Speech delayed?

Question

I'm concerned that my son is speech delayed. He is 2 1/2 and only knows about 5-10 words and cant put two together. I think the problem is he is around too many different languages. At home its mostly Tagalog and at school many speak Spanish to him. This summer I will out of work school to spend allot of time with him. Will he catch up and start talking more soon? He understands well and is a smart kid, just cant talk.

Answer 1

When I was your son's age I had a speech delay too.

I was put into a speech program in a school, I was taught how use sentences and repeating sentences also. By working with him, he will be talking really soon.

Answer 2

Get the Pedi doc to send him to a speech therapist.

Answer 3

Yes, your son's speech may be delayed but that is purely because he is processing more than one language. As a nursery practitioner of many years experience, I would like to reassure you that there in nothing to be concerned about.



In a few months, your son will begin to sort out the different languages and use them in their correct context. Try to keep talking to him, singing to him and telling him stories in your home language when he is with you. This, after all, is his heritage. His teachers and friends will ensure that he learns to speak English and/or Spanish well in due course. Inviting friends to play will stand him in good stead, no matter which language they speak.

Currently I am working as a childminder for a Chinese boy  who is the same age as your son. He has been with me since he was 12 weeks old. Until he was 18 months he had hardly any vocabulary but he understands both languages,  and now generally speaks to his parents in Chinese and to me in English. His English vocabulary may be smaller than his peers but it is growing in leaps and bounds.