Speech Delay

just like any parent, this was one of my greatest fears...

before my son turned two, i noticed he didn't communicate well verbally.  he could say a few words but i noticed girls his age, or even younger, could verbally communicate better.  so i thought, "is there something wrong with my son."  i discussed this with his pedia.  fortunately, his pedia is one of those old-timers who never gets scared easily nor dare to scare firsttimers like moi.

she appeased our fears by sharing that not all children develops in the same way nor at the same time.  some really develop faster than the others but this doesn't mean that these children are better or healthier.  but she was quick to add that we could have our son checked for speech delay at the medical city's Center for Developmental Pediatrics. 

good thing we didn't push the issue since that consultation 'coz now, my son is starting to communicate well at 2yrs and 7mons.  this is a great milestone.  we are so happy for this new development.  so what did we do?

• encouraged him to 'read' and 'read' his books.  he loves pointing at pictures and telling us what those things are.
• made storytelling a part of his bedtime routine.  what we do is let him pick the book he wants us to read.  this way, he feels we respect his choices even at a very young age. 
• enrolled him in toddler class.  since he is an only child and is always left at home with yaya when we're out working, we felt he needed to be with the company of kids his age, even for just a few hours a week.  per my last meeting with the school directress, she shared that my son is now more focused... and talkative. 
• always asked him questions.  the more questions, the better.  this way, he learns how to organize his thoughts and respond well verbally. 
• we never 'baby-talked'.
• allowed him to watch his favorite playhouse disney shows a few hours during weekends.  some of these shows are word world, little einsteins, and mickey mouse clubhouse.  we recognize the fact that there are things he'll learn in these shows which we may have a difficult time teaching or illustrating.  our mindset is, make television a part of his learning process.  thankfully, our son likes 'participating' and 'interacting' with his favorite cartoon characters. 

patience and perseverance are your greatest allies.  as long as you don't observe anything wrong with your child, he will develop at his own pace.  the journey might not be as fast as the other's, but trust me, it'll be equally remarkable.