Worried my toddler isn't talking... help!!!

Lisa - posted on 12/31/2009

He doesn't follow commands well... but if I say where's daddy? He'll look for my husband. I think part of it is he's very stubborn and seems to only do what he wants! lol But yeah.. everyone tells me to let it go, soon I'll be wishing he wasn't saying anything! Someone said "You spend the first 2 years teaching them to talk and the next 16 telling them to be quiet!" hehe.

Victoria - posted on 12/30/2009

If it makes you feel any better,my daughter isn't talking either,now she babbles on constantly but the only word she says is mum, and i can tell her to do something for ex:( get your bobby) and she 'll do it i think every child is different and it'll happen then you'll wish it didn't LOL, no just joking,i try to enjoy every moment because once she starts talking ,next thing ya know she'll be going to the prom i am not ready for that i want to keep her little,enjoy it while i can anyway.

Megan - posted on 12/28/2009

Landon is like that too and i was very worried about him because nicolas was speaking in sentences by 12 months old. But when i took him in for a check up at the beginning of this month the dr said he was just fine. As long as they are talking and saying things they should be fine. But he also had problems with his ears and had to have tubes put in in October and since then he has started to talk more. Seriously it was the first time he ever said Mama was a few days after his surgery. It was like he could understand better or something with his ear problems worked out.

Neva - posted on 12/28/2009

Both of my two older sons, especially the oldest was not talking at all 2 years of age. They both started speech therapy with the public schools at age 2. They are both still in speech (one is in second grade and the other is in preschool), but is improving. My 2 year old little girl is very vocal and talks all the time. She picks up the slack from her brothers, and my August baby just started picking up words that I am noticing especially when my little girl watches Dora, he is interacting with Dora.

Loni - posted on 12/27/2009

Brayden hasn't said anything at all, well nothing coherent! He'll say "Bo" and wave goodbye, "Mo" for mom or more I can't figure that one out, and "Ba" for ball? No straight words yet but his dad's side has a history of late talkers so I'm not too concerned. He started doing everything pretty early except for this but he understands what we are saying.

Andrea - posted on 12/24/2009

He sounds fine to me. My daughter is the same age and the only thing she says right now is hi. She used to say thank you and sit but she hasn't said that in months. If your child uses a pacifier he will be slower with his speech skills.

Does your kid play with his toys? Is he affectionate? Has his developement been normal so far? If you answer no to these questions then there could be a small chance he us autistic. Lack of affection toward parents is an indicator that it could be possible

Cara - posted on 12/23/2009

my doc said not to worry and they should have at least 6 words at 18 months.

Lisa - posted on 12/23/2009

Thanks for the responses, everyone! He's making sounds that come out like words, earlier I think he said cookie, but as soon as we try to get him to repeat, he goes silent. lol. I think he's fine. My husband was freaking me out, so I calmed him down and I feel better!!

Sophia - posted on 12/23/2009

I agree with whitney... I have a neice that is 19mths old... and my sister and i and our kids went to visit some family for a weekend... by the end of it, Greyvn had learned where his eyes, ears, nose were and how to sit in a little chair up to a coffee table and eat off a plate... just by watching his cousin do it!

Also, you stated he has great moter skills try using "baby sign" along with verbal and see if he picks up on that way of communicating better.

Michelle - posted on 12/20/2009

One thought is that my daughter, now almost 3, was a late talker. She had frequent ear infections, and fluid built up in her inner ear, and all of the sounds she was hearing were very muffled. So one idea would be to check his hearing since he's neither talking nor comprehending. Another more obvious idea is that he's just not there yet. A lot of kids focus on one area at a time, and like you said, he's excelling in other areas. I would try not to worry too much about autism if he's not showing any other symptoms. It's still quite early yet for talking.

Whitney - posted on 12/19/2009

Don't be suprised that overnight he'll just start making sense. William, my son, was the same way. Now he is a chatterbox, and often, even though somewhat evil, I wish it would stop...even for just a second. Try playdates with some older kids and if that doesn't work all i can say is give it time.