[ihsanidrees]

I am a Saudi woman. I have a daughter that will be turning four on 11/8. She doesn't speak that much. She says words like "stop", "ouch", "bye-bye", "milk", " sleep", and "thank you". She can count to ten and he tries to say his ABC's in English and Arabic. However these words are not that clear. If you don't really know her, you wouldn't understand what she is saying. I've not taken the steps to start her in speech therapy, because we don't have speech therapy in Saudi Arabia. This is a problem. I'm just concerned because I know she should be using two to three words sentences now. She understands simple commands, but can't carry on a conversation. She is in daycare and her teachers are also concerned. She doesn't participate in classroom activities. And it's very hard to get her to sit still and join a group activity. My problem is, since she is turning four, she needs to move up to the four year old room in daycare. However, she is not ready for that at all. The school made her stay for another year in three year classroom. In that room, the kids really have to be independent and verbal. I'm worried that her speech delay might be something extreme like Autism. I worried that I'm making too much of it, when nothing could be wrong with her. But on the flip side, it could be something wrong. I look at other kids her age or younger, and they are so much more advanced than she is. My family , my mother-in-law and some friends keep asking me why she still cannot speak. It really upsets me. I know she is smart. She is well-organized and independent. She likes joining people. But she uses few words and the rest is ununderstandable words. I am trying to make her repeat sentences after me ans she does, but she just repeating not using them. All I want is for her to be okay. If anyone has been through anything like this, I would appreciate your comments. Thanks.

[Clough]

Have you had her tested by a professional who can determine what is a challenge to her developmentally?

[Clough]

It is good that you are trying to work with her yourself. I can remember when I was in the first grade, I was in the lowest reading group. My mother took the time to work with me. I ended up being in the highest reading group after a short time.

[wackymb]

Hi, I just wanted to tell you that all kids are different. It may take certain kids longer to say or do something. I also have a 4 year old. Oh, I wanted to tell you that daycare's aren't good. I waisted $70 a week and he wasn't learning anything. He even came home just about everyday in different clothes cause he peed his underwear. I took him out and put him in preschool in a real school. You can put kids in as early as 3. Anyway, he has not peed once and I can tell he is learning a lot. He doesn't exactly now his abc's yet but, he's getting there. My son also has a little speech problem and the school is going to test him to see if he really needs help and if so, they are going to pay for it and the classes will be right there in the school. Helps me out a lot. But, he is like me, sometimes we both talk so fast that you can't understand what we're saying. I don't think he has a big problem but, might as well fix it now so it won't get worse later. You know what I mean? But, really if you are paying for daycare, it's not worth it. Put your kid in a real school. I've notice a lot of changes since the couple months of school already. My boy is shy but he still plays with others and joins in. BUT, REMEMBER ALL KIDS ARE DIFFERENT AND DEVELOP SLOWER. Just keep working with her, that's all you can really do. Oh, but don't force her. I notice that when I try to force my son to count and say the abc's that he gets mad and says that he can't do it. But, later I will hear him in his room trying to do it. Just keep doing what your doing K. Later.

[AKaeTrue]

Hey there!
I happen to be going through the same thing with my 4 and a half year old son.
Before it was determined that he just had a speech problem, they tested him for multiple disabilities to rule them out.
Do you have a place that tests for disabilities?
That would be a good place to start, so that it can be ruled out.

It was determined that 95% of my sons speech can not be understood by unfamiliar listeners, so your child is actually saying words better than he is - which is a positive thing because she is younger.

My son just started his speech therapy, so if you'd like I can share with you everything I'm learning in order to help her.
I can only help out with the English language though.

I am astonished at the way speech is developed...
I'm learning things I never knew before.
So just let me know if you're interested:)

[Wondergirl]

One of my two sons is autistic, so I know a lot about that. Your daughter may have a speech delay for some reason. The answers you've already gotten are good. Please have her tested by a good speech therapist or someone who would know how to figure out what is going on with her.

If it turns out to be a form of autism, there is much written and known about it now that wasn't true when my son was four. (He's 36 now and has a good job and many remarkable qualities.)

My best wishes to you. Please post again.

[firmbeliever]

This one is in Dubai,but you might like to try them and check if they have any therapists near you.
:: Dubai Community Health Centre ::
--------------------------------
Or Try this one.
Saudi Speech Pathology & Audiology Association

Military Hospital
ENT Department
Speech-Language Pathology Clinic
P.O. Box 70176
Riyadh - 11565
Telephone: 01-477-7714 Ext. 2478

------
King Abdulaziz University Hospital
ENT Department
Speech-Language Pathology Clinic
P.O. Box 245
Riyadh - 11411
Telephone 01-478-6100 Ext. 5200; 5201; 5206; 5207
------------------------------------------------

http://members.tripod.com/Caroline_Bowen/mena.htm
You might also want to check this link, it provides centres from Middle East, and maybe if possible you would be able to take your child to the nearest centre.

[N0help4u]

I hope you are able in your country to do all the things the others suggested.
One thing I was thinking is how is your daughter's hearing? Often when kids hearing is not good or they are deaf they can not hear the words properly to learn to say them properly.
I hope it is no more serious than something like that, but better yet hopefully she is just late developing and will catch up... soon.

[Pukara]

I am a Saudi woman. I have a daughter that will be turning four on 11/8. She doesn't speak that much. She says words like "stop", "ouch", "bye-bye", "milk", " sleep", and "thank you". She can count to ten and he tries to say his ABC's in English and Arabic. However these words are not that clear. If you don't really know her, you wouldn't understand what she is saying. I've not taken the steps to start her in speech therapy, because we don't have speech therapy in Saudi Arabia. this is a problem. I'm just concerned because I know she should be using two to three words sentences now. She understands simple commands, but can't carry on a conversation. She is in daycare and her teachers are also concerned. She doesn't participate in classroom activities. And it's very hard to get her to sit still and join a group activity. My problem is, since she is turning four, she needs to move up to the four year old room in daycare. However, she is not ready for that at all. the school made her stay for another year in three year classroom. In that room, the kids really have to be independent and verbal. I'm worried that her speech delay might be something extreme like Autism. I worried that I'm making too much of it, when nothing could be wrong with her. But on the flip side, it could be something wrong. I look at other kids her age or younger, and they are so much more advanced than she is. my family , my mother-in-law and some freinds keep asking me why she still cannot speak. It really upsets me. I know she is smart. she is well-organized and independent. she likes joining people. but she uses few words and the rest is ununderstandable words. I am trying to make her repeat sentences after me ans she does, but she just repeating not useing them. All I want is for her to be okay. If anyone has been through anything like this, I would appreciate your comments. Thanks.

You can try this place in Saudi Arabia

SAAD AL Sanea Center
Tel. 8821188

[shy shy]

Well first of all, many kids, children go threw that, babies etc I have this cuzzn that speaks that way and my aunty said that he only talks that way because he is shy or nervouse before he talks from the attention that is given to him makes him uncomfy. My cuzzn is now 16 and still has the problem but he learned how to handle it as he got older I would suggest for you to keep talking to your child and be patient some of us go threw things we can't explain or predict

[cecelia2009]

Hey there!
I happen to be going through the same thing with my 4 and a half year old son.
Before it was determined that he just had a speech problem, they tested him for multiple disabilities to rule them out.
Do you have a place that tests for disabilities?
That would be a good place to start, so that it can be ruled out.

It was determined that 95% of my sons speech can not be understood by unfamiliar listeners, so your child is actually saying words better than he is - which is a positive thing because she is younger.

My son just started his speech therapy, so if you'd like I can share with you everything I'm learning in order to help her.
I can only help out with the English language though.

I am astonished at the way speech is developed...
I'm learning things I never knew before.
So just let me know if you're interested:)

Hi, I'm interested to learn the way speech is developed, can teach me?

[Leserly]

Yes my daughter is experiencing the Same think. She is four and still cannot speak clearly. I have had her in speech therapy for six sessions and I can see a small improvement. I have 20 more to go. My doctors do not feel that she has a disorder. I am actually going to go to an ear specialist and have her hearing checked out. She passed the initial exam but I think that there might be something further going on there. And only a specialist can determine that. So you might want to consider that what she hears she cannot understand clearly and you can check that out. The ear specialist has much more advanced tests. Good luck with everything. I am fighting the same battle, but stay strong for your child and don't let her feel like something is wrong with her, it will create a complex. Stay supporitive, the sessions that we do in speech is very simple maybe you can get a friend to help you read books, but ask her to read them and let her tell you what she sees, this will also spark imagination which my child had very little of before the sessions, and flashcards, basically the therapist ask her questions and then tells her the correct way to say it... kids seem to pay attention to someone different than yourself so see if a friend can help you out.