Speech Development - What Sounds at What Ages?

Parents often worry about their child's speech from an early age. I was concerned about my oldest son at the age of 5 when he said "f" instead of "th". Our friends, the Thatchers, weren't to excited to be called the "Fatchers", either. Here's a list of what sounds should be present and when.

3 Years:

• "p" as in pike and up
• "m" as in me and am
• "n" as in no and on
• "h" as in hi
• "w" as in want

4 Years:

• "b" as in bye and tub
• "d" as in do and had
• "k" as in cow and book
• "g" as in go and big
• "f" as in four and off

5 Years:

• "ng" as in sing
• "t" as in toe and hit
• "y" as in you

6 Years:

• "l" as in like and ball

7 Years:

• "r" as in run and car
• "s" as in see and bus
• "z" as in zoo and nose
• "v" as in van and have
• "sh" as in shoe and push
• "ch as in chat and watch
• "j" as in jump and page
• "th" as in thin, both, that, and mother

As you can see, I had no reason to worry as he wasn't expected to develop that sound for a couple more years. If you are concerned, contact your pediatrician or local public school for a referral to a Speech Language Pathologist for an evaluation. 

Warning Signs of Autism - 24 Months of Age and Beyond

The signs of autism are slightly different in two-year-olds than infants. They include the following:

• No shared attention (pointing out objects to others).
• Doesn't imitate the actions of others.
• No make believe play.
• Doesn't use single words by 16 months old. and two-word phrases by 24 months.

There are also other areas of concern in older children, such as:

• Loss of language skills at any age.
• Repetitive movements such as spinning and hand flapping.
• Toe walking rather than on the full foot and delayed motor skills.
• Oversensitive to sensory stimulation such as sounds, lights, touch, or food textures.
• Focus on a single object for long periods of time.
• Playing with toys in unusual ways such as spinning wheels and lining up objects rather than typical usage.
• Overraction to change.
• Excessive tantrumming, difficult to console, does not like to cuddle/be touched.

As always, if you have concerns, see your pediatrician for screening.

Book Review and Free Book: "Million Dollar Diva" by Tristi Pinkston, Brett Kitchen, & Ethan Kap

Tristi Pinkston was slowly being enveloped by debt. She and her husband looked for ways to save money, but continued to struggle. Enter Brett Kitchen & Ethan Kap, coauthors of Smart Money Millionaire. Tristi had enough faith in them to not only open up her accounts for scrutiny, but to share her challenges to give hope to others. She is practicing the principles found in Million Dollar Diva. 

Tristi now has a clear financial vision of where she wants to be. She and her husband are rapidly lowering their debt while improving their financial status. Now it's our turn. Get your free author copy of Million Dollar Diva  at http://www.milliondollardiva.com.

You'll learn to begin with a firm vision. Then it's time to take ownership of the problem and follow the process outlined by Kitchen & Kap.

These professional financial planners give advice based on years of success with many clients. They ask you to begin by creating a strong vision of your future.

After you have your vision firmly in place, you'll learn sound monetary practices, how to make unemotional spending decisions, track your spending, get out of debt faster, avoid an entitlement mentality, and amplify your income.

Need more information? You can get information about Tristi's progress, freebies, and other products and services at http://www.milliondollardiva.com.

Stop stalling and take the first step towards a solid financial future. Get your free author copy now--offer ends May 15. After that date, you can purchase your own copy at http://www.amazon.com/Million-Dollar-Diva-Money-Millionaire/dp/097943405X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335017881&sr=8-1 

Book Review: "Dispirited" by Luisa M. Perkins

Cathy thinks her life is going downhill. Her father passed away and her mother has remarried. This blended family, including Cathy's younger sisters and a new creepy stepbrother, has moved from the excitement of new York City to the suburbs. To top it all off, scary things begin to happen to this high school senior.

Blake's mother has also died. He misses her so much he discovered how to make his spirit leave his body to search for his mom. Until someone--or something--takes possession of Blake's body and won't let him back in.   The invader also begins to abuse Blake's body.The disembodied spirit tries everything to get back to his body, but is unsuccessful for seven years.

Blake is invisible to most people, but Cathy can see him. She soon discovers she has special gifts. Will they be enough to reunite her new friend with his body? Can she even save herself and her new boyfriend, Rich?

Perkins' novel makes the improbable believable. You will be drawn into the story by the entrancing characters, and be unable to put it down until the stunning conclusion.

You can purchase "Dispirited" at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Warning Signs of Autism - One Year Old

Experts can look at videos of a child's first birthday party and tell with amazing accuracy whether or not the toddler will later be diagnosed with autism. What do they see that others may miss? Problems with social relationships and communication are among the areas of concern.

Social relationship problems include not making eye contact when smiling, little or no joint attention (looking at what others point out or sharing sights with others), doesn't share objects or pass things back and forth, and no empathy or reaction to the emotions of others.

Communication challenges may include the absence of babbling, no response to his or her name, and no gestures such as waving.

For more information, check out The Help Group at http://www.thehelpgroup.org/facts_signs.htm.

Still concerned? See your pediatrician and request a referral for additional evaluation.