United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Recently found out our son is 50-60% delayed in speech (always something new thrown your way). It seems like so many of my BPI friends children are also struggling with delays. Wondering if any of you know if this usually is something that our children catch up on by a certain age? And if so, do you know around what age? Do many of these children still lag behind in speech and expressive language throughout elementary school, etc.? Thanks for any input!

Elisa- just the other day Maia went for her speech evaluation. We have been told by many that she was speech delayed or deficient..whatever that means.

It was a VERY interesting meeting- set of tests,etc. I was amazed at how Maia responded and how good she was and that it caught her attention, too. The therapist was very sweet.

So I have a list of sounds and ages - the speech developmental chart and I will get it on a page for you so that you and others can see it. We learned that the sounds that Maia was having a problem with don't get perfected until she is 9-10 years old. We also learned that she had a lateral lisp which is not corrected in therapy until she will have her full set of adult teeth in.

I'll try to get that sheet up sometime later today or tonight - I think it will help you figure things out.

-francine

we were lucky on this, while his speech was delayed....he didn't talk at all when he did it was with full word and sentences... We have other delays and developmental issue.My son is ten and we struggle with emotional mental imaturity and ADHD with depressive moods and anxiety... They say due to oxygen dep. at birth. He's 10... do any others out there have these other problems when they are older?

AGE 3: can produce most vowels and P BM D N W incombination with vowels. Errors are common.

AGE 4: P B M NH W D (at beginning,middle and end of word. Errors uncommon.

AGE 5: K G F T Errors: t for k, d for g, b for f,d for t, s for f

AGE 6: NG Y V Errors: n for ng, b for v

AGE 7: L Errors: Y or W for L in the beginning and middle of words (yight for light, piwow for pillow) D for L in the middle of words. L at the end of wordsis often ommitted.

AGE 8-9: TH S Z R SH CH J Errors: f or d for th, th for s and z, W for r in the beginning and middle of words, R atthe end of words is omitted or distorted. S or th for sh. SH CH and J may be distorted. S for sh, S for ch, SH for CH and CH for SH.

Thanks Francine for the list - I had forgotten the time frames of sounds. Brittney is 10 and still taking speech at school. She started speech when she was four. Speech problems vary so much and also genetics can play a part too. Both of my sister in laws are speech pathologists. Although Britt's speech vocabulary has always been advanced - she has a hard time making the sounds right. She has a hard time saying "speech class" without getting us wet - but it's alot better than it used to be. It could be a combination of weak tongue muscles, the way the teeth are positioned, all sorts of possible reasons for speech problems. There for a while we were told we need to strengthen Britt's tongue muscle and she should drink as much as possible thru straws. It helped! This will be the last year of speech for Brittney. She's almost mastered her "ch", "th", "s", and so on - except when she's excited to tell you something and then she'll spit all over you!:) In our case I do not think that her injury has anything to do with her speech - seems to run on my husbands side of the family. I hope this helps.

Here's a good site. Beware of being too rigid in interpretation of the speech milestones, children differ very widely. http://members.tripod.com/Caroline_Bowen/devel1.htm

Stephanie is also in speech class. I had always though it was because my children are so close in age and didn't get to play with other children. Stephanie was stuck for ever and was gray when she did finally emerge into this world. She did not take her first birth for over 3 minutes. She is in 3rd grade and this is her 4th year of speech. This would make an interesting study.

BUMPING UP for Solsom.

Carolyn J

thanks Carolyn.

Its such a tricky thing to understand. I find it fascinating that I have mentioned my DD's speech issue to the ped so many times but it took her BPI OT to finally get someone to eval her...without me ever saying a word!