The Late Talker: What to Do If Your Child Isn't Talking Yet

By Lisa F. GengMalcolm J. NichollMarilyn C. Agin, et al.

Book Overview

Every parent eagerly awaits the day his or her child will speak for the first time. For millions of mothers and fathers, however, anticipation turns to anxiety when those initial, all-important words are a long time coming. Many worried parents are reassured that their child is "just a late talker," but unfortunately, all too often that is not the case. Nineteen million children in the United States have serious speech disorders, such as apraxia of speech. For these toddlers, early and intensive speech therapy is crucial if they are to stand a chance of ever speaking normally. This book was written to help the worried parent cut through the confusion and stress to determine if their child needs help.

The Late Talker is the first book of its kind, providing effective, practical answers to the questions every concerned parent asks. Written by Marilyn C. Agin, a highly respected developmental pediatrician, and Lisa F. Geng, a mother of two late talkers, it is a tremendously useful handbook that includes:

- Ways to identify the warning signs of a speech disorder
- Information on how to get the right kind of evaluations and therapy
- Ways to obtain appropriate services through the school system and health insurance
- Fun at-home activities that parents can do with their child to stimulate speech
- Groundbreaking evidence of the promising and dramatic benefits of nutritional supplementation
- Advice from experienced parents who've been there on what to expect and what you can do to be your child's best advocate

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312309244
• ISBN13: 9780312309244
• Release Date: July 2004
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
• Length: 228 Pages
• Weight: 0.57 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.6" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Most helpful book for me to date

My child has developmental language disorders/apraxia/dysarthria/articulation disorders. Finally a book to help me understand my 32 month son! I especially found the part about insurance companies helpful since I have an HMO that only allows 20 speech therapy visits PER YEAR! I needed to know how to advocate for my son. The glossary in the back was helpful as were the resources. Not all late talking children will talk *when they are ready* or will grow out of it or are "Einstein-like"; some have problems and need intervention. My son only has a 3 word vocabulary. Otherwise he grunts and cries. He's very smart and understands everything. I am glad to read this book!

2 grandparents review

As grandparents we were upset at first when we realized that our two-year old grandson still had not begun talking. He had a speech impairment. Fortunately, our daughter was directed to a "special needs" nursery school, where a knowledgeable teacher introduced her to the concept of "early intervention" and the need for a prompt proper diagnosis by a developmental pediatrician, followed by therapy by a qualified speech pathologist. Our grandson, now eight years old, is enrolled in a "Special Ed" county schools, and is receiving the special therapy, which will enable him to look forward to clearer speech patterns and enunciation in the foreseeable future. All this, because our daughter became involved actively,in searching for a solution to her son's disorder.We recently read" The Late Talker" by Dr Marilyn Agin and Lisa Geng, which describes in great detail the frustration of parents of an apraxic child, who do not know where to turn for help. The book explains the importance of "Early Intervention" and the danger of a wait-and-see attitude. A professional diagnosis by a developmental pediatrician is essential for a guide for proper therapy. The need for a speech therapist is stressed, whether in school or privately. This book lead a parent of a child with a speech impairment from a maze of confusion into a reasonable plan for a child's future progress of better speech. At the end of "The Late Talker" there is a section on resources for a parent,a guideline for school-based speech-language-pathologists, explanations of medical abbreviations, a glossary and finally an extensive bibliography. This book encourages parents to get involved, go to IEP meetings, work with the boards of education to get the best training for their child. Fortunately,it is an easy read,as well. We recommend it highly. Sincerely, 2 lucky grandparents

A call-to-action for parents & caregivers of any late talker

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is even slightly concerned that a child may have a speech delay. I only wish I had read a book like this when my preschooler was 15 months old (the time at which I first started having those nagging feelings that something just wasn't quiet right with his speech development). Instead he was 27 months old when he was finally diagnosed with a speech delay because well-meaning people advised us to adopt a "wait and see" approach. By doing so, he lost one year of very valuable speech therapy. This book contains a wealth of information: signs of possible disorders vs. a mere speech delay; the importance of obtaining the right kinds of therapy and evaluations; dealing with insurance companies, early-intervention programs and school systems; how to be your child's best advocate; the amazing benefits of essential fatty acid supplementation; things parents can do at home with their child to stimulate speech development; internet sites, support groups, and so much more! In short, this book contains everything you'd ever need to know or want to ask to give your late talker the best head start possible!

The Late Talker is WONDERFUL!!

Thank you, thank you, thank you to the authors of "The Late Talker"! This book is a very well written, easy to understand guide for parents who are concerned about their childs speech development. This book offers parents the background, guidance, and support needed to make informed decisions regarding a child's speech development. It addresses issues such as when and how to ask for help for their late talker and included is a complete and informative overview of normal speech development vs.symptoms of speech delay and possible speech disorder. The book also gives advice on how to deal with the frustrations of a speech disordered child as well as the parents' emotional ride through the whole process...something I can relate to as well as many many parents that are going through simular circumstances. Co-author, Lisa Geng, has expressed in this book many of the thoughts and feelings that parents of late talkers have had but have never been able to explain to anyone in words. As a mother of a late talker diagnosed with severe apraxia and President/Co-Founder of the VOICES Association, I recommend this book wholeheartedly, both as an interesting read and an invaluable resource for parents who are starting their journey towards evaluating, diagnosing and treating their child's [possible] speech disorder. Because of this book, parents will be equipt with the knoweledge to be effective advocates for their late talker. Tamara Hill