Natalia just turned 3 some weeks ago and she still doesn't talk. Not even "mom" or "dad", she only talks in her "own" language ("da bu", "a ba da", "yu yu", etc). She understands when I am talking and asking for something simple and she also is able to "make sentences" on her own by using her hands. E.g. My mom came and visited us and some minutes after she left, I asked Natalia, "Where is grandma?" and she pointed the exit door and waved "bye-bye". Or another day, I went for shopping with her, but I didn't buy her cookies (as I usually do), so she pointed the cookie boxes in the store and waved "no". I can't understand why she doesn't even say "mom" or "dad" (or other simple words) when she is able to pronounce them and she seems to fully understands their meanings. Her speech therapist just says "Don't worry, since her hearing is ok, she will talk sometime" but I need something more than this. I want to help her somehow, but I don't know how.

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Down syndrome - Ventricular septal defect - Pulmonary hypertension
Operated on 3/2009 (Pulmonary artery banding) and on 3/2010 (VSD closure)

Our precious daughter, Natalia, was born in Oct 2008. Her birth parents didn't know she had DS until the day she was born. They decided to give her for adoption. We met her 2 days after she left the hospital and one day later we brought her home.

Our YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/ivakiya

Have you tried signing with her? Sounds like she is more than ready for it!

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Linda & John
mom to Hannah Kate (Age 12 ), Robert (Aged 6 - DS)


First day at school

I have no answer but I sympathise... Teddy does something very similar, he refuses to use his hands for any signs/actions, although in songs he will hold our hands and make us do the actions at the appropriate time! (I.e. when the song says "clap your hands," he doesn't use his own hands to clap, but reaches out to grab our hands and clap our hands. Although he does know how to clap himself, but he just refuses to!)

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Matilda (2005,) Philip (2007) and Teddy (DS, 10/2009)
Blog: http://www.ab8matilda.blogspot.com

Logan didn't say any words until he was 4 . . . he's now 8 and speaking in short but mostly understandable words and sentences. Dr. James MacDonald's website - Communicating Partners - really helped me a lot.
http://jamesdmacdonald.org/Articles/MacDonaldStart.html

Hang in there - it will come.

Kim

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Wife of Marvin
Mom to Logan (3/6/03, Ds) and Carson (9/6/05)