struggling with feelings with delayed child

[maisiedotes]

My son, who is 2 yrs 4 months, is still not talking,  he babbles all day long... but not saying any actual words besides "da da".  He also just started walking at 2 yrs. He has only been diagnosed as having "global delays".. he has had vision and hearing screening and everything is normal.  He gets PT and OT through early intervention, and is getting hippotherapy (horseback riding therapy)   I love him.. no matter if he is delayed or not. I just want life to be easy for him. It is hard enough growing up without any issues.  I am looking for some sympathy I guess... I never want  my child to be anything more than he is- a total sweetheart, a caring, loving, funny boy... but I don't want him to go through any teasing in his life. I saw a group of special needs young adults at the grocery store the other day and people were staring.  I don't want my son to be stared at.  I want everyone to see him as the wonderful boy I see him as...

[Linda on the move]

Just deal with the present. Your son is VERY young. No one knows what is going on in his head. No one knows what he is capable of.

There's no way of knowing where he will be in a year, or 5 years.

[Jen Muise]

Aww, I hear ya mama!  My girls don't have any visible differences right now, but when dd was very small she had a large hemangioma (sp?) on the back of her neck.  It was something that she would outgrow, I was told, but a golf ball sized purple lump on the back of a baby's neck is enough to get people to stop and stare.  Worse was when people would do stuff like look at her in horror and exclaim "What's wrong with her!?" or "what's wrong with her neck?!".  I didn't mind the question so much as that even at 6 mos it was pretty clear that she understood that someone was reacting with shock and horror to *her* or something about her.  :(  Made me so sad!  I still don't understand how grownups could be so insensitive.  Now she has outgrown it, and her differences are more on the inside so we don't get that shock response anymore.  But, we still do worry about people calling her stupid, slow, etc. especially her peers.  All I really know to do is to warn her that some people are rude and quick to judge, and that she's not any of those things. I can give her a loving place, a loving community, and self talk that will hopefully be louder than a bully's voice.  (((((hugs)))))

[daggaz]

How's his comprehension?  My little brother didnt start talking until about that age, but he understood quite a lot of what was said to him.  He had some speech impediments and went to therapy, but these days he is absolutely "normal" .. intelligent, funny, and married to a great girl.  

At any rate, it cant help to worry about imagined scenarios in the future, like people staring at him at the store.  Take it one day at a time, and work on the problems he does have, rather than worrying about those he may not.  

[Azik's mom]

I can understand your concern as parents we never want to see our kids hurt, emotionally or otherwise.  There is little we can do to control what others might do or say.  But I think we can do a little more to help our kids develop a sense of self so that they can deal with teasing when and if it comes along.  

[A.Jewell]

It sounds like you are doing all of the right things and are a wonderful Mom!  Your unconditional love will impact him more than any fleeting negativity from others.  And toddlers can change SO much between now and starting school, things may even out by then or at least you will have more information by that point to guide him in the right directions.  Hang in there Mama and surround yourself with loving, supportive people.  Sounds like he's a great little guy and you are doing a great job!

[pattimomma]

Can you get a more through evaluation possibly with a speech therapist? My son is dyslexic and his vision is fine, the problem is his cognitive processing. His eyes are physically fine but when the visual information reaches the brain things get turned around. What I mean is your son probably hears just fine but a hearing test alone can't tell you what his brain is doing with the information that it is taking in by hearing. Even if he understands what you say his brain may process his output differently. There are therapies for this.

I think everyone here understands and knows what it feels like to just want things to be easier for their child

[orlakelly]

We all share the same fears but your son is very young and with your help and unconditional love, your precious son will improve. Have a look at nutritional therapy and keep looking at way to help him develop further. My son has a developmental disorder which was noticed since he was a few yrs old-not too older than your son and he is 7 now and I cannot recognise him from the child he once wa! Hang in there and avail of all the help you get-ask for help and be prepared to be open and try new things-some will work and some won't but once you keep moving forward you will I beleive reach a breakthrough x Orla