Rating: 
Summary: Thank you for this book!
Review: My daughter wasn't talking and her nursery school teacher recommended The Late Talker to me. We are so thankful that she did. I know now why she was throwing so many tantrums, we didn't understand her! We learned how to help her be less frustrated, and how we could help her talk. Even though my daughter is now talking thank goodness I had this book when we needed it!
Rating: 
Summary: Doesn't Address Autism as a Possible Cause
Review: My son is a late talker, probably due to some form of Asperger's (high-functioning autistic). This book does not even address the possibility of a language delay being due to autism, and I find this inexcusable. The book focuses on apraxia way too much, since the author happens to have a child with apraxia.
Rating: 
Summary: best book on verbal dyspraxia
Review: Oh, how I wish this book were around when my son fell behind in his speaking as a toddler. He was later diagnosed with verbal dyspraxia and between speech therapy using the PROMPT method and OT that helped with his motor planning, he made great progress. The authors talk about verbal cueing methods like PROMPT, discuss the symptoms of dyspraxia, and even give detailed advice on how to get your insurance company to cover treatment (right down to what codes to use)--that's gotta be worth the cover price! They give a good overview of EFAs (although one should really read The LCP Solution as well); sorry the EFAs didn't work for someone else who read the book but some people have a different experience (and let's face it, most kids need more EFAs anyway, particularly with all the trans fats in foods). They also talk about speech therapy and how to get it, so even if your child doesn't have verbal dyspraxia at least you'll know what to do next.
The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars is because inexplicably, the authors chose to paint horror stories of children with dyspraxia who never got speech therapy. I think this is unnecessary and anxiety-provoking. Skip that part and just read their excellent advice and explanations.
Rating:
Summary: Granddaughter with Apraxia
Review: THANK YOU Dr. Marilyn C. Agin, M.D., Lisa F. Geng, and Malcolm J. Nicholl and Paula Tallal, Ph.D who wrote the forward.
This book is a must for anyone who believes that a child "should be talking,"... even though people around you say, "She'll catch up, she's just a late talker..." The introduction says, trust your instincts and intuitions.
Everything you need to know is condensed in a wonderful, easy to read format...
If you are reading this review your instincts and intuitions are working for you.
THIS IS THE BOOK YOU NEED TO READ FIRST and THEN YOU NEED TO ACT.
Rating:
Summary: The Late Talker is WONDERFUL!!
Review: Thank you, thank you, thank you to the authors of "The Late Talker"! This book is a very well written, easy to understand guide for parents who are concerned about their childs speech development. This book offers parents the background, guidance, and support needed to make informed decisions regarding a child's speech development. It addresses issues such as when and how to ask for help for their late talker and included is a complete and informative overview of normal speech development vs.symptoms of speech delay and possible speech disorder. The book also gives advice on how to deal with the frustrations of a speech disordered child as well as the parents' emotional ride through the whole process...something I can relate to as well as many many parents that are going through simular circumstances. Co-author, Lisa Geng, has expressed in this book many of the thoughts and feelings that parents of late talkers have had but have never been able to explain to anyone in words. As a mother of a late talker diagnosed with severe apraxia and President/Co-Founder of the VOICES Association, I recommend this book wholeheartedly, both as an interesting read and an invaluable resource for parents who are starting their journey towards evaluating, diagnosing and treating their child's [possible] speech disorder. Because of this book, parents will be equipt with the knoweledge to be effective advocates for their late talker. Tamara Hill
Rating:
Summary: This book deserves TEN STARS
Review: The authors, one who is a neurologist who runs early
intervention, make it clear that autism needed to be ruled out, including all the actual warning signs used by doctors. My son was diagnosed with PDD at three by one neurologist. He's now five and is diagnosed as "severe expressive speech disorder with no signs of autism". While the diagnosis of PDD was never certain in our mind, our son clearly did and does have signs of a speech disorder. This book would have saved us precious years of wasted time if it was only around then to bring to his doctor and therapist to work on this back then. More important the focus was not on specific diagnosis as much as it was on knowing the difference of whether it's a delay or a disorder of speech and how to deal with either with various therapies both at home and through school. How to deal with frustration, insurance and all the other overwhelming things nobody was there to help us with. It was hard to read about the importance of early intervention since my son was never diagnosed as speech disorder and missed what could have helped him most when he was first diagnosed PDD two years ago. Thank goodness he is able to get that help today. Thank you for this book it deserves ten stars!
Rating:
Summary: The Late Talker book A Guiding Light
Review: The Late Talker book is like a guiding light through a turbulent storm. Finally a book geared toward both parents and professionals written in a clear "how to" way to help any child that needs help talking. The Late Talker is the first book that breaks down the needed medical, educational and speech information into language that anyone can understand--and intertwines it all with stories any parent can relate to. As a mother of two late talking children, diagnosed in later years with a speech disorder, I now know how critical it is to seek appropriate services as early as possible, and the importance of knowing the difference between a speech delay and a speech disorder. How I searched for information when my boys were growing up speech and language impaired! Not just on therapy--but on where to go, which professionals to see and what to expect, what to look for in the school, how to deal with the teasing and the fears -only to find nothing out there in books to help me to help my children. What I would have given to have had this valuable information when both my sons were younger.
I hope it makes the world brighter for children like mine -and "brings them a voice." For this reason, The Late Talker book brings tears to my eyes. Hats off to co-authors, Dr. Marilyn Agin, Malcolm Nicholl, and Lisa Geng for creating this book and for teaching how to be the voice for your child, until your child's voice is unlocked.
Rating: 
Summary: Good- if your child has apraxia.
Review: The subtitle of "The Late Talker" is "What to Do if Your Child Isn't Talking Yet." This is misleading, since it is not what the book is about.
The focus of much of the book is apraxia, and there are descriptions of other conditions which cause late talking. It is well written and medically sound, and probably a great resource for parents seeking a diagnosis. It also does a good job of explaining the procedures followed by early intervention programs.
However, my son doesn't have apraxia or sensory integration dysfunction, and there was no advice or activities suggested for the child who simply has a developmental delay.
The foreword of this book (written by a Ph.D. from Rutgers, not the author) is vaguely threatening. Aimed at parents who adopt a "wait and see" or "he'll grow out of it" attitude, she states that the consequences of such inaction are "academic failure...juvenile delinquency, drug abuse, unemployment, depression, and even suicide."
Personally, I found this incredibly offensive.
Rating: 
Summary: Get Diagnosed FIRST
Review: This book is about APRAXIA (not regular speech delays) and is only helpful if your child has apraxia. However, it is NOT helpful in diagnosing apraxia, despite it attempts. I bought this book because my son was late in talking and I determined from the book that he did NOT have apraxia (which rendered the book minimally helpful). Later, he was diagnosed with apraxia! The book is written by a parent whose understanding of apraxia seems to come mostly from her own experience. Not all kids with apraxia exhibit the traits of her child. Mine doesn't. If your child does have apraxia, this book is a great starting point as it covers a lot of different topics related to apraxia and is practical and simply written. It's a bit hyped and emotional (implying that one wrong turn could permanently ruin your child's success) but I do agree that it is important to seek out the best therapy for your child as she has obviously done. It's worth the read, IF your child has apraxia.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Starting Point!!!!
Review: This book is an excellent place to start if you have a late talking child. As a parent who has been told "wait and see" one too many times, it is great to have been finally pointed in the right direction on getting the help my child needs. It was a real comfort to read.
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