Child health question....?

Question

i know i have asked this before and people told me not to worry too much, but this is getting serious

my nephew who is 3 yrs and 2 months is not talking properly

he talks alllll day long none stop but he never utters a single word that makes any sense

he says ma to his mother and everything else is blah blah blah blah

literally

what do you guys think ??

the doctors say not to worry and to give it some more time

but we are terribly worried, his younger brother of nearly 2 yrs is already uttering words...

is there anything else we can do???

Answer 1

my daughter was exactly the same way.  

"water" was "bah-blah"

"butterfly" was "buh-buh-blye"

"mrs potts" was "mippipp pops"

"excuse me" was "koomeez"

you could talk and talk and talk and talk and suddenly she'd blink, and say "what?" - hadn't heard a thing.  unless you physically touched her and said "look at me!", she didn't respond.  and YET:  play 2 bars of any song and if she'd ever heard it once, she would tell you the name - so she wasn't deaf.

turned out she had a massive silent ear infection.  the doctor couldn't even tell how bad the damage was because her ear canal was swollen nearly shut but the distortion of her speech indicated fluid buildup behind the ear drum.  

took months to shake that sucker and she was left with a permanent learning disability - non-verbal learning disorder.  basically, although she's a native english speaker, her brain works visually so all speech is processed in a manner similar to someone who's speaking a second language they don't know all that well.

need i say, get him assessed ASAP?

Answer 2

Hi there,

I agree that you should get him more involved with other children his age. Also try reading to him quite alot, i found that helped my son pick up words more easily. If he points to something ask him what is it you never know he might surprise you.

My friends little girls used to do that she just used to point and go uh uh and her mother was answering for her and telling her what it was instead of encouraging her to say the word.

Also if you are still really worried about him then i would also suggest that you get a second opinion and maybe see a speech therapist.

Good luck xx

Answer 3

My daughter will be 4 in December and is still seeing an Early Interventionist, so I know they do in fact visit kids that age.

A child really should be speaking real words by age 3.  I agree with the person who said his parents should get his hearing checked.

Answer 4

theres no need to worry about it.. if hes still not talking when he begins pre-k then they will refer him to a specialist

Answer 5

Contact your local county or state government and find out if there is a program that will test him for a learning delay.  

Answer 6

He needs to be evaluated by a speech therapist.  Since he is 3 years old, his parents should contact their local school district since children his age receive special services such as speech therapy through the school district.

The longer the parents wait to get him help, the more behind he'll be.

Answer 7

Have you had his hearing checked?  He may be repeating what he is hearing and if he is not hearing correctly then what he repeats would not be correct.  Try saying what he says over to him.  Look right at him and let him see your lips move.  By 3 he really should be talking so you can understand him.  I would have a hearing doctor check him.  I think you are right to be concerned.  

Answer 8

Get him around other kids his own age.  They learn very quickly that way.

Answer 9

If this is true, you can start by suggesting to his parents to get a new doctor...or to see a Developmental Specialist. Over three years old they should really be speaking words.  YES, some kids are delayed in speaking well, however, at this age an evaluation is important.  If he is truly "delayed", the earlier the intervention, the better chance at a good outcome.  He is likely too old for at home Early Intervention (a program set up to attempt to "catch up" children with delays before they start school).  He may benefit from a specialized pre-school that assists children with delays be ready for main-stream school.  These programs should be covered by the school district the child lives in.  This is, of course, if he needs it.  Get the evaluation. Good Luck.

EDIT:

The County of NY I reside in gives children Early Intervention in their homes from birth through 3 years.  At age three, the child (if still needing the assistance), would be enrolled in a specialized pre-school, where they will continue with Speech, Occupational, Physical Therapies and Special Education as needed.  Of course, not every child gets every specialty.  It is notoriously more difficult to get a child evaluated the longer it is put off.  Some school districts are very difficult to deal with, while in others it may be a breeze to get the neeed services. People can self-refer, can be referred by physicians, social wokers, nurses or other health care professionals.  Unfortunatley, I think three major things happen that causes delays in needed services:

*Pediatricians miss the mark, they don't take some of the possible warning signs parents report during well-visits seriously enough, and don't give parents the appropriate referrals.

*Parents may be in denial and/or are not aware of what to look for that may indicate delays.

*People don't know how to work the system appropriately.  Especially when the delays are picked up on later (pre-school age and above), as I have said before school districts can be awful!

The above is true for where I reside, but all accross the country there are very similar programs.  

Just a little FYI. :-)