Speech Delay in 12 month old

calgary bound

Hi

I was wondering if I might be able to get a bit of advice. My son has just turned 12 months and was classed as a 35 weeker when born and spent 3 weeks in a neonatal unit.

He has always been a bit late with his developments to date, he only started babbling mama at 9 months, sat up unaided at 8 months, commando crawled for 3 months and only this week is crawling on his knees. He sometimes waves bye but it doesn't really look like a wave and isn't great with clapping hands (doesn't make contact).

He is,however, a baby full of love, he copies me when we dance, answers to his name, looks for toys that fall, he has excellent fine motor skills and feeds himself, he loves toys, people etc. and makes eye contact. He seems to be a very happy laid back baby.

His Pead raised concerns at his last check up regarding his speech - she said he should have a number of words by now and it's unusual that he only says baba and mama and not dada (I don't think he relates mama to me). She suggested Speech and Language Therapist referral might be needed in 3 months.

Can anyone offer advice, I assumed the words would come and didn't realise he was delayed until that appointment.

Thanks in advance.

Biorra

personally, i wouldn't worry yet. all kids develop at different stages. - they work on text book scenarios.
go back to old reliable:
does the infant recognise who mam and dad are?
play/talk with her/him - dance/play games.
if you have a tablet/ipad, then try these:
Phonics Song 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BELlZKpi1Zs
The Animal Sounds Song:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t99ULJjCsaM
The Calamity Crow Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdmcLOLc-aE
dont panic - we were the same with ours - all fine now.

Kalimah

i wouldn't class him as delayed at all- particularly for a boy! My four were all wildly different as regards development. Number one - boy born at 37 weeks - walked at 12 months and talked at 15 months. His sister didn't walk 'til 15 months, but talked at 12 months! Third child ( a boy) was about a year old re walking but didn't say much 'til the age of two! The last ( girl) was walking and talking at 10 months!

Your son sounds absolutely grand to me - excellent fine motor skills is great. Give it a few more months and maybe get his hearing tested ? We did that with child number three as there was a bit of a speech delay. He turned out fine - no issues. Is now 23 and getting through life very well!

MonsieK

Hi OP,
I think i can relate to this as my son was also born at 35 weeks and he pretty much hit the major milestones as your child. Being born early hasn't afftected him really. He's perfect and very smart for his age.
He's just turned 2. I have to say I don't remember him having any words at 12 months. He only started talking at about 18 months maybe. Now he does not shut up He learns new words every day. He's able to say what he wants, if he's in pain etc. I would think that 12 months is very early to be worried about not talking. Maybe give him a few months and see how he gets on.

Lucuma

What ?!? I just read your post and apart from the clapping hands thing, you just described my (just turned) 12 month old daughter. She doesn't say Mama at all or have any words just a bit of babble (she's my 2nd one with a small enough age gap so to be honest I don't pay huge attention to exactly which sounds she makes haha) she says Dada or words to that affect, definitely no Mama and maybe something remotely like Baba. She was exact same - army crawled for months and just went up on her knees a week before her 1st birthday!
I will say she is behind what her older sister was at the same age - he older sister waked the week she turned 1, whereas this one started crawling proper the week she turned 1. Obviously you have to take the medical advice first and foremost but from what you've described I actually dont' know what that doctor was on about. My 1 yo is following a slower trajectory than her older sister did, but she's still following a steady upward curve. She's just doing so at a different pace than her older sister did. I'm not in the least bit worried coz I can see she's going upwards, not plateau and not going backwards.
Just wondering why you have a Paed?
I'm kinda dreading the next developmental check for my 1yo now after reading your post

calgary bound

Thank you all so much for your prompt replies, much appreciated.
Biorra I will definitely try the videos, he hears words all the time but he loves music so that might help, thanks.

It sounds like he is not really "behind" (I hate that word!) so, rather following his own path - which I always believed he was, Doctors and PHN's just frighten me now at this stage. I hate when you just feel your answering no to the tick box questions they are asking. Our 9 month PHN check up upset me so much we never went back.

He has just pulled up himself to stand this week too and is climbing on everything and everyone so he seems pretty focused on that at the moment and he is only delighted that he can use his knees now to crawl as it gets him everywhere faster.

Lucuma he has a Pead following his time in the neonatal unit, she has done regular follow ups. She wants to see him in 6 months but for us to seek speech therapy in 3 months.

Ahh being a Mam is the hardest job in the world - my nerves are gone!

Thank you all

contrary_mary

I have 2 boys - neither did more than "bababa" and "dadada " - type babble at 12 months. My younger boy was born early and had some medical issues so has had some additional developmental checks and they are happy with him from that point of view!

shesty

Yeesh!!
My first crawled at ten months and walked at 13.My second crawled at 7/8 months, and is now 13 months and not walking.She stands, climbs on everything, walks holding your hands, but is showing no signs of doing it herself.

My first had several 'words' at 14 months and lots of babbling.She's almost 3 and dear god, she never shuts up now, and she has big conversations!!!She never really clapped hands much and was not a climber. My second doesn't really have words.She does LOADS of babble, and has sounds like mama, dada, baba, but she doesn't call for me as 'mama' ( she just throws out a few shouts when she wants someone!!!).She understands small questions like 'where's dada"?(she'll look around), 'bye bye" and that, and she does high five and claps handies but no words!!

They all develop SO differently, especially boys.I know your paed probably has definite things she looks for but I don't know,I'd be a little sceptical of her opinion on this right now.

Moonbeam

my 1st child could hold a full conversation at 14 months but didn't bother walking until 15 months. He is only 12 months. I always say take everything offered and that way you will never wonder.

calgary bound

Thanks everyone, I mentioned it to my GP while I was there yesterday and he wasn't concerned at all, said they all speak in their own time and we can follow up if necessary down the road but not to be worrying - I do think the Pead was jumping the gun a bit alright! Thank you all for your replies.

73trix

calgary bound wrote: »

Thanks everyone, I mentioned it to my GP while I was there yesterday and he wasn't concerned at all, said they all speak in their own time and we can follow up if necessary down the road but not to be worrying - I do think the Pead was jumping the gun a bit alright! Thank you all for your replies.

Sounds like Paed really jumping the gun, I agree! You're child is very young! However, there is loads you can do at home to encourage early communication E.g reading picture books and singing nursery rhymes using the actions and simply talking to your child lots, running commentary on what you are doing. Good luck!