[jgundberg]

My two year old daughter won't talk, and I'm worried. She has 3 sisters and a brother. I would think that she would catch on quicker. I don't understand. I am worried and going to have her hearing checked, just to make sure it isn't that. Ear tubes run in the family. If anyone has any info, please let me know.

[jenniepepsi]

Please DO NOT compaire your children to each other. They will grow up thinking that one of their siblings is better than the other or themselves.

All children are different, regardless of if they have siblings to model after or not they will talk when they are ready.

Have you spoken to his pediatrition about his speech? That is your first step

[J_9]

I assume your 4 other children are older than her, correct?

If this is the case, many times she doesn't have to talk because the others "do it" for her.

If she wants juice, make her say juice. If she wants milk, make her say milk. Don't just give it to her if she points at the refrigerator and grunts.

I had this problem with my youngest child when he was three as well. As soon as we stopped "speaking" for him, his vocabulary dramatically increased.

[Wondergirl]

Yes, please talk with her doctor about this. There may be a medical reason.

[J_9]

I AM WORRIED I AM GOING TO HAVE HER HEARING CHECKED, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT IT ISN'T THAT. EAR TUBES RUN IN THE FAMILY.

I'm sorry, I missed the part about the tubes running in the family when I first read your post. Please turn your caps off when you type so that your posting is easier to read.

Now, yes, having your child tested is a necessity. If there turns out that there is nothing wrong with her hearing, it may just because she doesn't have to talk because her siblings, and yourself, have gotten used to all of her cues (for lack of a better word) for what she wants.

[redhed35]

If and after her hearing checks out OK, taking a little time everyday to sit with her to read a story or sing songs will help, repetition is the order of the day.

Give her the answer then ask the question, example, the cow says moo, what does the cow say?

Choose stories where you can make sounds and again repeat the stories.

Count steps, either walking or up stairs, just to ten to start, singing A B C over and over.

Get your older childern involved.

I had two at one time aged 10 and 11 with two small ones, the older ones would teach the younger ones 2 and for the answers to general knowledge questions, example ,what's the capital of france, and repeating the question and answer over and over, until the younger ones could answer the questions, it became a party trick, I had a three year old who could tell you 3 rivers in ireland, but could not hold a pencil... its was the clapping and attention she received when she attempted an answer, the fanfare!

There are also children's programmes that are repeated throughout the day that will help, but nothing will replace the one to one attention.

Going around your house with her, asking her questions, example, point to a clock and ask what that, say, it's a clock, what does the clock say tick tock, keep repeating the same thing and give her time to respond, it takes time for her brain to process the new information but as you keep repeating it on a daily basics she will make the connection, in no time at all she'll be a little chatterbox.

[natasha1234]

Hello. My little man who just turned 2 on the 2nd April. Is was going thou speech therophy I was really worried lik you seemed I have an older boy to who is 5 & I went to a class that ran for a few weeks an they teach you lots to do with them, for example... PLAY TIME- make sure your child leads and your not let him talk his way an than you say * duck is that a duck oh duck says quack quack oh that duck is in the water is that a duck! Kind of thing and you repeat it so many time about that one picture in the book etc. same with meal time and antyhin you normaly do. You will prob find he says things in his owns wrds lik will talk to himself when playing and you won't notice lik I did & same with singing . My boy go's to day care and they sing twinkle twinkle and he new it I just didn't relise he was singing it until the speech lady pionted it out. He only say little things lik the a e I o u kind of stuff to be a wrd. You need to have one on one time with him. And you help the play a long let him take you to what he wants to play not you wanting to do somehtin for him :) but it wrked Good for me!

[DoulaLC]

When you say she "won't talk" does this mean she hasn't talked at all, or that she isn't saying as many words, or sounds for words, as you would have expected? How does she communicate with you and the family? Does she try to mimic sounds? Does she respond when you talk to her? Can she follow simple commands... bring me the ball, for example?