[Ayat_jumaa]

I am very worried about my 4 year old son (he will be 4 in 4weeks). He can name anything u ask him, but he doesn't speak in sentences. When he was 2 and a half he started counting from 0 to 10 and he was counting down from 10 till 0.  He also knew all his shapes even the hard ones like hexigon and pentagon and octagon. I wasn't worried then I seriously thought he was smart. 2 years later he's still no talking in sentences, when he wants something he simply says water or eat.

He used to watch a lot of Tv and he only seemed to response to Micky mouse. He can sing all the nursery rhymes perfectly.
 
He interacts with his peers fine, he plays with his brother also fine.
He was seen by specialists 3 months ago, and all they said was that they wanted to see him in 6 months time.

He had his hearing tested and it was fine.

At the moment I don't know what to do can anyone please help!

[Wondergirl]

First, turn off the TV.

Second, take him to the library and pick out a bunch of picture books. Also, find books by Martha Alexander -- the books with pictures only and no words. Ask a librarian for suggestions for titles and authors.

Third, sit down with him in a big, cozy chair or on a couch and read to him. Take your time and point out objects in the story. Ask him, "What do you think will happen next?" and other thought- and conversation-provoking questions. Make up the stories by looking at the pictures in the Martha Alexander books. As you read the books, talk about colors, shapes, what people are wearing, animals in the pictures, facial expressions, body language, etc. Encourage your son to participate by asking open-ended questions.

Fourth, let him help you cook or bake something. He can put sprinkles on warm, just-baked sugar cookies (even use Pillsbury refrigerator rolls of dough) or add chocolate chips or measured-out ingredients into a bowl of dough or batter. He can put cupcake papers into tins. He can carefully spoon cupcake batter into the papers (use a 1/4 measuring cup as a scoop). He can put together and mix tuna salad with your help. Your imagination is your only block to allowing him to help in the kitchen. Of course, be careful about sharp utensils including knives. Carry on a running conversation with him about what you and he are doing.

As a TV watcher, he sits there passively and doesn't have to talk. Now it's time to get him involved with life and to get him talking about it.

Please let us know how it's going.

[Ayat_jumaa]

Thank u so much forbyour reply, I will visit the library tomorrow and I will get the books. Thank you again for the suggestions I will try everyone of them, and I will let you know what happens :)

[Enigma1999]

Wondergirl gave you really really good advice.

I just would like to add that my children are 2 and 4, and they LOVE going to the Library. We pick out all kinds of books, from planets, to dinasours, to insects.

I sit them down and read to them. Also, flash cards are big in my house. From colors to shapes to objects.

Reading is the key. It will really help out with his vocabulary.

Also, television is a privilege in my home. So I would suggest less TV for your little one.

Good luck.

[JoeCanada76]

I would also encourage speech therapy since your concerned and they will teach you as a parent how to encourage speech as well. They will also be able to determine whether he truly needs intervention or not and work with him.

Best of luck, and of course Wondergirl has very good suggestions.

[Ayat_jumaa]

First I would like to say thank you for your replys.

The speech therapist visited my son twice, she said he was behind with his speech, her advice was to encourage him to role play. (which I have been doing since, and it helped) she said she would like to see him in 4 months time. I was very confussed as she never explained why his behind, I was expecting a diagnoses ( I thought my son might be autistic) or at least some answers, but I got nothing. She is due to see him again soon.

[Wondergirl]

Does he make good eye contact, or does he usually not look at the person who is talking to him?

Does he make repetitive movements such as flapping his hands or jumping up and down while watching TV or when watching something exciting?

Does he walk on his tiptoes a lot?

Does he tend to stomp around when he walks?

Does he like to spin little car's wheels or get very focused on how a toy moves?

Is he very shy and doesn't like to be with people or play with other children?

Does he push you away when you try to hug or kiss him?

[Ayat_jumaa]

Wonder girl,, he doesn't keep eyecontact, and he does jump up and down while watching TV, or when watching something exciting, and he used to tiptoe a lot, but now he stopped the tiptoeing.
He plays with his car like every other child. He makes it walk on wallls and the floor. He doesn't stomp, and recently (he started 4 months ago) playing with other kids, like his cousins, his brother, and his peers at preschool,

[JoeCanada76]

Well just because there is a speech delay does not mean there needs to be a diagnostics. Does not mean he is autistic.

Also speech therapists work on encouraging speech and also growing vocabulary and sentence growth.

It is good that you have regular visits with the speech therapist.

Also would suggest getting him into a preschool program of some sort. If he is around other children more often then he will grow and learn faster.

[Wondergirl]

Wonder girl,,,, he doesn't keep eyecontact,, and he does jump up and down while watching tv, or when watching something exciting, and he used to tiptoe a lot, but now he stopped the tiptoeing.
He plays with his car like every other child. He makes it walk on wallls and the floor. He doesn't stomp, and recently (he started 4 months ago) playing with other kids, like his cousins, his brother, and his peers at preschool,

I'm not suggesting your son is autistic, but speech delay is often a major sign that a child is somewhere on the very wide spectrum. Autism is much more common than we realize. And by the way, autism isn't a bad thing. It does mean the child will learn and understand things a different way from how other children do. Figuring out how to do that is the main concern. Most of the time autistic children are very, very smart, but not able to show it in a "normal" way (and what is normal?? ). Read over this link and see if any of it sounds like your son --

Autism-Symptoms

[DoulaLC]

I wonder if he hasn't really needed to speak in sentences very much. This sometimes happens when there is an older sibling(s).

He is speaking in sentences as he sings the familiar nursery rhymes.

When he plays with his brother or cousins, sit near by and listen to the interaction. Are they playing together or more side by side? Do they engage in any conversation? Has his teacher at preschool mentioned a lack of verbal interaction?

When you do check out books, look for stories that offer repetition. Many young children will pick up on these repeating phrases/sentences and say them along with you as they anticipate when they come up in the story. Emphasize these parts so that he is encouraged to join in when you read these parts aloud.

[Ayat_jumaa]

Thank you for your replys.

His teacher at preschool told me that she doesn't see a problem.
When he plays with his cousins or brother they always speak his language like in single words so he can understand them, especially they are all older than him.

Wonder girl thank you for the information.
When he was younger, he used to have more autistic traits such as hating loud noise, not responding when anyone other than me calls him, never playing with others. All those traits seem to have gone, now he plays with others so much, he recently asked for DS, (hand held game console) I was surprised as he never showed any interest in any thing his older brother did. (my older son is addicted to video games). I always thought to myself if he is autistic why the specialists hasn't mentioned it?

[DoulaLC]

I'd ask his brother and cousins to speak to him "normally"; not to use just single words. It sounds as though his understanding of what is said to him is not an issue.

When you talk with him, what is his response to when you ask questions where he needs to give you more than a single word response. Does he share what he did at school? Will he explain a drawing to you or what is happening in a picture?

[Ayat_jumaa]

Doulal c if I ask him to explain something he doesn't seem to understand me. For example he was scratched by a cat 2 weeks ago, when I ask what happened he doesn't respond. If I say did the cat do this to you? He would reply cat,, cat where are you?
I was worried as he still wanted to play with the neighbour's cat although it scratched him. He should have had the scare of his life.

[answerme_tender]

Check with your local school system see if they have a head start program. Also I am a firm believer in sylvan learning center, they are great. It can be paid out of your payflex program at work, all you need is doctors note stating that it would benefit your child to go there, then have it put on file. Good luck

[JudyKayTee]

check with your local school system see if they have a head start program. Also I am a firm believer in sylvan learning center, they are great. It can be paid out of your payflex program at work, all you need is doctors note stating that it would benefit your child to go there, then have it put on file. Good luck

I realize Sylvan has reading programs - I cannot find anything about helping with speech development.

Do you have a website for them that covers speech?

[answerme_tender]

They have been working with my son since he was in 6yrs, they help read out loud,explain to them what he is reading,help pronounce he words. You can look them up under Sylvan and ask them any questions you may have. They would be able to tell if they can assist you or not---good luck