I watch a 20 month old who doesnt talk what do you think?

Question

I baby sit a 20 month old Monday through Friday since she was 3 months old. I work with her every day on her numbers, please, thank you, yes, no, and some days her colors. But she doesnt talk! I cant get her to do her numbers, and when she says please only myself and her mother knows what she is saying. She does not say anything. Do you think she has a learning disability or just her age? all he does is huh and uhn as she looks at things. i used to keep another little girl and when she was 18 months the dr told her mother that if she didnt say 20 more words that others could understand by her next appt she need to see a speech therapist. I am just get furstrated, because i feel like i all my work with her is not working. What do you think?

I just asked this, but realized after i posted it i missed the 20 in the question!

Answer 1

Are the parents concerned? My son is 27 months and says about 10 words, his doctor says it is perfectly normal. I would not worry about it. Gavin Rossdale didn't speak until he was 5 and I believe Einstein was 3. Just relax, I'm sure she is absorbing everything but just doesn't know how to convey it. My son's doctor says that some children, like mine, are perfectionists and do not want to speak until they get it just right.

Avonmom...I don't like you implying things about my perfectly healthy child that you do not know just because your son has problems. His tongue is perfectly normal. My son repeats EVERYTHING if we ask him to, he just doesn't say it on his own. How dare you insinuate things about other people's kids and try to scare the woman that asked the question. I hope your kid continues with the help he obviously needs. Maybe he would talk more if his mother weren't such a busy body. People like you are the reason every other kid is put on medication before they are 5 years old. Let kids be KIDS for crying out loud!!

Answer 2

It sounds to me like she may have apraxia. My son only said 10 words at 27 months old. the rest was grunts and fussing and pointing. He was tested by early intervention and found to have a 12 month delay in expressive speech and further investigation found the apraxia.

basically with apraxia the child knows what they want to say, but the words are "stuck" and they cannot get them out....similar to an older adult who has had a stroke and damaged thier speech center. My son cannot move his tongue around to form the sounds correctly. He IS talking now, but I am the only one who can really understand him most of the time. He has been in speech for 8 months now.

In would assume that you have a good relationship with the mother since you have been caring for the child for 17 months. I think you should mention to her that her daughter seems very frustrated trying to communicate. Let her know that early intervention can screen her daughter for free. If they agree that there is a problem, they can arrange for free speech therapy. They may even be able to get a therapist to come to YOUR house and work with her. If it would help you, I have an excellent paper on developmental apraxia that I can send you as an e-mail attachment if you would like. When I read it it was like it had been written about my son.

Answer 3

I think you should stop comparing children.  All children are individuals and each one grows and develops at their own pace.  This child isn't even two years old, it is going to be awhile before she is reciting the Gettysburg Address.