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Behaviour/development

DD speech delay - not glue ear, so what else?

64 replies

TootaLaFruit · 21/02/2011 10:13

My DD is 2.4 and has very few words. I've always felt a niggle that something might be up but didn't want to be an overly anxious parent, especially as everyone always says "kids develop at different rates/one day she'll wake up speaking whole sentences etc"

But, her nursery (which she goes to 3 morning a week) spoke to me and suggested we have her tested for glue ear as they felt her speech was very behind where it should be. By that I mean it's not that she's not trying to speak, it just all comes out completely babbled. She really, really tries but is pretty much incomprehensible. My DH and I are pretty much the only ones who get what she's saying, and a lot of the time I have no idea. She doesn't make sentences either, or use verbs. It's all 'more, eese (please), nanoo (thank you), mummy, dada, no, inder (in there), dees (this)'. That really is about it. A few animal noises and grunting sounds to convey pretty much everything else.

Anyway, sorry for going on, I will get to the point! Her hearing test came back perfectly fine, no glue ear or liquid at all and everything normal. I'm taking her to see a paediatrician to rule out anything else, but can anyone give me any advice on what it could be. I'm worried that if I don't push for her to be tested for the right things then they'll miss something and she'll end up even more delayed.

Sorry for the length of post Blush and thanks if you're still reading! She also drools a lot - painting a gorgeous picture, aren't I? Confused Wink

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donkir · 21/02/2011 10:21

Hi there. Silly question can she poke her tongue out? It sounds like it could be tongue tie. She's finding it difficult to say the letters that require the tounge to to form them.

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TootaLaFruit · 21/02/2011 10:35

Hi Donkir, yes she can poke her tongue out, quite far actually so I don't think it's that. I know it's hard to guess without actually seeing the child - it's more like she knows what sounds she should be making, but it comes out garbled... she sometimes gets 'stuck' on a sound as well so will say 'doidoidoidoidoidoi' again and again when it clearly means nothing.

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TootaLaFruit · 21/02/2011 10:37

You are right about her tongue not making the shapes to form sounds though - it's almost like her tongue is too big for her mouth Hmm
(it's not actually massively big, just seems 'lazy' maybe)

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RunforFun · 21/02/2011 10:41

Does everything look all right in her mouth ? is the dangly thing at the back look normal ?

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donkir · 21/02/2011 10:41

Hmm at a loss to what to suggest then sorry. Does she have all her teeth? Still uses a dummy (this can cause problems if left in when trying to talk.) I'm sure a speech therapist could work wonders. Its just getting her refered thats the long wait. I would have thought that the nursery would have good contacts for this though.

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TootaLaFruit · 21/02/2011 10:44

The nursery have a speech therapist who comes in to work with another child so hopefully she can get some lessons with her. Is it expensive, do you know?

She has all her teeth and a dummy at night, but not during the day.
RunforFun - she won't let me look!! Angry Blush I've heard of swollen adenoids causing drooling - could they delay speech too?

Thanks for all your replies btw

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donkir · 21/02/2011 10:46

Theres a condition called Macroglossia which is caused by a large tongue.

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TootaLaFruit · 21/02/2011 10:52

googling, thanks!

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TootaLaFruit · 21/02/2011 10:55

Yikes, just seen some pics and it's definitely not that - her tongue is normal size, just quite long when she pokes it out... I realise I did say it seemed too big for her mouth, but now that I've seen what 'too big' looks like, I'll take that back!! Thanks though.

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RunforFun · 21/02/2011 10:56

I think you have to keep in perspective that at 2.2 she is still very very young. Dont google too much !!

My son has a physical deformity of his mouth. I noticed it when he was crying one day, although he was 'behind his peers' at that stage too, so like I say keep an eye out next time she is in the mood to let you look.

I found the more I pestered the more he clammed up !

Speak to your HV too. Waiting lists in your area might be quite lengthy.

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donkir · 21/02/2011 10:57

lol sorry to scare you. Thats the problem with the net alsways show you the worst cases. Good luck finding a cause though.

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Theantsgomarching · 21/02/2011 11:01

My dd never made a sound till gone 2... Literally was silent or crying, no wordy sounds at all. At about 2.7 she started with mammy daddy yeah and a few more basic sounds. She is now 2.11 and came to me this morning and said. Cornflakes please mammy, and blueberries and apricots. Yummy. Thank you my mummy. Me eat in here

So, massive improvements. There is a class at our local sure start called chattering chimps especially for kids with speech delay, give your centre a call and see if you can join. Also, the hannon book called it takes two to talk is excellent...

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TootaLaFruit · 21/02/2011 11:05

Thanks everyone - I am wondering if I should chill a bit and just see what happens. I'd feel so awful if it turned out there was a physical reason for it though....

Going to check out the Hannon book, thanks theantsgomarching. I'm dreaming of the day my dd says what yours did - all I get it 'DEES!' and finger pointing at the rice krispies.

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TootaLaFruit · 21/02/2011 11:06

Donkir - ha, don't worry you didn't scare me - it actually made me realise that maybe I was worrying about problems that weren't even there.

Munchausen by proxy alert Grin

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TootaLaFruit · 21/02/2011 11:11

theantsgomarching - where did you buy your copy from? Amazon says it's £52!!

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bamboobutton · 21/02/2011 11:12

my ds has just turned 3 and talks the same as your dd.

he's been to see the speech therapist recently and she said he's a bit behind but it's nothing to worry about and he will improve in his own time, all the excerices she gave to help him we already were doing so i just think he's a late bloomer.

ask your HV for a speech therapy referral and you won't have to pay for it then.

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oddgirl · 21/02/2011 11:47

verbal dyspraxia springs to mind particularly with the excess drooling and tongue issue. Can she stick her tongue out to order, can she blow/suck/chew. How is her receptive language (ie does she appear to understand more than she can speak?). has she got any other motor difficulties-does she appear floppy at all? Late to walk? Can she jump?
Children can have verbal and/or oral dyspraxia with or without motor dyspraxia. If hearing problems ruled out really really push for a SALT referral. It can take a while and if in the meantime she starts to speak with no problem then great, if not you are in the system!
HTH (ps have DS with verbal dyspraxia!)

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Theantsgomarching · 21/02/2011 11:58

Believe it or not I paid £60 for a second hand one on eBay... I was assured on here it was worth it and would sell on again for the same price...

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cheapFlower · 21/02/2011 12:10

DD is 3 and also speech and language delayed.

I would certainly get her evaluated by a SALT - speech delay is a very wide field. and also good you got an appointment with a paed!

just wondered - how is your DD's understanding?

the reason for my DDs is a receptive delay (i.e. her understanding is behind - but don't know yet why that is). is she able to follow commands?

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cheapFlower · 21/02/2011 12:12

also, have you considered signing to help DD's communication?

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TootaLaFruit · 21/02/2011 14:14

Oddgirl - she started walking at 11 months and can run, jump, throw balls, catch etc,
so she's very physical. She can blow, suck, chew etc. It's just her speech that's behind. Her receptive language is great - she understands commands ("go get your shoes and coat", "put it in the pink bowl", "take that back to your room" etc)
She also knows all her numbers and most of the alphabet, (ie, she can pick specific ones out of a line-up, just can't say them well).

Oral dyspraxia has crossed my mind, but I don't really know enough about it to know if I'm jumping the guns. Will mention to GP, I think.

theantsgomarching it must be the holy grail... think DH would kill me though if I spent that much! [grin}

cheapflower I'm hoping that the GP can get her referred to a SALT - can I ask that it's the one from her nursery or do they assign you one of their own choice?

And re: signing, we haven't done any official baby sign language but dd has 'invented' her own one and that's how she does a lot of communicating. My family, DH and I have all started copying her sign language... she's either speech delayed or an evil genius Grin

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cheapFlower · 21/02/2011 14:20

we got referred for SALT via GP but I later found out that you can refer yourselves. wish I had figured this earlier.

just find your local SALT department and give them a ring.

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BalloonSlayer · 21/02/2011 14:23

Probably not all that helpful but trying to be reassuring.

All my DCs have had speech delay. With the older two it has sorted itself out, with DS2 it seems to be but he is only 3.6.

Last year we were away, that's how I remember he was 2.7, when we were delighted because he said "Woofwoof ate mine" [dog ate the remains of his toast thrown out for the birds] - his first proper sentence.

If your DD is saying "More please" at 2.4 I'd say she is doing better than he was.

My DD had practically no words at the 2 year check. She is now 9 and people look at me like this: Hmm and Shock when I say that as she talks 19 to the dozen.

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TootaLaFruit · 21/02/2011 14:41

Thanks for the info cheapFlower , I didn't realise I could do that.

BalloonSlayer that is reassuring, thank you. And helpful! I have always tried not to do the comparisons thing with other people's kids, but all of dd's nct lot and nursery friends are talking non-stop and she is the only silent one Sad

It helps to hear that other people's children have speech delay too - these comparisons definitely help! The more I hear the more I realise that it is so very common, and that if she does need SALT then that's usually very successful too.

I suppose we just all want our babies not to have to struggle or suffer at all. And actually, apart from getting frustrated once in a while, DD herself doesn't really seem to care at all Confused Grin

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ArthurPewty · 21/02/2011 14:48

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