllable -- this has improved a little
- never using ending consonants -- this has not improved at all
- missing most consonant sounds and substituting "B" or "D" for nearly all of them -- this has improved a tiny bit

But the only thing she thought was a big warning sign was the 2-word combos, and that's the thing that has improved the most. The other things, she classified as an "articulation problem," as distinct from a speech problem, and said that therapy around age 2.5 could be really helpful. (We'll be starting that in a few weeks, hopefully.)

Anyway, I just wrote all that as a point of comparison. If she is a good friend, I don't think it can hurt to say something, but if she's already considered it and decided it's not a problem at this point, I wouldn't push it.


This actually just confirms for me that there is a problem. She doesn't even have enough words to make 2-word combos outside of the ones I listed.

Thanks for the feedback. She is a very good friend but for some reason I think she doesn't want to admit there could be a problem! Thanks!!!

 

QUOTE
I have been told by EI that when kids are learning things (like being potty trained) that require much attention, then will often put other developmental things on the back burner, like speech. MAybe this is what is happening?


This wouldn't completely surprise me as she is a very physical child. My gut instinct still says her speech issues aren't going to work themselves out on their own. Hopefully I am wrong!!!

 

My first talked exceptionally early (like yours). My second had 3 words at 22 months. My girls had NO words until 25 and 27 months. However, once they started it was a real cascade effect. Their comprehensive language was leaps and bounds ahead of expressive at age 2. I never had them evaluated, because late talking runs on both sides of my family. They are advanced now, although Lu's pronunciation is average for her age (her sentence structure and vocab are advanced).

It would be hard to say about your friend's daughter without an eval, I just wanted to post an example of my kids who got around to talking but probably seemed very delayed at the time.

 

I would tread lightly.

My son had no words at 2 (well, maybe hi and ball). He is now speaking in sentences. His articulation is poor but his expressive and receptive language has caught up.

I think I would have been caught off gaurd if someone had said something to me about it. BUT, if you are a good/close friend, then she should understand.

 

QUOTE
I would say it can't hurt to have an eval but odds are not much is done before the age of 3 anyway unless they are not making sounds. (at least that was what I was told). It could be different in your area.


Ian is receiveng ST once a week now because I was the "paranoid first time mom"...he wasn't repeating anything beyond cookie and dada at 18 mos - you may think 18 mos is young but his sister has 60-70 words and was (and is) repeating everything...he also doesn't make environmental noises (vroom for a car, barking or panting like a dog etc...) this put his speech at about 14 mos (expressive) - his receptive speech and motorskills are at a 24 mo level - so he qualified for ST (in PA if there is a 20% or more deficiency then the child qualifies)...I think your friend should look into it - my DS wasn't doing those things at 18-20 mos and HE qualified....