Toddlers Speech

The question's a bit fuzzy to me. Are you asking "Is it normal for him to repeat back my words in answer to a question, rather than saying yes or no as his answer?" That seems to be it.

Sounds totally normal and healthy to me. He's mimicking you which is exactly how kids learn to speak. You say, "Do you like this movie?" He replies, "I like this movie." He's having a good time showing you he knows what you said. If he says it broken up, as in "I like this. Movie." (as you typed it), why would that be any cause for concern? He got the words just fine. Don't stress over his inflection or what sounds to you like he put a period into the sentence. HE knows what he means and his meaning is clear to any adult who hears him.

I think it's actually better that he repeats your words rather than just offering a short yes or no to questions. Any kid can just say yes or no all day long and not have listened to a word you said. At least you know he actually heard and processed the words you said to him.

He sounds normal and bright. Talk to him a lot, all day, about everything everywhere you go, and read out loud to him constantly. All that helps a lot.

I agree with Victoria C. May also be that he doesn't hear well? Whatever may be, I would consult your pediatrician ASAP.

Julia,
Look for an early childhood intervention program in your area. An evaluation and therapy are free.

A lot of kids are really not clear in their speech or easy to understand at this age - that's completely normal.

He does seem to be answering your questions, if I understand your question correctly? So, you ask him, "Do you like Finding Nemo?" and he responds "I like Finding Nemo." That's actually pretty clear and detailed speech for a 2 year old. It might be easier if he just said, "Yes," but he's using more words, which is great. At this age, it helps if you speak the words you'd like him to copy. For instance, "YES, mommy and daddy like Finding Nemo, too!" Speak to him as often as possible, and speak to him like he's a mini-adult. His vocabulary will grow and he will learn your patterns of speech and copy them.

My son was like this for a while (using a lot more words then he needed to to answer a simple question, instead of just saying yes or no), but I didn't see it as a bad thing. He is about to turn 3 and describes everything, he likes to talk about stuff and explain it.

How would you answer that question, or a similar one, in front of him? I have noticed that normally when my son does something a little different (like over describing everything), it is because my husband or I do it. I always described and pointed out everything to him, so he does too. He thinks it is normal, he learned all of his weird quirks from us.

Hey there I have 2.6 year old boy/girl twins and my girl's speech is going great. She has really blossomed the last few months and even weeks. My son's speech is slower. We had them both evalutated at 22 months but the speech therapist said they were fine. Ethan's speech is still a bit garbled and he stammers over words but he's progressing. He's a boy and boys tend to be a bit slower than girls. Give your son time and he'll catch up. Or just get him evaluated before age 3 from Regional Center it's free til then.

I agree with Victoria. Get an Eary Childhood specialist in. In NY, before age 3, they come to your house for free. Once they're three years of age, you have to bring them to the school district weekly. Our neighbor's son has been getting early intervention since he was 2. He's 4 now and doing well with it. You pay taxes, why not reap some of the benefits? They'll either tell you not to worry or they'll give you expert help for free!

I'm not sure how him being MORE detailed in his answer is a problem. Yes and no can be confusing words, given that people use them sarcastically, use them in opposite ways (how many times have you heard someone say, "No, that's okay." How confusing.) and there are so many shades of "yes" and "no." For him to answer with "I like this movie"...well, he understands your question, for sure, and is giving you an appropriate response.

I know plenty of 2.5 year olds that barely talk...I know a few four year olds that I honestly can't understand.

If you can understand more that half of what he says, I honestly, HONESTLY wouldn't be concerned. Not to say you shouldn't ask his ped, or something, but I have a feeling that there isn't anything wrong with his speech.

Also, you could reiterate the word "yes" for him. When he says "I like this," you can repeat, "Yes, you do like this!" Or "Yes, mommy likes this too!"