just a normal four year old?

[holly08548]

my son is turning five in december and hasnt really learned how to talk that well, he canhave a conversation but my two yr old daughter is passing him on saying sentances,telling you about her day ect. i mean he can talk just one or two words at a time or very short sentances,followed with hand gestures and baby talk still.my husband wants to go get him tested,but i think hes just a slow learner
(doesnt help that im the one that taught him most the hand gestures)and were having a hell of a time trying to potty train him.idk if its because we baby him too much or if it is a seriouse problem.any advice?

[holly08548]

yes he understands me perfectly well and has no problems with any of his motor skills. thats why its a mind boggler to me and we read all the time play interactive pbs kids games do everything. i think i will have him assessed just to be safe and his pedatrition said it is very strange that he cant talk but everything else is above average. its almost like hes choosing not to speak but to give hand gestures. and it does scare me because he does sometimes has out bursts with his aunite but then hell just say "here, ill show you.." and worries me even more when i take him and his sister to the park i see her maing friends left and right but he cant seem to communicate with kids his age..

[specialmom]

Hi there.  Agree with Anniebrooke.  Kids do tend to develop speech a their own rate.  But having difficulty in speech can really hinder a child.  They often have emotional outburst due to lack of communication or being understood and they also often have social friends.  It's hard to play with another child when they can't understand you.  

So, I would talk to your pediatrician and get a referral to a speech pathologist to determine if there is a problem.  If you don't have insurance or this is a difficult thing to do, you can also go through your local school system.  From age 3 to 5, schools take over early intervention.  You can request to have  him evaluated (and I'd do a full evaluation with all specialists to catch if he has any fine motor/gross motor issues as well) and then they will provide speech and most likely early intervention preschool.  If you do nothing, they do typically evaluate all incoming kindergarten kids for such issues as part of the process of starting school.  

I do wish you luck.  Read to him a lot.  Oh, and does he understand directions you give him, three step directions like (clap your hands, go to the front door, say hello----  given at one time and he follows all three without you repeating.  That is developmentally appropriate for a child of your son's age.)  

[AnnieBrooke]

I don't see that there is any harm in having him assessed.  Talk to his pediatrician and see what recommendations or referrals he has.  You will get the question when your son begins school (about whether he has been assessed) so go ahead now and be ahead of the game.