All About Delayed Speech

[ct59526]

Hi,


My girl is currently in K1 and she can interact well with family. She understands us perfectly and have no problems with learning.

However, when we start asking simple explicit questions like \"How's school today?\"; \"What did you have lunch today?\"... Her typical reply is \"I don't know\" or just chooses to keep quiet.

Her pre-school teachers have also given feedback that she is very very quiet and does not express herself when there is a need for her to do so.
E.g. during her \"Show and Tell\" sessions, she either needs to be prompted or \"firmly told\" by her teacher to do her presentation. And although she reluctantly goes up to do her presentation, she speaks so softly that no one can really hear her. It's like she's so shy for her friends to hear what she has to say. However during her play with classmates, she can interact with them very comfortably.

I am thinking of bringing her to see a therapist, but not sure if a speech therapist is the right person to go to since she seems to have more of a communication disorder rather than speech/language disorder. So is there a more suitable therapist that I should bring her to ?

The other possibility is to send her to Speech and Drama classes. However, I'm not sure if this will \"backfire\" as it seems like I'm forcing her to do something that she may not be mentally ready to do so.

Does any Daddy/Mummy out there have any solutions/recommendations on this ?

Thanks,
Babymuji

[cherrygal]

Hi


Did she attend childcare from 18 months or was kept at home with own caregivers till K1? That makes a lot of difference in the kid’s behaviour.

If she only attended school recently, give her some time to get the hang of it. If she has attended school since 18mths and still displays such shyness, then it could be her personality. You just have to be patient with her and slowly encourage her to speak up. We cannot expect every kid to be vocal and confident. Some adults also find it hard to do public speaking. Manage your expectations.

Don’t force her to be who she isn’t as it could backfire as you feared. Let her attend Speech n Drama lessons at the same school she is attending (easier on the pocket and she may find it less intimidating since she sees the same kids everyday). Most childcare centres offer this on top of their curriculum.

If she’s only there for half a day, consider switching her to full-day care as that allows her to interact more with other kids for a longer duration.

[ct59526]

Hi


She's been attending full day childcare since N1 and also the Speech & Drama classes offered at her childcare. So I guess 2 years is a long stretch for her to settle down.

I don't have much problems with her apart from her NOT speaking when there is a need to do so. Expectations wise - I never expect her to be the \"School-Debator\"

So am I getting paranoid for nothing ?
So is the issue more of her shy character rather than a communication disorder?

Thanks
Babymuji

[Chenonceau]

ct59526:

Hi


She's been attending full day childcare since N1 and also the Speech & Drama classes offered at her childcare. So I guess 2 years is a long stretch for her to settle down.

I don't have much problems with her apart from her NOT speaking when there is a need to do so. Expectations wise - I never expect her to be the \"School-Debator\"

So am I getting paranoid for nothing ?
So is the issue more of her shy character rather than a communication disorder?

Thanks
Babymuji

Could be a mixture of personality type AND the natural rebelliousness of the Terrible Twos, Threes, Fours and Fives.... This is the age where they'll try and assert their own free will. The more you press, the more she will dig in and refuse. This is the same age where they think \"I wanna eat what I wanna eat and I ain't gonna eat what YOU say\". So yours is likely to be thinking \"I wanna speak when I wanna speak and I ain't gonna speak when YOU say.\" The introverts are good at passive-resistance. They'll watch you go blue in the face with wide open innocent eyes and they'll be very calm, but they WON'T comply. Meanwhile, you are the only one who looks like a fool. Your DD has somehow realized that this is a point of contention with you, and just for this reason, it'll be important for her to win the round.

Let her win this battle so you can win the war.

Once she is out of this \"contrarian\" age, it'll be easier to develop her public speaking skills. So wait a bit, especially if she has no problems chatting with close family members. She can pronounce well and makes proper eye contact with you and strings sentences and words together properly. Also, try and feel out her interests. The introvert tends to have 1 or 2 deep interests that you can develop to high levels (way beyond her age capability).

There is one girl in my son's class whose (according to my son) voice he has never heard despite being her queue partner for 1 year. But this girl writes like nobody else. Does your girl like to read... draw... music... it is through there where she might find expression and she might even express herself with a genius that will surpass your wildest dreams.

At about age 9 or so, you can start encouraging her towards public speaking. The age is a guide... you gotta feel your child.

[satyagraha]

My son is in K2 this year. Like your girl, he is very reserved in class, though he talk non-stop (about what he wants to say, but never things about school) at home.


Since N1 till K1, whenever I ask him about school, he’ll conveniently tell me "I forgot." or "Don’t know.". In fact, he didn’t take initiative to interact with his classmates. Stayed close to teachers quietly (not even asking for attention from teachers, just wanna stay close), smile & played with classmates when approached. But SELDOM talk/gossip. So, for 2 years I knew very little about happenings in school… BUT I still ask him about school everyday.

Same thing… Show & Tell sessions very soft. In fact, there was once he wet himself in K1 because he didn’t dare tell his teacher he needed to go.

But I never thought of bringing him to a therapist. Mainly because, he is interacting well at home. I took it that he was shy, and he had selective memory.

Anyway… now that he turned 5 (Dec baby) and in K2, he is showing marked improvement! So… take heart. Don’t worry too much since she’s interacting at home. Give her some time before you switch to panic mode.

[e3nity]

DS used to response \"I duno\" \"I forget\" whenever i ask him about school. What i did was i try to ask more prompt him and help him explain. I made it a daily affair that when i pick him up from school we will talk about what happen in school. As time goes by without me asking he will say automatically. I guess thats because DS is a very talkative boy.


Your DD seems to be less confident when she is doing her presentation. Perhaps you can encourage her abit? Eg: DD you wonderful. Can you try to present this to mommy and daddy? Training her confidence level perhaps will be better than bringing her to the therapist.

Lastly, all kids develop differently.. Some can be fast and some can be slow. Perhaps your DD just need more time to get use to doing presentation. Don't forget some adults do have stage fright when they face a large audience. :celebrate:

[xueyan]

Hi all


I am very new here. My son is going 3 years old next month. Both DH and myself are very concerned about his speech. At this age, he is unable to speak in sentence. He can merely say words like "mummy, daddy, porpor, gonggong, chercher, gorgor, ah yee, teacher", some fruits like "apple, banana, grapes, pear", other things like "bag, comb, tree, car, boy, girl, duck"

He does try to speak double or triple syllabus like "strawberry, elephant" but the pronounciation wasn’t there.

At the same time, he also throws tantrums. I brought him to KK to review his development issues as I am really worried that he might be autistic.

The KK doc assured me that he is not autistic, just slow in speech as in his early years he is taken care by maid and mil who doesn’t speak much to him. We have an appointment in September in Ministry of Health to train us (parents) how to teach kids with speech problem.

He is now in full day child care since Jan this year. Although teacher said that he is picking up words now, I am still very worried that he will be lag behind and he lose confidence when he is with his peers where others could speak well and he could not.

I have been looking around for enrichment courses. I am not sure whether courses in "I can read", L central or Morris Allen as these courses seems to be meant for kids that can speak.

Can mummies here be kind enough to suggest what kind of enrichment course will benefit him? I am staying in Punggol. I am also quite careful with the type of course as it didn’t come cheap.

Thanks!

[jedamum]

shirley_low67:

The KK doc assured me that he is not autistic, just slow in speech as in his early years he is taken care by maid and mil who doesn't speak much to him. We have an appointment in September in Ministry of Health to train us (parents) how to teach kids with speech problem.

Did the KK doc call for a check up on hearing? Hearing can affect speech development.

shirley_low67:

He is now in full day child care since Jan this year. Although teacher said that he is picking up words now, I am still very worried that he will be lag behind and he lose confidence when he is with his peers where others could speak well and he could not.

My boy had speech delay (maybe still does when compared to his peers), but he is one very confident boy. Some one told me to give him more hugs and have confidence in him.

shirley_low67:

I have been looking around for enrichment courses. I am not sure whether courses in \"I can read\", L central or Morris Allen as these courses seems to be meant for kids that can speak.

Enrichment classes can only do so much and the class size will not be encouraging. Do encourage your kid to speak out more often.

shirley_low67:

Can mummies here be kind enough to suggest what kind of enrichment course will benefit him? I am staying in Punggol. I am also quite careful with the type of course as it didn't come cheap.

Thanks!

Let me dig out my inbox and forward to you (pm) regarding what my therapist had gone through with us.

[Castle House]

Hi


If the doc has checked and mentioned is speech delay.. then not to worry..

For 1st bb esp.. for some boys.. they are much slower..

My nephew started talking only when was 4yo. and also got my sis worried..

But now he is a smart boy.. sitting for his PSLE soon..

[UncleLim]

Castle House:

Hi


If the doc has checked and mentioned is speech delay.. then not to worry..

For 1st bb esp.. for some boys.. they are much slower..

My nephew started talking only when was 4yo. and also got my sis worried..

But now he is a smart boy.. sitting for his PSLE soon..

I agree.

No cause for concern. My eldest was slow too at that age.