22 month old not talking

My granddaughter speaks only gibberish at 22 months and will rarely repeat anything you tell her to. She walked at 10 mths and says the occasional dada and mama and sometimes up to be picked up and cup for a drink. I am concerned that she may be on the spectrum. She is receiving speech therapy through EI. What advice can you offer?



Comments for 22 month old not talking

Average Rating starstarstarstarstar

Click here to add your own comments

Dec 20, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		RE:
by: Anonymous

hi again :)

i would say that the biting (for this age) might be an age related stage. my son did that for a period of time as well, but outgrew it and learned better, many children go through that stage as a result of not having the language capabilities to express themselves.

the tip toe walking isn't always an indication of autism. how often does she do it? more often it can related to cerebral palsy especially, if children were born premature.

does she show any sign of neurological issues? some children have short Achilles tendons which make it difficult for them to walk flat footed. i have a friend whose son had mild palsy and had to have his tendons operated on because of this walking issue. so i know it does happen.

i would also suggest, looking over the type of hearing test(s) which have been completed, because some of them are not specialized enough to catch some of the issues children have, like not being about to hear certain consonant sounds, etc. do you know who temple grandin is? if you do not, read up on her, she's AMAZING. and she is an example of one who passed all hearing exams yet later in life to discover she couldn't hear consonant sounds... just fascinating.

and yes although the head banging can be related to autism, it isn't always. it can be a form of comfort, bizarre as that sounds. it can be frustration, especially if there is a lack of/difficulty & ability to communicate...

has she been seen by an occupational therapist (ot) for an evaluation? i would start there if haven't already. we have benefited from working with a very knowledgeable and resourceful ot for the last few years.

try not to worry, to make assumptions, or get caught up in 'labels', they mean nothing. what matters, is that you work on figuring out what's going on with your daughter and get her the help she needs. :) good luck.
Dec 20, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Hearing test
by: Worried Granny

She recently had and passed with flying colors a hearing test. Some of the things that had me worried in addition to not talking was that she walks on her toes a lot. Also she bites her day care mates periodically. She also bangs her head when angry.
Dec 20, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		RE
by: Anonymous

have you had her hearing tested? i guess i would ask what indications there are that she would be on the spectrum? or is that just the assumption since she's a late talker?

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to The SPD Q & A.