14 month sons delays

18 years ago

my son is 14 month old and i am worried about the delays he has. he is currently receiving physical therapy and only started crawling the day before his birthday. he is coming along well with this. i was initially concerned with him because he started rolling at 6 months and at 7 months suddenly stopped. he started rolling again at 10 months but it was like starting all over again. he received a full evaluation at 10 months and it was noted that he had at least a mild delay in receiptive language. since that time i have noticed that he will achieve a milestone (waving, clapping, etc) then all of a sudden you will not see him do that skill for a month or two or longer then he will do it a few times then it's gone again. some things he has never done (ie. "so big") has anyone ever seen this?

i am also concerned that he is not putting words to objects. he doesn't know i'm mommy, a ball is a ball, a dog is a dog, etc. he does not respond to questions you ask him without using a gesture. he does not say any words but will ocasionally imitate words but not use them in a proper context. his doctor does not seemed concerned even though at his last well visit every language milestone was not achieved on their assessment. i am currently pushing to get a speech evaluation and him to be seen by a developmental pediatrician. i feel though no one is taking me seriously.

i have a lot of experience with young children. i was a daycare teacher for many years and a daycare assistant director. i have my degree in teaching. so i am not a dummy. i work with him all the time (reading, singing songs, talking with him) i know there is something going on with him, although i am not concerned about autism. he has very normal social skills. has anyone had experience with children like this? am i being too crazy about this?

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Comments (3)

sweeby
18 years ago
"i am currently pushing to get a speech evaluation and him to be seen by a developmental pediatrician."

This is excellent, and JUST what you should be doing.

"his doctor does not seemed concerned even though at his last well visit every language milestone was not achieved on their assessment."
" i feel though no one is taking me seriously. "

That is terrible and oh-so-common! There was a study done several years ago that found that parents who listened to their pediatrician's blandishments and dismissals wasted an average of 18 months before insisting on therapy for their kids. (I was pretty average in that respect...) While your pediatrician's reluctance to worry you is nice, it isn't really helping your child -- it's hurting him.

The SLP evaluation and Developmental Pediatrician are absolutely the right first steps. Does your county have a 'Birth to Three' program? In the U.S. I believe it's a federal mandate that counties provide early identification and support services for kids who are behind. Call your local elementary school and ask them. They should be able to tell you the name of your local agency. And ask your son's PT what else she recommends.

Can you think of any possible medical reasons for your son's delays?
micahsmom
Original Author
18 years ago
thank you for your thoughts.
my son does have some health problems. he was born full term but was born jaundice which was not the same as typical newborn jaundice which occurs several days after birth. his hemotologist said that his bilirubin was not severe enough to cause cerebal palsy but he may have been more sensitive to it which could have caused some brain damage. the jaundice was caused by the fact that he has hemolytic anemia. so his hemoglobin is always low (normal is 12-15, for his first year of life he was around 7-8, sometimes lower) he required blood transfusions at 3 weeks and 5 weeks. but he is really doing the best he can possibly can be doing. his hemoglobin went up after his first birthday and is now 9.6. as with most people suffering from anemia he sometimes can be sluggish especially when he is sick. but he has been healthy lately and numbers have been good so he is much more active.
i am just really concerned about him gaining and loosing skills. his pt was the one who suggested going to the developmental pediatrician. hopefully they will get back to me soon with an appointment. the guy is so busy that he has a team that you talk to first and they decide if the child gets an appointment. also early intervention is giving me a hard time about evaluating him for speech. i might have to wait until august to get him evaluated at his comittee meeting. so i guess we will see. if they still give me a problem i can probably go through my insurance.
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sweeby
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Sounds like you're doing the right things. If I remember correctly, it took me 6 months to get my son in to the Dev Ped the first time! A 'screening team' seems like a really good approach - logical, and will probably work in your favor. Keep following up with them, and be sure to mention your son's medical issues as a possible cause.

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14 month sons delays

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sweeby

micahsmom
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14 month sons delays

Comments (3)

sweeby

micahsmomOriginal Author

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sweeby

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micahsmom
Original Author