Update: Not talking at 18 (now 19) months

I posted on June 23 about my DS, who is now 19 months and not talking. Basically, I brought up my concerns about him not talking in the 12 and 15 month check ups but the pediatrician said to wait until 18 months. At the 18 month visit I again brought this up and she said to wait until he's 21 months. I then asked her if maybe we should start the ball rolling now because there would probably be wait lists, and she told me that no, once she made a referral he would be seen within one to one and a half weeks. So I posted about this and many people wrote to say there was a long delay in getting services for their child. So I decided to call the pediatrician back and after a few days of phone tag I spoke with her. I told her I didn't want to wait and she said ok and gave me the number of a clinic that took my insurance. When I called to make an appointment for a speech eval, I was told the earliest appointment was in 5 months!!! Not in 1-2 weeks. So I made the appointment, but then called back my pediatrician to complain and the nurse I spoke to gave me the number for a speech therapist in private practice, however when I called I found she didn't take my insurance and she charged $100 per hour. I asked around through my twins group and found some other referrals...I also called the EI (early intervention), I left a voice mail almost 2 weeks ago and haven't had a call back yet. Anyways, I wanted to thank everyone who replied to my post and to warn others that if you're worried about something to move ahead, there may be long waits.

thanks,
thea
misha and cyan 19 months old

 

If there is a university near by, the other option is to see if they have a speech therapy clinic. Often they have VERY cheap rates, though I cannot predict how long it will take to be seen. Usually it's at the beginning of the next semester, which now would be Aug/Sept, but that's better than 5 mo. I'm an SLP so I can vouch for their services, which are typically first rate because the students who work there are supervised almost 100%, they're new and eager (not burnt out!), and they've usually learned the newest, most current intervention techniques, and it's for a grade for them, so they give it their best shot. I would find a new pedi b/c that is a disgrace that he dismissed you twice and LIED. Also, a few tips in the mean time, though I can't go to in depth, but...
1. Maybe teach some sign language- if you haven't already, they need to express themselves in some way if possible, and it will NOT delay their speech any further... in fact, it may help them a little. Check out "Baby Signs" - a great book for beginning and understanding sign use with toddlers
2. Check your local library... they often have parent resource areas where you can find books related to "late-talkers" and how to begin fostering language.
3. I can't tell you how to work with your kids b/c I haven't seen them in action, so I don't know the source of their difficulty, whether it's unwillingness, v. articulator problems, v. language acquisition problems, and whether the problem is expressive and/or receptive, so I can't tell you much more about specifics of what to do, but I can tell you to READ as often as possible to them and give LOTS of good speech models. Get eye contact as often as possible when speaking with them, and do not be afraid to use "motherese" (the simplified grammar and singsong voice most mothers instinctively use) as this can aid in language acquisition for children (there's a reason, biologically, why we talk that way), but keep your pronunciations of words consistent and correct.
I hope these tips help... Keep us updated!

 

I'm sorry you seem to be getting the run around. :hug99: My two are really not talking too much, not as much as others I hear about. I should probably be more proactive on it, agressive... we'll talk at their two month appt. at the end of this month. I hope we can hear a positive update soon!!!

 

I also just remembered, check out the website at www.asha.org - it's the official website for the American Speech Language and Hearing Association and they have some great parent tips and comparison charts, as well as referral help resources. Please check it out as it is a great site and helpful for many of our twin mommies with questions.