Almost Two & Not Talking

Hi C.:

I wouldn't worry about it. All kids are different. It appears she already has her own little vocabulary list. Have you ever heard of anyone starting kindergarten not talking?

I don't think you have anything to worry about because all children do things at their own pace. As long as she responds to her name and acknowledges that you are talking to her. Try to refrain from talking baby talk to her and just keep teaching her new words. Don't worry when she does start she wont ever stop hehe

Don't be worried! My son is 2 1/2 and is doing the same thing. We called his pediatrician and they gave him a hearing test, which was fine. (1st sep of evaluation). Next he was sent to have his speech and comprehension evaluated. Lastly, she offered to have him tested for autism, but he shows no signs of that. Get in touch with Alta regional on Butano in Sacramento. If you live elsewhere there are programs offered. Usually there are no programs til they are three years old, but Alta is early, up until 3. It is also free if the delay is 3 months behind or more. Some children, actually a lot of them take a little longer to talk, sounds like she is just not ready. Also, people say if you are meeting her needs and she doesn't have to ask for them she may not use her words as readily. Just know she is fine, I would call and get her speech evaluated, but I would wait until she is 2 1/2, 6 months makes a difference. Good luck. Feel free to contact me if you have questions.

"Baby talk" can be considered talking, no doubt! I'd still ask for an evaluation somewhere, but I'd definitely be more worried if she said NO words of any kind, not necessarily words you can understand. If she's babbling in her own language, then she's definitely saying something; it's just taking longer for her to be clearer in "our" language.

My son is the same age & he really didn't start saying anything clearly until this past month or so. It really does happen overnight where all of a sudden she goes from 1 word here & there to all of a sudden 2 words together, etc. Try not to worry & just keep conversating with her & definitely READ together.

Hi,

First remember that kids learn at different rates. So she may be behind some other kids but she will catch up. Talk to her Dr and see what he/she thinks. The Dr may want to evaluate her and check her hearing to determine if she is on track or a bit behind. Also read to her a lot so that she hears lots of different words. and talk to her in full sentences not baby talk
good luck and don't worry
J.

My son and daughter didn't really start talking till after they turned 2. My son took along time for other people to understand him till about 4 yrs old. My youngest daughter we always said that when she did start talking it would be in complete sentences and thats what she did. Almost over night. She hasn't stopped since. People mean well when they tell you these things but really childern all have there own time frames for developement. Listen to what they tell you and put it in your back pocket. But Let your mothers intuition be your guide. My first daughter started talking at 10 months. We really have little to do with it. Take care, R.

My grandmother likes to tell the story of my father, who was the 4th of 7 children. He wasn't talking AT ALL by 2 so she took him to the doctor, sure something was wrong. He told her, "It seems to me your son is getting everything he wants! All of your other kids rush to do whatever your baby wants. He doesn't need to talk!" From that day on they wouldn't get things for him unless he tried to say what he needed. According to my grandmother, in a week he was talking! (To this day, my dad really only talks if he has to. He's just a quiet guy.)

I'm not saying that is the case with your daughter, but it's something to consider - maybe she just doesn't have a good reason to talk yet. My older daughter started talking super early, so I was surprised when my younger one really didn't speak much or clearly until wellafter she turned 2. Now that she just turned 3, she is much easier to understand, and I've noticed her vocabulary has taken a big leap. Every child is different, even when they are raised in the same house!

Don't worry too much about this. She is trying to communicate, and you'll notice she will get a lot better in the next few months, most likely!

I think that it sounds like she is doing just fine. If she can understand you and responds aproriately that is a very good sign some kids just talk later than others. My oldest at two only said mommy and daddy now at 4 1/2 he has a huge vocabulary and doesn't stop talking. If you are concerned about her being able to comunicate with you teach her some signs that helped my son alot, Signing Time movies are a good place to start.
C.

My son was almost exactly 2 years old when he started talking. I even asked the pediatrician about it, and he just told me to wait until after his 2-year check-up, and if he still wasn't talking, we would discuss him seeing a specialist. But he didn't think there was anything wrong. Then all of a sudden, just 2 days before his 2nd birthday, all these words came spewing out... and now, he's almost 4, and everyone says how well-spoken he is. And believe me, he talks AAAALLL the time now. Just keep encouraging her, saying words to her constantly. I'm sure she's just soaking it all in!

Just as every baby is different, every child is different too! I am a teacher, and if you have a gut worry, what I would do is first....go get her ears tested. Some kids don't talk because they don't speak well. After that, if you still suspect a problem, talk to your doctor. But as soon as she is three years old, you can take her to the speach therapist at the elementary school near you (where she would go to school) and have her screen there. It is free if she needs the speech therapy. But also realize some kids won't talk until they can say full sentences and keep a conversation going. Go with your gut!

Fear not C.,
Children start to talk at many different ages. My son(first child)didn't talk until he ws almost three. It wasn't until my daughter(second child) started talking that he felt he needed to speak up to be heard. Some children can communicate so well non-verbaly that they don't need to use words to get what they need. My husband didn't talk until he was almost five. So be patient...the words will come. At least you know he can speak words, so it is not a medical reason.

Hi C.:

Don''t panic. Children talk at different stages. Some are carrying on full conversations atone while others are just beginning to talk at three! Your daughter sounds like she is doing what MOST children do at her age. Relax and don't worry. Soon, you'll be writing in trying to find out how to make her be QUIET!

R. (retired principal)

Just to be on the cautious side, I would call the county infant development department (Sac County Office of Education) or the county education office where you live and ask to have her evaluated. It costs nothing and if you need speech services, they will be free through infant development and then when your daughter turns 3 yrs it will be thru the local school district.
Also, if you have medical coverage, ask to have her hearing tested.
I've been thru this with all 3 of my children.
Good luck.

Hi C.,
You will hear a variety of advice from parents of typical and children with speech issues. I have one of each. I think it is prudent to call your regional center for a free speech evaluation to either put your mind at ease or give you some free tutorials, perhaps speech(which is fun for her)and should there be anything ongoing, support in school..but that is another story. I also suggest a dvd called BABY BABBLE created by two speech pathologists. Fun and helpful for visual learners. Also. Use pictures as much as possible. Label everything and speech slow, with a pause to give her a chance to speak. You will receive a lot of advice. Just remember that the eval is for under 3.
Even if she is just going at her own pace, it is always interesting to learn a little bit more about your child.
Best,
C

I agree with Margaret: CALL your local Regional Center...NOW!!!! your pediatrician has to have this information and can refer your child as well!!! It is of most importance that you do this before age 3... so she can get full benefits and services covered by this agency!!!

Love, G.. :0)
http://stemcellforautism.blogspot.com/

Each child develops language at her own rate, but that doesn't mean you can't encourage language development. The two keys are (1) talk with her and really listen carefully to what she has to say. Play word games, like naming things and making the sounds that animals make. Give appropriate praise for any efforts to speak. (2) Read to her throughout the day. Let her hold the books and turn the pages. Pick books appropriate to her interest level. (How many words per page will she tolerate before she's ready to go to the next page of pictures?) I remember that my own daughter spoke in paragraphs before she was two, but some of her little friends were reluctant communicators and said very little that could even be categorized as "baby talk" (which is often poorly pronounced words that adults don't quite understand). Best wishes!

Wishing I knew how much you talk to your daughter and interact with her verbally, or even read to her. The more the better. But, that said, our grandson who had a M. who didn't require him to talk she met the needs before he asked or even indicated there was a need. He was 3 years old and knew Ti ti for being tired, a version of mama and a lot of unidentifiable screeching and vocalizings with fingers pointed to indicate anything. At 3 years 4 months he was put in a speech therapy group. By the time he was 3.7 he was talking at age level. He now is in the GATE program in his school in the 3th grade. Don't stress, but do talk to, expect an answer and read even above grade level to your children. They will learn to love books and learn to communicate at the same time.
Best of luck,
Dean L.

My son is the same way. We just had him tested and did not realize that his hearing is not good. If you have concerns now is the time to act while she is little call the Early Start Program at 1-800-404-5900 it is run by the Santa Clara County Office of Education. Good luck!

C.....My advice is not to worry! When my son was two, he too only said a few words. All we heard from everyone was how concerned we should be. We thought he seemed fine, but finally gave in to the pressure. We took him for two different hearing tests, and as we suspected, nothing was wrong. After one appointment with a speech therapist which seemed like a ridiculous waste of time, we just said forget this nonsense. By two and a half, he finally started talking, and now at the age of 4, he never stops! He has a great vocabulary and I marvel that we were once so worried. As long as your daughter doesn't seem to have any hearing impairments, just be patient. Before you know it, you'll be wishing she didn't talk so much!

Hi, C.
Obviously you want to rule anything out like hearing problems or any other difficulties, but my son will be two in July, and just recently started to put together simple sentences like "shut the door" and "want binky". I was worried too, and asked our pediatrician. He said twenty words at twenty months is typical. Count how many single words she has, and she probably has way more than twenty now. I don't think it is necessary for her to put them together into a sentence just yet.She is also a youngest, so lots of things get said for her probably. Mine is also the youngest. Check with the physician just in case, and good luck.
M.

Our son is 2 years 3 months and is not talking either. At his 2 year check up his pediatrician asked how he was talking and I told him he wasn't. He referred us for a speech evaluation. After being assessed, he is eligible for speech therapy as his expressive language is at 14 months and his receptive at 19 months. He started just 3 weeks ago so I can keep you posted of his progress if you would like.
We have had some people say that he is not saying enough words(under 10)for his age and others say that he will talk when he is ready.
The speech therapist we met with said they like early intervention so the children are ready for preschool by the age of 3. She also stated that school is so intense now that they like to also intervene early to avoid future problems in school.
Talk with your pediatrician. Please feel free to contact me anytime with any questions.

Don't worry!! She's obviously hearing just fine if she has started saying some words correctly. They all learn at their own pace. A friend of ours had a son who didn't speak at all for over 2 years and everyone was so worried. When he did speak, his first words were a sentance, "Can I have juice please?" He heard and absorbed it all, just wasn't ready to spit it back out quite yet. Unless your pedatrician thinks there may be a hearing or oral development issue, don't worry. She'll be talking your ear off in no time and then you'll be wishing for these days again.

I don't think you should worry. It's true girls often talk earlier than boys, but I'm surprised people tell you your daughter should be talking by now. It's a little early for her to be talking in complete sentences. My son only had a vocabulary of five words (dada, gaga, baboo, bukai, and bye-bye) which he rarely used and never babbled after about 11 months. At 35 months, right after he toilet trained, he looked up at me and said, "I want some juice." That was the first thing he said, and he talked in complete sentences from the start. If she hasn't toilet trained yet, just wait. Talking in complete sentences and complete toilet training often come close together.

My son was the same way. Now, he's turning 3 in July and talking up a storm. Don't worry.

All children do develop at their own pace - up to a point. My oldest had a speech problem many years ago and the speech therapist gave great advice. Make sure you make her use real words for things she wants, even if you know what she wants by her pointing to things or you have just figured out her language.

Remember that children learn what WE teach them. If you teach her that it is okay not to speak correctly and still get what she wants, she has every right to think that is fine.

You can also make learning language into a game - if you need more specific help, write me back and I will assist you gladly. Besides being a mother who went through speech therapy with my son many years ago, I was also a teacher. I have many tricks up my sleeve.

God Bless,
B.

C.,
Every kid is different. It's true that many/most kids are talking much more than your little one by two, but that does not mean all kids are. If you are concerned start with her pediatrician. If she/he thinks its a problem she'll refer you.

If you aren't that worried but just want her to talk more, try modeling a short sentence for her, making it clear that it what you want to hear. Like if she reaches up saying "Mama, Mama, Mama." Say "Do you want me to pick you up? Up please Mama." Wait for her to say something (anything even if it's just "Mama" again, then pick her up.

If you don't already belong to one, try taking her to a play group with young, verbal children. Since her peer at home is Ethan, she may not know she is "suposed" to try talking more.

Hope this helps,
T.

If you haven't already had her hearing checked, then do so as soon as possible. Some children, especially premature girls may have small ear canal which blocks easily and prevents them from hearing, which comes before talking.
Also, try talking using correct english (not reflecting her baby talk. Like if she is feeding herself, try fork or spoon and get her feedback. My spoon, your spoon. Make it fun and smile. Kids develop at their own pace. If she doesn't want to, don't push her. When she labels something encourage her with approval by smiling and use it to extend the experience and learning.
But, check her ears first. It's important not to wait.

Our now 14 year old's speech was delayed and we found out she had water on her ear drum - easy to treat. She was speaking the way she heard - underwater. As soon as that was treated and cleared up she spoke just fine and recently graduated with honors from her Middle School. Hope this helps.
Patti b.

Girl relax and Don't listen to everyone else..If she cant communicate with you thats all that matters..She's almost 2.. Enjoy her..My son is just turned 3 and he's still gettin the hang of language..

I am a work at home mom. My son just turned 2 on the 18th of June. He doesnt say full sentences yet either. I think every child develops at their own pace. My 4 year was saying sentences at 2 but not this one. Just keep working with her. She will pick it up sooner then you think. Dont worry. Everything will come when it is supposed to:)
Good Luck, T.

My nephew will be 2 in October. He has plenty of words, but he doesn't use sentences yet either. He, and my other nephews, have bilingual households, which I believe makes them slower to start talking, though when they do they have 2 languages. You CAN'T listen to what other people tell you or you'll go nuts. Go with your gut on this one. You have plenty of doctor's appts. when they're still that little, ask the doctor. Maybe she's just not interested in talking and has other things she's working on. Take care, C.

You know every child is different. My daughter has a huge hole in her brain due to a bacteria that she had growing up there. We were very worried about her development. It was great having my nephew who was 7 days younger to compare. The did everything at exactly the same time. She walked late-so did he. It was like a blessing. When they turned two my daughter had quite a vocabulary and could even name all 11 of her cousins and all her aunts and uncles. My nephew however is still not talking much-it's weird because he has older brothers and sister. I don't think there is set times for kids. The develop at their own level. Just keep reading to her. That has helped my daughter a lot. Also all her little toys that recite the alphabet, but yes books really help-they are a part of her night time routine.

Begin by having her evaluated by her pediatrician. I would request that she be referred to have her hearing checked, speech evaluation,and an evaluation from a mental health facility. I am not hitting the panic button. It's to rule out a developmental delay. I have a Six year old with Autism Spectrum Disorder, and a three year old with Pervasive Developmental Disorder. (PPD-NOS) I am not saying there is anything wrong with your daughter, but it could'nt hurt to run the whole thing. She may only need speech therapy. If it is ASD. You are not alone,there are many resources,and people to support you. I wish you luck, and blessings to your family.

Talk to your pediatrician, join a mom's group for support since u'r so young. Here's a little gage as to where u'r 2 yr old should be:

-should speak at least 15 words
-should be able to use 2 word sentences "I'm hungry"/ "me hungry" and should be able to add "ing" or plurals
-should be able to imitate your actions and words
-should be able to follow simple instructions "use your hands"

Dear C.,

My name is S. and I have a son, Sammy who turned 3 in February. When he turned 2, he had NO words at all and all he did was grunt. I too got the same pressure from many people and got super worried about it, being a first time mom. I went online and got a wonderful DVD called "Baby Babble" from Amazon. It was the best investment. After watching the show (20 min) Sammy started actually repeating the words he saw on screen. The DVD is put together by 2 pediatric speech pathologists and is really very good. There is even a Baby Babble II out now, and it's just as good. They have tips for parents that really helped me to help my son start to "need" to use language (putting many of his toys out of reach so he'd have to ask for them or point and indicate to them).

He is now 3 and is putting several words together to express what he needs. When he was 2.5 I went and saw a speech therapist and had him evaluated. I actually saw 3 different people and they all had different evaluations of his situation. I just stuck to my guns and helped him at home and now he's doing really well.

People are going to tell you that you need to take your little one to be evaluated in order to help head off a possible "serious problem". But your little one is actually saying words, that's the first step, and it's awesome! Other things that helped my son:
1. Regular play dates and interaction with other children
2. Singing songs all the time (Music Together)
3. Pointing out things no matter where you are (in the car, in the store) and do that each time you are engaged in that activity to provide a bit of repetition and predictability: Red light! Stop the car...Green light, go! or We're going to get some red apples, mmmmm, yum (put them in your shopping cart)
4. Play "Count the _________" and pick something in the house to count..my son loves that one...
5. Read to your child, even if he/she isn't paying attention -it's helpful for your child to hear your voice and see you modeling what a good reader does. My son would toss the book from my hand when I tried to read to him and then about 3 months ago, all he wants is for me to read to him. Just be diligent!

Hope that helps!

:)
S.

I have twins who were not talking all that much at two either. They didn't start really talking (in sentences) until they were two and half. If you can, enroll her in a preschool program or play group situations. I believe that my girls really started conversing after they were exposed to other children their age and a little older. Good luck! (and it doesn't hurt to inform your daughters doctor so he/she can make sure there is nothing else going on:)

Dear C.,

Maybe it would be a good idea to just give Lana more time. My (now) adult son who is quite articulate and talks a LOT in his job, with his family, with complete strangers... was two and a half when his sister was born. He was almost three before he began speaking a language I recognized as English.

Up until that time he would converse with me in something I called "Twoanese" or "Threeanese." It sounded like a language: good rhythm, inflection, pauses, exclamations... He would have very animated conversations with me, eyes sparkling, hand gestures... the whole works. But no discernable English words.I would clarify what he wanted or was telling me by asking questions. He would agree or start over until I "got it."

Our neighborhood had a nice mix of families. Besides all the English speakers, one mom spoke Vietnamese, one Farsi and one Spanish. I thought maybe he was picking up words from the languages they used at home with their children. I asked each one if he was using any of words they recognized. They said they could not understand a word he said either.

My mother said not to worry because my older brother had done the same when he was a baby and was about four (when his brother was born) before his language became really intelligible.

When my daughter was 10 months old she began speaking in little sentences. I was working at the time and the lady who took care of my two was named Clara. She and I
were having a conversation when Eileen called out. " Cara, 'mere." Before long she was saying things like, "See doggy.. eat. Doggy eat he' dinner."

She would talk to us at the table and Steven began to really study her. Within a short while
he was fully conversant... and he has never stopped yakking... we tease him about his great inclination to talk!

If she has no problem hearing, that is if her hearing is not impaired in any way, she will be talking when she is ready. One thing that is extremely helpful with kids is to read the little
children's books with them all the time. They love to hear the stories—over and over and over— but it is good practice for them with the words. They pick up a lot of vocabulary that way. Plus you are setting a precedent for reading—and enjoying it—in later life. That is a skill from which they will always benefit.

Good luck and enjoy them while they are little.

Blessed be,
Merylyn (aka M. and a grandmother now)

If she's not quite 2 yet, I wouldn't worry about it. I have three children and seven grandchildren. they all talked at different ages but not quite 2 isn't the time to worry. Give her some time. If she isn't talking in close to full sentences by the time she's three, then take her to see someone, but for now appreciate the quiet. Once she does start talking it will be constant chatter and questions to which she will expect answers!

I have had 3 children trouble with speech before they were two, you can get a free evalution when they are 2 with the state or county. Where I went was north bay regional center in Santa Rosa, CA. They started on my first 2 children from 2 to 3 and my oldest boy went to group speech and was fine in kindergarden. My middle child (daughter) has always had problems with speech and she also received help from pre-school which didn't do much so I ended up taking her to scottish right in Santa Rosa, they did wonders for her. When I took my youngest to the evalution they said that he was talking at 16 months when he was 2 and to give it 3 months. After the 3 months he was talking so much I never had to go back and never had a problem.

So my advice is get your child evaluted, they will tell whether or not if your child needs help or just wait that it is not that bad. Also it is free.

Mom of a 5, 6 and a 7 year old.

My senario:

Child #1,girl: spoke 100 words by 18 months. Hit all milestones a few months early. Average kid.

Child #2: boy: Similar to child #1

Child #3, girl: Born with yeast (thrush in mouth, body.)Several ear infections around the 6 month mark/booster time. Didn't babble like the other two. Not hitting early milestones on time. Didn't attempt to hold bottle. Never Cruised furniture.Finally walked a few months after cutoff date in the health book. As a toddler: never attempted multi word scentences and then didn't attempt multi syllable words. maybe said 10 words by 24 months, no scentences more than 2 words. The pedi said she was fine. Others said she was fine. My instinct said, not!
I would try to read books to her but she didn't pay any attention, not until she was about 4. She is now 5.5 yrs old. It's still somewhat difficult to carry on a conversation with her. At 5 she should be fully understandabe but she is not. I always have to ask her to repeat once, sometimes twice. If I say something to her, many times she responds off topic. I had her hearing tested by a hearing specialist at 4, he said she had slight hearing loss in the right ear but still in healthy range and not considered as 'hearing loss'. She also has a half inch overbite the dentist said we could take care of later. I have been trying to teach her letter sounds, it's taken three times longer than it took my other two. Socially she is impulsive, impatient, bossy, moody, and interrupts. These are ADD signs.
Certainly if you see other issues, along with speech delay, there could be more to it. Trust your mommy instinct. Get early intervention from the school district. It's free before the age of 6.

Since she is under three, I'd call Alta California Regional Center (or your local regional center) for an evaluation. IF there is any problem such as not being able to hear the sounds, poor listening, autism, or just not wanting to talk, they'll figure it out and help you. Plus, if she does need services they are free, in your home, and easier to access while she's under 3. I have a 5 year old that has autism and wish we'd had him evaluated much sooner! Please bear in mind that statistically speaking, your daughter probably does not have autism (it affects boys more than girls and girls more severely than boys and she sounds normal). www.altacalifornia.org

Hi C.

My son (he is now 20) was exactly the same way even after he turned 2. Everyone was worried, especially his Grandpa. I even took him to the Dr., who said don't worry he will talk when he is ready. Sure enough @ about 3 mos after his second birthday he said "Grandma I want some eggs", and he hasn't stopped talking to this day.

Hope this helps!

My son didn't start "real" speech until almost three...we joked that he was waiting for his younger sister (an 18-month difference) to get old enough for him to talk to. She was also his primary inspiration to get out of diapers...he noticed she was well on her way to being potty-trained and he couldn't handle the idea of her beating him to the punch! I would wager that your daughter probably understands most of what you say...if that's the case, then she's simply internalizing her language until she's ready to start using speech herself as a means of communication. (By the way, my late-speaking son is definitely making up for lost time...he's constant chatter!)

Likes Catherine C, my family has a funny story. My sister didn't talk at all. They say it was because I did all the talking for her. The funny part of the story is that I'm 26 months younger than her! I talked early (before her some claim) and never stopped according to the family joke -- I even talk in my sleep.

I'd say follow your pediatrician's advice at this point. If s/he is worried and refers you to a specialist or for an evaluation, go. Otherwise, like Catherine's father and my sister, don't let people automatically guess what she wants, make her communicate her needs and wants to you. Most likely she's within normal range but just hasn't had the need to communicate this point.

Coincidentally, my sister's two children didn't talk either, and mine spoke early, often, and rarely shut-up!

My son was the same way... He could only say a few words at 22 months. I remember, because when his brother was born, he could only say bay, instead of baby. He said the basics like mama, dada, etc., but his vocabulary was limited. At three, he talks non stop and has an excellent vocabulary. Another thing that shocks me is that he remember things from when he had just turned two and tells me all about it now. I can't believe that he remembers these things. I guess he really wanted to talk about them then, but did not have the vocab, and now that he does he brings them up. So, your daughter is probably storing a lot of information, but isn't able to express everything she is learning now.

She will be talking soon. Try not to worry!

Hi C.. Let me just tell you I hate when people tell you what your kid should be doing. My son's Dr told me son should be in speech therapy blah blah blah. But a lot of my friends said that he would catch up .. he was born a little early and he had done everything (crawling, walking, etc) "late". My hubbies family is huge and I got to see a lot of other kids his age.. his older cousin, by about 11mos wasn't talking at the same time my son wasn't talking either. My friends told me as soon as he went to preschool he would change. Anyway my point is right after my son's 3year checkup he started saying sentences and he's almost 4 and communicates completely normal now. Your daughter is almost the same age as mine and she sounds like she's doing great!! My daughter says the same types of things. Don't feel bad or let people tell you what your kid should be doing!! Every child is different and learns differently. I think that society expects kids to grow up so fast now it's crazy!! You should go with your motherly instinct. I didn't for a long time with my son and it didn't help anything!! What I've been doing with my daughter is if she wants something I'll have her repeat a sentence to me i.e.."can I have a popsicle" or whatever and she will say the words if I say them slowly. She's doing well so far, my friends son doesn't even do that yet and he's the same age-- no words at all and my nephew, same thing and he's almost 3!! Every kid has different time frames in my opinion! Good luck, don't worry too much!!

If you contact your local school, they can give you the phone number for early intervention and get you a free assessment with a speech pathologist. That person can let you know how your daughter's language skills are developing, give some advice and recommend free speech therapy through the schools if needed. You don't have to accept the speech therapy if you don't want it.
Good Luck,
J.

C., my firstborn (a son) did not say anything intelligible until he was three. His doctor was not concerned since Jake was obviously hearing and listening and understanding. When he was older I came across an article that explained that speech is learned in two stages. the first stage is the listening and understanding stage, the second is the modeling,or speaking, stage. Some kids, like my Jake, take a long time to put the modeling stage in to practice. It may just be the child's personality to think through things before physically doing them, rather than physically experimenting. Jake turns 18 next month, and when he started talking he talked just fine. His current plan is to be an actor and he talks and sings just fine. D.

You can get a speech and language evaluation (free, I believe) by contacting your local Regional Center. Kids ages 0-3 are served by the Regional Centers; ages 3 and up by the school districts. With her language/vocab development, a key thing to look for is whether she is combining words. Even if she's not forming grammatically correct complete sentences (i.e., the way an adult would say it), does she put 2 words together to express the meaning of a whole sentence or question? Putting 2 words together usually starts around when a kid has a vocabulary of about 50 words. If she doesn't yet have 50 words, she's probably just not quite ready to put them together yet. If you are very concerned, have her evaluated by a speech-language pathologist (through Regional Center or private). Good luck!

Hi, I have a son who is now 10 years old. He started talking early, but my best friends son is now 2 and a half and says some words that people can understand and most of the things he says are baby talk. I would not worry about it until he is three. You could try reading books together before bed that have extra words at the end with added pictures, or use very simple flash cards and see if he is able to repeat you. If these things dont work you could call and make an appointment with his doctor and see what they say. I think all kids learn at different levels, just like walking, sitting up, and rolling over. Dont worry too much yet.
---Vicky

You could ask your pediatrician to refer her for a speech therapy evaluation. I had to do that for my two year old son. He gets speech therapy now and is talking a lot better. Then again, your daughter just might be on her own schedule. I also have a nephew who didn't talk much around that age. Now he's three and we can't get him to stop talking :)
Good luck and God Bless.

K.

I would look at having her evaluated - there are free resources for this and if there is a problem you will catch it now not later and prevent other problems. My now 5yo, spoke some at 2, but everyone other than me had a hard time understanding her. The dr wasn't concerned because I understood her and it wasn't her hearing, she was also a 2nd child so they often talk later. I ended up going thru the speech therapist in the public school at age 4, but wished I hadn't dismissed it before that. My daughter only had articulation issues, minor problem, but it was hard when she went to preschool and she had a hard time communicating with the teacher and other children. In the SF bay area, golden gate resource center ( I think that is right but maybe a variation) offers free evaluations and aid to children under 4 and I have heard really good things about them. I am sure other areas have programs as well (as some others responded).

one question, does your daughter use a binkie, pacifire, etc? these items can affect how your child my pronounce certain words; therefore, try using the binkie, ie pacifier for bed time only.

However, if your daughter doesnt use either, she'll be okay. Some children take longer than some may expect to say full run on sentences. the more you interact with her , she'll come around. also, ask her pediatrician for an opionin, he may give this paper that's somewhat of a "home assessment. it's something to fill out over a period of 90 days or so. to evaluaite your childs actions, speach and so on. farely simple, and its a great tool.once completed return to her pediatrician and he'll let you know to be concered or not.

you need to have her dr. give you a referral for evaluation.she could just be slow, or it could be more serious and need speech to help get her where she needs to be. i've had the experience and speech was a blessing!

Please Please Please call Regional Center for your County (each County in CA has their own) and see about having your daughter tested (free of charge). I did this at the urging of friends when my (now 5 year old) son was 22 months old. He was below the 10 percentile for speech and received so many wonderful services (again free of charge) to bring him up to the level of his peers. It has been a long 3 years but I can't tell you how grateful I am that I started him at 22 months instead of waiting. He will never be aware that his speech was ever delayed and he will enter Kindergarten in August on par with his peers.

Hi, I have the same issue with my son, but he is 3 yrs. old and I'm going thru the school system to get him speech therapy. You can contact your local school district to have an evaluation done and they'll go from there. I had also just done some research online and found that vaccinations may also be linked to speech delay due to the metals they contain and chemicals in the flu shot are also thought to be linked autism or other effects like speech delay. I just found this product online that you can test your child to see if they have a quantity of heavy, excess metals. You can test your child at home with their urine to find out and if they do they sell products that can detox your child of these metals. I had just ordered it to test my son. I figure you just never know. But don't stress out over it because as long as your daughter has comprehension for her age, that's a good sign. Some kids take longer than others and that's ok! As a parent going through it, I can only suggest what I've been doing. good luck!

C.-
First I want to tell you, not to worry. My daughter is almost 3 and worry sometimes about her speech. But when she was going on two the doctor said a child's vocab should contain 30-40 words. Any words! Do you think she can say that many? Also, does she still take a paci? I know that can sometimes delay speech. As for now I strongly beleive in reading and singing. You would be amazed at how much a child learns from simple things such as a bed time story.

As a Speech therapist, I would advise you not to make a big deal about your daughters speech unless you cannot understand any thing she says. Some children talk earlier than others. If her speech does not improve in the next 6 months then you should see a speech therapist for an evaluation.
You might try seeing if she can make the individual speech sounds such as buh, duh, kuh, puh,tuh etc. See if she places her tongue in the right position. Say these sounds yourself and feel where your tongue is then watch her. Woul like to hear how this goes. E.

It sounds like everyone has given you some good advice. I think having her evaulated can't hurt. We had my son evaulated when he was 18 months. He hadn't said one word not even mama. My 2 older daughters were saying 3-4 word sentences by their first birthdays, so him not talking at all had us worried. He started at 20 months saying 1-2 words and by 2.5 was talking in complete gramatically correct sentences. He has always used he/ she/her/him correctly. He is now 4 and has learned to talk louder to be heard over his sisters. I think because the girls are 6 and 10 years older than him they did alot of the talking for him and he had to wait until he was sure of his words before he tried to get into the mix. He is still more likely to not talk when there are a lot of people around but if he gets my husband or me alone he talks a mile a minute. It makes us laugh now when he gets to going on a story to remember that we were worried about him not talking. He seems to be making up for lost time.
My point is that you should talk with your MD if you are concerned because some kids do have problems, but realize that many kids start talking when they are ready and once they start there is no going back.

Sounds like she's doing great. I know its hard not to worry, but don't worry! She's not even two yet, and she is saying some words. I would think twice before placing my child into the "system". They have a checklist, but children are different. You are her mom, you can tell if something is wrong with her. Walking by one talking by two... that's an expectation people put on kids these days. The only problem is, the kids don't know they are supposed to follow those rules. My little brother didn't talk at all until after he was three. He's one of the smartest people I know, he just waited to talk. So take a deep breath, your daughter is great.

Dear C.,
I don't think you should be too worried. As long as her other developmental skills are on target.
I had a friend whose kid never talked more than one word or would go to the refrigerator and point and whine and cry. When I babysat him, I hope it doesn't sound mean, but I didn't just open the frig and go through 30 minutes of asking him what he wanted or let him point. I started him very early on using his words. If he wanted grapes, I made him say grapes. Or, I closed the door and pretended I didn't understand him. His parents were wonderful. But daddy worked during the day and mommy worked the graveyard shift for the same huge grocery chain. In between, they just wanted him to be happy and responded to the whining. That didn't cut it with me. He also walked long before they believed that he could because they just carried him around all the time. Anyway, first of all....don't be too freaked out if your child isn't talking a lot. She may turn out to be an introvert. My other guess is that once she really gets wound up on the talking front, you will be thinking of ways to hush her up. (I mean that in a nice way, but be prepared). Teaching children to use their words is something she will be having to practice all her days once she starts school. No time like the present. Play rhyming or repeating games with her and see if that works. Like I said, you want to make sure she has no learning difficulties, but my friend's kid had no trouble talking once I pretended I didn't understand him. It's worth a shot.

More telling than the number of words she has is how much she seems to understand you when you talk to her. Does she follow basic directions (go hand that to daddy, please put that on the table) or respond to questions (do you want to go outside, are you all done)? If that's the case, she may simply not have anything to say.

It's worth a mention to your pediatrician, who would know best if there is anything wrong, but a speech delay is not always a red flag.

I wouldn't worry about it. Einstein was four before he talked (that's what I've heard). My son didn't talk until he was almost three , and then it was full sentences. I know girls are more verbal, but less than two seems very young to me. Give her time. Check with your pediatrician.

B. (old enough to be a grandma, but not yet)

If you are the least bit concerned get an evaluation with Early Start. Its free and then you will know for sure. And if she does have a speech delay, then she will get therapy and because it is such an early age, she will probably be just fine! And if she does, great and at least you know!

http://www.dds.ca.gov/earlystart/

Good luck and keep us updated!

A.

Sign language is awesome and has helped my twins enormously. One twin was two and barely speaking... the speech pathologist said to start signing with her ...it just took off from there. There are videos called signing times, you can check them out from your local library. the girls loved the videos and I learned along with them too. She is now 2 and 1/2 and nows all her colors, numbers, abc's and is speaking and signing together. Go with your gut. You are concerned or you wouldn't be posting. Take her to her ped. or a speech pathologist and do what they suggest. Good luck!

Hello my name is S. and iam a mother of three and i also have a two year old who is not talking very much either!!! Iam using alta reginnal services they are free till they are three years of age and they help out withere speech!! would you like there number? And iam also a stay at home mom!! They are a great service and they have been helping me out alot!!! so just let me know if you want the information? I will be happy to give it to you!! I think they could help you out and it is free so that is wonderful!!! Thank you S.