Why Does My Child Not Talk?

Of all the most frequently asked questions about autism by parents ̶ ‘why does my child not talk’ is probably at the top of the list. There are no simple answers; nor are there simple solutions. But, there are answers and solutions. Autism is a ‘perfect storm’ because of the combination of biomedical and environmental issues affecting the child, preceding the diagnosis, that come together to overwhelm the child’s immune, neurological, sensory and nervous systems. Developmental regression is no easy task to ‘speed up’, but it has been done. Not every child on the autism spectrum has communication issues; however, there are many facets to speech and language which are involved in actually speaking and carrying on a normal conversation. It is quite complex and this is why it is one of the most difficult characteristics of autism spectrum disorders to resolve.

What Is Involved in Speech and Language?

Let’s define speech and language in order to understand what communication abilities your child may have. Speech is the mechanical means of the oral motor mechanism to create sounds. Intelligible speech requires sufficient muscle tone for lips, jaw, tongue and cheeks to work together as a team to produce functional verbal communication. Often times the word “articulation” is used for speech. Language, on the other hand, is how the brain processes the information that it hears. Language can be receptive (understanding) or expressive (communicating). Receptive language allows a child to give meaning to what is heard. It is comprehension and it begins to develop in the first year of life in a typical child. Expressive language is the ability to be able to share thoughts, ideas and feelings. It can be verbal (with sound) or non-verbal (with gestures, signing or use of technology). It generally does not begin to emerge until the second year of life.

What Are the Underlying Issues That May Affect My Child’s Communication Ability?

Children who do not meet their developmental milestones may have one or a combination of some of the following underlying issues and biological processes: oral motor, low muscle tone (hypotonia), mitochondria dysfunction, developmental vision problems, primitive reflexes, sensory motor (vestibular), gastrointestinal issues, food sensitivities and intolerances, genetic mutations (MTHFR), auditory processing, language processing, structural (hearing loss), defects in the detoxification pathways, nutritional deficiencies, neurotransmitter imbalances, malabsorption of fats and lack of folate and methylcobalamin (B12) in the brain. Once some of these underlying issues are addressed, your child’s speech and language may gradually improve or could even emerge spontaneously.

How Can I Help My Child Improve?

Early intervention is every parent’s best ally! If you suspect a speech and language delay, the earlier you recognize that your child is not meeting developmental milestones and implement intervention strategies and initiate biomedical treatment, the better the chances are of more effective outcomes for your child. Time is of the essence! Change your child’s diet. Go organic! The gluten and casein free diet and GAPS diets are very effective in cleaning up the gastrointestinal tract and populating the microbiome with healthy microbiota. Give your child fermented foods. The Body Ecology Diet illustrates how to make coconut kefir yogurt (fermented). Increase your child’s good quality fats such as organic eggs, wild salmon and fatty fish, avocados, coconut oil and products, nuts and seeds, ghee, kefir yogurt, cold press extra virgin olive oil, turkey bacon, organic chicken and add fats for the brain such as essential fatty acids, phosphatidylserine complex, and DHA to name a few.

What Testing Should I Be Asking My Child’s Pediatrician To Do?

The first step is to see if your child’s pediatrician or MAPS physician can run some tests to determine what is going on with your child’s biochemistry and what are the imbalances in your child’s underlying biomedical issues.

• Great Plains Laboratory’s Organic Acid Test (OAT), Advanced Cholesterol Profile, Phosphalipase A (PLA 2)
• Genova Labs Nutreval Test
• ALCAT - food sensitivities and allergies test for IgG,IgA,IgE and IgM
• 23 & Me or Nutrigenomic Testing (Amy Yasko PhD) ̶ genetic mutation testing to look for difficulties with detoxification and other biological processes.
• Neurosciences, Inc. ̶ neurotransmitter testing
• Body Bio Fatty Acid Profile (Patricia Kane PhD)
• Folate Receptor (FRAs) autoantibodies (Cerebral Folate Deficiency) (Richard Frye MD, Dan Rossignol MD)

Are There Any Therapies That May Help My Child’s Speech and Language Issues?

It is important for parents to work on every front to help your child improve their communication skills or initiate language. Therapies are very important and can make a significant difference in your child’s life. There have been many books written by parents of their journey with their child and how one particular therapy had a significant impact on their child’s life. As we all know, each child with autism has a different genetic profile, different biochemistry and different environmental insults which may or may not affect children with autism the same way. However, with that being said, it’s worth a try to explore all therapeutic avenues available because even a minimal amount of gains is still another step forward.

• Verbal Language, ABA and other Behavioral Therapies
• Rapid Prompting Method (RPM)
• Hyperbaric oxygen therapy
• Detoxification therapies
• OT with Sensory Integration
• Vision Therapy
• Neurobiofeedback
• NAET, Bioset etc. Allergy Elimination Therapies
• Craniosacral Therapy
• GemIIni video modeling speech therapy
• Auditory Integration Therapy (Berard) or Sound Stimulation (Tomatis)
• Brain Balance Achievement Centers

Parent Stories of Recovered Children

• I Know You’re in There by Marsha Hinds
• Almost Autism by Maria Rickert Hong
• Impossible Cure by Amy Lansky
• The Sound of a Miracle by Annabelle Stehli
• Miracles are made by Lynette Louise
• Let me Hear Your Voice by Catherine Maurice
• The Hidden Connection by Kathleen DiChiara
• Unraveling the Mystery of Autism by Karen Seroussi

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Tags: Education Autism Biomedical Diet Speech Delays Therapies

Teresa Badillo Teresa Badillo

In the early 90’s, Teresa Badillo's son was diagnosed with autism. Since then, she has embarked on a mission to find alternative biomedical, sensory, and educational solutions for autism. In 1995 she won a court case that approved the first ABA school paid by the Rockland County school district.

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Teresa Badillo graduated from the University of Toronto and worked at the Japanese Embassy in Rome as a speech writer. In the early 90’s one of her children was diagnosed with autism. Since then, she has embarked on a mission to find alternative biomedical, sensory, and educational solutions for autism. In 1995 she won a court case that approved the first ABA school paid by the Rockland County school district. Teresa has served on several Boards of Director (BOD) including Foundation for Children with Developmental Disabilities, The Autism Autoimmunity Project and Developmental Delay Resources. She currently serves on the BOD for Epidemic Answers and does research for the Autism Exchange.

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AEX Blog: Teresa's Corner

Why Does My Child Not Talk?

Teresa Badillo Teresa Badillo

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