[diya]

When it's your first child, we r too overconcerned and lot of times get worked up too.. Don't worry... develpment in every child is different. Give him time... if he is able to speak normal words like mama and daddy, he'll get around talking much more later... just needs time. Talk to him as much as possible... don't push him into anything... build your confidence which will eventually reflect on him as a child. I started talking late too and now I speak like no one...

[Chrissy8818]

Don't let anyone project an illness on your child that he may or may not have.. (Autism)
Please I hope I don't offend anyone. But I have a grandchild that has just turned 3 and he didn't talk at all. And everyone wanted to give that diagnosis ! Please don't give up.. there are special tapes you can find.. that help with interaction Little Leaps.. Fisher price Little People it is a mat that has several animals that comes with it and when you press the matt on the picture it gives the sound and the type of animals they are. My grandchild is already sounding out words and trying to talk. You can find a speech therapist in your area that will help him or her. Good luck and God Bless!!

[lfsxthnudie]

Ask the doctor to recommend a specialist. First a speech pathologist. Are there any other learning delays? Has he hit his other milestones? If not, you may want to see a neurologist as well to check for any other possible disorders. Good luck, and no, it's not your fault :)

[Emland]

At 3 my daughter could only say "Daddy" and "no." She would scream in frustration and we were at our wits end. We had her screened by the public school system and seen by a ear, nose and throat doctor. She was diagnosed developmentally delayed and enrolled in pre-school, but I was certain she was okay cognitively.

Long story short - she had allergies. The hearing tests came back normal because they were doing a test at the assessment center that checked to determine if her eardrum was vibrating correctly. Since she couldn't communicate well they didn't do the "can you hear this" kind of test. Her ears were stopped up and after the ENT suggested Zyrtec then Claritin (peds kind) almost all our troubles disappeared. Within 60 days of being on the meds she had picked up 50 to 75 words and now she gets in trouble for talking in class. We had a further complication in that my daughter's eyesight is extremely poor (+9.25 correction both eyes) which the assessment center said could have caused part of the delay as well.

It never hurts to have them checked out thoroughly by your doctor and if you think he is not taking you seriously, get another doctor or ask for a doctor who specializes in developmental delay. My oldest is MRDD and you would be getting other signs there is a problem, most likely.

Lastly, she was a screamer, too. The first month of day care was horrible. I gave the staff a gift certificate to our local Pizza place along with flowers when she completed her first week without crying. You will just have to do it and just not let guilty feelings change your routine. The fit throwing will diminish once the language gets better.

Hang in there.

[wordsmyth]

Hey, my son's 3 1/2 years old, and just now started really communicating... he's still a long way from being proficient in his speaking, but he's coming along nicely. I had the same issues, he went through speech therapy, and it all came down to... when he's ready to talk, he'll talk... he was the same way with his walking, but once he found his balance, he was off and running. Children do things at different paces, and I'm of the opionion that the best thing is to let them learn at their own pace, don't try to rush him, sometimes the longer it take, the better (e.g. some kids take longer, but they perfect each milestone, whereas others catch on quickly, but go onto other skills, and never perfect the skill)...

P.S.
I've learned the best thing to do is not compare your kids progress with other kids... your kid is unique, one of a kind individual... why try to make him/her "fit a mold"?