When is too early to get DD evaluated by a speech therapist?

[Anonymous]

My 8 month old DD does not babble at all. She is a happy baby (smiles and laughs, and coos), but nothing that sounds like babble or a word.

I know I am being paranoid, but there is a history of autism in my family. In one case, my cousin was not diagnosed until he was 4, and we lost so much valuable time for early intervention. My aunt deeply regrets not taking action as soon as she had suspicions something was wrong.

I want to be proactive, but also want to maintain perspective. At what point does a lack of babble become a concern that I should seek a professional opinion on?

[Anonymous]

I would bring it up with my pediatrician ASAP. Tell him(her) that there's a history of autism in the family, your baby does not babble at all and you want a speech/hearing evaluation. 8 months is pretty young, so I would expect the average pediatrician to put you off under ordinary circumstances. However, with a history of autism in the family he(she) should be receptive to your concerns. Most importantly: TELL (do not ask) your pediatrician that you want a referral to a speech/language specialist. The first thing they will do is a hearing test. I cannot stress this enough: do not ASK for the referral, insist that you need a referral and be prepared to fire your pediatrician if you don't get it.

[Anonymous]

You can call early intervention yourself and ask for an evaluation.

[Anonymous]

If you have any other concerns, I would highly recommend you call your county Infant Toddler Connection program (aka early intervention). They do comprehensive evaluations at no cost. We were very impressed with them. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Op here- thanks so much. Any idea how to get the contact information for the early intervention programs (we live in Bethesda)? Would I just google early intervention?

[Anonymous]

I don't think 8 mos is too early to start looking for signs of trouble. DC had speech therapy at 18 mos through early intervention. It's on fee scale, and they come to your home. It can't hurt to look, and if you have autism in your family, your child may also be at risk.

[Anonymous]

here is a link:
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/infantstoddlers/

[Anonymous]

I am a speech therapist & the fact that your child smiles, laughs & coos is a good sign. Cooing is a precursor to babbling. We look for babbling to start around the 6 mo. mark, but as you know all children develop at different times, especially during the 1st 2 years. It probably will come in time, but if you have a family history & concerns you should bring them up to your ped at the 9mo. appt. And yes you can call head start yourself as well. In addition, make sure you are talking to your baby a lot & see that you are taking turns, it is amazing how much babies communicate nonverbally (eye gaze, smiles...).

[Anonymous]

Agreeing with those above. Call early intervention. You get a great evaluation by several experts and the eval is totally free. You don't need a referral from a pediatrician or anyone else to call.