https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 15 Apr 2026 09:10:59 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/speech-therapy-1#post-2199245 Thu, 04 Jun 2015 15:08:13 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 2199245@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sorrycharlie: A lot of different people watch our LO and although I think he's speech is very good, even they don't understand a lot of what he says. I think your gut on LO's speech is probably the most important. I agree that it doesn't hurt to get an eval, but at the same time, they'll probably point to the chart above.</p> <p>You could also look at specific speech sounds that kids should be capable of at each age. That might make it easier to evaluate whether there is an issue. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/speech-therapy-1#post-2199170 Thu, 04 Jun 2015 14:18:49 +0000 MoonMoon 2199170@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes, we started when LO was around 19 months old because he was communicating only through grunts, and only had one or two words. EI has been wonderful for us, and now at almost 24 months, he's having a speech explosion, mimicking everything we say and amazing us with new words and 2-3 word constructions. I'm firmly of the school that it doesn't hurt to be evaluated, either put your mind at ease, or get some free therapy that feels like play for LO! Win-win. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/speech-therapy-1#post-2199166 Thu, 04 Jun 2015 14:12:24 +0000 MrsRcCar 2199166@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sorrycharlie: N is using speech services between speech therapy and EI services. It has been a serious game changer for us. We are starting E on speech therapy very soon. He is already in EI. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/speech-therapy-1#post-2199017 Thu, 04 Jun 2015 12:29:48 +0000 hellobeeboston 2199017@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sorrycharlie: we recently thought our son was behind (especially compared to some kids in his daycare) so we brought him for a screening and they used a standardized test and he ended up scoring highest in verbal communication for his age. Shocker. Compared to others he is def a little behind, but at least we know he's on track. And the woman who did the screening gave us some good tips to work on with him!! Always worth it to check it out and get some help era fly on!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/speech-therapy-1#post-2199003 Thu, 04 Jun 2015 12:22:37 +0000 hotchildinthecity 2199003@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My kid gets EI, including speech therapy, and it's been a game changer for us! I could go on and on forever on the benefits of EI. </p> <p>The only thing is, check the requirements for your state but usually a kid ages out at 3. Once you get EI situated you could be aged out. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/speech-therapy-1#post-2198994 Thu, 04 Jun 2015 12:18:11 +0000 sorrycharlie 2198994@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Truth Bombs: I know..that's what I said too! I was like, someone comes here to play. that's really it in a nutshell. she doesn't get a special shirt that declares she has a speech impediment or something! I think he's overly sensitive to (which he later admitted) our nephew who has a SLEW of developmental issues..but way, way beyond just speech. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/speech-therapy-1#post-2198953 Thu, 04 Jun 2015 11:44:41 +0000 brownie 2198953@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I knew at 18 months, my kid had a problem. The only symptom was pronunciation. At 3 he was finally diagnosed as apraxia. No one believed me. At 3 I said he wasn't understood and then everyone jumped into action (he had been in therapy for 5 months already). A year later with intensive therapy he is almost age normative.</p> <p>It never hurts to do the testing. He wouldn't have qualified for ei so we always did private therapy. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/speech-therapy-1#post-2198952 Thu, 04 Jun 2015 11:43:57 +0000 cheert16 2198952@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have been in speech therapy since 18 months (B is 26 months now) and we have seen significant improvement. He went from saying 5 words to over 50- and they are getting clearer and clearer everyday. We started with a private speech therapist- then were refered to EI- so we have been doing that for a little over 6 months. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/speech-therapy-1#post-2198947 Thu, 04 Jun 2015 11:41:29 +0000 Finfan 2198947@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lemondrop: it was hard for me to accept. I still struggle with my emotions when I get some mail for her from the special education department. But it is a fantastic program and I'm so grateful for it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/speech-therapy-1#post-2198944 Thu, 04 Jun 2015 11:39:53 +0000 lemondrop 2198944@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sorrycharlie: Also- our ped wasn't concerned, but said it wouldn't hurt to get the eval and would help keep the family peace with my IL's who were worried. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/speech-therapy-1#post-2198941 Thu, 04 Jun 2015 11:38:40 +0000 lemondrop 2198941@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We do! It is a fantastic thing! After 2 months of speech therapy, Cam has had amazing progress! </p> <p>So at Thanksgiving my MIL brought it up when C was almost 3- so we had just aged out of EI, but we qualified through the local school district. I didn't really feel there was much wrong, he's slower verbally, but being my oldest I had no idea how far behind he was. </p> <p>We went to a morning evaluation in February, they tested his hearing and sight, then gave him a battery of skill demonstrations (put the bear under the cup, where did the bear go and pointing to pictures and saying the words, sorting things with similar characteristics) and he immediately qualified for the program in March after their spring break. We took him in for an additional evaluation at the school where we met with the lead speech therapist and the lead special ed teacher, he qualified with speech and we met one more time to go through the results and his Individualized Education Program. So we get free preschool! </p> <p>He technically shouldn't start pre-school until this fall, but they wanted to get him started ASAP, so we took him 3 mornings a week for the last 2 months of school. His teachers are special ed teachers and he works with the speech therapist once a week. He only has 12 students total in class, so he gets a lot of individualized attention. His class is a mix of a few students with major delays, most with mild delays, a few ESL students, and a few student mentors. Just in two months I can't even tell you the progress we have seen. He hit a verbal explosion recently (almost 3.5), whether he would have anyway- I'm sure it's much larger than had he not been in school. He was very ready to go to school and this is the perfect opportunity for him. </p> <p>It was stressful for me to settle into the idea of, I had some bummer days accepting it (Mrs.CG was such a help with this :heart: I can't thank her enough), but now on the other end of it, I'm so glad that I made the call to get him checked out. </p> <p>Feel free to ask me anything or PM me. I'll happily give you my # if you want to talk :heart: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/speech-therapy-1#post-2198918 Thu, 04 Jun 2015 11:19:31 +0000 Finfan 2198918@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Get the eval, for sure. EI was a life changer for us. It can take a while to get enrolled and our program here is only fully funded during the school year and also stops when the child is 3 (then you are transferred to the school district for further speech therapy.) So those might be things to ask about. </p> <p>By the way, our ode wasn't concerned but our daughter was in a low percentile at her eval. And after they enrolled her, they discovered she needed even more help than they had thought originally. Almost a year later, she is nearly fully caught up and now we are working on improving intelligibility. (she had a minimal vocabulary at age 2 and really no way to communicate with us.) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/speech-therapy-1#post-2198911 Thu, 04 Jun 2015 11:16:15 +0000 mrsjyw 2198911@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sorrycharlie: my mom understands him the most after us, then my dad and then ILs. I say all four of them understand at least 50-75% of the time, the times they don't is usually when he's using the opposite language! </p> <p>I think my friends + brother probably understand him around 50% on average across all conversation. Sometimes more, sometimes less depending on the context of what they're "discussing." </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/speech-therapy-1#post-2198902 Thu, 04 Jun 2015 11:10:45 +0000 Ree723 2198902@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't see the harm in an eval, but I also don't think there is any harm in not pursuing it now either. DD1, who will be 3 this month, had literally zero intelligible words at 24 months other than mama and dada. None. She had an incredible vocabulary of her own devising but nothing intelligible. We were home visiting the States and a lot of my friends were shocked she wasn't already in intensive speech therapy, but it wasn't ever raised as a concern in Australia. And my mother's intuition told me it was personality, not a delay, especially as her receptive language was great. </p> <p>Long story short, she had a massive language explosion between 26-30 months and now holds full conversations, about 75% intelligible to complete strangers, right on par with her peers. </p> <p>I'd trust your instincts, especially given your background. If you don't think there's a problem, and nothing has been raised by your ped, I wouldn't worry. That being said, it's not like EI is going to hurt either... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/speech-therapy-1#post-2198893 Thu, 04 Jun 2015 11:07:35 +0000 Mamaof2 2198893@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sorrycharlie: it doesn't hurt to get an EI evaluation but I will add that DH sometimes cant understand our 4yr old...... no one is concerned </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/speech-therapy-1#post-2198878 Thu, 04 Jun 2015 11:01:37 +0000 Truth Bombs 2198878@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sorrycharlie: I just can't understand the motivation for your husband to argue with you. EI is free, and if they say she's totally on track, then there's no harm done. I really don't see any downside to getting an evaluation. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/speech-therapy-1#post-2198876 Thu, 04 Jun 2015 10:59:05 +0000 sorrycharlie 2198876@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mamaof2: ped wasn't concerned at her 2.5 year check, but a family member she's with often (almost as often as me) suggested it so I thought maybe I had blinders on..</p> <p>@mrsjyw: how about family members? people that see her relatively often will look to me for translation. I think I'm thrown because I'm with her 24/7 (literally, ha!) and so I understand her easily. But I also have context on my side..she speaks a mile a minute so a lot of times I have to translate.</p> <p>@Truth Bombs: @Applesandbananas: I figured it wouldn't hurt to have the eval, but my husband keeps arguing "If you spent 5 minutes with (friend's little boy, you'd see she's totally fine." he thinks I'm finding a problem when there isn't one - which I'm definitely not trying to, but I'd hate to miss EI if she does need help? It's so hard! I feel like she's easy to understand but I'm with her all the time. Definitely pronunciation and enunciation. And as an example, even though she's used exclusively straw cups (no sippies except around 6 months old) she can't figure out to form a circle with her mouth to blow air, whistle, etc.</p> <p>and ironically, my bachelor's is in communicative disorders (the "pre" degree to a master's in SLP) and I've been trying to work with her myself but idk? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/speech-therapy-1#post-2198861 Thu, 04 Jun 2015 10:48:31 +0000 Applesandbananas 2198861@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sorrycharlie: my LO is in speech therapy and they do not look for intelligibility/pronoun citation until 4-5. At your LO's age, using the same "word" to mean the same thing counts as a word, even if it's bah to mean bath tub or eee to mean tree lol. But, I'm a huge believer in EI and see no harm in having an evaluation!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/speech-therapy-1#post-2198855 Thu, 04 Jun 2015 10:46:17 +0000 Truth Bombs 2198855@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We've not been through this but my pediatrician told us at her 2 year appointment that by that point at least 50% of her speech should be understood by a stranger. So it sounds like you did the right thing in calling. There's no harm in just getting her evaluated and seeing where she stands. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/speech-therapy-1#post-2198853 Thu, 04 Jun 2015 10:45:20 +0000 mrsjyw 2198853@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DS is not understood by strangers often 100% of the time, but pedi was not concerned at all at our 2.5 year check last week. He is definitely understood by the table mamaof2 posted above. His vocabulary is expanding infinitely these days, I'm not concerned! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/speech-therapy-1#post-2198852 Thu, 04 Jun 2015 10:43:55 +0000 Mamaof2 2198852@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sorrycharlie: is your ped concerned?</p> <p>I remember reading somewhere how it should progress</p> <p>ex:</p> <p>age 2 - 25% of what your LO should be understood by a stranger</p> <p>Age 3 - 50%</p> <p>Age 4 - 75%</p> <p>or something along those lines </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/speech-therapy-1#post-2198844 Thu, 04 Jun 2015 10:41:01 +0000 sorrycharlie 2198844@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>did or does your LO have speech therapy?</p> <p>I called my daughter's pediatrician last week for a referral. She is 2 years, 8 months and has a huge vocabulary but a lot of people say they can't really understand everything she says. I just got the voicemail from the EI woman to call back to schedule them to come out and talk. my husband is not happy that I called, he doesn't think she has any delays. sigh. </p>