Jack just uttered a four word sentence!

[LaraMN]

I made him some noodles and veggies for lunch, and he sat down, started to eat, and with the the most animated voice, announced, "Mmmmm! Dis' is goot!" ("this is good".)
If you need some persepctive as to why this is a big deal, he's going on 3 1/2, and can only say about a dozen discernable words with ANY regularity (although he does occasionally say "I did it!"). It's just further confirmation of my gut feeling that he can understand language and structure FAR more than he can express. I'm not letting ANY of the "experts" suggest that he might not have the capacity to be productively verbal! Okay. end of brag. I'm just excited for him!

[jpgray]

1. Considerably more advanced in communication than some of my students

[RevCheesehead]

5. And the Chimperor. n/t

[LaraMN]

28. I think his foreign policy would involve lots of hugs and the sharing of

crackers. It would most certainly be a step up from what we have now (drooling, stuttering, and not playing well with others!)

[RevCheesehead]

40. Yes! Jack for President!

:patriot:

[MissMillie]

2. Jack's da bomb!

:applause:

[Neoma]

3. My first words..

Was a long sentence about wanting someone to read me the big bird book. Kinda out of the blue.

[Phillycat]

4. A friend of mine

did not utter a word until he was almost two, when he said clearly and distinctly, "Look at the bus." People develop completely differently and all those "milestones" can be thrown by the wayside when you know your own kid.

[RevCheesehead]

6. Yay, Jack!!!

:loveya:

Post a pic. Please! :hi:

[LaraMN]

8. How 'bout "Spaghetti Face"?

OR

"In love with the giant Barbie head":

[RevCheesehead]

9. Adorable!!

I've already fallen in love with him! :loveya:

[radwriter0555]

12. he is SOOOO gorgeous! Congrats on the milestone. It's your hard work

that is a big part of how awesome this lil dude is...

PROPS TO MOM and YAYAYAYAY FOR THE JACKISTAN!

[joneschick]

14. OMG!

look at those eyes! what a sweetie!:hug:

I guess I'll just hafta go hug my own kid.

[RevCheesehead]

16. Hey, J-Chick!

When is the Scruffbunny getting home? :hi:

[joneschick]

18. Sunday, July 9

:bounce: she's feeling really torn--wants to come home while staying in Stuttgart with all her new friends. :bounce:

[RevCheesehead]

19. You'll have to have a "welcome back, Scruff" party!

I know you'll be thrilled to see her, now all grown up and everything. :)

[greatauntoftriplets]

15. He's just adorable...

I want to hug him. And a four-word sentence is an accomplishment of which to be proud. :D

[brook]

61. I'm in love with Mr. Spaghetti-face!

Good show, Jack! :bounce: :loveya:

Lara - I'm late to knowing your beautiful Jack. He is a most precious and handsome fellow...(with a remarkably fine Mom).

As everyone here has noted: Children develop at their own pace --and based on what I learned years ago --children also understand language much earlier than you think. Many of the gestures they make as infants indicate this. Yet we've all seen instances of sheer frustration when they are not yet able to communicate verbally at 2 and 3+. They know- it just hasn't come together quite yet.

I'm sure Jack's got many more happy surprises in store for you. Thank you for sharing him with us. :hug:

[joneschick]

7. He understands more than he's letting on!

that's the nature of language development.....that one sentence would indicate that he has a good handle on language and communication. way to go Jack!

[miss_american_pie]

10. Happy Day!

:woohoo:

[auntAgonist]

11. how wonderful!

I'm thrilled and love to see mommy brags!!
Jack sounds like a great kid and I'm glad you post about it here.

aA
:hug:
:loveya:

Hiya Jack!!!!!!!

[huskerlaw]

13. How can the "experts"

know what his verbal potential is at 3 1/2??

My nephew had hearing problems as a baby/toddler and barely spoke until he was four. Now you can't shut him up. I worked at a child development center and many of the boys were "slow" when it came to language, and didn't speak in full sentences at 3 1/2.

My point is, many "normal" 3 1/2 year-old boys barely speak at that age, and the "experts" don't say "omg, that child is never going to be able to communicate at an adult level." They blather something about slow language development and move on.

Good for Jack, and thank god he's got a mom who doesn't listen to the "experts."

[LaraMN]

24. His hearing is fine- it's a mystery as to why he won't speak more.

He's behind the curve, even for kids with Downs, in expressive language. I think he's capable of saying a whole lot more than he does; he's just lazy and stubborn! He'll come around...

[huskerlaw]

30. Sorry, I wasn't clear...

I know his hearing is fine. ;)

I was just using my nephew as an example of a kid who didn't talk much until he was 4 and nobody ever claimed he'd never be able to speak normally. In fact, they said that he was far to young for anyone to know for sure why he wasn't talking. It could have been the hearing difficulties (he wasn't deaf, just had tons of ear infections) or he could have just been one of those slow speakers..or a combination.

So I guess I don't understand how the "experts" could know if Jack's language development was because of his Down's or if he was just one of those boys who talk later (or a bit of both). Seems to me there are too many variables at that age to know for sure.

[phylny]

62. As an "expert" I would not ethically be able to say that ANYONE

would or would not be able to communicate at an adult level.

However, I like to start speech therapy early enough to give children the best possible outcome. Most typically developing 3.5 year old boys should be talking by that age. If they're not, they should be receiving speech therapy.

My "expert" opinion :)

[Crazy Dave]

17. Das ist gut.

Is German for "That is good". You have a talented young man there LaraMN :toast:

He must get it from his dad's side :popcorn: :hide: :rofl:

[Blue Diadem]

20. Yeah Jack!

:bounce: :bounce:

That's great news!

[snacker]

21. Hooray for Jack...

and for you---it's a big day at your house--ENJOY!!!!

[Callalily]

22. Ah LaraMN

Keep bragging, and keep telling us about Jack. He's so adorable! Big for him. You clearly are a proud mom. And your devotion shines through in all your posts when you're talking about your family! A big for you too!

[ceile]

23. Awesome! Go, Jack!

You've got a doll of a little boy!

[asthmaticeog]

25. Superb!

:thumbsup:

[Beware the Beast Man]

26. I've said this before,

I think he's going to suprise a lot of people with his development as he grows up. He's just that darn clever. :)

[LaraMN]

27. I do, too. His problem solving skills are pretty advanced.

Which is developmentally great, and logistically nightmarish, at the same time.:rofl: That boy can operate the Dvd player and find a way to climb onto the top of anything...:scared:

[phylny]

60. I worked with lots of kids with Downs - from young to teens and I tell you

you can never underestimate (or predict) what they'll be doing when they're older.

[China_cat]

29. Have you tried sign with him?

It may be that he physically can't make the sounds ... yet.

[LaraMN]

33. We've been signing with him since he was an infant, and he does

sign a bit more than he speaks. I think his issues are primarily with articulation, and that's just going to mean we have to practice sounds with him ALOT!

[mzteris]

44. has he been assessed

for any central auditory processing issues? You can "hear" fine - but not be able to process what you're hearing. CAPD is another very misunderstood learning/developmental issue.

[LaraMN]

46. I don't know. What's involved w/that? He has a speech therapist

who he sees weekly. I wonder if that's part of what she evaluates? I've never heard that specific terminology.

[mzteris]

53. here are a few links for you......

Auditory Processing Disorder in Children: What Does it Mean?
http://www.ldonline.org/articles/8056

CAPD Parents' Page
Resources for Parents of Children with Central Auditory Processing Disorders
http://pages.cthome.net/cbristol/capd.html

Pay Attention!
Coping With Central Auditory Processing Disorder
http://d93.k12.id.us/~sservice/Coping_With_CAPD.html

Central Auditory Processing Disorder
http://www.engr.colostate.edu/ece/Research/cad/

[swimboy]

31. Woo-hoo!

That's wonderful!!! Nominated for Greatest Page!!! :thumbsup:

He's awesome. He gets it from you! :hug:

[LaraMN]

34. Thanks, sweetie!

You're such a peach. Jack makes my day every day, but especially when he does new things. When you have to wait longer for a new development, it's just that much sweeter when you finally get rewarded with a glimpse of progress!

[Cathyclysmic]

32. Yay!

I think you are correct. Any child understands more then they can say while they are learning. Experts suck.

[phylny]

63. We do?

[NewWaveChick1981]

35. That's great!

:bounce: :applause: :hug: I know you're really proud! :hug:

[LaraMN]

37. I am. You know what?

Before he was born, I was afraid of what it would be like to take him out in public. I wondered if I'd get stares or rude comments, so on my first trip to the grocery store with him (when he was a few weeks old), I'm ashamed to say that I was too afraid to put him front-facing in the chest-carrier, in a position where people would see his face. It took all of about a month for me to do a total one-eighty on that feeling, though. After I realized that everyone who had met him adored him, I became nothing short of glowingly proud of him, and ever since, I've taken to showing him off, every chance I get. No one could ever make me sorry for anything about him. I love him beyond words.

[NewWaveChick1981]

41. You should be very proud of him.

Don't let small-minded people EVER make you or Jack feel bad! :hug: Screw 'em---they're not worthy of your company or his! :D

[Pithlet]

36. That is wonderful.

I'm excited for you, and Jack! :bounce:

[riona]

38. Yes, I agree

This is very good! :applause:

[kiraboo]

39. A couple of the brightest people I know didn't begin to speak

until they were between three and four years old. Some kids seem to spend more time observing, absorbing, analyzing, & considering before they begin to interact with language. Glad to hear the little man likes his veggies!

[mzteris]

45. Einstein

was a "late talker"...

[kiraboo]

47. I didn't know that.

My daughter spoke pretty early. Her first words (other than mama and dada) were "Yucky flies!" My eldest son's first words were "Thank you." My youngest son's... I can't remember. Bad mama!

[hedgehog]

42. None of my kids even babbled.

They just up and started talking about age 4 or so. Every single one of them was noted as possibly needing speech therapy when they entered kindergarten, but oddly enough the school district never arranged for any therapy. It turned out that what the testing personnel labeled as poor diction was my children's version of my accent which is an amalgam of West Virginia/ Southern Ohio and my grandmother's West Ireland brogue.

I should note, 5 of the 6 kids haven't stopped talking since. One child tends to be relatively quiet but he delivers the bon mots on a regular basis.


Congratulations Jack!

[mzteris]

48. when my nephew started school

they wanted him to have speech therapy.

They'd just moved to South Carolina from Hawaii - where he'd grown up playing with mostly "native Hawaiian" children"....... of course the rural SC people spoke oh-so-normally themselves, doncha know? :rofl:

[Beausoir]

43. Brag away!

Any boy who knows enough to stuff Cheetos down his diaper to save for later is A-OK! (Can't get enough of that story!)

He's got it goin' on!!

[intheflow]

49. My son didn't say any more than a handful of words until he was about

the same age as your son. Then one day he spit out a paragraph, and he hasn't stopped talking since! :rofl: He was in special ed as a kid (ADD without the hyperactivity, and boy did I hear he was dumb and/or he needed to be medicated from the special ed "professionals"), but I never medicated him, just encouraged his creative, critical thinking skills. Eventually he developed his own learning strategies. He just graduated from college cum laud with a BA in English and Education (dual major) and is applying to Masters programs to continue the road to his dream of being a college history professor.

So I wouldn't worry about about your son's verbal skills, or lack thereof, just yet. I think some professionals have unrealistic and/or one-size-fits all approaches to child development because that way they don't have to deal with kids as individuals, on individual bases.

[xmas74]

50. And you should be excited!

Celebrate as much as you want-I don't think any reasonable person would stop you.

And it sounds like you need to make noodles and veggies all the time!

[Oeditpus Rex]

51. I get SO sick of all these 'standards' for kids

Your son is hitting only .267 in his tee ball league. We suggest a complete vision examination, an evaluation by a neurologist of his hand-eye coordination and other motor skills, 50 hours in the batting cage and a psychiatric evaluation to determine whether he has bat-ball issues. If you don't do all this, you're a Bad Parent.

What happened to seeing everyone as an individual? :shrug:



Jack kicks ass and melts hearts just the way he is. :loveya:

[swag]

52. Pretty cool.

Carry on, Jack!

[Midlodemocrat]

54. YAY, JACK!!!!!

What wonderful news! Made my day/weekend!


:bounce:

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

55. That's nothing. When is he going to utter a four-letter word?

:evilgrin: (Humongous congrats by the way. :loveya:)

[tjwmason]

56. This is wonderful news.

:hug: :toast: :woohoo:

and a :hug: for Jack as well.

[ulysses]

57. his receptive vocabulary could be quite large.

I don't doubt for a minute that he understands a lot more than he can express right now. Good for him...and for you, Mom. :)

[Kajsa]

58. This is great news!! LaraMN, I've been right where you're at.

My son, now 22, was diagnosed with ADHD and borderline autism.

He hardly spoke any words until he was 3-3 1/2. Like you, the " experts" kept telling me
that he needed a special program ( no kidding!), would be severely speech delayed, yada,yada, yada.
Well, only a portion of that came to be.

He speaks with some difficulty but he has an extensive vocabulary and does just fine on his own.
He mainstreamed 5 out 6 classes his last year in high school. He still needs help with socialization skills,
but he hangs out with his best friend and goes everywhere.
Oh- he works part time and goes to school.

So much for their prediction of dire straits, severe MR and all the other stuff they told me.

Go with your gut- WE KNOW what our kids can do. We also know what they need help with.

This is the best news I've heard all day!
That little guy is going to progress and you are just the Mom to help him.

Bless you both!:hi: :pals:

[phylny]

59. Congratulations!

By the way, I'm an expert, and I work with a lot of little ones who understand everything, but are unable to verbalize much. There are many different reasons for it, and once I diagnose it, I get almost everyone talking :)

[WCGreen]

64. Awww.....

He is about to by pass Bush....

[Maestro]

65. Congratulations

My boss has an autistic who just graduated from high school at 19. He is a pretty severe case and still needs supervision but he now has a job. Of course, this was after she was told he was proundly mentally retarded. :eyes: Glad to hear that Jack is making progress!

[WritingIsMyReligion]

66. Hell, he knows more German than I do!

:P :P

"Dat ist gut!"

Hah, I slay myself! :D

Congrats! ;)

[Xipe Totec]

67. One of my brothers didn't start talking till he was four

years old.

He hasn't shut up since.

On the other hand, when my oldest son was two, he was already talking up a storm. He used to spend a day a week at a Lutheran "mother's day out" day care. I taught him to say:

"Death to the Infidels!"

Which annoyed the priest to no end.


You just have to pick your poison...

:evilgrin:

[Dangerously Amused]

68. Gotta love that Jack!

What a sweetie. I'm with the others who think he will take over the world one day. I am already a strong supporter of his foreign policy platform.


:woohoo:

[Whoa_Nelly]

69. WTG, Jack!

Keep working with him, Mom! He's doing great! :hug: :loveya: :hi:

[1monster]

70. Check with your school district office. Most school district have

early intervention programs for kids who are language delayed. They have prekindergarten programs in the schools for kids who need the extra boost. The kids get speech therapy and any other services they need in order to be successful in school once they are kindergarten age.

on edit: congratulations to Jack for his sentence. (And are you sure he has a small vocabulary? That sentence sure sounds like German to me. Maybe you are just speaking to him in the WRONG language! :evilgrin:

[Ptah]

71. Your anectdote reminds me of my daughter's first sentence

"Not me, I didn't do it"

:hi: