16, Almost 17, Mos Old Does Not Talk - When Is Time to Be Concerned?

My daughter was 2 before she really began to talk. Said a handful of words starting at 18 mos. My husband was 2.5 before he began to talk, mainly because he got want he wanted from his parents by grunting and pointing. His first words were "ice please, grandpa", because his grandpa wouldn't give him what he wanted until he said it. So, if she gets what she wants without talking why does she need to talk. Try not to give her something till she asks for it, and maybe she'll start communication with words.

We had my grandson evaluated at 20 or 22 months and he was behind but the didn't do anything about it. The general rule is 2. If they are not using ANY words by then that is when concern happens. He started talking in complete paragraphs within a few weeks too.

I can honestly say that younger kids don't need to talk when they have older siblings. It will happen unless their is a medical reason she is not talking. If the pediatrician isn't worried then I would think she's fine.

Doctors will often recommend you perform a hearing and comprehension test sometime between 18-months and 24-months if your child is not speaking yet. You do not do it yourself, you will go to see an expert to do it.

My son said his first word at 21-months old. We had his hearing and comprehension tested at 19-months because he hadn't even said "Mama" yet. Because his hearing was perfect and his comprehension was quite advanced, the speech therapist recommended that if he hadn't started speaking by age two, we bring him in for some therapy in case he didn't know how to form the words with his mouth.

It wasn't an issue for us in the end. He said his first word at 21-months and by 24-months old, he had 65 words. You're too early to be worrying if everything else is normal. However, if you are noticing other issues that could point toward some sort of social disability, these should also be considered. Good luck.

She is determined, she is independent and she is on her own schedule..

Stubborn people are people that are not willing, will not try and are afraid.. That does not sound like your daughter.

She is not stubborn. Please, quit using that term and never use it in front of her.. If you tag her, she will believe it and behave like that

She sounds like she is on her on schedule and is fine,

She is talking if you have heard the words you stated.

Even if she does need some assistance in the future, it will be fine.

Here are the things you can do.

Continue to speak around her. It will feel strange, but speak about whatever you are doing.

"It is time for me to clean the kitchen. I will start filling the sink with water and add some soap. Here is my sponge, I will be wiping off the counters and the table. now I will wipe off all ot the appliances. The refrigerator, the stove, the dishwasher. "

"I need to take the clothes to the laundry room. The laundry room is the room with the washing machine and the dryer."

"I am putting the white clothes in the machine. Oops, these are blue, they will go in the dark pile. " P{lease hand me the shirt next to your feet. Thank you for your help. "

Of course she will not understand everything.. but the sounds, the language.. it will make connections for you..

Even in the car.. She may not be able to see out the window like you, but you can still talk about what you see. "There is the grocery store. We buy our food there. "

"There is Target, they have the red carts."

Keep a record of her meals. Jot down what she does seem to eat, what she has trouble eating. Maybe you will see a pattern.

To get her to eat or try things.. As you eat, comment. "Yummy, these carrots are sweet, May I share one with you?"

"Oooh, your bread looks good, May I have a piece of your bread? Thank you, nice sharing! Yummy, it is tastes good. "

My niece was and still is just a tiny person. She does not have a huge appetite, but she is VERY active.. a Cheerleader, plays soccer.. But she is petite.. I noticed her half sister is the same way..

So continue to stay alert and make notes, but know that she still falls in that normal scale.

My DD wasn't speaking at that age. We used a little sign language, she did some of that (more, milk) and had a few words here and there like yours but I can remember being with a friend who's child was 2 months older and thinking there is no way DD will be talking like that in 2 months.

DD started talking between 19 and 20 months and she started with sentences. She is very advanced verbally at 5 and has been, pretty much since she started talking. She went from nothing to everything over night almost. She was just saving it up. She is also very bright and stubborn and with every milestone she does it when she is good and ready and not a moment sooner.

I have a friend whose son wasn't talking at 2+. He was very behind, and while they were waiting for services to start he started talking and caught right up (before any intervention had happened). Apparently his father hadn't talked until 3 but in those days nobody worried about it. That was just their normal. 17 months is still well within the normal range. I know these are just anecdotes but if there aren't other flags, it might be normal for your child, especially where she is a third child.

LOL. My son didnt say one word until he turned 3. He is doing wonderfully now. Every kid progresses at their own rate.

I wouldn't be too concerned. At least you know she CAN talk; she just chooses not to. My Mom said I was just like your little girl because I had three older siblings that did everything for me and I didn't need to talk. Of course, she also said once I started talking I never shut up! lol!!!

Having said that, I would ask the doctor about maybe having her hearing tested; if nothing else, to put your mind at ease. But if she's pronouncing the few words she does say, it doesn't sound like a hearing problem.

In the mean time, tell everyone in the house they can help by not handing her things or speaking for her; that way she'll have to use her words. Worked with me!!

Good luck!!

Our 5th child didn't speak until he was 3. He would point and grunt or scream and cry, depending on how well we figured out what he wanted. One day my wife and I couldn't figure out what he wanted and he was eventually put in his room for time out and quieter time for mom and dad.

We decided it was time for him to speak. After that if he pointed and grunted, we would get what he wanted, but he had to say the word to get it. It was difficult to break the bad habit since we partially enabled him, but he learned the words and had no problem high school. He ended up a straight A student.

Good luck to you and yours.

I wouldn't worry until age 2. If she is saying a few words that is a good sign. My DD & DS didn't take off talking until 2...My third DS, we are having Early Intervention evaluation soon. He is two and while repeats words he should be further ahead but we are addressing it. Each child goes at their own pace. Just keep discusisng with your doctor. She seems normal as to what you are describing and hitting important milestones.

My daughter is also almost 17 months. She talks waaaaay less than my son did at the same age. I really do think it's partly a personality difference and partly from being the 2nd. She has maybe 15 words or so and tries to repeat, but the majority of words are only the first sound and not a full word (such as "cuh" for "cup" and "hun" for "hungry").

Does she understand a lot of what you say to her? If she does, I wouldn't worry about the lack of words. She is trying to communicate by grunting and pointing, which probably gets her what she wants so she's less motivated to talk. I think if they understand and they try somehow to communicate, it's not a problem.

If you don't think she understands what you say, I would have her hearing checked and get her evaluated by a speech therapist. She should be able to understand a simple command (go get your shoes, or come to the table).

Most likely, pretty soon she'll be talking so much you'll miss the days when she was quieter!

Honestly, I would follow your gut. My niece, who I am very close to, didn't speak any recognizable words...until she was three and a half! And then she taught HERSELF to read before she was 4.

Point is, every kid has their own schedule, so even if the dr. says "worry".....trust your instincts. Does she appear connected to you? Intelligent? Somewhat understanding what you're saying? It sounds like she's a smart cookie, and you've got nothing to worry about...except frustration that the munchkin won't tell you what she wants. ;-) (My daughter was/is VERY stubborn. She's my first. She does everything...exactly when SHE wants to do it. haha)

She sounds fine to me. I called EI when my son turned 2 because he only had about 20 words and the baseline is 50. I remember the doctor saying something about 5-10 words by 20 months or something like that. It is great you are being vigilant but from what you say, it sounds ok to me. And if my child had NO WORDS at all until age 3, I would be VERY concerned, ok.

Both my boys were late talkers. My oldest didn't really start using more than a handful of words until right at 18 mos, and was always at the 'minimum' in the 'what to expect' book in regards to talking (off the charts though in everything else). He is now 11 and still has a barely average vocabulary, but reads well ahead of grade level and is an excellent speller (aces every test without studying) and writer - weird, but whatever. He also has innattentive ADD. My youngest ended up in speech therapy for an oral motor delay at about 21 mos, since he was still not talking at 18 mos. He is now 6, with a superior level IQ (skipped Kindy, and is still tops in his class), but has a slight touch of autism. So slight nobody knows but his parents and the Dr that diagnosed him. He functions fabulously in life - just has a few 'oddisms' and struggles with transitions. ;) My suggestion would be to wait until 18 mos, and if you still see a problem, have her evaluated. It certainly doesn't hurt, and it can take several months to get into the government programs if she ends up qualifying. I learned a lot from ST too.

I wouldn't worry yet. Things can change very quickly. At 17 months my third daughter did not say any words. Then one day she just started saying a few words, which led to more words. She turned 2 in February and has a normal vocabulary for a 2 yr old. I agree with your pediatrician to wait until she is 2.

My son is 19 months and says ZERO words! Except maybe "gracias" thank you in Spanish. I'm really not worried. I know his hearing is just fine and he understands EVERYTHING I say. And after reading a few of the responses you have received it seems like some kids start to speak at the age of 3 and some before. Don't worry. She will eventually get it. That's what I tell myself every time I start to worry about my son :). They will get it. And when they do I will probably want him to be quiet for just a minute LOL

My daughter is 17 1/2 months and all she says is "Hi", sometimes "Bye", but not very often. As of right now, I am not worried. She interacts with everyone, has reached all milestones, understands what we are saying, and gets her point across to us. She is a very happy and good baby. She is our second and many people have said the same thing. She doesn't have to speak, everyone does it for her! I am not, and have not been worried yet. After frequently worrying myself sick with our first child, I realized that every child has their own schedule and I think we should trust our gut if we think something else is wrong. Just know that you are not alone!

Address it to the pediatrician at 18m appt. I wouldn't worry about it yet. The more you are stressing this your little one can pick up on your energy. My kids didn't talk baby talk at all. Einstein started to talk very late :) please keep us posted.

At 18 months my daughter was using less then 20 words. Dr.#1 said she needed to be evaluated ASAP and totally freaked me out about it. She even dictated to me that I must join a mommy group (sorry just not my thing).
We ended up moving and switching Dr's. I took her in for a cold and mentioned it to the new Dr, and she was surprised it was suggested. She told me to wait until after her second birthday, and then if nothing had progressed to come in and talk about evaluations.
Low and behold after her second birthday she was talking in sentences. It wasn't a progression either, it was a word explosion after her bday. Some one mentioned to me about the hearing thing too, but I never followed the path because I felt she could hear fine. She also understood most of what we would say. "Can you go to your room and find your monchichi (a stuffed monkey)," and she would come running back out with it. I had to go with my instincts and wait it out.
I would wait, but you need to follow your gut on this one.
Good Luck!

You probably don't need to be concerned right now since she is communicating by pointing. I would mention it at her next doctor appointment.

Not time to worry yet, especially for a 3rd child. Maybe her siblings are talking for her? Oh yea, you said that. (-:

My oldest didn't talk until 19 months. My youngest not until 23 months and he went from not talking to talking in sentences and saying words like "Tylenol" ( he was sick the week he started talking) in a matter of days. I think she sounds like she's doing fine in the talking department. Ironically, I called the doctor about my youngest and was told not to worry yet and that perhaps his older brother was talking for him. He started talking the week after I called the doctor. Both of my kids are very intelligent and the youngest one doesn't stop talking now! We joke he went from not talking at all to talking non stop. He's been known to fall asleep in mid sentence and sometimes I have to go in the bathroom to get a break from the incessant chatter!

Our first son picked up language very quickly. We knew he was "ahead" and did not necessarily thing second son woyld be as quick...but we were suprised when, at 17 mths, he was about where your daughter is. We worried, of course, and talked with the dr. They told us the same thing. We were stunned when he started picking up words left and right around 18-19mths. It caught on like wildfire! He's now 21mths and talking all the time! Still only 1-3 word sentences...but we totally understand him! I would be patient and know that it will come.... by 2yo, I bet!