Angela
I can understand your frustations and concerns because I have a 6 year old son who was diagnosed with moderate verbal dyspraxia and sensory problems. His speech was delayed from the beginning and some motor skills were difficult to master like riding a tricycle-he would not pedal but would push it. But now with lots of practice he has been riding without training wheels for about one year!! He was supected to have apraxia or verbal dyspraxia at an early age -around 3 years old. He has been in intensive speech therapy since age 3. We took him to speech therapy 2-3times a week to a facility specializing in developmental disabilities. They would work on developing words in his vocabulary at first, not articulation as dyspraxic children need help with increasing expressive langauage. Then as he grew older and more vocal, we worked on articulation and specific sounds. Repetition is so important in getting my son to remember to use those sounds. We have made much progress in these three years,but still have a long road ahead of us. My son has started kindergarten this fall after 3 years of preschool. He is doing fairly well but still hesitates to speak to others sometimes. Fine motor difficulties are also a prblem but I have seen him make great progress in the short time he's been in school, coloring especially has improved. He is excited about learning and wants to read like his older brother who is 10 and very smart! I wish you much luck in your search for a solution for your son. It will not come quickly but will be a result of your efforts over time. Speech intervention is so important when they are small. My son will continue his speech therapy at school for 3-4 sessions per week. I stress to you to not let anybody tell you -he's just a boy,he will talk later-that is not true in many cases! We thought Josh's problems were due to ear infections and allergies and that they would go away . But his problems are motor based and require much practice and repetition to overcome. Josh was quite frustrated between the ages of 2 and 3 and would act out his frustration over not being able to speak. This has disappeared now as he feels his wants and needs are listened and cared about deeply by his family. I encourage you to seek out another physicians or specialists in your area. We visited a Child Evaluation Center that evaluated Josh on speech,motor, psychological and developmental difficulties. They were wonderful and helped us to confirm our sons's problems and what to do next. I hope your son's speech improves and you find the help you need. Prayer and patience work miracles!!