3 yr. old boy - lack of speech

[pas]

I have a 3yr. old grandson.  He has not developed his speech.  He does say some things, such as ABC and counts to 10 when prompted by us and once in a while he will repeat what he hears on video's or t.v.  But he does not communicate to us by talking to us or even acknowledge our speaking to him.  The way he will communicate his needs to us is to take us by the hand and lead us to what he wants.  His hearing has been checked and is o.k.  

My daughter, (his mom) has nursed him since birth and is still, at times, nursing him.  He appears to be very bright and able to do many tasks.  He does jibber a lot, but nothing we can understand.  He is very affectionate and social.  I sometimes think he may be autistic, but I'm not sure.  My daughter has been reluctant to take him to a specialist, such as a Speach Pathologist.  She does not have the financial ability to do this but we have offered to pay for the medical tests.  How do I get through to her and how do I help this beautiful little child?  I feel helpless when we do not know what he is trying to get across to us and winds up sitting on the floor screaming and crying in a tantrum type way because sometimes, we don't know what he wants. It has also been impossible for us to start him into potty training.  HELP! and Thanks

[kidcare]

The local school district can provide evaluations and services(if eligibility criteria is met) for children 3-5 years of age. They should do ..at no cost..a vision, hearing,speech and cognitive screening and then complete evals if warrented.  Have your daughter call the Special Services/Special Education Dept. and ask for her child to be screened.  There are laws that the school must follow.  Look up Part B services of IDEA and you will be able to find everything you need.  Make sure you know what the law is so that you are able to obtain the most appropriate services.  Encourage your daughter to do this now so that he will be ready for school at 5 yrs of age.  If he receives these services it does not mean he will need these services forever..but they are there if he does need them.

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

You are absolutley correct in thinking that your grandson should be evaluated professionally. A Speech/Language evaluation would be appropriate, and would be a logical place to start. Another option would be to have an evaluation by a developmental pediatrician or developmental psychologist. Most jurisdictions have provisions for such care for persons, particularly children, who are lacking the financial resources or health insurance to handle it privately. Check into this possibility. Good resources for professional intervention are pediatric hospitals - are there any in your area?