The Late Talker: What to Do If Your Child Isn't Talking Yet

My son is 23 months old and not talking. While I would dearly LOVE to believe that he will simply "grow into it" as has been suggested by well-meaning doctors, specialists, and other parents, I thought something was wrong. I even took him to a developmental pediatrician to ask if his feeding difficulties might be tied to his speech issues - she said no. So I relaxed. And the issues continued. It was when I was searching for an answer that I happened upon this book.And my son is Tanner. I read the first chapter and was so scared I closed the book. I could not deal. Over the next couple of days, I read subsequent parts, usually pieces of a chapter before I got scared again. But it kept resounding in me ... THIS is what he had, THIS is what the issue has been, THIS is the name of it! His speech therapist thinks so too, and now so too does the developmental pediatrician.Yes, it was scary. But it was scary from the standpoint that when my son was born 12 weeks too early, the doctors gave his odds for various conditions and they were very high. We had passed all of the critical parts along the way, with no issues of the cited disabilities. I knew the feeding issues were important - never mind that no doctor or even his feeding therapist thought anything of them, I knew there was an issue. And for those difficulties to be a precursor for the speech problems? Wow. I am amazed that NO ONE ever saw it, no matter how much I asked or how many evaluations I demanded.While this book is scary, it also gives me hope. It tells me that with therapy (the RIGHT therapy, no less), he can improve his speech. It says I did right, asking questions so early. It says Early Intervention is key. That all is hope. But even more, it gave me a road map for my next couple of years. Those of you who are saying it is scary for the average Late Talker, yeah, I get that. For the few parents out there with apraxic kids, though, it's like they are talking to our souls. They know. They know the fight, they know the fears, they know that the worst thing to do is nothing.I am so glad I happened upon this book. While I was scared, I am not now - now, I know my path and I am steeled to following it, for the betterment of my son.

I was very impressed with the book as my thirty month old great grandson is not talking as he should. His speech and vocabulary is very limited. The book gave several reasons why he might be having a problem so I was eager for his parents to read it. I gave the book to my son and his wife, the boys grand parents, first. They got excited about the cod liver oil remedy. They took the book to their daughter to read. We thought she would at least try the cod oil but it seems she became offended that we might think her baby has a talking problem.At this point, two weeks later, we don't know if she got him the cod oil or has him in therapy or if she is still offended but we thank you for the book as it let us know he just may be a late talker or that there are ways we can help him if there is a bigger problem. We are hoping his Mama decides to use the suggestions and help him too before his friends and others start making fun of him.

This book helped alleviate many of my concerns, and I am hopeful that my son may begin to talk soon - he is four and has been in speech therapy for over a year and a half, and although his progress is slow, there is marked progress that keeps hope alive. He is nowhere near as verbal or even clear in his speech as his nearly two year old sister, but he does try to communicate verbally rather than rely on sign language.Parents can really benefit from the advice in this book about IEP meetings and dealing with insurance companies. Luckily, I have not had to fight on those fronts as much as others, so I feel there is a real team working to improve my son's impairments.

I bought this book and found the most helpful information was about nutritional information. After speaking with my son's pediatrician about the author's recommendations, I started my then 2 year old son on 1 teaspoon of Nordic Natural Pro-EFA (Essential Fatty Acids 3 , 6 and 9) in his apple juice each morning. At the time, he was completely non-verbal and only made occasional squeals in an effort to communicate but I knew that he was very smart from the way he understood what I said to him. Honestly, within one week of the supplementation, he walked into the kitchen one morning and called me "mama." From that day until this, he has added a word or two a day to his vocabulary. He now says and uses about 160 nouns correctly and about 40 verbs. He is still behind his age group but I am so thankful that he has found his voice!! We also found the Be Smart Baby Bumblebee DVDs to be very helpful. They are so slow paced but he seems to enjoy learning the words in each DVD.

This is without a doubt, one of the best books I've ever read. Having a late talker in the family is no easy matter. This book gives you a practical step-by-step of what you should be asking, doing, and looking out for when it comes to taking care of a child with delayed speech issues.I originally bought this book to educate myself on the subject of Late Talkers. I received more than that. I received a message of hope and understanding. There are many things you can do within your reach to help out a child afflicted with this condition. I was unaware of the types of specialists that one should see, instead of the usual family pediatrician. This book makes you realize that not all doctors are knowledgeable enough to give a proper diagnosis. In fact, many children are misdiagnosed for this reason. Wrong doctor, wrong diagnosis.I highly recommend this book to anyone who even suspects their child's speech is not developing in a 'normal' way. Don't leave it up to chance, or the good intentions of family and friends. Educate yourself and be prepared to battle for your child.

The most useful thing I got out of reading this book is the knowledge to use omega-3 fatty acids. Everything else I was either aware of or already doing