My 3-year old son was diagnosed with having a speech delay last July.  Friends and family say that his condition is caused by not getting a lot of interaction with other children.  The doctor says that there really is no reason. How common is this and do children grow out of this pretty early?  Any help is greatly appereciated.
128349
my 5-year-old has this.  He is perfectly fine otherwise, no impairment in learning or hearing.  He was diagnosed at 26 months.  Everyone said he would "just start talking one day". Not true, he has been in intense speech therapy since he was 3-1/2 and is doing much better.  He is enrolled in preschool and loves it, will be in kindergarten next fall.  His speech pathologist is working with him out of a book on dyspraxia, which is very close to what he seems to have and he is doing better, but will probably need speech well into his grade-school years.  Dyspraxia is a neurological disorder that can be helped with proper help, it does not mean that your child has any other type of delay.  Make sure that your child does not get "labeled" as having some sort of learning disorder if that is not the case, it is very easy for them to place them in classes with children who need more special kind of help and that will not benefit your child.  Also make sure he gets proper speech development help, sounds like you are on the right track by seeing it so young!  Good luck to you.
311170
Kids often do not think before they speak, especially if they are angry. They often try to hurt us, because they are hurting in some way. I would give your son some space until he calms down and then try to talk to him about not saying things that are hurtful and can not be taken back. Also, a little lecture on respecting his mother wouldn't hurt.
137738
I do not have any personal experience as far as one of my children or family members with SVT, but I perform EKGs everyday on everyone at my hospital including babies.  Typically rhythm problems are sporadic to say the least.  The general belief is that when a child has a rhythm problem it will subside later in development and medication should cease the episodes at an early age.  You should expect to see more episodes and lots of other medication.  Typically when a patient has rhythm abnormalities, initial medication fixes the problem but for some reason you see a recurrence of the abnormal rhythm and is fixed again with another medication.  Strangest thing...happens all the time.  Don't know why, and quite honestly I don't think many doctors know why.  Typically it's a problem you learn to monitor and deal with as an episode occurs.  Just give it time though, he may grow out of it when everything begins to develop along further.  Sorry I couldn't be more help
298752
My little sister had Downs Syndrome and she is also 5 turning 6 in June. I love her so much. she has just been a blessing from God. When she (your downs child) starts to want to talk, be patient, and have more conversations with her. try to put her in a advanced class with other kids, because kids learn from each other. therapy's is what my little sister benefitted the most, so see if you qualify for Medicaid that help with health insurance to pay for therapy's. play therapy, speech therapy, music therapy theres so many! but most of all, dont give up. yes downs kids need more attention and take a lot of caring for especially because the chances are very few  Downs kids ever  live normal lives. but the point is that no matter what, have hope. every time you see your childs face, it must bring you joy because thats exactly the way i feel when i look at my sister. she has that metal capability of a 3 yesr old, even though she's 6, but they way i see it, even if i do end up having to take care of her when im older and my parents are too old to take care of her, i will. Downs kids are stubborn, happy, one track minded, artistic, flexible, and truly amazing. one thing that you will REALLY gain from this experience is learning to be patient with them.
12254
This is a difficult one - especially for your daughter. I don't exactly have the answer or an answer, but I will say we are in similar boats.  My 14-year old son has had epilepsy since he was 8.  All of a sudden he was having seizures.  He didn't really seem to have a problem dealing with the illness until he hit middle school, when the true peer-pressures, and reputation development comes into play.  Now that he's in his 1st year of high school, he's showing the embarrassment of having this disease.  He has wanted to play basketball since forever, and when time came to try out for the team, he just didn't. He said he changed his mind.  He doesn't want me to wear his medical id bracelet, nothing relating to his illness.  All of it stems from his reputation and people not thinking differently about him.  What he and his dad are doing now is having him talk to his doctor and others he may feel comfortable talking to let him understand that he has options and doesn't have to be afraid or ashamed that he has epileptic seizures and as his doctor said, he may grow out of them.  But what I think is we need to find ways to get this across to our kids and let them know that their illnesses don't control who they are; they control who they are and what they can do in life.  And it still can be the best!  I can say that b/c I'm a cancer survivor, I know how a illness can cripple you mentally!  So I keep both our children in prayer and we'll come through! Best wishes worried mom!
21601
help,\n\nI'm not sure you'll find many articles out there that addresses ADD and/or learning disabilities as an inherited condition.  I've never seen any, so I can't begin to answer what the chances are for a child born to one or both parents who have suffered the same.\n\nI would say that all one can do is to pay close attention to the child's development, and to take quick action if any developmental problems present itself.  I know this isn't much help...best of luck.
358709
Yes I have...It is a something that runs in my family...I believe it is called Menier's (not sure of the spelling)Disease...It is caused when the water level in the middle ear is disrupted...My father takes anti-vert, although from what he has told me a person can build up immunity to its effects...He does get it very bad at times and he is aware of its onset, so he takes 1/2 of a Valium which reduces the anxiety of knowing that he may be laid up in bed for a week, but it does seem to help him with the symptoms...or...get this...he puts the hair drier to his ear...the gentle air flow seems to help level out the water imbalance...he is 76 years old so he has become quite proficient in his own health care...He was also told about a surgical procedure...but that could possibly leave you deaf...I like the hair drier idea myself...contact your doctor and ask your family members if they have had it...I know my paternal grandmother had it, my father has it, and I get it too...My best preventive is just move more slowly, avoid wild amusement park rides, and when I'm on a boat or a passenger in a  fast moving car, I NEVER look down...only forward...I hope this has helped...
671586
Not everyone gets it hun. You may be lucky and already be immune to it if you have been in close contact to someone who had it, eg a sibling. And it's not just young kids who get it... I had it aged 26!!
660595
My Doc told us if we hadn't started PT when we did, (7 months) our son would not be walking, talking, and getting ready to start all-inclusive Kindergarten in September.  Like I said, he started at 7 mos, and is now 5 years old.  We have gone to PT 1-2 times per week for over 4 years now, and I truly believe he would not be as mobile if we had just let him lay in a bed and allow his muscles to get tighter.  If you do not have PT, your son may have tendon shortening, which causes even more tip-toes and in the future he may need surgery for it.  \n\nFrom what you describe, our experiences are very similar.  At 5 months, my son was nowhere near sitting up, he was drooling a lot, and he spit up every time he was fed.  He was also very irritable, but we found out it was a milk allergy causing all the crying.\n\nI am confused with the "normal MRI".  CP is caused from lack of oxygen to the brain, which in turn causes the damage, which shows up in the MRI.  Was he sedated for the MRI?  My son had his MRI at 13 months, but the Ped. Neuro. said the damage would show no matter what age the MRI was done.  He said it will never get better or worse, with respect to the test results, not your child's motor skills.  \n\nYou can never go wrong with PT, it cannot do any damage, and it will only help your son.  It will be worth it in the long run.  Sometimes I see older kids with CP that are mobile, but have a fisted hand, or a severe limp, and I wonder if they had Physical Therapy.  Please do this for your child.  I hope you have a Pediatric PT in your area, we drive 4 hours round trip for ours.  We have a Pediatric Feldenkrais PT and she has done wonders for our son, in my opinion it's better than traditional PT for our child.  Go to www.feldenkrais.com to find a practitioner in your area and learn more about this type of PT.  Good luck!
562024
I am a special education teacher, and also the mother of a child with special needs (learning disabilities, ADHD, OCD, and a bunch of other diagnoses).\n\nMom to mom.... don't freak about this.\n\nYou hit the nail on the head when you noted that HE is not phased by the idea of doing kindergarten again.\n\nThe BEST time for repeating grades is in Kindergarten and/or 1st grade.  This allows him to get a good foundation of those basic skills, rather than falling farther and farther behind while being presented work of greater and greater difficulty.\n\nEven at higher grades, if he did the repeating thing early on, most kids won't notice that he's that much older than them. However, bullies will be bullies, and they find something to pick on with everybody... just report them and the school should deal with it.\n\nWhen he is 30 years old, nobody will care if he graduated at 18, 19, or even 21! All they'll care about is whether he has a high school diploma or not. If he goes to college...the college won't care what age he got the high school diploma, either!\n\nYou said he is in a private school. Is he getting speech therapy for his apraxia? Is his teacher trained in special education methods? You do know that the public schools will still provide speech therapy and special educator resource services for children in private school (required by law).  \n\nIf this private school he's attending didn't get you and him linked to the services he needs, if their teachers do not have special education training... I would strongly recommend that you seek a different school for him. With his learning differences, he really needs teachers highly trained in instruction methods for kids with language disabilities and ADHD, as well as speech therapy. How's his handwriting? Have they discussed Occupational Therapy for him? \n\nTwo years retention is really the most he should ever have. In public school, especially in special education, retention is rare and usually only involves repeating kindergarten once and/or 1st grade once. Additional instruction needs are taken care of through pull-out special education with specialists trained in helping students with learning differences build their learning skills.\n\nThe earlier the correct intervention, the better off he will be in the long run. \n\nIf you want to keep him out of public schools for faith reasons, you may need to look at moving to a place where there is a Christian private special education school.  If you can't afford to move, you may have to trust that your and your church's instruction of faith will be enough to compensate for the concerns you have with public schools, and send him to the special education teachers and therapists that can give him the academic help he needs. \n\nLook at these sites:\n\nhttp://www.wcris.org/WebFiles/ResourceFiles/ESeries4.doc\n\nhttp://www.policyreview.org/jan99/fox.html\n\nhttp://dpi.wi.gov/sped/doc/prischpart.doc\n\nAn example of public school provision of special ed to private school students: http://www.sandi.net/comm/factsheets/special_ed_pppss.pdf (requires Adobe Acrobat)\n\nFinding a new private school? Try these:\n\nhttp://www.privateschoolreview.com/\n\nhttp://www.stlrcga.org/x439.xml (many states and large cities offer this sort of listing)\n\nhttp://www.napcse.org/\n\nhttp://www.schoolfinders.net/\n\nhttp://aerkis.com/\n\n\nTake care, pray on this, and trust that G-d will guide you.
449212
You need to get to pediatricians and ask them for advice...I am sorry to hear that...but as much as I know ..children are more likely to outgrow any type of seizure...I know a little boy who had a stroke at age of 3. he was left side paralyzed but completely recovered in 5 years, now he is happy healthy 8 years old....\nThe skull is not even developed yet, baby bones are very soft. I don't think that something is severely damaged. \nJust stay strong and pray until everything is clear. Even though there is something there, love that is in your family and concern that you all have will help this baby live happily and grow healthy. \n\nMedicine today is amazing, there will be good doctors who will know what to do....
21501
I've never heard of this, so first of all my thoughts are with your family.  I knew strokes, heart attacks and those types of things didn't only happen to "older" people anymore, but that they were also happening to people as young as their 20's.  I had absolutely no idea, I am going to try to look this up tho, as I have two young children.  Were there any symptoms, something long coming that didn't get noticed because it was also considered a normal thing?  I hope he stays strong and has a great turn around back to good health.
667509
Not me personally, but my nephew has.  My nephew is an extreme special needs child. He has cerebral palsy and epilepsy.  Seeing an 11 year old in a wheel chair that doesn't talk, feed himself, and drools a lot (his medications cause that), cause people to stare. Sometimes it's a stare of pity. Sometimes a stare of disgust.  Fortunately, there are people that are nice enough to ask my sister his affliction, instead of staring.  They prefer to be educated. Unfortunately, a good portion are heartless, and only see his disabilities.  Not his great smile, or hear his wonderful laugh.  He has taught me much in this world about love, patience and most of all, civility.  I wish others would take his lessons to heart.  I love you, ALAN!!!!
77495
I am having the same exact problem with my 5yr old son.  I can't get him to pay attention and he doesn't even try to focus sometimes at all.  It's EXTREMELY frustrating because I don't want him to get left back.  He's only in kindergarten, for goodness sakes.  \n\nAnyway - sorry about the venting - the only advice that I can give is that if you are really worried about it you can always ask the school board to have him evaluated for any problems.  I'm having my CSE meeting tomorrow and it looks like they are going to give my son services - speech therapy, occupational therapy - you get the idea.\n\nHope this helps.
171673
I don't usually respond to website questions but I read this one and thought I would. My 7yr old daughter has high functioning autism. At first she was diagnosed with aspergers. She is a loner and quite happy to be that way.There are 5 children in the family and she would prefer to be on her own. It saddens me more to see her in the school playground on her own that what it does her.She has an aide at school and is left out by other children because of this - she has only just come to understand that people actually like people.There are a lot of educational things for people with aspergers and autism to help them along on their lives.An example is - social stories (where one learns the correct behaviour in social settings).\nThere is a program called The Dore Program (I think the website is  www.dore.com or could have .au on the end!!!) They take children and adults with learning disabilities - including autism and aspergers - the create exercises for each individual and they are done a couple of timesa day for 12 to 18 months.During this time the client can go from non reading and writing to overtaking their peers. It also helps with behaviour and motor skills. I have read these stories and spoken to a consultant at the institue. \nI know this isnt answering the above question but to all sufferes of any disability there is always hope and tomorow can only be a better day.\nThanks for reading.
98569
What age/grade level are we talking about here? Is this child recieving special services (resource room, speech-language therapy, etc.)?  If the child is not linking sounds to symbols, how can you say that he/she has good phonological awareness? Does he/she blend and segment sounds well orally?\n\nIf you're a regular education teacher, ask around to find a good special education teacher in your district who is well grounded in reading remediation. Ask them for a consult for interventions you can incorporate into your classroom curriculum.\n\nIf you're a special education teacher and asking this question, what the heck program were you in that let you get by and graduate without learning basic remediation methodology? Sorry, but that would be the program's fault, not yours, and you should go yell at them for a while. Then you should go find a program that's decent and learn about effective techniques.\n\nIf the child is under the age of 9, it could very well be that he/she is not developmentally ready for reading. Refer him/her for special education support under "Developmentally delayed." If the child is over the age of 9, a program such as Hooked on Phonics, a tutoring system such as the Orton-Gillingham approach, etc. may be helpful. Refer the child for special education support under Speech-language or under specific learning disabled.
377181
You know even though your son's level is 28 months he may just not be ready. some children with special needs have what is called splinter skills...meaning maybe your son is 28 months functioning level in some areas, but not in others. I work with a seven year old disabled little girl and we have been training the same way and the same amount of time you have...and nothing here either. Sometimes she just happens to go and we cheer and clap and stuff but sometimes I seriously doubt if she really knows why we are cheering for her and I think she mostly just likes the fact that we are paying positive attention to her. However her therapists and teachers all agree that it doesn't hurt to toilet her on a regular schedule at all times because hopefully sooner or later she will start to comprehend what is going on. We also use pecs, and switches that say stuff like "bathroom please" that we have her press everytime we take her to the bathroom. We also read Elmo uses the potty everytime we go to the bathroom with her. Good Luck!