18 Month Old Not Talking Yet

Both my sons didn't start talking at all until they were 2. My oldest immediately started in with full clear sentences and has a huge vocab. My youngest started with garbled single words and is still that way at 3.

There is a wide range on this and boys are usually at the later end anyway. Ped Docs don't consider it a speech issue till 3! As long as he babbles and says something he's fine.

Hi T.,

My son (first born) did not really begin talking much until after his second birthday. I think all his energy was put into physical tasks. My daughter, on the other hand, was singing the ABC song at 18 months....much more of a mental child. You did say he says a couple of words....sounds like he is doing fine.

Funny how boys and girls are different!

M.

Please do not compare ever.... your children are individuals. My first could carry on a conversation with any adult when he was 2 , whereas my second was not in the least bit interested. Remember Einstein did not speak until he was 5!

don't worry..girls start talking earlier..my son wasn't saying much til he hit just a bit past 2..then at 2.5 he started to say more and more and now he's 32 months and he's totally making sentences etc..my friend who has a little boy said..."just u wait ...right after they turn 2 1/2 they start talking a lot...so you'll see..don't fret..just work on words with your son*

Hello T.. I'm no speech pathologist, but I wanted to share my experience with you. My daughter (who was born first, so it was natural to compare my son to her - BIG no-no! lol) developed early. She was walking and talking before she was a year old. She had an extensive vocabulary, and by the time she was a little over 1, having a conversation with her was like having one with an adult. My son, on the other hand, did not talk until after his 3rd birthday. (He was slow at everything - didn't walk until he was about 15 months old, didn't roll over until 7 months, scary stuff like that!) I took him to the doctor, because I was concerned (and had compared him to his sister and was freaked out!) and was told he was fine. The problem we experienced was that he communicated in grunts, and my daughter always knew what he wanted. For instance ,he would look at me and go "uunnnnnghhhh" and she would say "mommy, he said he wants some milk and two Ritz crackers". I would give it to him, and he was fine (this is just one example of course). His grunts always meant different things, but sounded the same to me, however, my daughter somehow was able to decipher what the heck he was trying to convey. Because of that, I relied heavily on her for translations, instead of making him (encouraging him I guess is a better term! lol) tell me himself. He is now 12, and I can't get him to shut up, but I'm not complaining at all. LOL He loves to talk, and I love talking to him. He is just a kid who has to do things on his own terms. For instance, when he was about 6 I Took him in for a hearing test because I swore he couldn't hear (he was just ignoring me, I found out later!). He failed the hearig test in one ear, and was basically pronounced more than partially deaf in his left ear. I went on to tell his teachers about it, went easy on him, because I truly thought he had a hearing disability. He overheard me talking about it to a family member, and interrupted me and said "Mommy, I heard the beeps, but I was tired of raising my hand - it hurt!". I was floored!!!!! So, of course, there might be cause for concern, so have him tested to put your mind at ease, but I think it might just be that he will come around, as boys do develop their skills later than girls.

Hi - I have an 19 month old (youngest of three) and she barely talks. I was worried too because my older daughters talked SO much (which I thought was the norm). My ped. said it was fine and that each child develops differently. As long as they're interactive and expressive she said there is nothing to be concerned about. You should still bring it up at his 18 month check-up but I'm sure he's fine :)

At this stage I dont thing I would worry too much about it, my youngest (who is now 3) did not start talking until 2.5!! I was concerned but the doctor said he was doing just fine and to wait it out a bit. Well he started talking in SENTENCES and I can not get him to be quiet at all =] Boys are a little later then girls (on average) with talking, and I have heard alot of funny stories in regards to this 'statistic' Like you should always have your sons first - then the boys will not seem so slow LOL I had my daughter first and she as a huge talker by the time she was 1.5, entire songs and all! My second is a boy and he did not talk much until closer to the age of two ( I think it was like around 20 months) and if I compared him to his sister he was lacking, but now at 4 he is doing just fine and is way above several kids in his preschool class! My third just did not feel the need to express himself vocally - like your son his face said it all! I would not put too much panic and worry into this at this time, but if he does not show some signs of talking by two I would have him check by your doctor and get the help he might need before he starts any kind of preschool. God bless and good luck!

Your son is probably doing fine. Each child develops language at different times and it sounds like he is trying to communicate and has some words already under his belt already. The only time that I am worried when an 18-month old is not talking yet, is when they are also exhibiting all of the following characteristics:

Lack of eye contact with you and everyone else all of the time. In fact, seems to actively try to avoid eye contact:

When you point an object out to your child and comment on it, they consistently don't look at the object you are pointing out (joint attention).

They are not pointing at objects (in a book for example but also maybe a toy on the shelf at a toy store) for you to see. They are also not holding up toys or other objects for you to see (shared interest).

When you call there name from across the room or when you are right near him/her, your child consistently acts as if he/she did not hear you.

These are all signs that there maybe something bigger going on like a speech delay, hearing problem or something bigger. But, again, these are going to be symptoms that you see on a pretty regular basis; it's not going to be sporadic or a one time instance. If you have still have any concerns after reading this, make an appointment with your peditrician and tell him your concerns and ask for a referral for an appointment for a hearing test and speech therapist evaluation. Most developmental delays can be overcome with the right kind of therapy, but the earlier you work on them the better. Your State early interventions services would be the entity that would provide your child with free and appropriate services in your home if necessary.

as long as your child says 5 words they are just fine. you may notice a big vocab. jump in the next 2 months. my 19 1/2 month old says about 70 words (shes at like a 2yr talking level). but none of her playmates are that far. i really noticed a vocab. jump when she turned 19 months she picked up words and names left and right. but really drs dont think much of them not talking unless they arent using atleast 5 words. give him time since he is a very elaborate speaker with gibberish i wouldnt worry at all! good luck :)

All I know is that children develop at very different times.
However if you are concerend I would think about a speech therapist. My stepdaughters brother had the same issue. He is now five and can still hardly talk. His mother finally is getting him some help but I would have done it at a much earlier age. Poor boy is almost 5 and my 2 year old talks much better than him. The speech therapist may analyze him and say he is fine but at least you wont be worried about it amymore.

My daughter did not talk fully at 24 mos. I took her to the Dr and he referred her to speech therapy. Turned out she could talk, but she didn't feel a need, because her older cousin (2 yrs older) would field her every desire and talk for her.
She could actually verbally communicate, we just had to stop others for communicating for her.

just a thought.

T.,
It sounds within the range of normal, but you should follow your gut instinct. Call the pediatrician and leave a message. It is a developmental issuse and a legit. question, so don't qustion yourself. But its not an urgent issue, and there may not be much she can do to help you other than reassure you that it's normal. I'd make the call today.
Good luck

Boys are slow. Give him time. In our mommy and me class all the little girls were talking up a storm at that age and all the boys were still talking giberish. My son didn't start talking until two and now he won't stop.

If you don't see some words by 27 months talk to your Ped.

M.

I think it is worth mentioning to your ped, but my 14-month old has yet to say word. My husband did not speak until he was 2 and started with complete sentences. If this type of speech delay runs in either side of your family I wouldn't worry about it, but it never hurts to ask for your ped's take just in case.

Hi T.,

My son's in the same boat, although he's only 14 months old, he still really only says "dadada" and "mamama," but I don't think he says them meaningfully, like mama only to me and dada to my husband. He also doesn't point to things he wants. I took him to the pediatrician for it, and she did refer him for a speech evaluation, so we'll see. I'm not too worried, because he seems smart and he understands me when I talk to him. I think he just doesn't feel like responding yet! But, speech therapy can only help; I know people whose kids technically had a speech development problem so they did the speech therapy, and by the time the kids were in preschool/kindergarten, they were better-spoken than their peers. So even if my son does have a "problem," it's not like he's doomed to be behind forever! I think you should ask your doctor, though -- it's probably just that kids develop different skills at different rates, but like I said, speech therapy can only be beneficial. Plus you might feel better after having the evaluation and the results. We have ours this afternoon, wish me luck!

Take care,

R.

I agree with Kristine - have him see a speech therapist - just in case. My friend's daughter was only saying a handful of words at 18 months and her pediatrician sent her to a speech therapist. She is doing much better now! Still a little further behind than most kids her age, but it was still definitely a big help and she has come a long way!!

There's a huge range in what's considered "normal" age for talking, and at 18 months your son falls well within this range, so don't stress over this too much. My mom firmly believes that younger children talk later than the oldest (my own two kids fit this pattern!) partly because the older child "translates" for the younger or helps meet his needs and so there's not as much motivation for the younger one to speak clearly on his own. Don't know how much truth there is to that, but it seems to make sense. You should definitely ask the pediatrician about his lack of speech when you next go to the doctor but I doubt you need to make a special appointment for this -- UNLESS it seems your son is not hearing as well as he should. Some kids are speech delayed because they're not really hearing sounds well. But if his hearing seems normal I wouldn't worry. He'll grow into it. :-)

Hi T.,

If your son is pointing at things and waves hello and good bye, he is probably just not speaking as early as your daughter. Boys speech development is slower than girls.

If your son is not pointing to things and attempting to engage you in what he is doing and he is not waving to people, I would request an evaluation by a developmental pediatrician.

Also, Easter Seals organization can provide some free screening assessments in your home to evaluate delays.

Best wishes

I am speech pathologist and my recommendation is to call your local regional center. They will assess for free and offer speech therapy services as appropriate. Yes, boys do develop later and, yes, rates of speech and language development vary child to child. However, even with my extensive experience working with the preschool-aged population, I cannot tell which children are language delayed vs. language disordered until I start working with them. Trust me, I wish I had that ability! It is better to err on the side of caution...if your son is delayed then speech therapy will give a push and his language should really explode. If not, then you know that speech therapy was the way to go. Also, an evaluation will determine if it is a language issue or articulation (two very different disorders with different treatment approaches). I say this b/c you mentioned that he is using "gibberish."
Good luck!

I didn't talk until I was 2 months shy of 3. And then my mother says she couldn't get me to shut up. But, i also didn't do gibberish either. But, I know it isn't normal. Have you asked the pediatrician?

You should always discuss any concerns with your ped. but my oldest daughter, now 22 years, did the same thing. She walked early and was extrememly active, but just didn't seem to be gaining verbal skills at the rate of other children her age. Then, right around 2 years of age, EXPLOSION!!!! She just started putting it all together, and might I say, to this day, hasn't stopped! She is quite articulate. I think she was just taking it all in those first 1 1/2 years to 2 years until she could do it right and then, let us all have it.

P.s. She is a beautiful, bright 4th year college student and does alot of public speaking!!!

Hang in there!

Give it a little more time. Children develop speech at different speeds, and often girls are earlier speakers. If you are truly worried, say at age 2...if his is still not uttering intelligable words, insist on a speech therapy consult, most major hospitals offer free speech screeenings. My cousins son was absolutely mute until age 3, when all of a sudden he began to talk and soon was talking in complete sentances. My own son was a little chatty at age one using single words and some sign language... but then clammed up when he began to walk and run around, it was as though he was just too busy to talk! Then his speech came back full swing at age 2.

If you are concerned you should talk to your pediatrician and ask if you should have a speech evaluation. My professional and personal experience makes me think your doctor will provide you with names of speech centers and speech therapists because a speech eval is non-evasive and will ease your mind, but at the same time know that you still have no area of concern at this time. Boys TEND to develop speech later and second children also TEND to speak less at an earlier age than firsts. Your son therefore has the double whammy of being a second child and a boy. The babbling you describe is a great precursor to speech. One thing you don't mention is his receptive language. Does he understand you when you speak to him? If he has little or no difficulties with following directions or responding to your speech, chances are good he's okay just waiting until he's ready. But again, a speech eval is non-evasive and may even teach you some fun games to play to encourage language so if it eases your mind you should request one.

Good luck,
K.

Kids should be speaking at this age. My oldest son was the same way. He had constant ear infections and was not able to hear.

I would suggest you talk to his pediatrician and have him get hearing and speach tests done. Your son might need more help than what you are able to do.

Another thing to do is buy a beginning sign language book. This will teach you and him on how to communicate with each other until the specialists find out what is wrong. I still use sign with my kids, and the youngest is 5.

Kids are able to pick up sign faster than speaking. If there is a problem, then you have communication already in place.

J.

I would call Westside Regiona Center if you live on the Wside if not another regional center and get an assessment

therapist to special needs children

I had a few of the same questions recently for my pediatrician because my son is 16 months old and is only verbalizing three words ("no" "hot" & "wow"). Aside from telling me what some of the other moms have already told you, she put my mind at ease in a big way by pointing out the following:

1> My son's regular exposure to other languages (the nanny, my parents, etc.) will naturally cause a slow down in his speech abilities in the short term, but it's a good thing for his brain development and language comprehension in the long run.

2> My son uses other methods of communicating. He has a wide vocabulary of sign language and uses it to tell us what he wants, needs and sees. He also points at what he wants and waves to people when they say "bye" to him.

3> My son comprehends language. When I tell him to put his shoes on, he goes and picks up his shoes and tries to get them on his feet. When I ask him where his nose is, sure enough he points to his nose. When I tell him to bring me his sippy cup, he goes into the other room and gets it for me.

The pediatrician told me that all three of these things indicate that he's fine and that he's just on his own schedule in terms of talking. Ignore the textbook milestones and go with your gut. If you feel that something's truly wrong, then by all means go and get it checked out immediately. But if you feel like he's slowly starting to get it, then I really wouldn't worry about it.

Good luck!

My son was like this and he is my first born. He got very frustrated because he couldn't communicate, but it all came in his own time. Once he started speaking he was talking in phrases (which was close to his 2nd birthday). I think each child is so different but at 18 months it is not a worrisome point yet.

Don't bother with the pediatrician, call your local Regional Center. You do not need a referral. Here is a link to find the one that applies to your area: http://www.dds.ca.gov/rc/rclist.cfm
They will schedule your child for an evaluation (Not invasive, just a meeting in a room with you present, toys to play with. They just observe, ask questions, etc)If it is determined that your son has a speech, or other, delay they will set you up with speech/language therapy sessions. This whole thing including the therapy is free of charge. There is absolutely NO reason not to do this. If your son does need help, early intervention is key. If you find out he doesn't, no harm done! You will rest easier knowing you have done everything you can do to set your child on the right path! (My situation -My first son spoke in complete sentences at this age, my second not a word. Everyone said "oh the second has everyone to talk for him, just wait" But I followed my gut and sure enough he did need intervention! The speech therapy helped him SO much. He is now 5 and talking normally, no other issues. If you want to contact me about this feel free.)

Hi T.,
Are you here in California? If so, I would talk to your pediatrician with your concerns and see if you can get a referreal to your local Regional Center. The Regional Center provides developmental and speech evaluations free of charge, and the speech therapist can determine if your son has any speech delays.

My oldest was not talking that much at 18 months and my sister made a comment. The pediatrician said my daughter was fine and by two I couldn't ever get her to stop talking!

My youngest on the other hand talked up a storm by 18 months. Every child is different.

I'm in the same boat. My 17 month old only says up, mama, dada, and dat (for our dog). She said Moo once. I keep getting discouraged because my niece, who is 2.5 months older, was talking a lot earlier and says all kinds of things. Everyone is telling me not to worry, that she's more interesting in "doing" things than "saying" things. So, like you, I'm concerned, but trying not to make a big deal out of it. My mom reassured me that I was the same way, late talker, but I was much more of a do'er than my brother was. So, maybe each kid learns at their own pace and would rather do whatever interest them...which is not talking right now. Good luck.

Boys commonly take longer to talk than girls. He will probably have a language explosion in the next 6 months but don't stress over it. He's communicating and he is practicing making sounds so it will come. 18 months is young for full sentences.

Hi T.,
I think it's pretty normal for the 2nd child to talk later. It happened with my niece and it happened with my Husband. He didn't talk until he was almost 3 because his older sister would answer for him. When he finally did talk it was in complete sentences. If everything else seems ok with him and he's communicating with you I wouldn't worry.

Good luck!

Yes it is. My oldest son only had a 10 word vocabulary at 2 years old and that included "slurping sounds" for water, cook cook for cookie and track track for tractor. As long as he is listening and verbalizing, give him time. Girls often talk earlier and don't compare the two. My second son hardly would say a thing and then all of a sudden was speaking in sentences so go figure. Anyway, enjoy him, stimulate him with toys books, and speech and give him some more time. If it is still that way in year, then you can take him and have him assessed. Most school districts start speech if the child is behind at 3 years. Because he is not talking at 18 months doesn't have anything to do with autism. If he responds to you, looks at you and is starting to follow your one step instructions, he is fine.
H.

Ditto Ditto Ditto to everything the other responders said!

ALSO, read this link on the same subject:
http://www.mamasource.com/request/12028098121742417921

YES! Boys ARE developmentally "behind" and in speech.

But as the previous "Speech" poster said, it is always good to have him assessed... early intervention is good... nothing wrong with it. Or you can wait.

For me, I had the same situation with my son. He is now 26-27 months old.....at 19 months old we had him assessed, there was NOTHING wrong with him clinically, AND he was even "ahead" developmentally in many areas. BUT, since the Speech therapy is "free", I am having this done for my son.

Our Speech Therapist, said that 85% of her clients are boys... and just due to "gender" differences. No big deal. And, by a certain age... speech/talking WILL come.

DO NOT compare your son to your daughter. My daughter is the eldest child and talked early and talks a lot and is so chatty. SHE is NOT my son. We never compare them. Girls and boys develop differently.

This is a common thing with boys and "talking."

All the best,
Susan

I have four kids (10, 15, 17 and 21 years old) and the middle one (boy) didn't start talking until he was 3 years old and then it was almost overnight and full sentences. I was so worried I took him to a speech therapist for assessment at 2 and she said she would keep watching him, but not to worry. Looks like she was right.

You should absolutely NOT be concerned. Boys take longer than girls in many areas and this is one of them. Also, many of history's most intelligent people were late to talk. It is true. Check it out online. This most likely means your son is THINKING more than other babies his age. Do not judge your son by averages. They are just that. Averages. Your son is a unique individual and he is on his own schedule. I am the mom of four. My second was a very late talker, and even when he did finally begin to talk, only me and his big brother could understand what he was saying. It wasn't until he was about 4 years old that his speech cleared up all on its own. Ironically, once people started to understand him, we discovered that his vocabulary was far advanced of other kids his age. He is now 22, by the way, and perfectly normal. Still has a great vocabulary. :0) Stop thinking that your son "should" be doing this or that or else it means he is not "normal". Chalk this up to mom anxiety and just enjoy your little guy!

T.,

I read all the responses and agree that if you are super concerned then I would address it...however, if you son is managing to get his point across then give it time. My son, was at the same point as your little dude and his doctor said that Speech Therapy was better assessed when he was older and able to focus on the methods used. So, we waited and he gave us a set of exercised to do to encourage words.

1. As you're making your way around the house point to things and give them names so, he can identify them.
2. Get a few objects from around the house (truck, car, apple, block) during the morning time, and play a game where you say what they are and then encourage him to repeat it.
3. Have conversations with him where you ask him actual 'simple' questions and wait for his response. Often times my son's was gibberish but like yours, his face said it all!!
4. Go for walks around your neighborhood and talk about what you see/he sees.

By the time we were going in for his 2 yars check up he was talking up a storm and making sense with almost full sentences...albeit not the best announciation, but it has been awesome.

We are waiting to see if Speech Therapy is a must because he has made such progress. If so, we'll do it at 30 months in conjunction with starting school. As I understand it from my son's doctor, boys are always just a little bit behind girls in almost everything! Shocker, but I was told to just be patient and give him time...and that the evaluation process for his age of 17 months wouldn't really give us a good example of what he was actually comprehending and that was important to his ability to maintain vocabulary.

To be honest, it was all very confusing and I felt odd waiting but, I am glad we did because it created a bonding experience for me and my son...

Good luck.

I'd give him a couple of more months for the words to come in. Every kid is different. I think my 23-month old daughter started her words later than my now 16 year old son; however, my son said no by 18 months but my daughter did not starting saying no until this past month!

my son is now 20 months and he is has only about 25 words (of which most only I understand) and he babbles expressivly all day. Babbling is the stage right before taking. I was concerened about my child's speech development (he understands 95% of what I say). My dr. said to call the LA Regional Center for an evalation. It is a free public service that you should call. All it can do is help.

I wouldn't worry- My son didn't start talking until he was past 2 years old. He understood everything I said, and was able to complete a 2-3 stage command (like go to your room and get the red blanket and bring it to me) It was frustrating, because he had plenty to say, but the words weren't there. He did use a little basic sign language, that actually helped since he could tell me he was "all done" or wanted "more".

My daughter is almost 18 months now, and only says a couple of words, but again, I am not too worried since she doesn't understand everything I say and she can actually get her point across better than my son.

If you are concerned, a trip to the pediatrician wouldn't be a bad idea. I have heard of a child who didn't speak well (past 2 years) and it turned out he needed tubes in his ears from constant ear infections.

good luck!

You are wise to keep an eye on this. I would recommend talking to your pediatrician. You can also help him talk by teaching him sign language (the Signing Time series is great, www.signingtime.com) and using the Baby Bumble Bee videos (you can google them; they're also on the Cox Free Zone under kids and babies programming).

A big question I have is whether or not he is pointing. My son wasn't talking, pointing and played with toys in unusual ways at your son's age, which ended up being red flags for the autism he was later diagnosed with. Don't be alarmed, though. Just because your son isn't talking does not mean he has autism. You can look at autismspeaks.org or this list at about.com, http://autism.about.com/od/earlysignsofautism/a/redflags.htm, to see if your son has any of the other signs of autism. If he does, I urge you to get him screened right away through a developmental pediatrician or your local regional center. Your pediatrician or local autism society chapter can help you find resources.

There are resources for kids who have speech delays too, through the Early Start program. Your pediatrician should be able to help with this. Early screening and early intervention are really helpful in helping kids with speech and developmental issues.

The other responders may be right and your son may just be developing at his own pace. But people kept telling me my son was just a late talker because he was a boy, including our first pediatrician. If I hadn't ignored them, he would not have been diagnosed until later. If I had acted even sooner, his prognosis would have been better. So my advice is to educate yourself, talk to your pediatrician, trust your instincts and get help from an expert if you have any concerns.

Good luck!

Call your local school district, They should have a program for late talkers. It's free and they start with them young. If they don't have this program ask if they are aware of other places. Corona/Norco has one, it's called the Rocket program. They test the kids and then put them in a class that the teacher can work with them. The young ones they usually have someone come to your home for 1/2 hour couple times a week. Don't worry your son is fine. At least your starting young. I asked and asked people, finally I met someone that told me about the program. My son was 3. Good luck to you. J.

Hi T.,
We had the same situation a few years ago. My daughter
was speaking in small sentences by 18 months. My son, on the
other hand, (3 years later) at 18 months was just pointing
and grunting. I called it his "cave man talk" hee hee hee.
Upon seeking advice from other moms, a speech therapist mommy recommended that I have him evaluated. Here in CA,
there is an early intervention program called "Baby-Steps". I can't remember if it is a state or county program,
but it was a free program that provided weekly communication
classes. After his evaluation, they determined he was a little behind in speech, that by 18 months, they are suppossed to have a certain number of words in their vocabulary. Anyhow, its a program which utilized songs, and games, and some sign language,and arts and crafts to help encourage and teach better communication skills in a fun way.
This particular program ends with a "graduation" at age 3. We did this from 18 months to his graduation at 3 yrs. This was a SUPER program, and we started seeing results pretty quickly. My son was very shy at first in the class, and it was one where the mommies or daddies stay and sit directly behind child. So, my recommendation is to see what your community has for early intervention in speech/ communication. My son's progress is amazing. He is a very talkative four year old now, and there are only a few letters sounds he is challenged by.
I have some relatives who did not do early intervention with
their son, and ended up having to incorporate speech classes
in elementary school later on. It was harder on the son, and
they said what a great thing to catch "it" early.
So, I would greatly suggest you have your son evaluated by
an early intervention speech therapist. Check out your local
community services, to see what your area offers.

Please do not worry about it. Kids are all SO different. My first born was speaking sentenses at 2 years, and my daughter just turned 2 and she is just starting to say clear words. I would say, give it until he's 2 (at least). Maybe even 2 1/2. If he isn't saying at least 20 clear words, then he might have a speech delay. But I know many 18 month olds who only say Mama and Dada.

Like others have said, each child develops differently. However I would still keep an eye on it at this point. Reevaluate when he turns 2. If he has not caught up in his speech, I would take him to be tested for speech delays. I have 3 friends whose kids (3 are boys and 1 is a girl) have some speech delays. Two of my friends are hesitant to get their kids tested and 1 has had both of her kids tested. The one who got her kids tested said that it's harder to get in to be tested once the child reaches age 3. But since she got them tested shortly after they turned 2, they got in a lot faster. And since her son was diagnosed with speech delay early, they were able to get started on proactive measures faster. He is now 5 and is right on track with the rest of his peers. The two friends who are hesitant about getting their kid tested...one has a 3.5 yo son who mostly mumbles and is getting better at speaking clearly, but is very behind where he should be. The other has a 2.5 yo daughter who speaks some, but not a lot and they are looking into getting her tested.

My kids are 3.5 and 1.5. My 3.5 yo son could have a conversation with you once he turned 2. But he has always been on the fast end of the developmental stages. Now my 1.5 yo daughter is on the slower side developmentally in some ways. Right now she "says" about 15 words. Mama, Dada, brubber (for brother), bah for ball, woof-woof for dog, dah for dog, jooze for juice, mil for milk, baba, ne-ne for night night, appu for apple, shoes,num nums for food, gook-gook for cookies, hi, bye, etc. But all of her speech really happened within the last two months. Whereas my son could say all of that and more at a younger age.

I think at this point the best thing you can do is work with him. I feel like I am always talking at a very slow pace with my kids, enunciating anything they have in their hands or that is around them. My kids always point to things as if to ask "What is it?". So I will repeat the word a few times slowly and then I always ask them to say it back to me. My son would always repeat things back to me. My daughter is a bit of a diva and if she doesn't want to do something she gives me "the look" and won't do it.

I also think birth order might have something to do with it. With our oldest, he was only around adults for the first year of his life. Now with my DD, her brother talks so much, he waayyyy overshadows her in that department, so I think she just prefers to let him talk for her. But when you do get some one on one time with her, boy can she talk/babble up a storm. It's like she has to get all of her stories out of her system fast since she doesn't know when her big brother will come back and steal the show.

But getting back to the topic here...don't be afraid to get him tested if that's what your gut instinct is telling you. It could just be something minor like fluid behind his ears that needs to be drained, or the connective tissue under his tongue is too tight and needs to be clipped to give his tongue more flexibility. Or it could just be that he just feel the need to talk that much (some kids are just that way).

If you are concerned make an appointment with your Ped and a Dentist. We recently found out that my daughter's lisp is from a overgrown muscle in her mouth. It was actually the Dentist that pointed it out to us. A friend of my husband has a son who also had speech problems for a similar reason. It could be that your son is having a hard time moving his tongue or some other issue. It never hurts to check it out.

~N.

Hi T.,

I have a 2 1/2 year old son who at 18 months was just like your son. I am an older stay at home mom who read and played with him all the time so I was very concerned. I took him to my doctor for a consultation and he recommended we try speech therapy.
He started therapy at 20 months with 2 sessions a month. After evaluation, our therapist noted that he was a year behind in his speech development. Since we ruled out hearing issues, she seems to think he might have had undiagnosed ear infections at a time when he would have normally been picking up speech.
At 22 months, he started going to preschool 2 mornings a week.
At the suggestion of our therapist, we purchased the Leapfrog Letters DVD which our son loved and watched endlessly.
Slowly, but surely his vocabulary increased and though he is still approximately a year behind in speech, he is improving daily and just beginning to speak in full sentences at 32 months.
Keep the faith!

What you should do is call your local school ditrict and request a speech and language assessment for your son. The school district will set up an assessment or direct you to an agency who can do it. There are programs for children that age that can help him, and you, work on his language development.

As a special education teacher I know that early intervention, catching it and working on it early, is very important. If this seems like too big of a step, talk to your pediatrician. Your doctor should be able to help you with this.

You can at least call the pediatrician to express your concern and see. On the plus side, he says no and as you said a few words. A speech pathologist might ask which words he says to see if there is a common sound that he excels or has trouble with. If he's had a number of ear infections, they could check for hearing loss --- sometimes its temporary. Sometimes there is a physical reason (muscular or neurological) why he doesn't use words and other times it is a personality thing. Have you tried baby sign language? Try bribing him -- like try to get him to say ball in any form then give him a ball. Follow your instincts and don't give up if one DR dismisses you.

I'm in a speech-language pathology master's program right now and from what I have learned you need to go have him assessed.

At 24 months he should have a vocabulary of 50 words, meaning that he uses those words on a daily basis. Around 18 months they should be able to convey simple things like "mom", "dad", "up", "want", "juice", "potty", "cat" etc. Maybe 20 words or so. Boys tend to be slower in language development than girls, but at this age he should be able to say a little more than a handful of words.

Early intervention is key, as it may take very little speech therapy to get him going at this point, whereas if you wait it may take much longer. In our program we hear all the time from clients that the pediatrician told them to not worry about it and to wait, but if there is a problem you wont know until he is really behind. If there is no problem, then you can rest at ease and not worry about it.

I also suggest that you take an inventory of the words he says. This will help the person doing the assessment to get a better idea of your son's vocabulary. He may surprise you with how much he does say. When doing the inventory make a note whether only you know what the word he is saying, or if others can clearly understand his meaning.

The CSUN Language Speech and Hearing Clinic does assessments all the time. If you are in financial hardship, tell them and they may be able to offer you a discount or a waiver. They also have an Early Intervention program that is outstanding. Lots of kids go there for speech and motor activities. The kids love it (they "play" a lot) and don't even realize that they are working on new skills.

So take a breath and get him checked out. Not knowing, for me is always worse than moving forward with a plan. Good luck!!! :)

If you are basing it on when you daughter spoke you should know that boy develope differently. 18months really is nothing. is he developing faster with his motor skills? That is usually the case with boys. I wouldnt worry just let him be him.

hi
no worries! My daughter (and a lot of her friends started talking) at about 24 months. It is completely normal. Don't compare to other kids. They all develop differently.

-s

T.,

My older child is now 5 and he never started talking. I asked my pediatrician at 12 months, 15 months, 18 months, 24 months and finally got a referral to Early Intervention for an evaluation. Turns out he has autism. Some kids are late talkers and others the lack of language is the sign of a larger problem. I know now that you can self-refer to early intervention. All you have to do is call and make an appointment. They'll test his hearing and do a comprehensive evaluation of his development.

BUT, I will tell you that my younger child had 2-3 words at 18 months and I had him evaluated (he's at high risk for autism because his brother has it) and he was a bit language delayed but nothing huge. At 2 years old (now) he speaks in 7 word sentences and is ahead in his language skills. We didn't do any therapy with him, just stepped up the language games and activities we did with him.

So it isn't unheard of for a child to not speak much at all at 18 months and still be fine.

FWIW, both of my kids are in daycare. That might be part of the reason my younger child is so verbal at this age but it didn't make a bit of difference for my older child's language development.

T.

T.,
I suggest taking him to his pediatrician and discussing it. If his pediatrician is concerned he/she will refer you to a Regional Center in your area. They will do a free screening to see if your son needs any early intervention. Any services that may be required will be at no cost to you. It's worth looking into. Good luck.

Dear T.,

We had two children (#2 a daughter & #3 a son) who both did this. A friend noticed that our daughter was not opening her month when she talked. We gently chidded her by telling her that her words were hidding behind her teeth and we could not understand her. We exagerated our mouth movements and after awhile her caught on and now we wonder why we did (only kidding)! Our son did the same thing, so as wise parents we did the same thing. Wrong! He stopped talking! I asked the corridater of his preschool who I should take him to to see about this propblem, as his was and is a senitive child (he is 30 now) and she told me about the Scottish Rite Aphaesha Clinic in Long Beach. They were wonderful and FREE!!! We also had him evaluated by the school district and after about six months at the Scottish Rite Clinic moved him to our neighborhood school, which also helped with the transition from preschool to kindergarten. By kindergarten, a school year later, his kindergarten teacher is asking why he was in speach theapy.

Hope that this helps!
S.