Devleopmentally normal or not?

I know there have been a few posts about developmentally normal behaviours at certain ages, but I seem to remember somebody saying that it is a bad sign if a child stops saying some of the words he/she used to say. I have a 22 month old in my care who has been late to do everything...he walked at 19 months, napped a lot until about that age, and talks very little. He now has probably less than 10 words that I hear him say. He used to say "uh-oh" and "thank you"...but in the past weeks I noticed that he doesn't say them anymore and I have been trying to get him to say them to see if he can...he just looks at me blankly. I know that all kids learn to walk and talk at their own pace, but should I be worried? Should I mention it to the parents? They recently mentioned that they thought he was hitting the terrible twos as he is for the first time putting up a fight to do things he doesn't want to do...but for me the behaviours he is exhibiting are more like a 16-18 month old...in that stage where they suddenly realize they can resist. I am not even sure how I would broach this topic with the parents as I don't think they feel he is delayed (except for the walking). And, I am not a doctor and don't really know if this is just his normal. Advice?

Yes .... LOSS OF LANGUAGE is a red flag .... in my experience children who've had language and lost it or stopped using it so to speak did so because they had permanent hearing loss either due to repeated scarring from ear infections that were not treated OR because of some physical abnormality in the ear canal ... I would have to say something to the parent for sure and push them to not only be seen by the family Dr but a SPECIALIST who deals with children and hearing loss because sadly too many DR are not ON BOARD with early intervention and will just say let it wait .... however the longer you wait the longer it takes to get to see the specialists and so forth and the longer this child will struggle and have ALL his areas of development affected .... communication is KEY to so many stepping stones for children and when hearing loss or impairment prevents proper communication from being engrained children suffer in their social emotional, cognitive and often physical domains as a result :(

Thanks Reggio! I have been wanting to find a way to broach the topic of this child's development for awhile, but was hoping with time he would catch up. To me he is about even with the 13 month olds I have in care in pretty much every way. My husband thinks I should not say anything and that all kids are different, but he has no experience with this sort of thing...it just makes me feel like I am being nit-picky to even notice such a thing. I would just hate to see him go undiagnosed for something that could be treated. Any advice on how to say this to them without making them feel overly alarmed or defensive?

Regression in skills such as talking and potty training are also signs of autism....if I were you I would definitely keep an eye on his development and try making a loosely based comment to Mom or Dad, don't make a big deal of it, maybe just comment that he has not been using certain words he had for such a period of time now, ask them if they have noticed anything lately?

He is very loving and makes eye contact well, will try to copy actions for songs, etc...so not sure about the autism. He just doesn't seem to be making progress with speech and even his receptive skills...I can tell him things and he just looks at me blankly. I will have to find a way to mention these things in a non-threatening way.

Do you ever speak to him from behind, perhaps he has a hearing issue, a lot of kids around that age do develope issues with hearing due to a few too many ear infections or just undeveloped ear drums and such, it seems very common for kids around the age of 3-4 to have those disolvable plugs put in to help with hearing loss due to underdevelopement.

Sunnydays ... I have a child who is now 18 months both his parents and I were concerned about his speech and language ... he could follow simple directions, he would hum tunes but he would not TALK ... her family Dr was not concerned however she pushed to have him tested hearing wise as well as to see a pediatrician.

First hearing test showed he was missing certain 'tones' ... so depending on how high or low your voice tone was he was not hearing you ... they said he might 'outgrow' it but they would monitor it.

Peditrician told them that because he has an anaphylaxis allergy to Penicillian that he could also be having allergic reactions to MILK because while Canadian cows are not suppose to use growth hormones they still use antibiotics to prevent mastitis in the cows and that gets passed on to the milk ... they took the child off ALL cow dairy including anything that said 'may contain' .... within a week the little dude when from virtual no words to taking in 2-3 word sentences with about 40 clear words ... it was AMAZING the difference and every day more language is emerging .... apparently the dairy allergy reaction caused excess mucus and so forth in his system and sinuses and it made it hard for him to hear properly and figure out how to make the 'sounds' needed to talk so he just wasn't trying to talk likely cause no one understood what he was saying when he tried to 'babble' :(

His most recent hearing test after a month off dairy ~ perfect!!!!

What about suggesting a visit with First Words here in Ottawa and from there they will show them what is normal for his age and what is not and make sure they take your observations with them.

If you come right out and say that you have observed that many of the things he was saying he is no longer saying and it appears to be frustrating him and that you think it might be one of the reasons for some of his negative behaviour. Once you point out the speech specifically to the parents even if they disagree you have planted the seeds of doubt.

Loss of language is definitely a sign of some sort of health or learning issue.

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Originally Posted by sunnydays

He is very loving and makes eye contact well, will try to copy actions for songs, etc...so not sure about the autism.

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My son was also good with these things at that age, and he's just been diagnosed with Asperger's. He's 5 now.

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Originally Posted by sunnydays

He is very loving and makes eye contact well, will try to copy actions for songs, etc...so not sure about the autism. .

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I go the same way that JennJubie on this one. My niece is great with eye contact and is autistic. they are SO meany different kind of autism these days....

I have a little boy who is 24 months in my daycare who is driving me just a teensy weensy bit nutso too and I can't figure out what's wrong with him. But I give the parents an update at the end of each day with all of my concerns and the facts as I see them. It's up to the parents to talk to their doctor about the big issues.

We shouldn't have to find the 'labels' or diagnose the problems, that's up to the doctor, but we can give the parents gently hints that maybe there is something a little out of the ordinary that should be checked out.

Today I tried to get him to even point to his own nose, eyes, etc...nothing...just blank stares and little smile. He was able to do that in the past a little bit. I tried talking to him from across the room...sometimes he does respond and other times not...maybe it could be a tone thing or maybe he is ignoring me...so hard to know. I will find a way to express my concerns to the parents in a non-threatening, non-alarming way. He has been sick a lot lately...maybe I will broach it from that standpoint...getting the hearing checked as a starting point. It isn't frustrating me in any way in particular...mostly his behaviour is fine except for certain times...but I just feel that it isn't quite normal and not sure if he could be helped in some way.

My little 2 year old guy is verbally advanced and talks and talks and talks but can't answer or comprehend a simple question or command of any kind. I have wondered about autism too. He says something, then repeats and repeats it until I ask him to stop. He can't answer a question of any kind. Crafting has been making me crazy because I ask him to choose a colour of a popsicle stick or pipecleaner or paper and he doesn't understand at all. I say 'put that on the glue' and he doesn't understand and we've done it for over a year!

He is catching on slowly to 'breakfast time' lunchtime, time to change your diaper and other things that happen regularly daily but if I say anthing or the other children say anything he just repeats and repeats and repeats. I have a little girl a month younger than him who absolutely HATES him and I'm always scolding her to be nicer to him, but I sooooo agree with her! Oh man! This job is so hard!

It's funny because with the little one I have, I wouldn't even dream of giving him a choice or really asking him much of anything as he just looks at me blankly...it's like talking to a 12 month old...you talk, but you don't expect any particular kind of response. He is really sweet and everybody loves him because he is so gentle and kind, but really he just does his own thing in his own way and in my mind I put him in with the two 13 month olds I have in care. It avoids frustration at him not being able to do things. Maybe it's wrong to think like this, but I can only push him so much.

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Originally Posted by sunnydays

It's funny because with the little one I have, I wouldn't even dream of giving him a choice or really asking him much of anything as he just looks at me blankly...it's like talking to a 12 month old...you talk, but you don't expect any particular kind of response. He is really sweet and everybody loves him because he is so gentle and kind, but really he just does his own thing in his own way and in my mind I put him in with the two 13 month olds I have in care. It avoids frustration at him not being able to do things. Maybe it's wrong to think like this, but I can only push him so much.

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That's how I feel about my 2 year old boy, he's more like the 15 month old baby, while I consider the almost 2 year old girl one of the big kids. It's the difference in their motor skill abilities and comprehension skills, not necessarily their language skills.

I keep trying to give my little guy choices and asking him questions to try to help him learn to answer a question and understand talking with others and not just AT others. That's the problem he has with the other children. He's in their space and takes their toys, but not to be mean, her really doesn't understand socialization. He is a sweetie and sounds a lot like your little guy. It sounds like we have similar days!

[QUOTE=apparently the dairy allergy reaction caused excess mucus and so forth in his system and sinuses and it made it hard for him to hear properly and figure out how to make the 'sounds' needed to talk so he just wasn't trying to talk likely cause no one understood what he was saying when he tried to 'babble' :( [/QUOTE]

Reggio, did you notice the mucus too? I have an almost 20-month-old in my care who says absolutely nothing, and his face is just constantly goopy. He says "ba" and "boo" and NO other consonants - my daughter was speech delayed, and I remember the speech therapist asking if she said other sounds like ga, da, ma, etc, and that apparently that was the red flag, that she didn't attempt any other sounds. This little guy is the same. No imitation, no attempts at any other consonants at all, and his eyes and nose are ALWAYS goopy and slimy. Every minor cold that goes by, his face is just a mess for a week. Even when he's healthy, his eyes and nose are still just dripping goop. At least he lets me wipe it for him though!

He understands things when I ask him to get things or do something, and "dances" when the little baby piano plays music, so I know he can hear at least somewhat, but that's an interesting connection that I had never heard of before. He's still on formula, since he also has pretty crazy eating issues - he will only eat pureed baby food, even though he's got a ton of teeth. He'll also eat crackers, toast, cheese, and a bit of pasta, but everything else, he won't even let go near his mouth. He does have yogurt every morning for breakfast though, and cheese and yogurt throughout the day, so I could feasibly see dairy being a culprit. Thanks for the heads up!

Autism and hearing loss were my first 2 thoughts. Loss of language is a red flag. I wouldn't let that go too long before discussing with parents. At the very least, a hearing test would rule out one diagnosis.

I would definitely tell the parents that a visit to the "Dr." is warranted. I have an issue in the past 1 1/2 years where I told a parent they should see a Dr. They just recently saw a Nurse Practitioner "not" a Dr. or specialist. I believe in Nurse Practictioner whole heartedly but not in place of a Dr. or specialist for a specific problem such as I dealt with or you are dealing with. Good luck. Be strong and forceful if necessary - for the child's sake.

This thread is over a year old

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Originally Posted by CrazyEight

Reggio, did you notice the mucus too? I have an almost 20-month-old in my care who says absolutely nothing, and his face is just constantly goopy. He says "ba" and "boo" and NO other consonants - my daughter was speech delayed, and I remember the speech therapist asking if she said other sounds like ga, da, ma, etc, and that apparently that was the red flag, that she didn't attempt any other sounds. This little guy is the same. No imitation, no attempts at any other consonants at all, and his eyes and nose are ALWAYS goopy and slimy. Every minor cold that goes by, his face is just a mess for a week. Even when he's healthy, his eyes and nose are still just dripping goop. At least he lets me wipe it for him though!

He understands things when I ask him to get things or do something, and "dances" when the little baby piano plays music, so I know he can hear at least somewhat, but that's an interesting connection that I had never heard of before. He's still on formula, since he also has pretty crazy eating issues - he will only eat pureed baby food, even though he's got a ton of teeth. He'll also eat crackers, toast, cheese, and a bit of pasta, but everything else, he won't even let go near his mouth. He does have yogurt every morning for breakfast though, and cheese and yogurt throughout the day, so I could feasibly see dairy being a culprit. Thanks for the heads up!

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Reggio hasn't been contributing to this site for about 9 months now

Perhaps this site needs to close down threads once they have gone unactive for a period of time?

Another forum I am on does this after 3 months of inactivity. Just a thought?

Well it may have information in it that is useful to other people but to post suggestions to the original poster is kind of redundant. So it is important to look at the starting date of the thread

On the other forum, the threads are still there and you can read them but you can't reply to them. If you want to start a new thread on the same topic you can do that though. It seems to work really well.

I never look at the dates or times that people post so I am guilty of writing on old threads :) However, even if the person is answering the original poster's question, it can still be useful info to those who are reading it and maybe having the same issue?