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Expert Q & A

Top : Speech and Language : How can I help my 3-year-old son talk more to me?

by Mindy Hudon
Speech-Language Pathologist 		Mindy Hudon

Question:


I have a 3-year-old son and he is my first child. He is a very active boy. My worry is he doesn't like to talk. He can't talk in a sentence. Until now, he can only say a few words like "mummy," "bye bye," "sorry" and "apple." Only when we ask him to talk will he do it. Otherwise, he just talks like a baby (mmh, eeh, ahh). But he can sing songs, "Happy Birthday" and "Twinkle-Twinkle Little Star." He manages to finish the whole song but of course not in proper pronunciation. He can follow whatever action is shown to him if he likes it. How can I help him talk more to me?

Answer:


A 3-year-old child generally speaks in four- to five-word sentences and has 1000 or more words. They can communicate their needs easily and participate in conversations with their parents or peers. They ask a variety of questions and can tell you a story or retell an experience. It appears that your son has learned to love music, which is great, but his ability to express himself in words is limited. I feel that it is important to discuss your concerns with your pediatrician and get your son evaluated by a speech-language pathologist in your area. Your local school system can provide an evaluation and treatment as needed. Additionally, you can contact local hospital speech and hearing clinics or private speech-language pathologists. For more information about clinicians in your area contact the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association at www.asha.org. A speech-language pathologist will be able to help you work with your son to help him talk.



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