19 Month Old Does Not Talk

Don't worry yet about the talking. Get a book on sign language and teach him to communicate that way. It will empower him to communicate while not forcing the issue with talking. If by the time he is in preschool, he is still not talking, have him tested. There is an early intervention program that can help him.

We have been going through something similar with our first child, who is almost 19 months old and her only words are "yeah and no".
In WA each county has early intervention services (before age 3). They can get you connected to speech therapy. Just a warning the Tacoma area has a long wait list due to shortage of therapists.
The other thing I have been asked is about babbling. Does it sound like he can make a variety of sounds and is capable of talking? That helps rule out physical problems. How well does he understand you?
I have also heard second children can speech later, but it never hurts to be proactive. Not speaking can hurt social skills later on- just because of shyness. However, I don't think early speech gives an accurate indication of intelligence.

Wow, this can be such a confusing issue. You don't want to panic over nothing but your gut is telling you something is up. Listen to your gut. It may very well be true that he is simply a late talker. You certainly hear that all time from well-meaning friends trying to allay your fears and often even from pediatricians. See an expert. Have your son evaluated by an SLP (speech-language pathologist). You can have a free eval done through Early Childhood Intervention. You're in WA so I don't know where to send you but ask at any preschool, even if your child isn't enrolled. They'll know who to contact. If he qualifies after testing, ECI will also provide free services such as speech therapy.

An excellent book to help you learn more about speech disorders and their effects is The Parent's Guide to Speech and Language Problems by Debbie Feit. Your son's frustration is a pretty clear indicator that he wants to speak but is unable to get the words out.

I want to reassure you that it could well be nothing and that everything might well work out fine without intervention. That's probably the case. But because earliest possible intervention is crucial in cases where there is a problem, I would strongly urge you to seek an evaluation ASAP. Loss of speech where it existed before is a big red flag.

I've been where you are right now. My now 3 year old daughter was behind in everything her whole life. She rolled over late, crawled late, walked late and by her 18 month check-up still wasn't talking. Not a single word. Her pediatrician immediately referred her to an audiologist to have her hearing checked. Once it was established that that wasn't the problem, she was then sent to see a speech therapist. They tested her for Asperger's, Autism and developmental delays. After a year of speech therapy (5 hours a week) she still wasn't making remarkable progress. But, then about 6 months ago, out of the blue, she just started talking! When tested again (to see if she needed further therapy) she ended up testing at the vocabulary level of a 4 year old! She just turned 3 in April! So, long story short, after being told that she was developmentally delayed and might not catch up in time for kindergarten, my little girl pretty much just decided to talk when she was ready.

I wouldn't worry too much if your son is meeting his other developmental milestones. Of course, it wouldn't hurt to talk to his pediatrician about it, but in our case, my daughter decided to talk in her own time. I hope everything works out for you and your little boy!

I was the youngest of a large family for 4 years until my sister was born. My parents always say that I did not say one word until I was three. They say that everyone just knew what I needed when I grunted or cried or whatever and so I guess I figured that I didn't need words. My Dad tells the story that he told everyone to quit doing everything for me and he said that this changed everything. When I was three though, I just started talking in full sentences. BUT if you are actually worried, then I would advise you to call your doctor. They should have a good idea of whether your son should be tested or not. Good luck and don't lose hope!!

M.,
I agree with Rikki. Call your early child development group with DSHS for your county. They are kind, compassionate and quick to respond. They evaluate children all the time and it's so helpful to get a response from someone in the field. I had my son evaluated at 2yrs 9 mos (after 3 they go to the school district for evals, so the earlier you have them done the quicker you can get a response since the schools are so busy and now out for the summer). We were assigned a therapist that we LOVE and still see, (my son is now 4). Your journey might not be that long but it's worth the ease that DSHS comes to your home, and so do the therpist and they make it easy to help you figure out the issue IF there is any. Good luck.

One of my nephews didn't talk until he had his tonsils and adnoids removed and tubes put in. He was 2 1/2 and then he just started speaking in full sentences. I know you mentioned it's not his hearing but it could be something else so I agree with most of the other responses and listen to your gut and take him to his doctor.

Good Luck.

M.,

Have you considered teaching him Sign Language? Babies get the gross motor skills for most signs at 8 months, but don't really talk until 2 years. Sign Language is mostly gross motor skill.

My son is now 4 1/2 and we did Sign with him. By the time he was about your son's age he had probably 20 signs and some mumbled words that only I could understand. We have since figured out that he most likely had waaaaay more ear infections than the handful we caught which gave him a speech delay. About a year ago our Doctor was starting to encourage me to get him in speech therapy. I wasn't too keen on the idea, thinking that I could help him at home. Now that he's spent the past 16 months at home with me and little sister there is no longer any problem with strangers understanding him, like there was before.

I would encourage your son to use his words, or show you what he wants. My daughter (15 months) uses "mama" for everything, and points. If we don't understand what she wants we ask her to show us what she wants. She will take us to the gate at the kitchen if she's hungry, or somewhere else in the house to get us to understand what she wants. We're teaching her Sign as well, but she's just not taking to it like her brother.

I wouldn't worry about it too much. I'd also talk to your Doctor if you're really concerned.

Hope this helps,
Melissa

We were in the same boat. My son used to say Duck all the time, then it totally went away. Haven't heard it for months. He also stopped using signs for about two months. During this time he worked hard at mastering playground equipment and climbing skills. I'm happy to report that once he got those gross motor skills under his belt he decided to sign and talk again. But we still only hear one new word once, and then not at all or maybe a week later if we're lucky. He's also showed a renewed interest in books, which he dropped for a long time and that made me sad. Hold out. I'm betting your boy will come along in the next month or so. My son finally turned the corner on this at 19.75 months, so just on the cusp of turning 20 months. Still, we meet girls his age who could get jobs at the UN they speak so well. I think a lot of it is a boy thing. Keep us posted.

HI M.,
I would look at his other development aslo. Does he point at things, does he bring things to you and want you to help with them? Does he get your attention when he wants something or does he just throw a fit? My son said a few words earlier and has not said them for a while. He is still building new words and is starting to say those other words again. I know how concerning it can be. My daughter has autism and so we are always worried, but so far, he is completely different from her and though we still worry at times, we look at the whole development. My son is 21 months now and still is not talking a ton. I love it when I hear him point to something and he says what it is. Hope this might help you a bit. If you ever want to talk just email me at ____@____.com

I know what your saying. This is so my grandson. Best thing you can do for him is to talk with his doctor and have him tested. My grandson sounded like that. He's so smart but just can't talk. I don't want to say anything to scare you because I'm not an expert. But you should really talk with his doctor. Could just be a late talker but if there's something that you could help with it's better to get it done in the early years for his sake. Kids are just so precious.

Talk with your pediatrician about a referral to a speech therapist. Services for kids under 6 are usually free with most insurance companies. Or contact your local school district and they can give you a number for early intervention services.

Hi M.,

This is something good to bring up to your pediatrician, but as a mother of four, ranging in age from 5-20, I can tell you that they each go at their own pace. Our youngest really didn't utter a word until she was almost 3. We were concerned but our pediatrician told us that she was extremely healthy, her hearing was fine and she would get around to talking when she was ready...and she did. Now that she's 5, we can't get her to be quiet!

19 months is still quite young, he'll come around.

Good Luck,

D.

Sometimes boys take a little longer. He should at least be saying some select words.

The other thing you could do is to buy a sign language kit that helpe you communicate with your child until he can talk.

My son wasn't talking yet either at 19 months. At his 18-month appointment I mentioned to the pediatrician that I was considering some speech therapy to try to move past his frustration at not being able to communicate. She was very supportive, but also said it would be perfectly acceptable to wait a bit if we wanted because, for boys, there seems to be a big jump in language development at about 20 months. So we waited and, I kid you not, the morning after he turned 20 months, he woke up with about 12 words. After that, it just kept coming! If your son is making eye contact, gesturing, etc., I think the odds of it being something more serious are slim. If you do pursue speech therapy, many of my students (I teach preschool and kindergarten) have gone to Bob and Brandon Buckendorf with good results. Good luck!

K.

M., I would not beconcerned yet. Mylittle grandsonis almosttwo and he is just now saying things...you cannot understandhim very well but he has been slower to doeverything...crawl, walk andhe is just fine.We hadhim checked out bythe doctor andhe said do not compare him to thegirl grandchildren as girls are usually much faster. But he is catching up...I have four granddaughters and five grandsons...the boys really seem to develope at their own pace....the girls are really more anxious to talk and have exceptional vocabularies. I find the boys are much more laid back and satisfied if someone does everything for them. LOL
He is just doing what heneeds to do to communicate...and thatis it...but I agree to teach him some sign..that is what they would have you do in speech class. Teach him please, thank you, I love you...that is what Iusuallydo even if they do start speeking. One of them I hung pictures on the fridge and he learned to point to them because he would become very frustrated when I could not understand him. I hung water, food, toys, books, tired....thingslike that..bananas, apples...things he ate...I even hun a potty on there and potty broke him before he could really say it. He did have to go in and get tubes in his ears because he was saying the words how he washearing them...we did not think he had any troublehearing because he would respond but what he washearing was very muffled and he could not copy that to talk. After the tubes he talks up astorm. But he had cranial surgery when he was 9 months old..there was no soft spot when he was born and his head was growing not round but oval...so they had to creat one and remove an inch and a halfof his skull from ear to ear...so it effected his hearing. He is fine now and has a super round head....he had it done at Children's in Seattle...they were great!
I think as long as youhave had his hearing checked and it is fine...he is just taking his own sweet time...but teach him sign..just a few words will get him wanting to communicate. It is amazing how that works...L.

M.,

At 19 months old he should be doing two word phrases like red car or daddy go. If he was using words and then stopped using them, that is also a red flag. I'm currently a Communication Disorders major and a mother of two speech delayed kids. My advice would be to have him evaluated immediately.

Your local health department should have a birth to three screening program that is free no matter what income you have or insurance you have. They can do a screening and give you more specific information as to what to do - based on what they find.

I want to encourage you. Both of my kids had serious delays in speech and have gone to speech therapy and are making tremendous strides. I believe each will enter kindergarten without any obvious problems - getting these problems resolved with therapy beginning before three is hugely sucessful. I wish you the best!

Dear M.,

It may be nothing to worry about, but my sincere advice is to see your pediatrician. Sometimes, this can be a symptom of autism. I do not mean to frighten you, and it may be that his older sibling speaks for him, but it really should be checked out soon. Especially since he can hear well and used to say a few words. I wish you well.

A pediatrician who specializes in diagnosis of autism would probably be most beneficial, as I am aware of some who misdiagnosis. Again, just a precaution, but if it does turn out to be something like autism, the sooner it's caught, the better chances of real help for the child.

A bit about myself: mom, grandma, degree in family and child development

M. - My sister in law has 4 boys. The 2nd and 4th did not talk until after they were 2. She is an outstanding mom, and did everything right, in my opinion. But you can't make them talk! She used sign as much as possible to avoid some frustration, and she also put her 4th in speech when she saw she was going to deal with the problem again. He just turned 4 and is doing quite well when compared with his peers, considering he started speaking over a year after they did!!

Try not to get frustrated, but be patient. It will come!

I know that kids can start talking at all different ages. However, the reason I think you should have your son evaluated is because he had some words he was using, and lost them.
I am not sure where you live, but you can take your child to your local Early Childhood Development Program. It is free to have your child evaluated by a speech therapist. Also, if the child qualifies (if the child is behind where they are suppose to be for his/her age), the therapy is free. It is not based on income. Anyhow, I live in Vancouver. Our daughter went to Pride for Kids. I would be happy to help you find the program in your area, if you are interested.

R.

if he had words then lost him, you need to see his ped and in turn he/she will have him eval by a SLP (speech language patholigist) I have 5 boys and the 3rd was a late talker (almost 5 before you could have a real conversation) our 5th child is austic had a 100 words by 18 months woke up one day w/zero it has taken us 3 years to have him be able to communicate w/us.
don't wait it may be nothing, but if it is something time is crucial...

I would agree with some of the other responses that you need to mention it to his pediatrician. I'm a school psychologist who works with a team to screen 3-5 yr olds for potential developmental delays (like speech and language) and would say that if he had some words and has not used them in a while that would be a concern for me. However, I do agree with a lot of other responders that he's just taking his time and will talk more when he's ready. Definitely go with your gut and it can't hurt to ask his doctor. Another resource would be to contact your local school district and ask what birth to three services are available, you would probably need to contact the district's special education office. If he qualifies he could receive some speech and language services, which might get him going back in the direction you want relative to the language piece. Hope this helps and good luck!

Have you spoken with your pediatrician about this delay in his verbal skills? Has he had ear infections? Okay....

I would call Scottish Rite Center for Childhood Language Disorders in Seattle. They are up on Capitol Hill. You can find them in the phone book and maybe listed as Kids Speak. These folks will help evaluate his needs and help him learn how to communicate. There is no charge for their services, they are affiliated with the Shriners. They work wonders. Our son did not talk until he was alomst 3 yrs old. He started attending Scottish Rite when he was 18 months old, as we noticed the delays. Our pediatrician sent us to Childrens, who evaluated him and told us he was dyspraxic, that and due to his ear infections, he hadn't heard any word the same way twice, so it was hard for him to mimic and learn language. The dyspraxia is small motor skill delays, and your mouth is small, fine motor skills. Needless to say we were overwhelmed. Childrens recommended speech therapy 2 times a week and told us that this would be ongoing until he was about 12-15 yrs old. I friend recommended Scottish Rite, as our health insurance at the time did not cover speech therapy. Scottish Rite worked with us, taught us how to talk and communicate with him and then started therapy with him. He graduated from Scottish Rite when he was 3.5 yrs old. He has graduated from high school, attends BCC, has a 3.86 gpa and will be transfering to WWU. He speaks like he was injected with a phonograph needle and the need for speech therapy until he was 12-15 yrs old never materialized.
For our family, our son, the therapists at Scottish Rite are miracle workers and gave us our son. Your little boy will be extremely frustrated if he can't get you to understand what he wants and needs. It makes life extremely difficult for all of you. I wish you well and hope you live in the Seattle area so you can take advantage of this great service. If not, they are also located in Yakima, Spokane and Portland.
Take good care!

He may be just fine - as you know, children are different and boys often start talking later. Have you used sign language with him? It can work wonders for helping children feel empowered. Does he say simple things like mama? If so, he may be right on track. On the other hand, I'd trust your instincts - if he used to talk more and now isn't, there could be something wrong, either something physical, or something emotional that's going on right now that makes him not want to even try. Or it could be just the frustration of being the youngest and least capable person in the family. If you really sense there's something wrong, I'd recommend getting him checked out. Otherwise, patience and encouragement!

As a speech-language pathologist, I must highly recommend an evaluation. Others are right, it may not be anything, but there is no reason not to have an evaluation--you can get one at little or no charge. This will give you peace of mind and/or some ideas on how to get your little one's frustrations down. I have a private practice in the Tualatin area. Check out the member perks if you are interested in an evaluation from my office. Often times insurance covers them. It can take a while to get an initial appointment with the ESD. Feel free to contact me with any additional questions or concerns.

K. Jellison, MS, CCC
Speech-Language Pathologist
____@____.com
###-###-####

Definitely have him tested to see if there is a reason he is not talking. In the meantime, why not try teaching him some baby sign language so that he can communicate. This may ease his frustration (and yours!) I have a great book called Idiot's Guide to Baby Sign Language, or something like that