20 month old not saying anything at all.

Sarah - posted on 06/07/2010

not at all my daughters the same can say 7 words but says woof woof instead of dog my older daughter is 9 and she didnt talk untill she was 2 but then couldnt stop her and had caught up with all the other children by nursery and children that talked better than her when they were younger was no longer talking as well as her they all talk when there ready but i know its hard especially when every one elses toddlers seem to talk better

Jamie - posted on 05/22/2010

You should have your son checked out my a pediatrician. At 20 months they should have a pretty decent sized vocabulary! He should be using 2 word phrases by now if not soon ("All done") and by the age of two children usually talk in short 2-4 word phrases. Don't wait to get him checked out. Sometimes it can be nothing, but other times it may be something serious or even a completely unrelated medical problem that is causing the delay.

Sara - posted on 05/22/2010

My son says a few words that everyone can understand and several that my family who is around him daily can understand, but he has hearing loss and is going in on Tuesday to have his ear tubes put back in and his ENT says that his language should pick up more here in a few months when he can hear more clearly. Is your child prone to ear infections because if he or she is, that could be the reason

Vicky - posted on 05/22/2010

My son is also 20months and is saying nothing, A relative of mine also has a daughter the same age and she talks perfect, can say the alphabet and count to ten but my son says hardly anything he just growls.

Mariana - posted on 05/21/2010

My son too. Now already 21 months. All of us keep waiting when he wants to start talking. He can understand everything and do things when we ask him to do. he even know what is routine of his life and other people life. He can say a very few words only. A bit worried too.

Nikki - posted on 05/21/2010

my baby is the same way she goes to speech therapy they teach her signs and read at talk to her a lot but she wont talk back. she says some words, then never says them anymore.

Rachelle - posted on 05/21/2010

Don't worry about it, Diane. So long as he understands you, he is fine. My pediatrician told us that at the 18 month appt. He is perfectly normal, my son does the same thing. He says Mama, Dada, Bye bye, and a few other words randomly. But, he totally understands me. Boys are slower than girls and will talk in their own time. Babbling is a GREAT SIGN nothing is wrong. He has his own language he is trying out right now and will say more and more common words over time. In one year from now he will be saying all kinds of words. The way my pediatrician explained it is, its almost like they are trying like the dickens to control their tongue, but it is kind of like a deaf person and the way they talk. They will hone their speech over time. Best wishes, honey !!

Melissa - posted on 05/21/2010

We had our son evaluated for services a few months ago because he wasn't saying anything either. He qualified for services and now gets therapy once a week. Even now he only says mommy, hi, bye and eese(please). Most places won't offer a speech therapist until the age of 2, but will send out a "teacher" instead to work with them. Don't wait to get him evaluated...better safe than sorry.

Kendall - posted on 05/21/2010

my daughter pretty much does the same thing. she has repeated things in the past and then has never said them again. but in the last few weeks or a month she has gone from mama and dada to mommy, daddy, baby, and ball (which just came today) and there are alot of sounds she makes repeatedly and very often so she is trying to say something but just cant quite get the words out. if you are really concerned ask your pediatrician about it. i asked mine and they gave a number for a place that will come to your home and do an assessment for free to see where there are anytime before age 3. I didnt end up using it so i cant help with the name but im sure your doc would know. hope this helps a little.

Kari - posted on 05/21/2010

My son is 21 months old and basically does the same thing. He has within the past couple of weeks started to consistently say more. He seems to be adding words each day. I was a little worried at first because my older daughter started talking early and a lot. She is three and has the vocabulary of a five year old. I think that the biggest part of our problem is that she speaks for him. Our pediatrician told me not to worry about it until he was past 2. Some kids are just slower at starting to talk.

Ebony - posted on 05/21/2010

Hi Diane I wouldn't be in a panic as of yet every child is different. I would like 2 say that a doctor would be much better @ answering any questions you may have than anyone else. Have you ever heard of selective mutetizum I'm sure I'm not spelling it correct but look into it.

Kimberly - posted on 05/21/2010

My twenty one month old , says only words if he wants to but a lot of his comes from just walking around looking and pointing and Us telling him what they are and him repeating, he loves to say YEAH BABY , Right Now , GET down , Football, basketball , baseball, and outside besides the normal first words like mom dad, bro bro, gma(grandma) , gpa(grandpa) and he tries to say brownie which is our dog, but my oldest never spoke but to say mom and dad until he was well over the age two , he is now going to be seven in july and he has repeated kindergarten he is in speech class and was diagnosed with ADHD two months ago and he is improving very fast having to go into a smaller class room everyday for speech, math and reading but he has done a very great job changing and following instructions very well now that we have the help he needs , also my oldest loves books and we have five huge book shelves in our home filled with books for him and he just loves to look at then picture and to have us read to him everyday , My advice get him evaluated as soon as you can , I never thought anything was wrong with my son until it effected his school and social life !!!

Marnie - posted on 05/21/2010

He has no signs of autism per the last (18mth) well visit. The doctor told me his children were different....daughter had 50 words at 1 and son had 10 at 2. He just reminded me to continue reading and pointing and touching and speaking as much as I could during the day. I appreciate all of these comments....Refeshing to read. I moved home after my husband died, so I know no other mothers in the area....You all make this easier.

Stephanie - posted on 05/21/2010

Did his doctor saying thing at his last well check up? My doctor seemed concerned with my son (21 months) at his 18 month check up. He said children that age should have a vocabulary of at least 10 words. My son didn't and still doesn't. Our doctor referred us to a state agency (we live in Louisiana) that is an early intervetion system. They evaulated him with a speech therapist and he now meets with a speech therapist once a week. The best part is the state pays for it all, doesn't depend on your income level or if you have health insurance. My son stayed with my mother during the day until he was 1 year old. Then we started taking him to a mother's day out program twice a week this past school year. He will start staying with a childcare center on MOnday. I'm hoping that the exposure to more children will help him develop his vocabulary. I think children will talk when they are ready. I totally understand your concern though. Talk with his doctor and see if there are any programs in your area. It couldn't hurt to try. Hope this info helps. I thought I was the only one with a child that refused to speak!

Marnie - posted on 05/21/2010

I have the same concern. Tripp is home with me all day, so not exposed to kids in a day care setting He is so bright to me...curious and smart...just very few words. I think, hope, they will just start pouring out soon....as you said, he blabbers all the time. Thank you for sharing a concern I think lots of us have....I am always worried of autism. ICK, always an article or TV report these days. xo

Tamisha - posted on 05/20/2010

i really wouldnt worry to much about it right now b cuz my son is the same way he imitates very well but not saying certain things he wants

Krystal - posted on 05/20/2010

is he the second child? i know my daughter is 21mo old and didnt talk for awhile she is just now really coming out and talking more. her older sister would tell me what she wanted and what not. ive heard other moms talk about their second child not really talking and the older child doing the talking for them even for years so im not sure what your situation is but im sure if you talk to a dr they can tell you more on your situation

Andrea - posted on 05/20/2010

help my son is 3 and wont say anything

Onasis - posted on 05/19/2010

I wouldn't worried..my daughter who is now 22 months wouldnt say much at 20 months ..now she's talking more and more..maybe letting her watch dora the explorer help her alot? lol
every childs are different..

Barrie - posted on 05/18/2010

My daughter is 21 months and has 4 words. She understands us and responds to what we are saying to her but gibberish comes out of her mouth for the most part. The doctor (who BTW has been practicing - yes, not alive but practicing - for over 55 years) has said over and over that 2 yo is the baseline and not to worry before then

Nicole - posted on 05/18/2010

My son turned 21 months old today and he only says like 3 things, mom, bye bye, and 1 sentence "I want juice" but not as clearly as you or me would say it. He also likes to bark. When I bark he barks with me. But other than that he just babbles and I cannot understand him. I'm glad I'm not the only one worried about this. I have been thinking about seeing a speech therapist, but with all these other comments I have read I have decided to wait untill we see his doctor when he turns 2 in August. What really got me worried is that I saw a little girl that is about his age and she talks alot. She can count to 10 and say he ABC's. I have also read that girls develope faster in speech than boys and boys develope faster in things like walking. If you are still concerned you should talk to his doctor.

Danielle - posted on 05/18/2010

as my 9yr old was the same and did not start talking til 24 months, but my 21 month old has a huge vocabulary. they will at their own pace. if you are concerned like i was with my oldest, as i thought he was having hearing problems which can lead to speech problems. you can contact your local school dept and find out about early intervention, they can do an evaluation and work with him. also keep in mind if he is using a pacifier, his speech will be delayed. my oldest was using one and i have never used with my other children and have seen a huge difference. if he is using one, try to get him off it especially during the day and i guarantee you will see a huge difference. good luck!!!!

Karen - posted on 05/17/2010

My little boy is almost 21 months & he is exact same as ur little one. He babbles & I can understand him - but I'm the only one! But I've spoke 2 lots of mums whose kids seem to start talking at all ages and his nursery teachers don't seem to concerned so I wouldn't worry to much. Im sure once they start talking we will be pulling our hair out wishing they'd be quiet for just a minute! ;-)

Charlotte - posted on 05/17/2010

I would'nt worry about it some take longer than others my first son spoke really early and my 2nd (21 months) dosent say much at all. They all do it in their time and you wont be able to shut them up then!

Charlene - posted on 05/17/2010

I am a Speech-Language Pathologist and work with Early Intervention children generally 1 1/2 - 3 year old children. There often is varied opinions about concerns over speech and language development. The general rule of thumb is by this age they should be using at least 10 words consistently, but again, some kids don't really use many words until 2 years and are fine. The entire package is more important with kids and speech development. Does he follow simple directions, does he point to things he recognizes, does he make good eye contact, does he play with a variety of toys, and is he able to point to items you name (such as pictures in a book) can he point/grunt/gesture to ask for something? Most kids by this age should be able to imitate words - they don't need to be perfect, but an attempt. If you are concerned, call your local regional center and request a speech evaluation. Even if he does not qualify, there can give you recommendations for things to work on at home. If you need any good activities, just let me know! I have a 21 month old girl at home and she is talking lots, but often girls talk earlier than boys.

Gaye - posted on 05/16/2010

My eldest daughter (now 10) has autism. She only had about 4 words by 20 mths, and she was later diagnosed. However, she did understand what was said to her, but could not communicate back. I knew in my gut that something was amiss. She had poor eye contact and little interest in not only other children, but in people in general along with a short attention span and limited interests. If you are worried, get him checked out by a paediatrician. If he does have an issue, they are easier to remedy when you catch it early. Luckily I did catch it early with my daughter and she is so great now, you'd hardly know. Go with your gut.

Jennifer - posted on 05/16/2010

My daughter is 21 months and has a 3 word vocabulary and i was worried so her peditrician told me to call a governement funded program, over here its called H-Kiss, but it's all over the USA, they have just started working with her. I wouldn't worry about it too much until he is 2. If you are really worried talk to your pedirician and they can refer you to a program in your area, and it's free.

Tevis - posted on 05/15/2010

Mine is 21 months and about the same. I wouldn't worry until as old as three years. 2 1/2 is when language generally booms, but most of our children are all variances of normal. I wouldn't worry just yet!

APRIL - posted on 05/15/2010

My son is 21 months now and says very little. My daughter was saying words very clearly by 8 months so naturally when he wasn't talking by 1 yr or by 18 months I started getting concerned. He never even said mama or dada. The first of April he started seeing a speech therapist b/c at 20 months he did not have a single word in his vocab except "uh" which was his response for everything. The have diagnosed his with 2 different things but said if he continues with the therapy he can completely grow out of it. He goes to the therapist once a week and since he started going 6 weeks ago he is now saying mama and dada and mimics several other words so he is really trying. If you are really concerned I would talk to your child's pediatrician. They said as long as they catch it early your child can usually grow out of it or at least improve greatly if its a severe condition. Good luck and be patient.

Becky - posted on 05/15/2010

My son is 20 1/2 months old. He has other delays as well as speech, however, I did get a speech therapist involved. I am worried that if he cannot express his feelings appropriately we will start having negative/aggressive behavior because he is unable to express himself using words. We are working on sign language too! I would talk to your pediatrician.

Jenny - posted on 05/15/2010

snap my 20 month son is not talking much either . He says a few more words than ur son but still not alot but i remember saying to my partner about my daughter that she doesnt say much at that age but when she did start talking she didnt stop ..lol so dont worry it will come and u will wish he didnt ..lol

Kimberly - posted on 05/14/2010

My son says beep beep and choo choo. When he's being silly he will say Mommy. That's aboutu it. He also repeats at random times, but not very clearly. He does understand very welll, though. I am waiting until 2 to seek help. My first daughter, though, had a similar problem. We discovered her tonsils were so large (not infected, just naturally large) that it inhibited her ability to move her tongue enough to speak. We didn't find that out until we actually brought her to a speech therapist. My son doesnt have that problem, but I am getting concerned.

Michaela - posted on 05/14/2010

I am a teacher in special education and language development is my speciality. Your son sounds like he is doing fine. He is very similar to how my now 4 yo developed and how my 20 month yo is developing now. Boys tend to take a little longer than girls on average. Remember there is a difference between langauge developement and speech developement. As long as your son is understanding you and that he has ways of communicating his wants and needs then speech will surely follow. By Two you wont be able to keep him quite. If you do have any concerns see your doctor.

Nicole - posted on 05/13/2010

My daughter is 20 months and says 3 words.bath,dad,and bob(spongebob)I was wondering if something was wrong with my daughter but the drs say it varies from child to child.They wont look into anything serious until after 2 yrs old.

Nicole - posted on 05/13/2010

I am glad I dont feel alone on this.My daughter will be 21 months old in a few days--she says dad,bath,bob(spongebob).She understands things and gets the things I ask for.She shakes her head yes or no when I ask if she wants something.I repeat the word 3 times so when she does start talking she will know what it is.The drs say all children are different and will talk at different times.They wont look into anything serious until after she turns 2.

Melissa - posted on 05/13/2010

My son is almost 21 months and he say mom, papa, no, what, dada, and gibberish. He also has a 4 year old sister and a 6 year old brother to copy. My 6 year old son didn't start talking until he was almost 3. The doctor said not to worry as long as he understands. Now he doesn't know when to be quiet. All kids start to talk on their own the same way they walk and everyother milestone.

Alisha - posted on 05/13/2010

My son is twenty months old also. and he is not sayin anything but mum, dad and bub. he also babbles and understand the majority of what i am saying to him - he just will not repeat it.
My son has actually recently been diagnosed with SPD - Sensory Processing Disorder. It is prob too complicated for me to go into now but if your interested type it in to google and have a read. Your son prob doesn't have it, but i'm sure you want to cover all bases. It's a more common disorder than people reaslise. Also if you have a local clinic, you should give thema visit. They referred me to see their Task Team and they are the ones who diagnosed this by having my son see a speech therapist, a physio and also a behavioural specialist.
Good Luck!

Liesa - posted on 05/13/2010

It just depends on the child. Just like walking or crawling they learn these skills at different ages and do it when they are ready.
I guess im lucky my 21month old son is very chatty like me and can say alot of words. Whereas my cousins boy who is the same age can only say mum dad nan etc.
Some things that might help is reading to them, puzzles, picture cards. A couple of months ago i made bright cardboard numbers 1-10 and stuck them on our wall,just to mix things up. He can almost count to 10, misses out 3 and 7 though. I will be doing the same with the alphabet soon.
I think its important to do different things to stimulate them.
I wouldn't worry though his still only young and as long as they are understanding and can comprehend what your saying thats the main thing.

Dorothy - posted on 05/13/2010

My daughter is 20 months and she is isn't saying anything either. I am having someone evaluate herin the next week or so. I am waiting for a call to make an appoitment.

Anna-Maree - posted on 05/13/2010

My little boy is also 20 months old and he just babbles in his own language. He could say da-da and kattikat really early, but there it stopped. And then last week he called me mommy and that was really amazing. He "talks" to all his friends, even the older ones who can talk and they have wonderful conversations that only they can understand. I wouldn't worry about it for now. Wait a few months and then you can ask your GP to check him out. In England all babies have a check-up when they are 2 to see that everything is on track.

Christina - posted on 05/13/2010

my daughter is 21 months and just recently started saying things that i understnd. she has a brother who is 31 months old though and so i think she is picking up things from him, but she still reallynis just pointing to things and thats how i know what she is trying to say. i dont think it's something to really stress about. Have you tried asking her pediatrician about it, and maybe he/she will have an answer for you. well anyway good luck.

Yvonne - posted on 05/12/2010

I would not be worried as long as he shows that he understands what is being said to him. If you say "go get the ball" and he does then he is fine. Kids develop at different speeds. Maybe your son just wants to make his first word a full sentence! I know lots of kids that are "perfectionists" They don't like to show off a new skill (crawling, walking, talking etc) until they have mastered it. I have a friend who's son didn't really start talking until after he turned 3. He just turned 4 and has more than made up for lost time. I am sure he has a stronger vocabulary than his 9 and 6 year old siblings!

If you still feel that you should be concerned then talk to his pediatrician. You know your son the best, so never doubt your intuition. It is most likely nothing to be worried about, but it is always better to have it checked out if you have a concern.

Sandra - posted on 05/12/2010

Understanding what you say is a very positive thing. Keep praising for following your requests. get really excited when the children use words. Build as much commentary into your day as possible. Tell them constantly what you are doing and point out things you notice when out and about. The most 'everyday' actions in our day need to be labelled through spoken words. This allows the children to know everything has a word. Keep positive the language will come but the adults need to model its use constantly.
P.S Read, Read and read to them!
Sandra

Jennifer - posted on 05/12/2010

i really wouldnt worry my son is 21 months and he says the odd word but not much and usually only after its said to him in my experience boys seem to be slower verbally than girls both my girls were good talkers before they could walk he'll get there when he's ready but if u really are concerned speak to your health visitor or GP

Stevi Ann - posted on 05/12/2010

Not at all! I think boys take longer to start talking. 20 months is still very young, too. One day he will just start saying everything and you won't be able to stop him : ) He sounds very normal and right on track to me. Good luck!

MiRYAM - posted on 05/10/2010

Read a lot and sing to them I have 20 month twins and my son has like 25 words and his own language of course, but my daughter very little words, she talk a lot on her own language, she is going to speech therapy, but she is not cooperating, then she comes home and she start talking, I believe sometimes is our fault because we understand what they want, sign language helps and use flash cards too.

Christa - posted on 05/10/2010

Don't be worried my son is the same way he say football, baseball basketball, dog-dog, ki-cat, juice, shoes, da-da, mi-mi, and no dog and da-da sound the same as do juice and shoes. As long as he is progressing in other areas I'm sure he's fine he'll come around I find that when I read my son to sleep he talks more maybe try that.

Angela - posted on 05/10/2010

my son was the same he will be 21 months on the 24th of may and in the last weeks he has come on so well he used to only say words that he needed eg juice and mum but now he is saying all sorts and coming on great not all kids are the same but i found that if they want it and you won't give them it without saying it that works quite well like if he wants juice hold it say the word to him and encourage him to say it but don't give the juice till he does but if you are really worried ask your doctor or midwife about it

Isabelle - posted on 05/10/2010

I bought My Little Word Book and Baby Genius little books that have pictures and words in them, my 20-month old just grabs them and points at the pictures and I tell her what they are, she repeats the words and recognizes things at the store and keeps shouting them now, over and over she doesn't seem to get tired of those books. I never read to her while being pregnant or even until now, but I hear that is very helpful for children to have good language skills. I also have baby lullaby songs dvds that I put on for her while at home and she remembers the songs now and tries to sing them. I also talk to her a lot and she now understands, I hope it helps.

Mary - posted on 05/09/2010

I have the same issue with my 20 monh old little girl. I called First Steps, which is a developmental intervention program and had her evaluated. She qualified for speach service bc she only had five words she used consistently. She is now receiving services at very little expense to me. If you are concerned you should ask your pediatrician to refer you to First Steps or give you the phone number in your area because you do not have to have a referral. My four year old son does have Autism and I would not be concerned about your son if he is understanding commands and emotions appropriately. My son quit speaking (regression is a BIG sign of Autism) and started lining things up and playing with toys inappropriately. I hope this information helps and good luck to you!