Babbling Talking Delay

I have a 16 month old baby and he always makes sounds at one point when he was 6 months old i dought he had hearing problems but i made noice with different things and he reacted to them and i felt better about his hearing. Have you done that? try it see if is that or make him ask for what he wants don't give it to him if all he does is point. Hope this can help hope to hear from you soon

don't worry...all kids learn at different paces. It's good that he has mama and dada down, my brother's kids didn't learn to speak much until the age of 3 then...who can shut them up now...lol. Each kid develops differently. So no worries.

Boys start saying words at 18 months, if he has already said mama & dada, I would say he's fine...Just don't compare him to girls, who start saying words at 12 months.

K.,
I am also a mother of 3 and my youngest boy also was not talking, etc. at 1 year (not like he should have been). My degree is in Neuropsychology, so I was very familiar about his delay. We got him tested in all areas and the specialists said he was mildly Autistic, but after a lot of research, I was NOT convinced. I limited his milk/dairy intake (he seemed to live on milk) and he improved quite a bit. He did go to Special Ed classes in preschool and kindergarten - mostly for speech therapy because he was, of course, behind even though he had improved so much.

I now do Neurofeedback for children and my youngest is 9 years old now and in 3rd grade and doing well in a "normal" classroom with no problems. Joshua had an Auditory Processing problem, NOT Autism.

I would definitely get your son tested by doctors and ALWAYS do a lot of research of your own. In reality no one knows your child better than YOU!

Good luck & if you think of it, let me know how things go.

God bless!

C.

Hi there ! I have four sons, and #3 was a VERY late talker. For the first 18 months he said mama, dada, baba, and not much else except for babbling. We lived in a very small town at the time and I heard some of the "talk" that was going around - that something was wrong with him, that he must be slow, autistic, developmentally disabled, etc... At two years he was saying a very few words. At three and four he was talking, but only his older brothers could understand most of what he said. At five, he grew out of it and seemed to catch up to the other kids his age. By eight his vocabulary exceeded his classmates substantially. He is now 21 years old, of above average intelligence, and his days of being labeled as a "slow" child are just a humorous memory. You are an experienced mom, having two older kids. You know that every child is different, and that the guidelines are just that. Guidelines, and not rules. Relax, enjoy your baby, and for goodness sake, don't let anyone label him, and don't stress out about it. They say that late talking is a sign of high intelligence. If friends or relatives make any annoying observations, simply remind them that Einstein was a VERY late talker. It's true!

My nephew did the same thing and then one day when he was around 2 or 3 (sorry I can't remember exactly) he started talking in full sentences. He is 16 now and a very very bright child!

Best wishes, M.

My girl talked everyone's ears off, but my boys - not even close. In both cases of my boys, they were just fine. Boys seem to be slower to talk...but keep up everywhere else (& catch-up just fine too!). Both waited until more around 2-ish to talk talk, and at that, it was still on their own terms. Does your son react to noises? It almost sounds like it could be a hearing issue rather than anything else. It could be just as I said, boys seem to be more hesitant verbally. Mine seemed as though they were waiting until they had perfected the words in their heads, before uttering them. If you believe it could be a hearing issue, have your Dr check him out. God Bless!

Some boys need more time, and it will come. My son, now 2 had the same problem. He was crawling at 5 months and walking on his own at 8 months. He started talking more than just mama and dada at about 18 months. He still has a pronounciation problem, but it is getting better.

It is more they are wanting to move rather than have an interest in talking. We spend more time reading to him, and the more learning type shows - Disney, Nick Jr., PBS etc. he watches the more words he picks up. We have noticed that he has the vocabulary, chooses not to use it, and will even surprise us with long hard words or phrases such as awesome, serious, fire in the hole (hubby tought him that for when he poops his diaper), and he comprehends so much more than we can imagine.

Your son is just choosing not to use his words. encourage him to use his words when he wants food, or something to drink rather than just giving it to him. Or try having him repeat what you want him to say, such as "tell mommy, 'I want milk". Say one word at a time and wait for him to say the word, you may have to repeat the word several times. Also spending more time talking to him will help. Don't let your other children speak for him or just give him what he wants, that will only delay him speaking. Make them talk to him, ask him questions and then have them help him with the answers. It will help, but really don't push him, it will come, and when it does then work with him more.

good luck, and know you are not alone! It is frustrating, but give it time and it will come.

Hi K.,
Let me be just one more voice of reassurance to you. I'll keep it short, it is WAY too early for you to worry about your son's talking or babbling or whatever! He's a baby! Just don't stress about it you will look back and wonder why you were ever worried about it. All children reach milestones at very different ages you don't need to compare him to your other children or anyone else's.

First I would recommend that you speak with your pediatrician. All of this advice is terrific, but your pediatrician knows best and he/she must be consulted. I am a mom of two 21 mo. twin girls. Baby A does the Talking; Baby B just points & grunts - Baby A is talking for Baby B basically. We performed a hearing test - just to be certain there wasn't a problem & you have nothing to lose but everything to gain in knowing nothing else is interferring with your child speech. Our Pediatrician advised alone time; spending more one on one time with both children so that Baby A can't speak for Baby B - we try that though it's tough to separate them. Your older children may be doing the talking without your even realizing it. For instance; if they are hungry or thirsty....your day care and/or you are taking care of them & automatically taking care of your 1 yr. old without his even asking. Use baby signs also. We started doing that more & we have gotten more communication from Baby B. Make sure you are reading to your child(ren) every day - for your 1 yr. old, you don't have to read the words, you can just talk about the picture & point out certain "word", and/or make the animal sounds if it's a book with animals. We did this and Baby B started making the sounds of the animal rather than saying what type of animal it was. I've raised children while working and it is sooo difficult to come home, get dinner on, and spend quality time with your children - this time around I get to stay at home - what a difference. Just make sure you aren't doing dishes; cleaning house, doing laundry, etc. while your children are watching t.v....take advantage of that little time after dinner to spend the quality time with them - that time flies by & before you know it they are out with friends - teach while you can, and good luck! :O)

I am a mom of three. I had the same concerns with my littlest one also, I even had him tested when he was two! All the tests came out great, he was a bit advances in several areas too. I was just sure that there was something wrong with him, he never said one word, EVER, and his two older siblings have never stopped talking since birth! My baby did not even do that baby babble that is so cute, he was just a quiet little guy. Now however he is just a few months away from being three, and BAM he starts with 3-4 word sentences! Watch to see if your baby even has the chance to talk, I know that the older two did all the talking for the baby, especially his older brother, who is only 14 months older then the baby, Brother never gives baby a chance to talk for himself. But now I have three yappers and the peace I once knew is gone, and in its place is the fighting of whos turn it is to talk to mommy! God bless and please enjoy the peace you have with one if you kids, this too shall pass! :)

K.,
I think it's a bit premature to be concerned, he is only one. Have you talked to his pediatrician about it?
S. g.

Hi K.,

I am the mother of a nine-year-old boy who had some speech at 18 months but then lost it when he turned 2 and was diagnosed with Autism. I have several reccomendations for you. First, have you had his hearing checked? I've heard of children having remarkable speech gains when they get tubes in their ears because they could not hear. After that, you should think about calling one of the Early Start programs and asking them to do an evaluation. It is free, and if they find that he is realy behind, they can start him with a speech therapist immediately. The ST has fun ways to get kids to talk, like games and toys that work on speech skills. Good luck! T.

Does he have frequesnt ear infections? Sometimes that can lead to temporary hearing loss and speech delays. However, a 1 year old sholud be able to say 3-4 words to be considered on target...so he is not that behind !

I would ask your pediatrician to get his hearing tested to be on the safe side.

J.

my daughter is turning 1 in 2 days and she isnt much of a talker, she says mama, dada, baba and hi. she does do the mimic theing as far as action. the thing is...every child develops at their own pace, not all children are the same. i have 4 children (5th one due in december) and well my first one was on top of everything, she developed quickly and now is in kindergarden and she is advanced in her class, my second was slow on everything but she caught up after a couple years and now she too is in kindergarden and doing very well. my son...well, he too was slow on everything but he too caught up and he is 3...though its hard to understand him most of the time and i have to have his sisters translate for me what he said but his intelegence shows in everything else, he follows simple tasks, he knows his colors and some numbers. not all my kids developed the same way and had their own timing. just let it ride out and keep trying to teach your son...he will catch on. as it was mentioned before...Einstein was slow at speech...so see...even the greatest minds have had their delays when they were small. good luck and just let it ride.

Hi K.,

Your son is totally normal. Many boys begin talking later than girls. My brother was 2 before he spoke and he graduated from MIT. I think Einstein was also a later talker. Just relax, soon enough you won't be able to shut him up.

V.

Hi K.,

My son did the same thing. People kept asking me if I was concerned about him not talking, but I wasn't. I knew that boys talk later and he was ahead in motor skills. I've read that children who are ahead in motor skills will often be a bit behind in language skills (and vice versa). My son is almost 2 now and is just starting to talk. Almost everyday he has a new word! Don't worry it will happen.

As Marla said... if you are still concerned when he is two; have him checked then.

It's too early to worry about his talking or lack thereof. Consider an assessment after he turns 2 if you're still worried.
M.

One of my children (I have 4) was "late" speaking. She has a very perfectionist personality, we've discovered, and she never used much baby talk. All we can figure is that she waited until she was sure she could say the words "properly" (in her eyes) before she said anything.

BTW, my first words weren't spoken until I was potty trained (and said, "Good girl.") Don't wotrry. If he understands you and isn't frustrated when you speak to him (or when he needs to get your attention), it probably isn't hearing problems.

I am a first time mom and my son is 16 months.He also is in the same boat as your son and he is older. I was told by my pedi. that I shouldn't worry till he is 2. He babbles constantly but has only mastered a couple of words. Your son has 2 others to do his talking for him. I wouldn't worry everything will be fine. You just have to have a little faith that your little guy will say what needs to be said when he is ready. All we can do is keep working with them and it will come. Good Luck.

Hey K.....please dont worry. there is enuf out there for us to worry about! lol!! :)
my son was 1 on may 12th and he onyl says dada and mama (altho not with true association alot of the time) and he has added "doh" for dog this week. at almost 2, my niece could really only say mama, no, and neigh-neigh (horse! haha) and now you cant shut her up!! i live in fear of him learning "no"!! but the real story is me.....until i was 4, i spoke a language all of my own. i am not kidding. no one could understand me but my older sister. my parents thot i might be retarded/autistic/deaf...you name it...they tested me for it! they are casual about it when they talk about it now (i was #4) but i can tell by all the tests they had done that they were sortof crapping themselves. i had words for TONS of stuff...chocolate chip cookie was "dot-doodin"...go figure!! but then one day when i was 4 i just broke out into full (english!!) sentances! i can assure you there is nothing abnormal about my brain....i have a business degree and a beautiful perfect son! rest easy lady and just keep chatting to your boy. plus everyone out there is right....with older sibs in the picture they dont "need' to talk as much so it will be later. ps...my guy is also not walking yet....he is a ridiculously good crawler and zooms everywhere he wants to go! i refuse to worry about either of these things! kids are kids and while milestones can be a useful guideline, they are NOT the last word and children are all different!!! breathe easy...enjoy yer boy! :)

Hi K.,

My pediatrician kept freaking me out about my son when he was little. At 12 mos, she asked how many words he had (none). Then again at 15 mos she asked and wanted him to have 5 words within a month or we should call her. By that time he had used about 15 signs to communicate his desires. I didn't call her because I knew he understood what we were saying and he was communicating with us. At 18 mos she wanted him to have 10 words within a month or we should call her. He had a few words at this time and about 50 signs. I still waited because I knew of so many little boys in a similar situation. Then at 21 months he just took off. I wrote down 25 words within a week! He's almost 2 1/2 now and composes sentences just fine. He knows colors, his uppercase alphabet and can count to 15. He repeats portions of books and sings songs with a perfect tune. And he talks constantly!!!

I think sometimes children just need a little more time to develop in their own way, but if it would ease your mind to have a hearing check or speech evaluation, you should seek them out. I think you can actually get them done for free through an early screening process. Good luck!

M.

My oldest daughter was 2 1/2 yo when I met my (now) husband. He also had a 2 1/2 yo daughter (they are 46 hrs and 12 minutes apart). My daughter talked non-stop, while his daughter did not hardly speak at all. I honestly thought that his daughter might have developmental delays because I didn't realize that she was "normal" and my own daughter was advanced.

When the girls were 6, my husband and I had another daughter. She didn't hardly talk at all - even less than my husband's older daughter. Both of our older girls would talk for her. She was much further delayed in her speech.

Suddenly, one day it dawned on me. While our older two girls were at school, our younger daughter was talking and babbling up a storm, but as soon as her sisters arrived home from school, she clammed right up. I had figured it out. She would only speak when it was necessary. If her sisters were around to speak for her, then she didn't NEED to speak for herself.

I think all the other advice given is pretty much the same as mine - first, consult with your pediatrician. If he/she doesn't seem concerned, then don't worry. It could be a hearing problem; it could be a developmental delay; it could just be that this child will take a bit longer.

Regardless of the cause, the main thing is to just be patient and not stress about it.

Hi K., he sounds fine, my kids were not talking at 1 I have a 15 month old in my daycare and alls he says is mama and dada, give it time. Do you read to him/ some blieve that helps, he has older siblings, he'l talk soon enough. Then one day you'll wonder why you hoped for that, but your son sounds perfectly normal to me. Mom for 24 years. J.

i have four kids ages 10,9,8, and 3. my three year old had the same problem. when i brought it up to the dr, he told me to have the older kids stop talking for her. see if that is where your problem is. if so tell them to let him speak for himself. and also at the age of one, it is ok for them to not really talk, especially with him being the youngest.

K.,

I don't know exactly how old your baby is but my son really didn't start talking until he was around 16 months old (he had pnemonia twice this winter and didn't talk for 3 months while he was so sick). I had him evaluated at 18 months old because my older son has autism. He's a bit language delayed but otherwise fine. So we've started using sign language with him to stimulate his language development and it has really helped.

Having raised two boys - one with autism and one without autism - if your baby is interacting well with people, trying to express his wants and needs (pointing and grunting counts) and engaging in "joint attention" where he wants you to look at what he's looking at, he's probably not autistic. If your gut feeling is that there is something wrong, there probably is. I knew somethign wasn't right with my first child for over a year before I could get anyone else to agree that he wasn't "normal." If you want to have your child evaluated, if you are in Las Vegas, you would need to find Nevada Early Intervention in the phone book and call for an appointment. You can self-refer so you don't need a referral from your doctor. The evaluation is free and if your son qualifies for services, the services are free.

In the meantime, I highly recommend signing with your child. We use these DVDs www.signingtime.com They are pricey so I recommend you start with volumes 1-3. I have a dozen of them but you really don't NEED the farm animals one for basic communication. LOL Volumes 1-3 cover the basics that you'd use with a young toddler. Thinks like eat, drink, milk, etc... Another thing you can do is read to him and talk to him constantly. Name everything you touch and look at and give him a running narrative of everything you do.

If your baby is barely a year old, I wouldn't be concerned at all yet. If he's not talking by 18 month old, I'd be very, very concerned.

:-)T.

He isn't behind - all babies develop differently. My little one is 14 months this week and it sounds like he's exactly where your son is with speech. He sometimes says mama and dad but it isn't often. I think at this age they are just trying to figure out so much that speech can take a backseat. My three year old was exactly the same and now speaks more intelligently than most of his peers.

Dear K.,

It may be nothing to worry about - as individuals, kids develop at different rates in different areas. I don't remember my brother being delayed in speech, but I do remember that his speech wasn't clear, and my mom and I were the only ones who could understand him and it drove my father CRAZY!

I don't see where you've discussed your concerns with your pediatrician - if you have, I'm curious what his response is - if not, I definitely would. He may just need to start work with a speech therapist . . .

Good luck!
B.

If your pediatrician is also worried, your son should have a hearing test. Otherwise, he's probably fine. I have heard (don't know if it's true) that if a child is concentrating on one skill (gross motor in your child's case) that while they concentrate on that skill, they will put the others on hold until they've accomplished what they "needed." Then they're free to move on and learn other things. Some children evenly and steadily learn skills. But it seems like your son put a lot of effort into gross motor for a while. My motherly opinion is that he's fine.

Also, another commenter said maybe your older children are speaking for him. This is possible too. I am the oldest and my sister 16 months younger than me barely said anything because I always spoke for her.

I have heard that Albert Einstein did not talk until he was four years old when one day he suddenly said (about his brother who was crying), "What ails wee Jack?"

My granddaughter did not speak until late also and the doctor told us the fact that she also did not walk until late was a red flag. He said if she ONLY didn't talk it would be fine but since she had two issues, she should see a specialist. Turns out she is mentally retarded (though sweet as can be). SO- not to worry!!!

My DD did the same thing. She did;t really start to say words until around 2 1/2. I was worried because shw would whine and just point to what she wanted. I kept pushing her to say the word but that only caused a big fit. So instead of making her say the word I would just repeat words over and over. it sounds like your boy is very smart and is just being a little sponge soaking everything up. Talk 2 your pediatrition. There is a program that he can reccomend u to & they will send u a questionare & come out to evaluate your child to see if they can help