Thanks Cher, that's much appriciated =) Ken - Most definetely, I'll get some better pics this week and post in a new thread. I have a semi round bed to the right of the arbor that I'm working on for fall plantings. Right now I have roundup down waiting for the grass to die. coniferjoy - You never know... I'm not sure how large this project will get 15-20 years from now =)... If I run out of room in my backyard, it'll be time for more brush cutting lol. I have another 200 x 500 feet on standby just incase. I actually took my yard back 50 feet just to make room for those beds. I'm relieved I didn't spell any of the other names wrong. Will get Wingle's Weeper fixed.

I'd try to get more information first. If you bring a general 'She's not talking much' concern to your pediatrician, you're unlikely to get a response that's especially helpful. But if you can be more specific, your Dr. will have a much clearer sense whether or not *something* should be done, and a better idea of what that should next step be. First - Take a sound inventory. Set aside some quiet time for just you and your 3 year old, and with an old children's book (Dr. Seuss would be great) that you don't mind writing in, read her a series of short sentences (one at a time) and ask her to repeat them back to you, exactly the way you read it to her. In this test, you're looking to see what sounds she can make correctly. At 3, she's not supposed to have all her sounds down, but knowing what she does will be helpful. When choosing a book for this exercise, choose one that has a variety of sounds rather than a lot of repetition. In the book, underline what she says reasonably well, and circle the sounds she misses, and write down what she does instead. It may help to tape record her and supplement your notes later. But this exercise will give you a good idea what sounds she can produce. Her articulation at 3 will NOT be perfect, but it there are many sounds she's not even close on, then tell your Dr. you have reason to believe she has problems with articulation. Then do some simple tests of her receptive language -- what she understands. Ask her to put the ball under the table, then on top of the chair, then beside the bear. Have her show you the blue car or the small dog. Play with her and use lots of smiling to keep her engaged and having fun. Be careful NOT to use any gestures - if she often doesn't understand your words, she'll already be adept at picking up your non-verbal clues. Then try two-step directions- "Please bring me the ball and the bear." "Please close the door, then open the book." If she has a lot of trouble with this, tell your Dr. you have reason to believe she has problems with receptive language. Then see how she uses the verbal language she does have. A lot of professionals will jump right to the "Chances are the 7 year old does the talking for her" line as a reason to wait and do nothing. You need to know before you go in whether this is true or not. Talk to your older child, and tell her you'd like her help in getting little sister to talk more. When little sister uses a single word or gesture, prompt for more verbal language. If she points to a cookie, look confused and wait. (Even though you know what it means.) If she says "cookie" (or something close) ask "Do you want a cookie? Can you say 'I want a cookie' ?" and wait to give her the cookie until she does her best to ask. Manners later - this is a speech test ;-) Try to get her to use as much language as she has. If her speech and language is developing normally, this will not be very difficult for her (mildly frustrating, perhaps). If this causes a lot of difficulty or tantrums, particularly if she just grabs your hand to get the cookie instead, tell your doctor you have concerns about her expressive language. If you still have concerns after doing your own tests, the first steps should be a referral to an Audiologist for a hearing test, and to a Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) for a speech & language evaluation. It's usually pretty quick to see an Audiologist, but often there are long waits (several months) to see good pediatric SLPs. If you have concerns, politely insist that your Dr. refer you. The last thing you want is for your pediatrician to "Let's wait and see" then a six month wait for an SLP appointment. (That's what happened to us, and my son ended up having very serious speech and language problems and was more than two years behind when he was first seen at age 3.)

Hi Synchrony - To answer your question -- Yes, I know two children who have a history of seizures and resulting developmental delays. (Both talk and walk fine now, though they're 14...) They are both lovely boys, kind, lively, fun, well-mannered, and a pleasure to be around. They're both struggling in school and in special education classes, which is how I know them. There's also the possibility that I (and you) know many other children who had early seizures, but that they're indistinguishable from their peers now, so we don't recognize them. I looked at your link from the other post, and see that you are in the UK. (She's darling, by the way!) As an American, I don't know exactly how your health system works, but I do know that there are resources available for children with developmental delays (and your daughter's development IS delayed at this point), and that as the parent, you will need to PUSH hard to make things happen. Your daughter should qualify for services -- at the very least, Speech Therapy to help her learn to talk, and Physical Therapy to help her learn to walk. I assume her seizures are being taken seriously from a medical perspective? And that she is receiving proper treatment to help prevent future seizures? Her Pediatrician or Neurologist should be able to give you some information about what services are available in your area to help your daughter catch up to her peers. If they can't or won't refer you immediately, please look for parents' groups in your area. Search online, call the schools -- keep looking because they are out there. (You can usually find a group for parents of autistic children, and even though it's not the same problem, they should be able to tell you what steps to take to get your daughter the kind of help she needs to get started.) Quite simply, there is no one else on the planet who cares about your daughter's future as much as you do, and you need to remember this at all times -- particularly when folks tell you to relax and wait and let 'the experts' lead the way. If you 'wait patiently', that means your daughter does not get the services she needs.

just an update so far...... my little man has found his feet and walking most of the time now... he has been refered for his speech and awaiting an appointment and also started nursery 2 days a week which he HATES but i know it will be good for him in the long run he has only been 2 days so far so im hoping he will settle in soon- ive discussed my concerns with the heath visitor and she is taking me seriously now. he had his development check brought forward and scored very high on all areas apart from speech of course!! im really proud of him and im sure his speech will come on but glad its being looked into anyway. just a note to say thanks for all your advise and interest and il keep you all updated!! love jaclyn and nicholas xxx