How many words does your 17 month old say?

Jennifer - posted on 09/16/2010

Jamisen is actually doing really well. He says over 50 words and is saying more words everyday. He even put 2-3 word phrases together. At 15 months the doctor told me that he is developed to 18 month to 2 years.



He understands everything we tell him and does what we ask of him. He can identify some of the alphabet letters already. He knows his animals and what each of the animals say.



Everyday is an adventure with our little man and we are so proud of how much he has grown and developed.

Laura - posted on 09/10/2010

I haven't read through the many posts yet, but I read in "What to Expect: Toddler Years" that our children by age 18 months should say 3 words. I was surprised because I thought it should be more, but it helped ease my concerns some since my son only says about 7. It does also say that they may have as many as 50 words. My ped told me after our 15 month appt that if I was still worried at 18 months, we could see a speech therapist. But I am actually less concerned now than I was then.

Julie - posted on 09/10/2010

My 17 month old daughter says a lot of words shes very active and shes in Day care, and being around other kids helped her a lot because shes wants to do everything they do and say everything they are saying ..And when shes home with me she starts babbeling sometimes she loves books pretends to read and I bought a really Good box of flash card and she will see them and say them ..that again helps ..I think each kid is so different and you alone will know if something is wrong with your child, but continue doing things like reading together and having him point out the things you are talking about , once you know his understanding everyting his alright just don't feel like talking.

Brittany - posted on 09/10/2010

My daughter is doing the same thing! She will answer yes and no questions by nodding her head instead of using words. My baby sitter doesnt do what she wants or is whining about unless she uses her words. This actually helps some , but not too much. I dont know what to do either. Maybe its just a phase???

Xoe - posted on 09/10/2010

my 17 month old can say between 30-35 words now and is beginning to join words together to start sentences. He started crawling at 6 months and was walking at 10 1/2 months. We bought a leappad to help him identify words with objects and it has worked perfectly and he loves playing with it, even if its just pressing the pictures which tells him what colour it is and what it is called. This might be an idea to help your son learn some new words and identify different objects. Me and my sons dad read stories to our son everyday and he enjoys listening and it always looks like he is concentrating soo hard! We have a book of our sons progresses and what he has done since he was born, this also includes any words that he has learnt and how he has improved on them, this is not just for our piece of mind but also as a present for when he is older. Despite my little one saying a fair few words, he still likes to express himself through hand movements or even prefers to show us what he wants instead of saying it. I wouldn't worry until he is around 3 for speech if it doesn't improve. Just keep talking to him, introduce lots of books esecially touchy feely ones and i'm sure he will pick words up.

Kim - posted on 09/09/2010

My 18 mos old says "de" to everything. He understands what we say and does what we ask but is not interested in talking. He is my 3rd of 4 and the older 2 were speaking a lot more at this age. So I am on the fence about the norm

JoDee - posted on 09/09/2010

I would look into the early intervention program. They are really helpful. The evaluation is easy. We just had my daughter Kallissa evaluated because she was only saying 6 words and they were all names. She didn't qualify for help. But even if your child doesn't qualify thye can give you tips on helping your child and numbers to contact them with questions which is a great resource. This way you are not going it alone. Also they told us that often when they are learning to walk the speech can slow down because the child is focused on developing those skills and once they are confident in the new skills speech usually picks back up. One suggestion we found helpful was avoid yes or no questions. Ask questions where they have to answer like choice questions. Like do you want to play with the ball or the truck? But I think the early intervention has been great.

Vicki - posted on 09/09/2010

i wouldnt worry, because he is more mobile he obviously doesnt want to talk as much as he is mobile and becoming more independant,
i work in a nursery and i have children who are almost two who hardly talk,and there is nothing worng with them, ive also worked with children who were talking a bit but as soon as they are mobile become quieter, if he understands and solves problems there is clearly no problem,
ive got a 18 month old who is only bottom shuffling, she does talk and copys words, but she isnt as mobile, dont worry

Chantell - posted on 09/08/2010

My almost 18 moth old son is also not speaking full out but he does have quite a few word he loves using. Mommy, daddy, car, grandma, aunt, uh-oh, sis, wee-wee, woof, out(for the dog), mine, cat and a few more and he understands what I tell him. I cal tell him to go give daddy something and he walks straight to daddy and give it to him. He also recognise names, like if I say go to gransma, he goes to her, or brother, he wil go to his brother. When I make his bottle to go to sleep and tell him come, lets go sleepy, he turns around, run to his room and try to climb into his cot. I would'nt be concerned too much as some kids are just late talkers.

Stephanie - posted on 09/08/2010

I wouldn't be worried either. I have 17 month old twins and they wont talk but they understand everything. The doctor didn't seem to be worried just told me to keep talking to them. When they want something make sure you use the word of the item or up down an so on. :) Good luck!

Julie - posted on 09/08/2010

My daughter speaks about 10 words, but no consistantly. Parents as teachers and my physician are not concerned. He is probably trying to concentrate on physical actions. I was told not to worry until they are about 2.

Stormin - posted on 09/08/2010

my 17 month old son does not say mom, dad, or anything...only thing he mimics is when we say attt when something is gross or hot...he understands everything we say though and waves hi and bye...and gives us kisses...he can get something when asked and understands how things work...like the dvd player and tv...he is so different from our 34 month old girl...he is very smart but just doesnt talk and things he does now, she couldnt do at that age...of course some are definitely the same...except he was off the bottle faster, walked earlier, and other things...i would give it time...

my cousin found out her son has autism and he is almost 4 and all he did was grunt and point and could not communicate well...i am worried that my son may have the same symptoms he did...but he seems on track but he does not speak...idk

Chelsea - posted on 09/08/2010

i posted a conversation about my tips so everyone knows it is up

Cindy - posted on 09/08/2010

mine DS says, All gone, More, dog, cat, Dadda, up,down,bye bye, night night, .

Karen - posted on 09/08/2010

Wow, my Baby Girl Kaitlyn repeats completely everything I'm saying when I'm on the phone geeeez but its too cute.... She repeats the alphabet as well, knows her shapes, she calls me by Mommy & calls my husband Daddy, she says shower when she goes into the bathroom, she's actually potty trained already so she says potty/pee-pee/pupu lol... And I feel the same way, I'm not trying to show off, but it is amazing to see a child so little talking so much... And for you Mom's w/Babies that your child doesn't say much be patient it'll comeEVERY baby is different. My Child calls the Lady that gives the Story Time @ the Library by her name & my family Members too... Just emphasis everything w/them, tell them what you're doing daily, when you're cooking, taking a shower, on your way to grandma's house etc..... I always did this when she was very tiny & eventually she started saying we're homeee b/c I would always say "We're Home" every time we would arrive at our house.... And she says "Mommy is cooking"....She says fridge, b/c I'm always telling her to leave her magnetic alphabet letters/numbers on the fridge... She'll tell me when she's hungry, she used to grab me by the hand & take me to the fridge & say "Open it Opent it" & she would point out what she wanted.... Now she says blue/black berries, banana, apple, watermelon, bread, & even in spanish she'll say it...But now instead of grabbing my hand she says "Eat, I want to Eat" & she runs to her high chair for me to seat her down.....

Play music for you child at night, soft/lullaby songs every night not loud of course... When I go to pick her up from her room every morning, she says good morning b/c I got in the habit of saying it & she'll pause & starts singing the songs hahahaha!!!! When you're driving, put some happy kids songs for him/her, mine child starts singing after all the songs, if you want a list of good songs let me know & I would gladly pass that on to you.... I even play spanish kids songs for her & she does sing after those too, you be surprise how much music can help... When you're at home & having a Mommy & Baby time, play some of those songs & do the actions so your child can see/observe & when you less expected they'll start doing the same....

Another thing is, my child is so independent :o( I love it, I mean thats how I've taught her to be but its kind of sad b/c I know soon she'll be like Mom I got it lol... For example, she knows how to put on her socks/shoes & take off her clothes....

Another thing I used to do when she was very little we would play the "Bath time" song from the Wiggles every time it was her bath time & around 3 or 4 months when she 1st had her first 2 teeth we started playing that "Brush your Teeth" song from the Wiggles every time we would brush her teeth & now she says both when she's ready or know is time for it.... When she's ready to go nite nite around 8 or 9pm she'll tell us upstairs, bath & once we're done she tell us "Story please Story"....Music is a fun way to teach your child at an early age to talk & express themselves & show actions.... She listens very well to instructions, she picks up all her toys before going upstairs to sleep...Oh gosh I keep going but I think you guys get the point...... Just know that its ok for your baby to learn at an early age, but make it Fun & do it in a healthy way.... My Baby is so outgoing around other kids/adults, she doesn't open up to strangers easily but its ok, it has to be on her terms how much she trusts someone.... Aside from her going to a musical (tuesday) & tumbling (wednesday) class & the story times on Wedns., Thurs., & Fridays... We go to diff. parks to see/feed the duckies, we take her to the Mall's play area for children when its too hot or too cold, we take her for ice cream maybe once a week, or sometimes just once a month....

By the way, if you're not working & you are staying at home w/your Baby, there's so much to do.... The story times at the Public Libraries are free... And check out your nearest County Recreational Park, the tumbling class is only $11, although I think it went up to $16 but it still not that expensive, it sure is better than going to a private place & her musical class is only $26 both are for 6 or 10 sessions which is not bad at all....

Also, when you're at the park w/your child tell/talk to them by pointing to the tree & saying look baby that's a beautiful tree oh wow look at the birds & in no time they'll be saying it......Again be patient, every baby is different :o) Just remember to explain everything you're doing when your Baby is around ;o) Pretent your child understands you, if you feel a little weird talking aloud like that hahahaha & don't worry about other Moms & their kids.... Remember is all about you & your child being happy regardless....

Carmen - posted on 09/07/2010

Hi Chelsea, yes, yes, yes, please come on out with those tricks...I am sure I speak for all who have similar issues...we want to know how to boost vocab! Blessings Carmen

Chelsea - posted on 09/07/2010

my daughter who is 17 months has an advanced vocab of 30-50 words and (7)3 word sentences. this is because i was a nanny for a 2.5 year old boy with developmental delays who was in an early intervention program. taking part in his therapy and working daily with him help the same with my daughters speech. i found it quite simple actually. if you would like to email me i can go further into some of the techniqes i was taught by his therpist. he went from a 1.5 year old speech development to being on track at 3 in a matter of 5-7 months and now is right on track. i wouldnt mind talking with anyone who would like more info on what i did to boost vocab.

Alita - posted on 09/07/2010

the average girl will say/learn 18 more words then a boy by 24 months

Ashleigh - posted on 09/07/2010

I have the exact same issue with my daughter. She says Mama, Dada, Byebye, Essie (uncle Jesse), Gaga (Granny), Hi, Jss (Juice), and Nana (her word for food). The drs say she needs to be speaking 20 words, but she realy donesnt seem to want to. So I talkeod to my grandmother about and she says that chances are Kayleigh is gonna be one of the more physical children, cuz though she doesn't talk much, she gets her point across and does point to what she wants. And if we give her the wrong thing she tosses it. There are some kids who would rather point then talk. Maybe yours is one of those kids.

Ruth Anne - posted on 09/07/2010

I was a late talker so am not worried that my 17-month-old is also late. She understands everything, whether or not we're speaking to her directly - I mentioned to my husband the other morning that I had a headache, and she touched her head and made her "ow" face. I knew she understood "head", but where did she get "ache" from? She's been surprisingly good at understanding complex issues for a while now - she can understand multi-part requests, such as "Please go to your room and get your Clifford book from the shelf. Bring it here and I'll read it to you." A short pause to process, then she runs into her room, finds the book, runs back to me and sits in my lap (aka reading time position)!

I had a long conversation with my pediatrician, who's a fellow linguist geek, about the difference between active and passive vocabulary. Our daughter's working hard on passive vocabulary, with occasional curve balls (French and German). She understands SO much, and tries new words pretty often, so we're not too worried at this point. She doesn't sign, but loves to do hand gestures from songs. She loves to learn "action words", like hop, jump, spin, run, dance - and loves to show these off.

She also tends to get very excited with her words, so it can be hard to understand her. She says "bath time!" but to anyone else, this would sound like "Baaah-aii!" But she's consistent with the use and context, so I'm confident that her pronunciation will catch up. Her hearing is fine and her ear for sounds is good - she can distinguish between being read to in German or French from English, and mimics my accents in these languages when she "reads" her books to herself. She gets the nasal tones in French and the gutturals of German - it's hilarious to hear this from a baby!

If your child's comprehension seems to be developing well, the speech will catch up. Our daughter has about a dozen words that she can say right now - Mama, Papa, this, yes, kitty, doggy, banana, up, down, side-to-side (this is a favorite song), Bath Time!, Sesame (as in Street), and juice. She communicates far more than these, though...

Amanda - posted on 09/07/2010

My March 2009 daughter said Daddy, cat and hot at 9 months, since then not much new. She responds to questions with yes and no but doesn't always get them the right way around. Yesterday morning she pointed at her shoe when I went into her room, I told her she couldn't wear shoes with her sleepsuit so she took off the sleepsuit!
I have tried pretending not to understand her unless she speaks and sometimes she will say 'more' or 'yes' or whatever I'm trying to get her to say but she often thinks is a great game and waits me out or goes to sleep.
If she didn't respond or make eye contact I'd be concerned but at present I don't see a need to get any intervention. I expect her to start speaking in January when her sibling arrives.

Angela - posted on 09/06/2010

My baby will be 1 and 1/2 on the 15th... he says 10 words so far. My neighbor is a speech therapist and told me the best things you can do for your child's language development is to read to them. And not just read the pages, point to out things in the pictures and repeat the words. I also carry on conversations with him and when he mumbles, I respond. I always explain what I am doing and ask him questions. Boys do develop later usually. Don't get discouraged... if you are still worried and there's no progress when they are 2 then go get it checked out. Hope this helps mama's!!!

Amanda - posted on 09/06/2010

i didnt even really notice how much my 17 month old talks and its alot..this is what her says, mommy, daddy, puppy, kitty, fishie, hose*horsce*, hi, bye, no, yeah, wow, uh oh, mine, ba-ba, sue-sue...thats just a few~ she will even try and count with her brother*says like 5,6,7 all in a row! But will repeat anything u tell her...even complicated words like everybody! im kind of amazed! i dont remember my son being like this

Moronicka - posted on 09/06/2010

I was getting worried too, but for the wrong reasons. My 17 month old has a cousin that is 20 months old, and talks great, so I was comparing my 17 monld old to her and was getting discouraged because she was only saying mama, daddy, sissy, Bre(her sister) hey, bye-bye, nana, dod-dog, she could bark like a dog when asked what does the dog do, she say eat-eat, but reading everyone's status lets me know she is right on target for a 17 month old. I'm sure all is well with yours, and I believe that they do need to concerntrate on one thing at a time. Pretty soon your head will be talked off.

Heather - posted on 09/06/2010

my daughter is 18months old now and I can't even count the amount of words she can say. She will attempt to repeat almost every word you say and is pretty good at it. she is also forming 2 and 3 word sentences ("I love..." and "more....please") she can name every body part, she says pee, poop, spoon, fork, bowl, cup, milk, juice, water, pizza, fries, fruit, banana, peaches, she names all the (main) seasame st. characters, Momma(mommy) Dadda (daddy) grandma, poppa, auntie, (plus family members names) sleep, up, down, please, thank you (or thanks) more, colour, book, pen, pants, shirt, shorts, hair, snack, chips, fish, doggy, meow, woof, moo, hi, hello, bye (bye) nice day, again, almost, and so many more that I know i'm forgetting. everyone I know can't believe how much she talks and I feel good about it, but I also know that not all babies pick up words that quickly and no one should be worried if their child is shy or quiet..everyone will gab eventually.

Aryanne Lu - posted on 09/06/2010

my little Renee is pretty much a talker. she can say so many words at 18mos. from mommy, daddy, hi, bye, gusto (filipino word for "like"), i don't like, cat, etc. and even imitates animal sounds. i don't think you should go for speech therapy just yet. i have a niece who started talking lots of words when she was 2+ yrs but she's doing okay now. i guess you just have to be patient and talk to your kid a lot so he/she can learn more words while you enjoy talking to your baby. always remember that kids develop differently. it can be in a faster pace than the others, but i'm sure your child will get there. just relax and enjoy your time talking to him, making small conversations and soon enough, he'll be able to say more words. :)

Carmen - posted on 09/06/2010

Oh Pamela, I ment to say I love your game with the bubbles!

Carmen - posted on 09/06/2010

My son says about 10 words or so clearly, some in English, some in Afrikaans. He is being spoken to in 4 different languages and understands all of them. Hubby speaks English, Grandma Afrikaans, I speak my mother-tongue German to him and the nanny speaks Sotho (African language) to him. So I am prepared that he might speak later or mix languages a bit. Reading the posts here though, we seem to be pretty much on track. To add to this, he was 10 weeks prem, hence he would only really be 15 months by now. His other development was like he was not born prem, eg. walking at 12 months, and all other milestones on track. He has long conversations and loves to communicate in baby language, but clear words about 10 (maybe more as I would not understand Sotho...).



Thanks for your wonderful tips Pam, I realize I do not do enough of this and thanks to all the other moms who gave tips on how to assist a child to speak.



I agree with one of the moms who mentioned that we almost 'telepathize' with our babies hence there is not much need for them to articulate as they get what they want.



Also to consider the energy your child came with. Indigo's usually talk early, Chrystals very late and Golden's medium. For Chrystals it is quite usual to only start talking between 2 and 3. So early speech therapy before 2, unless they have a physical impairment sounds a bit too hasty.



Blessings Carmen South Africa

Lineo Mahula - posted on 09/05/2010

My almost 18months son does the same, he would say something right after you but since he has started walking he stopped, just say a few words like baby. The mouth is full of teeth one would think he is much older.

Jennifer - posted on 09/05/2010

My son is 17 months... he started walking at about 14months but he talks a lot... he is actually advanced for speach..... he can say mama, dada, Lilah (his sister), ball, go, cup, papa, me-me (Grammy), no, yeah, Gi-Gi (his giraffe) Be-be (binky) Dog, woof-woof, meow, all done, "Thank you" (More like tate-too) "No thank you", cracker, cookie, milk, car, nana (banana), cheese, shoe

Jabari - posted on 09/05/2010

Jada Elise
Jada Elise Just turned 18 months on the 3rd of this month (September) and she talks like she is a big girl. She can tell me that she wants medicine, she knows my real name and alternates between my name and mama (eventhough I don't like it), she sings along with her favorite songs, she asks for the foods that she wants at the time ('nana, chips, milk, juice). She can tell me who certain people are by their pictures. She says granny, mama, Meme(her aunt), and Asia (her god-sister). She is a bright little girl and she is growing up fast. I love her soooo much. She is my first child and I am having a BLAST with her!

Veronique - posted on 09/05/2010

my daughter can say maman, papa, mimi (sister) bye, coucou, oui, non, caca, minou, doudou(blankie), nounou(teddy bear), jus(juice) menum menum (food) lum lum(drink) lol dodo and when i say je t'aime she says it! :) oh and she says doux (soft) nana, dada, baby...maybe i forgot one or two but i don't remember lol she also sings a french song where they go...coucou, coucou, coucou coucou coucou! lol



i forgot she also says ouch, uh-oh, bobo, ga(regarde) ça! isn't amazing how they can talk when they are so little?

Emma - posted on 09/05/2010

my daughter can say 20 or more words.but my son who is 29 months can say about half.i wouldn't worry as our doctor says all toddlers get there in the end.

Annette - posted on 09/04/2010

Don't worry too much if they are not saying much at 17-18 months - if they are still like that when they are 2 then you may need to get help. Make sure you read books with your child, and say the names of things and actions all the time. Supermarket catalogues are great too. Look at the pictures with your child and say the names of them, especially any they point at. If they attempt to say some of the names, give lots of praise. If they are having trouble with talking make sure that you just say the name of the object eg table, bench, chair etc and don't always use full sentences (lets push the chair under the table to keep it out of the way) as it helps them to label/name the objects without getting confused with too many words.



If your child is an excessive dribbler and has trouble swallowing, or food falls out of their mouth lots when eating, then I would go see a speechy at this age as they can help with mouth strengthening exercises. If they don't have the muscle control they won't be able to make the sounds even if they want to.



My 18 month old is talking fairly well (about 50 words), but I worked at a Language Development Centre before I became a Mummy, so I know plenty about kids that have probs with talking.

Brenna - posted on 09/04/2010

Our younger son is 18 months, started speaking around 10 months and now says 40-50 words clearly, puts some words together - "go up," "thank you," "more bites," etc - however he crawled and walked late and there are some words he said clearly 2-3 times and hasn't repeated since. I always said he was more focused on talking than moving. Maybe your son focused on walking instead of talking :) My older son sounds a lot like yours, he crawled at 8 mos, walked at 12 mos - but until he was 21 months he only said Mama and Dada - at that point his vocabulary exploded and within a month he was saying over 200 words clearly and speaking in 3 - 4 word sentences. the doctors weren't worried about him - even though he was a premie and there was a chance there could have been something wrong. He's 5 now and most people who talk to him think he's 7 or 8. Could it also be that you know him well enough to see to his needs without him communicating? I also have a good friend who's son only said mama until he was 25 months, I wouldn't worry about it unless something changes physically or if there is a drastic change in his behavior. I hope this helps :)

Chele - posted on 09/04/2010

My 17 month old says Mama, Dad, this and please - Not much else. My pediatrician said that there is absolutely nothing to worry about. She is the baby of the family with brother & sister that help her alot and have no troubles figuring out what she wants - she does a very good job of communicating what she wants in other ways. She is Definitly understanding everything. Can complete 3 to four command requests. ie - put the baby doll in the stroller, push it to the toy box and put the baby in the toy box. - etc. I'm not worried in the least. Each of my kids has varied greatly and all of them are just fine. Enjoy them, dont push them too hard. They will do what is comfortable for them. Give Lots and Lots of praise. :)

Dayspring - posted on 09/04/2010

My son just turned 18 months, and he can say several single words, maybe 30-50 or more. He says mama, up, more, bubles, juice, waffle, his name, his brother's names, dog, bug, yes, no, etc. He is not putting any words together yet, though. I think he is pretty close, and at that point he will actually be talking. However, on most words he is not very clear yet. He is getting better all the time though, and he does understand well (he always gets mad if his brothers get something he doesn't, and he will protest until he gets his due!) He can also "kiss" if requested, answer yes or no to things he may want, etc.) He also points at new objects and says "look" to get us to tell him the word.

My second son (born before him) had delayed speech, evenutally was diagnosed with PDD-NOS, and only said 10 words at 18 months, and I believe many of these words were not actually "spontaneous".. It took a really long time, and a lot of repitition to teach him to talk, even with speech therapy, but he eventually learned to talk well, and was dismissed from speech therapy when he turned 4. He still has a bit of trouble with sentence structure, but it is wonderful that he can speak as well as he can, considering the long delay! He also began learning to read when he was 3, which actually helped him learn to pronounce words. He can read Dr. Seuse now, and other simple books. He is 4 1/2.

So I think either way, if your son is saying 4 or more spontaneous words clearly at 17 months, you are in pretty good shape. It wouldn't hurt, however, to meet with an IEP in the meantime. They will certainly tell you if you don't need their service anymore.
Best wishes!

Pamela - posted on 09/04/2010

Jaclyn is right my Eldest just turned 2.5 he talks alot in "JARGON" ( apparently that is the term for it) it is ment to stop around 2ish but he still talks alot of Jargon it has gone from full jargon to blah blah blah outside blah blah slide a blah blah Common mummy and now its Mainly full words "for instance come on mumma lets go outside blah play" but slowly more words became clear. my 17 Month old doesn't Jargon much and talks very well as I said before but I do think this is because his older brother was/is going through speech therapy and we do alot of activites at home which Ewan hears, sees and takes part in. So he can see that through words Cameron can get /do what he wants ( most of the time heehee).

unlike Mel said I don't think any mother on here have been gloating every kid is different but they all get there in there own time I think thats what the mothers of the children that speak well were trying to imply. I know I was talking full sentences at 14 months and other could understand me where as my hubby didn't even start till he was 3.. and I can tell you know he is amazingly intelligent where as I have always been a B student he was an A student just took him a bit longer to start talking.

Jaclyn - posted on 09/04/2010

My son was a late walker but an early talker. He started talking at 10 months using sign language. I'd say he says (signed and spoken words) at least 50 words. Of course he says a couple dozen words more than others.



I have noticed with kids that during their 'what we think is' babbling is actually the beginning sounds of a word(s). Sometimes we only hear the beginning sounds. Children learn words in this order, beginning sounds, medial sounds then ending sounds. For example, my son is having a hard time pronouncing the 'ck' 'k' 'c' sounds (particularly with the word car- he says bar). So I asked a friend of mine what she suggested to do to practice the sounds with him (my friend is a SPL therapist). She said to say the word (i.e. car), ask him to repeat it, and after he says it as best he can, say "yes, that's a ______". She also said using the actual object or person (if you don't have it a picture works too) to reinforce and/or practice the word.



When my son was younger (starting around 6 months) I would say the name of his toy, things in the house, foods, people, in addition to the sign language. As he got older, I asked him to repeat it. Over time he grasped the name of objects, people, etc and when he said the name of the object or person I'd say "Good. That is a ____" or "Yes, that is a ______".



Hope this helps!!!

Victoria - posted on 09/03/2010

I never had questions with mine about speech, in fact once they start talking I can't get them to be quiet! But I will tell you that I think that although it is great for you to be aware and alert regarding your son, I think it's a bit early to be taking action on it. So much emphasis is put on the norms, and without regard to individuality. Perhaps he's not feeling like saying much right now, or maybe he's just not a talkative person...and all that is ok. Hang in there!

Jessica - posted on 09/03/2010

my 17 month old son has very limited speech. hi, bye, and mama. My peditriction said not to worry but i had the same problem with my oldest daughter. I put her into the birth to three program and had specialists come to the house and work with her. They even taught her sign lang as a way to deal with the stress of not being able to verbalize things she wanted. Soon she bloomed and they got her in a good pre-k with speech therapy. She is now in kindergarten and still in speech but the difference it made for her was tremendous...not just in her speech but in her confiedince. My second daughter was an earlyy everything including talking and has had no problems. I Just enrolled my son in the same birth to three program my oldest was in. We taught him some sign lang already which has helped. He knows more, please, and thank you. They also did a picture board for my daughter to help her. The programs help....

Mel - posted on 09/03/2010

Are these people on here serious? 150 words for a 17 month old? Sounds a bit extreme and over the top??? My 17 month old daughter is by no means backward and understands everything I say to her and follows instructions but only says about 5 words. Reading these bragging comments or exaggerations is enough to make anyone paranoid that their child is not up to speed. Definitely not the case!

Nikki - posted on 09/03/2010

my son walked early, his first steps were at 9 months and was fully walking by 10 months but he says very few words now at 17 months, i talked to my dr about it and he says often times boys are slower to speak but also babies tend to work on one milestone and ignore the others, but he responds by shaking his head yes or no to questions and to directions, he says daddy and momma and bye bye but he has said all those for many months. his dr is unconcerned that it my be a problem that since he walked and ran and climbed so earlly that his speech may have been delayed but he is still is with in the apprpriate age for all the milestones so i wouldnt worry about your son

Sharice - posted on 09/03/2010

My DD says mama, dadda, zoe (our cat), dog, ice, rice, yes, no, more, baby, eyes, book, milk, this, that, water, and a few more. She also does sign language for daddy, more, milk, cereal, yes, eat, water, and please :)

Jennifer - posted on 09/03/2010

If your son said the words and now doesnt, I think it shows he can and probably is just focusing on something else. If you still feel worried, it can only help if you wanted to get evaluated from a early intervention program. My daughter has trouble gaining weight so her pediatrician referred her to our local Early Childhood Intervention group and they evaluated her hoping if she was behind in some area we could get in and use their dietician. They did all their tests and she didnt qualify, but they did tell me that at the 17 month age they only look for 8-10 words. So if your son has used these words but just isnt now, im sure everything is fine. Also they said to take away pacifiers because it will limit their speech, and it sounds hard but not to give them anything unless they communicate they want it (within reason lol I dont mean starve him or not give him anything to drink, just give him the opportunity to ask). If we give stuff before they ask they dont need to learn to talk. Im not sure about all these 17 months speaking words in the hundreds, but the ECI people said at this age 20-30 was considered ahead. But they do give good advice, and are very helpful.
I think all children go thru phases and "yeah" is probably one of them lol, my daughter went thru the "no" stage, and next week he will surprise you and just talk your ear off. I think the important thing is understanding, if you say bring me your shoe and he brings it, then thats important.

Marissa - posted on 09/03/2010

The pediatrician I work for says that once the child is mobile (walking and running) that the child brain is only set to one skill and will tend to use that skill more.

Leah - posted on 09/03/2010

hey charity my son is the same! he started walking just before his first birthday..and you can give him directions that he will follow- but he doesnt 'speak' either...he is VERY good at communicating what he wants with actions and 'babble' but actual words that mean something- he really doesnt use...he said 'aiden' for a while (my eldest sons name) but that really wasnt used in context as BEING aiden! hahaha!!! the only sound that we know meaans something, is he makes a very specific sound that means 'dog' , whenever he sees a dog...
however if i give him something and say "put that in the bin"- he will...if he is bringing his shoes to me to put them on and i say "get aiden to do it" he will immediately turn and head for his brother...if I say "kai have you done a turtle?" -if he has done a poo, he will point to his nappy...If I say "wheres mummy's baby" - he will lift up my tshirt and kiss my (pregnant!) belly...and if I say "are you hungry, do you want something?" he will go to the fridge, and then try and climb in his highchair! so I know that there is nothing wrong with his hearing or understanding...I just think that he is always going to be one of those kids that does things at his own pace...I spoke to the dr about it and she said that if at 18 months he still isnt talking she would suggest a speech therapist- however she also said that it really wasnt an issue, and that all kids do things at their own pace..so am i worried- yes a bit..obviously autism is whats first in mind, however he is VERY social and tries to talk and make friends with everyone that he meets- so in the end, i really am sure that my son and yours are fine...just marching to the beat of their own drums!

Charity - posted on 09/02/2010

My 19 month old started crawling around 7 or 8 months and was walking right before she turned a year old. She says "Da" for dad but that doesn't always mean dad. She doesn't say anything for mom. She barks if she sees any animal cuz she relates all animals to dogs but doesn't say dog. she just recently started saying uh oh but that doesn't always mean something "bad" happened. some times she says things that sounds like a specific word but you never hear her say it again. but she will have a conversation with you in "gibberish" with hand movements and facial expressions. She and God are the only two who understand her. LOL And she is very smart. She understands what you say to her. She knows what shoes are hers, daddy's, mommy's and grandma's. She knows what you mean when you ask her if she is hungry or wants a drink. She goes to the kitchen and waits for you to get it for her. If you ask her if she went poo poo she points to her diaper if she did go poo poo. When she pees or poops she looks down at her diaper. When you say it's nap time or bed time, she immediately goes to daddy and grandma to give them kisses and then she goes to her crib and tries to climb in or puts her arms up so you can put her in. She knows what color her toy rings are. If you tell her to get the blue one, she gets the blue one. Same for the orange, yellow, green and red. I think she says "sheesheesh" for shoes but we aren't sure if that's what she is saying. LOL And I think "ishes" is fishes. When you tell her it's time to get the mail she grabs her shoes and yours and then picks the mail box key out of the keys on the key ring and heads for the door. She loves books. She points to things and wants you to say what they are. She likes to turn the pages and look at the pictures. She'll point to something, look up at you and say something in gibberish. She "talks" to anyone and everyone she sees. She waves hi and bye to everyone. Blows kisses to everyone. She "cheeses" when she is around friends and strangers alike. She loves attention and she loves to show off. She exaggerates her movements when she eats a snack or drinks from her cup. She throws her head back and moves her hand up over her head to put the snack in her mouth. Same thing with her sippy cup. Most of the time when you tell her no she stops and doesn't make her move. She is extremely smart. So I guess every baby is different and they do things when they are ready. I'm not worried.

CRYSTAL - posted on 09/02/2010

MY SON IS WHAT WE CALL HIM THE WELCOME WAGON HE WILL TALK TO ANYONE AND ANYTHING BUT HIS FAVORITE IS TALKING TO ANTS HE JUST LOVES THEM HE LEARNS A NEW WORD ABOUT EVERY THREE TO FOUR DAYS.

CRYSTAL - posted on 09/02/2010

my 17 month old son can say about 25 words