Q: I am a worried mom that is looking for some help. My son is 23 months. He’s been in speech therapy for about 2-1/2 months. We go twice a month for 30 minutes. He says no words and his sounds are limited. I suspect an oral motor disorder from the start, but the SLP is still just considering that as the problem.

He has no difficulty eating, drinking or nursing. But he drools quite a bit, cannot use a straw as he primarily places all objects between his teeth instead of placing lips around. He does not stick his tongue out, does not lick his lips, but he can blow bubbles in the water, and do raspberries against skin. Can he develop the skills needed to learn speech? Should we focus on oral motor skill development?

Without having seen your child myself, I cannot say for sure what the problem really is, and I cannot say how he will progress. He is just turning two years, and he can make lots of changes over the next year or two. I am wondering if he has any cognitive delay: Does he think and play like a 23-month-old, or does he still operate like a baby? I would just make sure he was seeing an SLP regularly. He or she will help you through it. Feel free to seek the advice of a second therapist if you are uncertain about, or do not have confidence in the first.