disciplining a non communicating child

[chubbymomie2012]

hi
im not entirely sure what the problem is with my ds. he is 2 years and 2 months and he has little or no speech which really worries me. His understanding is questionable, at times he seems to understand fully what we say and others he completely blanks us. i dont know if this is a behavior issue or if he has a deeper problem..... any ideas?

[ScooseIsLoose]

My dd was like this she is now 2.7 and communicating alot more. Have you been in touch with your hv?

[chubbymomie2012]

i have, the problem is i am a paediatric intensive care nurse and i get the impression she is afraid of me. this is my 3rd of four dc's and she keeps saying dont worry sure with ur experience he'll be grand.
im like noooooo please help. so im wondering should i go to GP for a cdc referral. how did u get your wee one to talk more or did it just happen?

[StillSmilingAfterAllTheseYears]

Have you asked the HV to refer you? Ask her straight and if she says no ask her to explain why not.

You are worried? Tell the HV you are worried and as a nurse and experienced mum you want her to refer you.

Does your child babble or make few noises overall?

[ScooseIsLoose]

I took her to more groups at the sure start centre in particular a chatterbox group and just continued to talk to her all the time. I also bought a book called usbourne 1000 first words and we go through that and point and say the words together. We have just got the appointment through for a speech and language assessment it can take a few months so do see your hv and they will assess and then refer your son if they think he needs it.

[chubbymomie2012]

Stillsmiling yes he babbles he says his name when it suits him and the only other thing he says other than mam and daddy is where are you in a sing song voice..

[ThreeBeeOneGee]

Has he had any ear infections or colds recently? Maybe he is bunged up some of the time or has glue ear. That was the case with our DS1. Both medical backgrounds and yet neither of us realised.
He did have to have a bit of speech therapy in Reception but was completely caught up by Y1.

[ilovevenice]

My DS3 had his 2 year check today (he will be 2 next week - they were being efficient!) and the HV has referred him for speech therapy. He has about 15-20 words, but she said that it can take a few months for a referral to come through, and if he's chatting away by the time the appointment comes round, we can always cancel. She said it was better not to wait too long, as the younger they are, the easier it is to help them (but also not too panic as speech and language therapy is one of the most common referrals they make).

[chubbymomie2012]

I think I need a new health visitor!

[chocjunkie]

bypass HV. go to GP and get a referral for a hearing test and for SALT (in most areas u can also self refer to SALT). tbh, the not communicating (rather than not talking) & lack of understanding would concern me.
also worth doing the M-Chat and see if it flags up anything and if so, discuss with GP. might be also worth getting a referral to a developmental paed. he is 2.2, waiting lists can be very long. just get the ball rolling. good luck

[chocjunkie]

m chat

[lljkk]

I've had 3 DC with delayed speech (mild).

He sounds within the normal spectrum, but I would firmly ask for a referral for SLT assessment. You're not a child development expert, you aren't supposed to figure this all out for yourself. There's a lot to being a SLT, stuff your HV can't know either.

You could go private, you know, if that's any easier, just to get a one-off assessment of where he's at.

Early speech is all about listening skills so anything you can help with his comprehension will be good. Better eye contact, him seeing how your mouth makes the sounds, repeating words, taking turns talking games, etc.

[Gunznroses]

OP Can you explain a bit more about the 'discipline' side of things ? What is his behaviour like about from him not being very verbal ? They could all be interlinked, him not being able to express himself.

[FrustratedSycamoresRocks]

Behavioural issues can be linked to communication problems. I'd advise bypassing the HV if she's not being helpful, and ask doctor to refer, both to a paediatrian and to audiology.