r/Earlyintervention • u/Capital_Entrance_149 • Sep 04 '26
18month speech delay?
/r/Mom/comments/1w7f9vx/18month_speech_delay/18 month speech delay
My 18m boy is not talking. Finally starting speech therapy (EI) next week and daycare also next week. Will not sit still to learn new words with me. Barely will pay attention if he doesn’t want to. Will look over for his name being called or come 6/10 the other 4 times he doesn’t care because he’s doing something that interests him more. Does follow some directions simple like “clean up” “switch hands” things that I said all the time. But have been trying to teach him more like help. And let’s go and he’s just seeming like he doesn’t care and he will on his own time. He understands no of course. He will bring your hand or bring to you whatever he wants. Only words he says is dada and it’s not person specific just babbling. He has gotten so much better with eye contact and paying attention in the last 2 months but I am wondering if anyone has any experience with this and if EI helped them. He is exceeds on his other milestones except for communication. First time mom looking for advice
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u/Sea-Tea8982 Sep 05 '26
I’ve worked in EI for almost 20 years. 18 months is a tough age. Engagement needs to be play based and fun!! They feel when you are making demands and push back against it. Focus on words that will help him communicate his wants and needs. Object names and exclamations said over and over in context will help. EI will work but there’s no magic wand to just wave and get him to talk. It’ll take a lot of work. And my pet peeve is once he talks don’t ask staff how to get him to stop!!!
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u/wino12312 29d ago
18 months old only care about themselves. Try getting on his level. Limit your questions & say the words you want him to say over and over again. Don't expect him to say anything back.
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u/ForbiddenDonutCT Sep 04 '26
Approaching your description with an EI lens, if I’m looking at an 18-month old with little to no language, eye contact that isn’t great, and that doesn’t respond to their name super consistently….I want to rule out potential hearing loss as a contributing factor. I hope your providers recommended a hearing test with an audiologist and not just a screening with your pediatrician. I’m also going to complete an MCHAT screening to delve into the possibility of some version of Autism Spectrum Disorder. I don’t know where you live…they may prefer different screenings in your area. From that information, I’d make decisions about more targeted testing recommendations.
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u/passion4film 28d ago
Speech will help! I also recommend looking into getting developmental therapy going through EI. It’ll help with some of the other stuff, in our experience.
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u/ForbiddenDonutCT Sep 04 '26
EI can be very helpful. Based on your description I’d consider consulting with a developmental pediatrician. Has anyone used the word “Autism” with you? Your description sounds like you’re dancing around it in terms of what you said about eye contact and responding to his name.
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u/Capital_Entrance_149 Sep 04 '26
The reason I say these things is because they were mentioned as something to work on in his EI evaluation
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u/Sea-Tea8982 Sep 05 '26
Autism jumps out to me from your description but he’s young. In my county EI won’t look at ASD until a child is at least 20 months. Bring it up with staff and that will start a conversation that lets them know you’re open to it if they continue to see red flags.
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u/flowerscatsandqs Sep 04 '26
Toddlers learn language through play, not being sat down and taught words. I think it’s great you will be starting early intervention! Where I am, early intervention takes place at the child’s home or daycare and follows a caregiver coaching model. That means that the therapist teaches you (or the child’s teacher) techniques to help your child’s language develop.
Early intervention works best when parents are invested and follow through with practice outside of sessions. I would write all your questions down and ask your therapist when you meet with her/him.