17 Month Old Not Talking

Sometimes boys just start talking later. My son didn't really talk till he ws 3, my neighbor had eight kids and she said,"don't worry boys are just interested in other things". We actually had him tested for speech and hearing problems and they said he was just fine. Then around his 3rd b'day he just took off! He progressed very quickly very suddenly.
so I guess what Im saying is be patient and don't worry.

hi E...look dont worry i had the same problem but the other lenguages are not confusing him they are just making him smarter.. you make sure you keep talking to your sonin english and make sure he understand.. i thought my son was getting confuse with the spanish and french that he was learning and thats why he wasnt talking..but when he was like 25 months he start talking in english all of a sudden and now there is no power to get him to shut up!! he also nows the french and the spanish that we talked around him so im sure youll be ok just dont pressure himbecause he is just taking his time to process all the info that he is getting... the potty trainig part in the other hand yoou should be able to do @ anytime and in anylanguage try taking him of the diapers for 3 or 4 hours @ the time but make sure you put him on the toilet at least every 1 1/2 2 hrs and tell him that he can pee there.. it worked for me... i didnt use the pull upsbut he was fully potty trained by 2 yrs( overnight and all).. just an idea..hope it works for you

I don't know if I'd be concerned. My boys were late talkers - deciding not to say something until they could say it well. Now they talk up a storm and intelligently. I have an 18 month old now and I am surprised to hear him say so much! Every childs different.... just look out for clues (Hearing....etc.) As long as he is jabbering! :)

Your son is at a very impressionable age in his life, and is learning things at a faster pace than he will at any other age. His learning sign language and spanish at the same time as learning english is actually a good thing...he will be able to grasp the languages completely, and possibly teach you to speak them fluently as he grows up. given his age as 17 months, he's not really that far behind in language skills from what I can gather. Continue to work with him on speaking and vocalizing his needs/wants, and be an encouragement to him. He will soon be talking a blue streak and you'll be wanting some peace and quiet! As far as the potty training is concerned, he may not be ready to plunge into that for a few more months...boys seldom train till they are closer to the 3 year mark in their lives. Make sure to encourage, but don't push the training. He will learn at his own pace.

Is ur son active physical? Ur son will learn fast to become talk later when he get older. Same my daughter is 2 yrs old and she is not talk much cuz she is active lot than talk but i notice when she get older so she more talk to learn fast. I am deaf so i teach her sign language so she easly to communticon with me . I suggest u get him go to story time and play group to socialize with other kids to he will see other kids activie and talk eachother. it will help u
thanks
N.

You are doing a great thing, exposing your son to so many languages. It is usual for a child exposed to more than one language to be a little behind. By the time he is three he should have caught up to the norm. But really, what is the norm? Every child is unique and learns at different rates. Be patient with him, he is learning a lot. As far as potty training goes, my son was not ready until 2 1/2. I tried early, but was not successful until 2 1/2. You may want to work on teaching him signs for potty training. Have your husband work with him. Boy like to copy their father. Good Luck with the new baby and potty training.

My son, who is now a gifted 3rd grader, didn't even say mama until he was 19 months old. As long as he is able to communicate without getting frustrated, he's fine. He is basically trying to take in 3 languages (sign, English, Spanish) and more than likely this is going to be a good thing in the end because he may end up fluent in all 3. He'll talk when he's ready. As long as he has no other developmental concerns, I would hold off on the evaluation-- ask your pediatrician at which age you should start to worry, but 17 months is nothing to lose sleep over. As for potty training, I agree that it's much easier with a baby in tow to not have to run to a bathroom while out in public- trying to clean up a potty accident while holding a newborn is very stressful! My first 2 are 16 months apart. Rushing a very young toddler to get potty trained to convinience you is asking for trouble. He may digress once the baby comes anyway, or he may decide after the baby comes that he wants to be a big boy and go ahead and start. Either way, it has to be when HE is ready or you'll get nowhere.

Hi There! My son wasn't talking all that much at 18 months either...but by 21 months, he was talking up a storm and is now very verbal at 28 months. I wouldn't worry in the least about the spanish and signing confusing him...I imagine it is only helping him. He'll get there. As for the potty training by 2, well, can't help you there! I've heard boys are later...we are very slowly, very casually starting the learning process. I think your little guy will be just fine.

Good luck!
L.
Stayin Home and Lovin It! You can too!
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mom to Noah

My son is 20 months and barely says anything except a bunch of stuff we don't understand. He talks and talks with passion and conviction all the time....and every once in a while he'll say a word clear as a bell, but then that's it, he doesn't repeat it. I am not worried about it at all. I know in due time he will be talking so much that he will drive us crazy.

He, as well, is learning English and Spanish at the same time and they say when that happens they start talking later. But he understands everything we say, in English and Spanish. So what he doesn't talk yet, he will and yours will, trust me. One other thing, we both have boys, they develop slower than girls. If you are comparing him to a girl his same age, don't. They usually start talking earlier. I have friends with girls who have been talking since before they were 1!! I think all my friends (and family) with boys this age either don't talk or barely do.

Also, don't compare your child to any other. They are all different and develop differently. They say by 4 years they are all basically the same. Don't let anyone tell you something is wrong, everyone seems to have an opinion that they "have" to share with you.

Just love him and let him develop on his own.

E., my 17 month old says only a few words we understand and the rest is some foreign language no one speaks. Haha. And we are a single language home. Her Nona speaks to her in Italian, but she is not around enough to make any difference. In my husband's family many spoke only Italian in the home and the children did still learn English just by watching tv, etc. And, yes they were all late talkers, but when they talked it was in two languages! I am no expert to be sure, but 17 months old is a bit young to be worried about it. Oh, and not to upset you, but most kids do not potty train when a new baby is on the way and if anything, actually revert to diapers if they are newly trained. Haha. Better to wait on that. Truly, diapers are easier when you have a new baby than constantly running to a bathroom! Especially once you are out and about with two! Can you see it...you in the stall with the toddler and the baby in the stroller out the door...nah, diapers are easier.
Sorry, I am so lazy and diapers are just so easy. Hahaha. I use Walmart's cheapest brand so money is not an issue for me, and the minute she goes I change her.

Congratulations on the new baby coming! How exciting for your family.

P.

It isn't odd that the baby is delayed in speech. My husband is egyptian and spoke arabic to my daughter from day 1. I am american and english is my main language. Hannah didn't talk much until 25 months. It's okay.

My son, will be turning two and he talks very little, but he has complete understanding of things nonverbally.

The books say that a child should be able to construct two word sentences by age 2, I doubt mine will develop this skill by Saturday. :-) I've had my son evaluated, to ease my mind, he's fine! The doctor gave me some techniques to bring those words out of there. Just speak to him CONSTANTLY! Repetion is your friend. Songs are great too! try not to compare your childn't progress with others. Sometimes we just have to let our children do things at their own pace.

Also being that your child has been exposed to a bilingual household, he might become slightly delayed due to this also.

If it is of huge concern to you, have him evaluated.

Also my son isn't potty trained either. ;-)

get him evaluated if it's bothering you...
Easter Seals is really good...

Well for the talking, my son barely talked at the age 17 months either. He just started talking more and more at the age 2 1/2 and that's when I got him potty trained, and to this day you still can't understand some things he says. LIke he can't tell me his colors or anything like that. and potty training was a pistel with him. I tried for months and he just woudln't go so finally what I d id was put underwear on him and when he peed them I made him wear them on his head and sit on the potty and tell him he was a baby because he's peed his pants and no kids would want to play with him. THe pull ups did not work for him one bit. You can also reward him everytime he goes on the potty liek with a favorite piece of his candy or something like that. like make fun games out of it see if that works. I tried everything wtih my son and it wouldn't work the only thing that worked was calling him a baby. but he was also 2 years old then. hope i helped

K.

hello, i have put all 3 of my little ones thru the early steps program with C.A.T.C.H. which is the community access to child health of brevard inc. it is a WONDERFUL place and the people are awsome. my service coordinator is Cherly Brewer-Kemppanion and she can be reached at ###-###-#### x-210. just let her know that you got her name and want to speak to her about your little one. they will probably do an obeservation and some little tests to see what they can help you with. they will also work with your insurance to make sure that you get the services you need. i have had, speech, occupational, behaviour and they even got my 3 year old into a voluntary pre-k program at endeavour elem which will help when it comes time to go to regular school. they can even set up home therapy as well as go out to your daycare if need be. they are great at helping you help your little ones with tons of advice. my daughters are katrina and alexandria hudson and i am B.. cheryl is great and so are all the therapists that she has. good luck
B. sahm 10,3,2,2