Language delay

Because of the way you describe her background, I would assume the delay is normal. Her adoption start date is like a new born date which would make her on target(sounds strange, but she'll start catching up at a quicker pace) Also, testing for sensory intergration and auditory processing problems may be a good idea. Really bright children with these problems often test poorly in language. If this is an issue, there are programs that teach language learning skills to help overcome this.

My son was diagnosed with receptive/expressive language disorder several months after adoption at age 10. At the time he was in 4th grade, reading at a 1st grade level. He is now 12, reading at 5th grade level. A neurologist recommended a fantastic speech/language therapist to us, she worked with him 2x per week initially and since school started this year we've cut back to 1x per week. The difference is phenominal. I would suggest starting with your local children's hospital, see if they have any kind of learning support clinic or even ADD clinic...those professionals may be able to recomend good speech therapists. A basic speech therapist who is going to work on pronouncing sounds, etc, will not help, but the right person can solve the problem completely. Interestingly, my son's therapist started by teaching him cursive, and provided me with an article that explained how cursive helps them to understand how to separate words and the importance of letter size. I wasn't to sure at first, but I'm a believer now! Good luck.

We adopted 2 from China as well! Our son was 14.5 months. He has been very behind with expressive language. His favorite phrase for a long time was "digga digga digga!" He is in a one morning a week speech class. He will have speech class several mornings a week in the fall. but he is now saying words and he is so excited. So at almost 3, he is now just learning to say words. I expect he will start kindergarten about 1 year late. But he is happy, affectionate and understands very well.

Our son is 2 and only says one word. He doesn't HAVE a vocabulary! :) He does know some sign, but doesn't use it much. We do work with an Early Intervention specialist as well as actively interact with him while talking (place his hand on our throat and lips, do exaggerated word formations, etc. as he shows interest). He has excellent receptive language, just not much expressive. He did have a rough start and a few months of hypertonia, reflux, and some seizures. Those have all mostly resolved -- he remains less flexible than many toddlers, needs antacids with meals, but no seizures in the last 1 1/2 years. I'm not overly concerned since he has had various delays, most of which are resolving, but am still keeping an active eye on how the speech is going -- or rather is NOT going. Any ideas? Web sites? Pointers for areas I might have not thought to check out? Thanks

We also, have had a lady from infant and toddler come to our house when jesse was younger to help us with mouth exercises as well. My oldest daughter speaks Chinese (she has taken lessons for several years) so she has Chinese friends. Several of them have told me that Chinese (boys) particularly often speak late. Her son began using words at 3. Jennifer's old Chinese teacher said her 2 sons spoke very late. She says they are very clever now because they have learned things in a different way. Also, I had a friend recommend Thomas Sowell's book, Einstein Theory which addresses children speaking late. Since we don't ever know for sure, we are trying to read to our son and keep him well stimulated and he just finished a month of one morning a week speech for 2 year olds. Your son sounds like he is coming along slowly but surely. Karen

My kids are not adopted, but 3 have had problems with language delays. 2 were preemies and just had speech therapy for their primary and pre school years. My 5th had NO language and was admitted into the "special ed" program through our public school system. She began that at 3, and had seen a private therapist a few times who was teaching her signs. After a few months of the speech/preschool program, she was recommended into the full blown special ed pre school program. I maintained her "regular" pre school as well, as she was one of the higher functioning in the "special ed" class. When it was time to begin Kindergarten, her "normal" preschool recommended waiting another year, one of the "special ed" teachers recommended continued special ed, but her main teacher and I decided to try public Kindergarten, She had an aid that was with her half the day, during any structured activities. At the end of the year she was allowed to go on, but I felt she had so much help and would like to see her do it more on her own. They allowed her to do another year of Kindergarten, only being taken from class to work with her aid once a week. By first grade, she didn't need her aid, although she was still monitored, by second grade she was released from the special ed program. She is beginning middle school this month, with recommendations into the G.A.T.E. (gifted and talented) program! Her teachers believe she has something close to a photographic memory and she reads beyond college level! I believe with my whole heart that the wonderful early intervention she received made all this possible! Her aid and I cried together at her graduation from elementary school last June. Good luck to everyone and wishes for happy endings! Love, Debi

At last, a topic about which I have a positive experience to relate. Our son came to us at 3, after 13 months in foster care. He had an 8 word vocabulary. Part of his problem was a controlling older sister, but a lot of it was apparently that noone ever really TALKED to the child. His first two years had been spent largely locked in a bedroom with his sister (14 mos older) while his parents and friends did drugs or went out. Who knows how it was like in his first several foster homes that he didn't learn to talk. After we had him for 6 months, we discovered a testing program and a school district preschool program for developmentally delayed kids. He got into the program for multiple problems. But they were astounded that his vocabulary was over a year above his age. How did we manage that minor miracle? Well, part of it had to be that he was a bright and curious kid. We read to him (and our other 2) a lot, we never talked down- no baby talk, kids watched very little tv at our house. My mom, an English teacher, was sure the reading was responsible. We read not only "picture books" but things that are usually seen as "beyond" kids that age. I always judge by whether or not I'm holding the kid's attention with the story. I helps to stop and ask them questions about what will happen next, etc., wiggling is allowed, it also helps to act out parts of the story and sing parts of the story - kids aren't music critics, just do it. I'm sure all the "lap time" that goes with the reading helped too.

I left out talk with and to her. Talk about anything and everything - and no baby talk. Talk about what you see while driving down the road and in the aisles of the store. Go for walks in the park or woods and encourage her to ask questions ans ask her questions about what you see. Talk to her about what you're doing at home. Describe what you are doing step by step as you cook and clean and play and encourage her to tell you about what she is doing too. Play the games one would play with a baby and toddler about naming body parts and pieces of clothing and items in the bathroom and kitchen and animals. We had a nice set of parent and baby animal cards to play "concentration", a matching and memory game with - play it with her. Cut pictures out of magazines and catalogs (a good use for junk mail) and use them for matching games (bread with a toaster, beans with a saucepan, eggs with a skillet, shampoo with a head of hair, nail clippers with a hand, vacuum with carpet, etc) Let her make a scrapbook and paste pictures of similar things together on pages. Or just let her pick out whatever pictures she likes and then talk with her about her choices. This can be a lot of fun as it never ceases to amaze and delight me to see what kinds of pictures a young child will chose, given free rein. All this helps her learn about the world around her and build a vocabulary to talk about it and get practice in putting sentences together and gain confidence in her language skills. I read a post about someone who adopted teens who did not know how to operate a microwave or answer a ringing phone. Sadly, many of these kids come to us from environments where they have not been exposed to normal , daily activities and so have no experience with them and no vocabulary to describe or even ask about them. Often the adults in their lives simply ignored them. More than I care to think about were locked away to be out of sight and out of mind and "less trouble". Good luck.

When you said to "...talk to them". I'm SO used to having ongoing one sided conversations with my toddler that I sometimes do it even when he's not with me! I think there are alot of store clerks out there who think I'm more than 1/2 a bubble off of plumb! LOL The reading aloud to kids is very good advice, too. We've done books on tape, as well. Beverly Cleary (Mouse on a Motorcycle, etc.) and Hank the Cow Dog series are two of our kids' favorites. In the car the kids are a captive audience and they LOVE the tapes, even the 2 year old. (Ok, he falls asleep sometimes, but he does really like the tapes generally.) I discovered that our two year old is "talking" more than I realized...we just don't know what the grunts mean. He has grunts that he considers to be words. He does have two words that I can easily recognize: hot and gross. Hot is for anything he's not supposed to touch (hey, he's got the right concept going there) and gross usually is for when we drive by a skunk on the highway or when we change diapers. There is an "ugh" for yes, and another "Ungh" sound for "no", I just can't really tell them apart right now. He views this as talking, so no longer shakes or nods his head. He only "says" things as he deems necessary, and never wastes words. Usually it is in the form of some exhalation or grunt. Is this testosterone related? I know some men who are very like this....

our soon to be 3 year old came to us 1year ago, at 23 months old with no language at all. She was severely neglected in her previous foster home, from 9-23 months old. Left in her crib, except when EI or dss came to see her that is. She was dx'd as autistic because of her behaviors and lack of affect/eye contact. She was functioning at a 6 month old level. Now, getting ready for preschool, her ONLY delays, really, are receptive speech. It is thought she has an autitory processing delay and has been preliminarily dx'd for this. She will be going to half day preschool , in a language based program through spec ed services, 5 days a week. She understands close to age appropriate (29-33mos) but receptively, she is at are just behind by a year (20-24 mos) This is thought that because she had little to no interaction by adults, she never learned proper pronunciations, word formations, or vowel, consanant sounds (sp). She phrases things oddly, and her word formations are off as is her articulation. Those that know her, understand her, bu those that don't have a hard time. Considering the progress she has made in a year's time, it is thought she will catch up with help, but EI has been great, and with the school taking into account her background, and reason's for her delay's. that has helped alot in getting her the services she needs. We hope to adopt her, by the summer, and give her some stability. Good luck

first off, i apoligise if this was already said, i didnt read every post. our 6 yr old has speech issues also. we requested an IEP at his school and he, low and behold, has language delays.....surprise surprise... what we are doing is making sure that he will be getting speech therapy in school. Children need to address this ASAP, due to it could set him back with reading and everything. If a child cannot understand sounds, then he can not read. also, we were told to read alot of books that rhyme, due to connecting sounds, like dr seuss books and things. DO NOT keep correcting him/her when they arent speaking write. IF they feel bad about it, then they are more apt to not learn. dadfor2

oppsssss, shes only 4, sorry..... the year before she goes into kindergartin, i would get an IEP on her. Then start speech therapy at the school. our son who turned 6 in january, we had his IEP done, he will be starting kindergartin in sept so he will be doing his speech therapy before he actually starts. But, continue reading books that rhyme. THey need to be able to connect the sounds together. dadfor2