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

Dr. Marilyn C. Agin (Author), Lisa F. Geng (Author), Malcolm Nicholl (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2004

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, that is not always the case. Balanced with a mother's perspective and an acclaimed doctor's experience, this book gives parents advice on:
*Finding the right therapy and therapist
*Negotiating with school boards, teachers, and language specialists
*Speech exercises to do at home with a child.
The Late Talker is the first book of its kind, providing effective, practical answers to the questions every concerned parent asks.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The mother of a boy with a speech disorder and the developmental pediatrician and former speech-language pathologist who diagnosed it as apraxia team up with scribe Nicholl to pen this expert guide to understanding speech delays and problems. Parents whose child doesn't say "mama" or "dada" soon enough might hope he's a "late talker," and if that were always true, there'd be no cause for alarm. But if the child has a speech disorder, early diagnosis and intervention is crucial: "Studies have shown that youngsters with learning disabilities make up a 'disproportionately large' percentage of suicides." The authors of this volume show, via clear chapters and even clearer charts, the kinds of language milestones kids should hit at certain ages and the warning signs of potential disorders. An overview of speech disorders focuses particularly on those in which language acquisition and speech sound production is affected-e.g., apraxia, a neurological motor speech impairment that has a number of associated conditions, including sensory integration dysfunction. The authors walk parents through finding the right doctor, therapist and method of therapy; ensuring that their publicly schooled child gets an Individualized Educational Program; dealing with insurance companies; engaging in activities that encourage speech practice; understanding nutritional supplements; and dealing with fears, both their child's and their own. A careful, thorough and realistic book, this will be a great resource for any parent dealing with these issues.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"This gem of a book provides useful, field-tested advice . . . offering comfort and counsel for the anxious parent."
--Richard D. Lavoie, M.S., M.Ed., visiting professor at Simmons College, former director of the Riverview School, and producer of The F.A.T. City Video

"Full of terrifically practical and encouraging information . . . Everyone on the team helping your late-talking child will benefit from reading this book."
--Martha R. Herbert, M.D., Ph.D., pediatric neurologist, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School

"This book offers reassuring and realistic advice . . . Armed with this knowledge, both parents and professionals alike will be able to help late talkers find their voice."
--ADVANCE Magazine

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 228 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; 1st edition (July 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312309244
• ISBN-13: 978-0312309244
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (78 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #81,892 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

199 of 213 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Good- if your child has apraxia., October 21, 2004

By 

J. Guthrie (San Antonio, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Late Talker: What to Do If Your Child Isn't Talking Yet (Paperback)

The subtitle of "The Late Talker" is "What to Do if Your Child Isn't Talking Yet." This is misleading, since it is not what the book is about.

The focus of much of the book is apraxia, and there are descriptions of other conditions which cause late talking. It is well written and medically sound, and probably a great resource for parents seeking a diagnosis. It also does a good job of explaining the procedures followed by early intervention programs.

However, my son doesn't have apraxia or sensory integration dysfunction, and there was no advice or activities suggested for the child who simply has a developmental delay.

The foreword of this book (written by a Ph.D. from Rutgers, not the author) is vaguely threatening. Aimed at parents who adopt a "wait and see" or "he'll grow out of it" attitude, she states that the consequences of such inaction are "academic failure...juvenile delinquency, drug abuse, unemployment, depression, and even suicide."
Personally, I found this incredibly offensive.

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Title is misleading, June 4, 2006

By 

A. Tom (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Late Talker: What to Do If Your Child Isn't Talking Yet (Hardcover)

This is a good book, well written and very informative. However, the title is misleading, as 90% of it is information about/for apraxia. If your child is apraxic, this book is for you. If you're looking for a general book on parents at-home techniques for stimulating speech, there is only one short chapter in this book. This book also has no information about speech disorders other than apraxia. I got Patricia Hamaguchi's book, Childhood Speech, Language, and Listening Problems: What Every Parent Should Know, out from the library, and am reading it, and it has fantastic overview info about all kinds of speech delays and disorders. IT is an old book, 1995, so there may be new research since then.

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Most helpful book for me to date, February 6, 2006

By 

homeschooling mom of 4 (Central Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Late Talker: What to Do If Your Child Isn't Talking Yet (Paperback)

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!