speech for 20 mos?

At the 18 mos checkup, the pedi was a tiny bit concerned about ds's speech......but he said to give it another 2 months & see how he was doing. He said if he hadn't learned about 10 words by then to call & we would probably get a speech evaluation or something.

Ds seemed like he was doing better for a little while & I thought I was hearing new words....but they were very hard to make out. I can't even remember what those words were now. Here's the weird thing, though. The other day he was in a timeout for something & kept scooting on his bottom across the floor. After about 3 times of putting him back, I realized he was going for his pacifier that was about 4 ft in front of him (we call them puggies). The 3rd time he got really upset & reached for it & clear as a bell said, "Puggy!" He hadn't said it before & hasn't said it since. So I don't know if he can't talk, or doesn't want to?

 

Thats how kids first learn to talk...The will say one thing, then stop and not say it again for awhile. Do you encourage him to talk? If he wants a ball, do you just hand it too him, or do you say "Here is your ball?" Repeating yourself is the best way to teach a child to talk. We started out really young with my girls. We never did baby talk and always told them what this and that was. We talk to them like they are little adults and dont try to simplify anything. At 18 months they both had about 15 words. Now at 21 months, they are speaking in 3-4 word sentences. I have always heard that boys do talk later too..... I wouldnt worry until he is closer to 2.5. You know he can talk, maybe he just doesnt have anything to say

 

That's exactly what my kids were doing around that age. They'd come out with a word (sometimes a pretty complex one) out of nowhere, and no amount of encouraging them would get them to repeat it. We panicked and got them into EI around 22 months. Then all of a sudden, around their 2nd birthday, the floodgates opened and with no warning, they started talking like maniacs. Three weeks later, they started doing sentences. Now there is no shutting them up! At their final EI evaluation, the speech therapist said they are actually above average for speech now!

Sounds to me like your DS is processing words in his head and will probably have a speech explosion eventually, like my boys did. It really seemed to me like it was all developing in their heads and they just weren't ready to let it out yet. Plus boys do tend to be later talkers than girls.

It wouldn't hurt to give EI a try. It doesn't mean there's anything wrong, just that the speech therapist could help give you ideas to encourage his speech.

Michelle

PS - "Puggy!" - that's pretty cute

 

I asked dh this morning if we should have his hearing checked. DS had his back to me & I was only a few feet behind him & was trying to get his attention.....but it was like he didn't even hear me. DH said no, he's just good at ignoring you. Perhaps he's right, I just don't know.....

I think when the physical therapist comes out in 2 weeks for dd (she's in EI) I might ask her. She's been really good about answering any of my questions.