Random non-MCAT and only peripherally related to the MCAT thread - Part 2

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I got an interesting phone call this morning. My baby daughter was born a bit premature (5 weeks early), so she was signed up for the early intervention program through the state just to make sure she is developing normally. She's doing great in most areas but is significantly behind in speech for her corrected age. She does not babble at all, or repeat sounds, or a bunch of other things that a 10 month old should be doing in terms of communication.

She's going to be brought in for a complete evaluation in a couple months. I know we have a baby/child speech person on this thread - so I'm curious what they can even do with a one year old.

It's very different from my first daughter - she had a bunch of words by this age, even a couple two words phrases. But then she slowed down and seems normal compared to other kids I think (minus the fact that she still talks about herself in the third person 😉 ).
 
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scentimint said:
I got my score report in the mail yesterday. You should get yours soon!
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well then... it will be at home ewaiting for me.

hopefully my mom didn't open it. knowning her nosy self she "opened it but didn't look"

one of my cousins didn't talk for the longest time. but he's a boy i everyone said boys take longer than girls to start talking
 
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oxeye said:
I got an interesting phone call this morning. My baby daughter was born a bit premature (5 weeks early), so she was signed up for the early intervention program through the state just to make sure she is developing normally. She's doing great in most areas but is significantly behind in speech for her corrected age. She does not babble at all, or repeat sounds, or a bunch of other things that a 10 month old should be doing in terms of communication.

She's going to be brought in for a complete evaluation in a couple months. I know we have a baby/child speech person on this thread - so I'm curious what they can even do with a one year old.

It's very different from my first daughter - she had a bunch of words by this age, even a couple two words phrases. But then she slowed down and seems normal compared to other kids I think (minus the fact that she still talks about herself in the third person 😉 ).
Click to expand...

It's typical for children to not have their first words up to about 14 months. After that it's considered a significant delay. Depending on the testing instrument they use, your daughter probably won't have a significant delay if she's babbling or using jargon by the time they test her.

How does she typically communicate with you?
Does she use gestures? Vocalizations? Both?
Does she have a history of ear infection or allergies?
Has she had her hearing tested to rule out any hearing loss at certain frequencies?
Does her older sister "talk" for her a lot?
Do you usually anticipate her needs and do things for her rather than give her language opportunities?
Does she follow simple directions (e.g. go get your cup, where's your bear)?
Does she point to objects/pictures when named?
Does she know a few major body parts?

I am a speech-language path working with the Early Intervention in my state, and honestly, at one year of age, on most tests, if a child loses points for only a few items, it shows up as a severe delay.

If she seems to understand things well for her age, but not talking, then I would give it a little time. Early Intervention covers them until 3, and if I had a child that was a late talker, I would wait until at LEAST 18 months to get them tested, unless they had physical or cognitive impairment.

Keep in mind, too, that by Early Intervention standards, your baby will be considered 9 months instead of 10 right now because of the 5 week prematurity. This age adjustment is in effect until 24 months, so her development will be comapred to children 1 month younger than herself.

If you have any specific ?'s, let me know.
 
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megboo said:
It's typical for children to not have their first words up to about 14 months. After that it's considered a significant delay. Depending on the testing instrument they use, your daughter probably won't have a significant delay if she's babbling or using jargon by the time they test her.

How does she typically communicate with you?
Does she use gestures? Vocalizations? Both?
Does she have a history of ear infection or allergies?
Has she had her hearing tested to rule out any hearing loss at certain frequencies?
Does her older sister "talk" for her a lot?
Do you usually anticipate her needs and do things for her rather than give her language opportunities?
Does she follow simple directions (e.g. go get your cup, where's your bear)?
Does she point to objects/pictures when named?
Does she know a few major body parts?

I am a speech-language path working with the Early Intervention in my state, and honestly, at one year of age, on most tests, if a child loses points for only a few items, it shows up as a severe delay.

If she seems to understand things well for her age, but not talking, then I would give it a little time. Early Intervention covers them until 3, and if I had a child that was a late talker, I would wait until at LEAST 18 months to get them tested, unless they had physical or cognitive impairment.

Keep in mind, too, that by Early Intervention standards, your baby will be considered 9 months instead of 10 right now because of the 5 week prematurity. This age adjustment is in effect until 24 months, so her development will be comapred to children 1 month younger than herself.

If you have any specific ?'s, let me know.
Click to expand...

great post meg! 👍 👍

for what its worth with my vast 7 days of pediatric training, i concur. :laugh: 😉
 
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Arsenic said:
ah, lil i dont get why you wont just check online - especially since its free. my fingers are cramping from being crossed for you all this time... help me out already! 😛 :luck:
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just call me old fashioned. i don't believe in this check online mumbo jumbo.
 
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Arsenic said:
no sweat, you'll retake the mcat and i'll retake the USMLE. :scared:
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no you're too smart aman

its discouraging when you've got guys around you flaunting how smart they are... not needing to study... getting a 4.0 last semester 😡 🙁
 
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Thanks Meg! That information is really helpful. Here are the answers to the questions -

How does she typically communicate with you? - she laughs, coos, squeals, makes vowel sounds, and cries

Does she use gestures? Vocalizations? Both? - Neither

Does she have a history of ear infection or allergies? No

Has she had her hearing tested to rule out any hearing loss at certain frequencies? - She was tested as a newborn and passed. She hasn't been tested since.

Does her older sister "talk" for her a lot? - Not really because her sister doesn't ever really know what she wants. She plays with her and talks to her, but doesn't talk to me about her (if that makes sense).

Do you usually anticipate her needs and do things for her rather than give her language opportunities? - I might do this a bit, but definitely less than I did with my older daughter and she developed pretty normally.

Does she follow simple directions (e.g. go get your cup, where's your bear)? She knows "come here", but I haven't tested to see if it's the phrase she knows or the gesture I make. I'll have to to try that. 😉

Does she point to objects/pictures when named? No

Does she know a few major body parts? No

Oh, and to clarify - she's 11 months old, almost 10 months adjusted for her prematurity. I was using her adjusted age in the post because she's being compared to ten month olds through early intervention.

When I filled out the questionaire they sent me for 10 month olds, there were 6 or 7 things listed and I checked no for all but one of them, "sometimes" for one of them.

I do think she understands things pretty well - she seems to anticipate most things so I'm not too worried about that. I guess I'll just has to see how she does at 12 months and take things from there? I'm hoping she'll catch up, but I've been wondering for a while if she was behind with her speech. I just remember my first daughter babbling at 4 or 5 months, had several words by 9 or 10 months, and had two word phrases by a year. The baby isn't even doing what my first was doing at 5 months.

Thanks so much for you post and for the link. I like the idea of waiting until 18 months to do any testing actually. They suggested bringing her in now, but when I asked what they could do with a baby her age it seemed like the answer was "not much".
 
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lilithny said:
no you're too smart aman

its discouraging when you've got guys around you flaunting how smart they are... not needing to study... getting a 4.0 last semester 😡 🙁
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Yeah, I call *BS* to those who don't study. Even if someone really didn't study, that's like 0.00000000001% of the MCAT takers.
 
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and let me just say i love the wedding singer. and one fine day. and the princess bride. and the fifth element. and equilibrium.

i feel betch!
 
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lilithny said:
no you're too smart aman

its discouraging when you've got guys around you flaunting how smart they are... not needing to study... getting a 4.0 last semester 😡 🙁
Click to expand...
lili, you'll learn in med school to put your blinders on. who the hell cares if some people you know got a 4.0, good for them but dont feel down because you didnt make that! there is more to you than what your gpa was last semester. the bottom line is that you are going to be a doctor, just worry about yourself and work as hard as you can. otherwise you're going to make yourself feel down for nothing.
 
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Arsenic said:
lili, you'll learn in med school to put your blinders on. who the hell cares if some people you know got a 4.0, good for them but dont feel down because you didnt make that! there is more to you than what your gpa was last semester. the bottom line is that you are going to be a doctor, just worry about yourself and work as hard as you can. otherwise you're going to make yourself feel down for nothing.
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heh... wallow in my granola
 
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megboo said:
Good morning randomites....

Knee-high by the 4th of july? More like over my head by the 4th! Who was the genious forecaster that said this summer was going to be dry?!
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😍 corn 😍

We don't have corn around here (cornfields I mean). I miss it. It is great to have fresh sweet corn so early in the season though!
 
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oxeye said:
I got an interesting phone call this morning. My baby daughter was born a bit premature (5 weeks early), so she was signed up for the early intervention program through the state just to make sure she is developing normally. She's doing great in most areas but is significantly behind in speech for her corrected age. She does not babble at all, or repeat sounds, or a bunch of other things that a 10 month old should be doing in terms of communication.

She's going to be brought in for a complete evaluation in a couple months. I know we have a baby/child speech person on this thread - so I'm curious what they can even do with a one year old.

It's very different from my first daughter - she had a bunch of words by this age, even a couple two words phrases. But then she slowed down and seems normal compared to other kids I think (minus the fact that she still talks about herself in the third person 😉 ).
Click to expand...

what if she is just messing with you and waiting to bust out a quote from shakespeare :laugh:

no but honestly, i don't know the first thing about child development but i also remember one of my uncles was paranoid about my cousin not making any noises or speaking for so long.....now the kind never shuts up :laugh:
 
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oxeye said:
How does she typically communicate with you? - she laughs, coos, squeals, makes vowel sounds, and cries
Click to expand...

I would try to get her to imitate babbling during play time. Also work with animal sounds, vehicle sounds, appliance noises, or any other "environmental" sounds you can think of. This is how children first begin to practice functional speech sounds outside of babbling.

oxeye said:
Does she use gestures? Vocalizations? Both? - Neither
Click to expand...

Does she reach up to be picked up? Does she point to things that catch her eye (even toys or food)?

If not, practice with some simple sign language, like "more" or "all done" as well as over-emphasizing gestures for up, down, "oh no", "uh oh", etc.

oxeye said:
Does she have a history of ear infection or allergies? No
Click to expand...

Definitely get her hearing checked. Even if she has never complained of ear infections, she could still have fluid. It's just to rule that out. All newborns in most states are required to have the UNHS, but that just indicates CN VIII is functioning ok. It has nothing to do with conductive or sensory hearing loss.

oxeye said:
Has she had her hearing tested to rule out any hearing loss at certain frequencies? - She was tested as a newborn and passed. She hasn't been tested since.
Click to expand...

See above

oxeye said:
Does her older sister "talk" for her a lot? - Not really because her sister doesn't ever really know what she wants. She plays with her and talks to her, but doesn't talk to me about her (if that makes sense).
Click to expand...

I understand. Some kids don't talk b/c their siblings do it all for them!

oxeye said:
Do you usually anticipate her needs and do things for her rather than give her language opportunities? - I might do this a bit, but definitely less than I did with my older daughter and she developed pretty normally.
Click to expand...

Maybe give her forced choice tasks for both expressive and receptive language - try to get her to name objects she wants as well as point to the ones she wants.

oxeye said:
Does she follow simple directions (e.g. go get your cup, where's your bear)? She knows "come here", but I haven't tested to see if it's the phrase she knows or the gesture I make. I'll have to to try that. 😉
Click to expand...

Yeah, try having her do some simple things, like "where's daddy, go get your cup, sit down, etc."

oxeye said:
Does she point to objects/pictures when named? No
Click to expand...

Books, books, books
Also, point to things and name them during routines (meals, bed-time, car rides, etc.)

oxeye said:
Does she know a few major body parts? No
Click to expand...

ditto

oxeye said:
Oh, and to clarify - she's 11 months old, almost 10 months adjusted for her prematurity. I was using her adjusted age in the post because she's being compared to ten month olds through early intervention.
Click to expand...

good - some parents don't always understand the age adjustment!

oxeye said:
When I filled out the questionaire they sent me for 10 month olds, there were 6 or 7 things listed and I checked no for all but one of them, "sometimes" for one of them.
Click to expand...

Do you know what kind of questionnaire? Was it Ages and Stages?

Also, if she's understanding you pretty well and you work a little with her the next few months, she might make some good improvements. It's not uncommon for parents to notice improvements after a referral. It makes them more aware of their children's speech and hence they work on it a little more.

oxeye said:
I do think she understands things pretty well - she seems to anticipate most things so I'm not too worried about that. I guess I'll just has to see how she does at 12 months and take things from there? I'm hoping she'll catch up, but I've been wondering for a while if she was behind with her speech. I just remember my first daughter babbling at 4 or 5 months, had several words by 9 or 10 months, and had two word phrases by a year. The baby isn't even doing what my first was doing at 5 months.
Click to expand...

Meh - don't compare, don't compare! Of course, I don't know your daughter's complete H&P, but still, give it time, and try to work on some things suggested here and on the website.

oxeye said:
Thanks so much for you post and for the link. I like the idea of waiting until 18 months to do any testing actually. They suggested bringing her in now, but when I asked what they could do with a baby her age it seemed like the answer was "not much".
Click to expand...

Yeah, it would be one thing if she was deaf, or had Down syndrome or something like that, where she would REALLY need the head start, but studies have shown that it's not until about 18-24 months does an actual language delay vs. disorder manifest. Until then, they all look the same as far as performance, but language delay makes rapid gains toward normal, whereas disorder doesn't.
 
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oxeye said:
I got an interesting phone call this morning. My baby daughter was born a bit premature (5 weeks early), so she was signed up for the early intervention program through the state just to make sure she is developing normally. She's doing great in most areas but is significantly behind in speech for her corrected age. She does not babble at all, or repeat sounds, or a bunch of other things that a 10 month old should be doing in terms of communication.
Click to expand...

Hi oxeye, sorry to hear about that and hope you're not worried.

I don't know hardly anything about this but just my own personal experience - my niece was behind in her speech at 12 months and I was all worried about it. I think when she was about 18 months she had phenomenal speech development and now she's 3 and she talks like an adult - seriously.
 
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BrettBatchelor said:
I swear I almost killed 2 bicyclists today. I hate them on the road! 😡 😡 😡 X100
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Some kid darted out in front of me today. I went to honk my horn - and my horn wasn't working! Good thing my brakes were working.....

PLEASE PARENTS, WATCH YOUR F**KIN' KIDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
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i know for a while my one cousin wasn't talking... we used to joke around that he didn't want to talk cause my gramps did all the talking for him
 
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megboo said:
Nacho Libre - Corn on a stick with butter and paprika!
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nachooooooooo

i never understood the fascination with the corn on the stick. i love grilled corn in a salad! and gazpacho
 
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ironmanf14 said:
what if she is just messing with you and waiting to bust out a quote from shakespeare :laugh:

no but honestly, i don't know the first thing about child development but i also remember one of my uncles was paranoid about my cousin not making any noises or speaking for so long.....now the kind never shuts up :laugh:
Click to expand...

Yes, I wonder if she's going to just start talking one day and I'll miss the days when she was so sweet, quiet, and never talked back! :laugh:
 
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Thank you so much for your response Meg. You are awesome! I'm going to print out that post to remind me to try all those things with her. I'll ask about getting her hearing checked at her 12 month ped visit (early August is when I think it is scheduled). She looks when I call her name, so I know she's not completely deaf at least. 😉

I think the questionaire is called Ages and Stages - is it ASQ? We've gotten one at 4, 6, 8, and 10 months (all adjusted ages).

It is interesting - when I try to get her to repeat me by babbling bababababa or mamamama she just looked at me a smiles. Sometimes she'll coo and laugh. She thinks it's funny but doesn't seem interested in trying to repeat me at all.
 
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if you can get the ticket for free.... or you can see another movie after it... then i would say... i guess so
 
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beary said:
Hi oxeye, sorry to hear about that and hope you're not worried.

I don't know hardly anything about this but just my own personal experience - my niece was behind in her speech at 12 months and I was all worried about it. I think when she was about 18 months she had phenomenal speech development and now she's 3 and she talks like an adult - seriously.
Click to expand...

Wow. 🙂 Yeah, I bet my little one just knows there's no point to talking yet when she can't *really* communicate with us. She'll do it when she's ready. Sounds like that is what you niece did. 🙂
 
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lilithny said:
i'm going to be that person that starts the thread, "sixth times a charm!"
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Someone already started that one. I guess you will have to do well. 😉 And you will! Remember...it doesn't take a 40 to qualify as "doing well."
 
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Where is everyone? I have to leave in a few minutes to go to a homeowners' association meeting. It oughta be good...some guy wrote an article for the newsletter that many viewed as racist and the neighborhood newsgroup has been on fire about it. I am sure it will get heated....I can hardly wait. :meanie:

I will return this evening though and I hope I will encounter many of you lovely randomites...I miss you all. 😍 Hey, where's Q? I haven't seen her around today. Meg, your rundown was really interesting!

Talk to y'all later!

..PW
 
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