'Magic' Quilt Prompts Toddler to Speak

I agree with Autumn, the speech therapist. Although I loved this article, no quilt or any other item would have made my son talk. He was delayed and needed speech therapy through Early Intervention. In most states Early Intervention services are free or at a low cost through the state. These services end at age 3 so it is crucial for children to get services when they need it! I am thankful to report that my son, who is 3 1/2 is doing amazing after 8 months of speech therapy. He is also a much happier child now that he can express himself.

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That's a great story. If I were the mom, I would still keep a close eye out for any other delayed behaviors. Autism was the first thing to come to mind.

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That is a great story, and the issue is a serious one. However, there is a funny story that I like that is related to this topic. It goes like this: A child doesn't speak for years, to the growing consternation of his doting parents. They do everything they can think of to provoke speech, but nothing works. Then one day when the child was 4 years old, at breakfast, he says, "This toast is burnt!" The parents were overjoyed, but they had to ask why he hadn't spoken before. He said, "Up to now, everything's been okay."

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I wanted to cry reading this. My son didn't say mama until almost exactly the same time, in fact maybe a little later. He's about 30 months now and he just started saying mama a few months ago really clearly. He called for me before that, but it was always just strange sounds that I knew meant mama. I can't tell you how bad I craved hearing mama. And even now... nearing 3 years old in just a few months, he's way behind in the speech department. His cousin is 12 days older than him and speaks like an 8 year old. It's insane. But as many times as I told myself not to compare, I couldn't help it. The good news is, through some therapy and good ole patience, we figured out that he had a bit of sensory processing disorder which delayed him a bit. He was the sensory seeking type, which led his therapist to believe that was the reason he couldn't sit still long enough to learn words. Here's the really cool part though.... it turns out he knows tons of words... words I had no idea he had even come across.... but now when the opportunity presents itself.. out comes a new word. Not prompted in any way.... he just says it. It's amazing. And my boyfriend (who has 4 nearly grown children) said 2 of his sons didn't talk til they were 3. And now they are all very smart boys. One of them has even honored us all by serving in Iraq. Anyway, moral of the story is... don't panic. All kids are different. Just keep talking to your little ones and give them time... and you will be amazed at what they already know.

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How funny the way things turn out. I went through this with my eldest son, three years later I gave birth to my daughter born with Down Syndrome. I feel silly now for worrying so much about silly milestones now that she's now 4 and still not talking...

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Our 22 month old daughter only said four or five words and she would not even say those very often. One day around 23 months she began talking in complete sentences.

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My son didn't say hardly anything until after two. My doctor wasn't worried even though I was thinking maybe autism. He finally began talking slowly but he did have speech problem's in school until he was about 7. Now he won't shut up EVER but no problem's and he is 12

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I feel it is imperative to join in with the symphony of other qualified speech therapists such as MaryJo, Autumn, and Maureen who have replied to this article and stress that, while this mother's intentions to share a cute story about her son may be innocent, her words should not deter anyone from seeking an evaluation when they have concerns about their child. I have worked as a speech therapist in Early Intervention with infants and toddlers for over 10 years. In all those years working with hundreds of children with delayed expressive language, I can count on one hand the number of children who "just started talking" one day and reached age-appropriate levels within a few short months. While many others progressed to age-appropriate levels before their third birthday, it typically took these children many, many months as several parents such as Robin and Susan have pointed out in their responses. As suggested, sometimes an evaluation can reveal other hidden issues that parents may not have been aware of and at the very least, may offer some valuable insight about how to encourage your child's language. As Maureen points out, this mother is presenting her child as now "talking," when in fact, at 24 months, he has only reached the milestone of imitating verbal language, which is typically achieved between 12 - 25 months of age.

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Sorry for the typo at the end of my post - that should read between 12 - 15 months of age (not 25).

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One of my son's first word, when he was two-years-old, was the following, "HapBirthdatodada." None of the other three could beat that.

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Hey, Judi!! Many years ago I saw a bumper sticker: She who has the most material when she dies, wins!

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My sons are 18.5 months apart. When #2 was born the doctor told me that he would slap me if I even thought about doing the comparison bit. #1 did everything early but he had a sister that was 12 years older that spent a lot of time with him. When #2 came along, she as not all that anxious to do so. #2 also took a while to do and say things, but then #1 would talk for him. I did not worry as the old saying...becareful what you wish for as you may just get it. I knew that soon enough the chatter box would open and the talking would pour out. Back to the Dr., he was oh so right as my sons are two very different people, even now in their 30s. They have different interests and friends and that is only right. One still has a lot to say and the other very little but people do listen to him when he speaks. Who in their right mind would want theirkids to be cut from the same mold? Certainly not me...

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this dont mean something wrong with the kid hs just a sassy kid who only talks to who he likes

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When my first grandson was under two years old (he is now in his 30's) I used to take him in the bathroom and shut the door and turn off the light and say "Oh, it's dark in here." I did it numerous times and one time when I did it, "He just plainly said "dark in here'" They were his first words, even before he said Mama or Daddy. Of course, I tried over and over again to make him say it but do you think he would? No, he never said it again.

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I had the same problem with my oldest son now 23 when he was little he really didnt talk until he was 3 now he still isnt really a big talker but once in a while he will just talk your ear off.....guess it was just his personality.

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My son did not say much at 22 months either. As a matter of fact a woman in my playgroup suggested I have him tested. I knew he was fine but it was still jarring to hear her comment on his lack of conversation. Her 2 boys were the same age as my son and chatty. The best news is my son has an IQ above 130 and is a well adjusted, athletic young man. He is still a quiet person who thinks before he speaks. Sometimes boys are very cerebral and we need to give them their thinking space.

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I agree with previous commentators here that although this story is heartwarming, it give false "hope" to parents who have a child with a speech delay. If you are concerned, GET YOUR CHILD TESTED. It can't hurt to have them evaluated. The worst that will happen is you will waste a small amount of money to have a qualified speech pathologist tell you he/she is fine. At best, you could catch a serious issue early, and work to have it corrected before your child enters school.

My son only said 10 words when he turned two. He would often get frustrated when trying to communicate his wants and needs to us. His tantrums frustrated the both of us because they did not lead to any better communication. We taught him "baby sign", and that helped some, but there is a limit to how much can be communicated this way. From an early age (one year), I was concerned about his speech delay, and when I asked the pediatrician about it, I was just brushed off, "All children are different. You worry too much. He'll talk in his own time." At two when I pushed back hard, the pediatrician referred me to a local non-profit who tested him, he tested very high on a cognitive level, but very low verbally, so they placed him in therapy. He slowly started adding more and more sounds to his vocabulary, but his speech delay effected all other aspects of his development, causing delays in social and emotional areas as well. At almost 7 he has finally caught up, and only has speech therapy at school in a group setting a couple of days a week. He has been referred to the gifted program at his school. If we had not gotten him the early intervention he needed, he would not be in the good place academically that he is.

If we had waited and done nothing, I have been told, he would have been put into special ed when he entered kindergarten.

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My son did not utter a word until he was about 13 months. He started talking one day pointing at things in the room and asking, what's that?" This continued for months all day long.

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Just a comment...I did not "walk" until I was 16 months old but I knew how but I suspect I really liked being carried everywhere. One day while Mom was having her bridge club I walked into the room where the ladies were and to this day remember Mom screaming in excitement. LOL

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Came home from work one day with United Airlines opened the front door. My 2 year old daughter looked up at me and said "pick me up". she is 42 now and can say a lot more but I was so excited not only a word but a whole sentence. Thanks to my wife of course.

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