Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(55)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

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.

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.

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!

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

I ordered "The Late Talker" from Amazon along with a book my
Developmental Ped recommended to me...!! I received both today and after reading a bit of each I realized I only need "The Late Talker" and am going to return the other and get my money back! This book has already answered so many questions and will be my best "friend" during my journey to helping my son to speak. This book covers all aspects of having a Late Talker including activities you can do at home to help stimulate speech. This is a must read for all parents and professionals who work with children!

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!

Bought four books after the pediatrician diagnosed our son as a "late talker". This book left me in tears. It's horrible, and frankly, I have a background working with children who have autism, specifically the non-verbal. The author spouts quite a bit of say so, with no documentation to mention. Take the advice from this mother, grandmother, father and grandfather....buy THE EINSTEIN SYNDROME by Thomas Sowell....even if your child is autistic, or developmentally challenged, you'll feel better about the diagnosis, and empowered to make the proper choices for your child and family.

I was so tired of hearing my son was just a late talker. I wasn't worried, but I had questions and wanted to know what I could do to help my child. Why is he not talking yet? Does he need therapy? As a father I absolutely loved this book. It's cram packed with information on how to work with my son to help him. The chapters are broken down by topic ie: therapy, things to do at home to help, etc.

Simply put this is a must read for any parent of a child who has a speech problem. Best book and only book I've found so far that gives specifics on how and why your child may have a speech delay from an easy to understand parent/professional point of view.

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

I would like to let others know how much I was relieved to read the book The Late Talker. I have been looking for anything to explain what I was told my peds doctor. I have a baby now who is about to be four in May. He can only say a few words, this is so sad for us now, thank you for the hope. I could not put this book down because I learned in this book that Matthew will be able to receive help. I most enjoyed the stories of hope of children like Matthew who are doing so well.

Also, I really appreciated the way this book gives me the way to know Matthew's way of looking at things and how he is probably frustrated when we don't know what he's trying to say or when other kids don't play with him. I have tried some of the suggestions. Having read other books on late talkers, I found reading this book makes so much sense that I wonder how come all of this has not been said before in other books. For example, the way to answer rude people when they ask right in front of Matthew "What's wrong with him?" just because he's not talking which before I didn't know what to say. I now answer "He's learning to talk and he's doing great" as the book said and it works and doesn't hurt Matthew's feelings.

Now I feel I know what to do and how to help Matthew and before I just worried. Again, thank you so much for this book and I recommend it and give it five stars.