not talking

Lisa - posted on 07/01/2010

The DVD Baby Babble works. I got it for my son who was not talking a few days ago and he started saying things today. We have also been watching disney sing alongs because singing is supposed to stimulate talking in children.

Amanda - posted on 06/28/2010

It is comforting to hear so many other mother's dealing with the same concerns that I am. I have 20 month old twins, my daughter has a few words but my son has none. He does not do the "normal" things to communicate (like point) either. The doctor is not concerned about my daughter since she uses many other ways to communicate that are on target for her age. Our doctor has referred my son to a program called Early On here in Michigan. I am hopeful that early intervention will help him to develop to his full potential.
Above all, it is every parents choice how to approach their child's slower development, but personally I think that the earlier you get them help the better. :) Good Luck Moms and Dads.

Wenona - posted on 06/27/2010

I think that a parent always knows their child best. If you have a concern don't wait! Talk to your pediatrician first. If you still don't feel 100% satisfied with the pediatricians response, it can never hurt to contact your local early intervention agency. They will come do a free evaluation at your home and if they are concerned, your child can receive free services (i.e speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy) whatever they deem necessary, usually up to age 3. Some states extend these services through age 5. You will have to check with the agency. The key here is time. We had concerns about my daughter around her 2nd birthday and one pediatrician in our group said to wait 6mos and if no improvement they would recommend early intervention. By chance she had an illness a couple of weeks later and was seen by a different pediatrician in the group who said the complete opposite. He said if you have concerns, you know best because you are with your child the most! Long and short, out daughter did have some delays, and could have received services for a lot longer than she did, had we linked up with early intervention sooner. Don't wait, the worst and best that can happen if you go through the early intervention is that they say your child doesn't need services and is developing just fine. It won't cost you anything, by law all states have to provide free services for children under age 3 if they qualify. This is why time is important. If your little one does need help with speech, they still have the chance to get over a year of services if you start now. It was well worth it for us. They taught her baby sign language, among other things, so that she could express her needs, and that headed off a lot of frustration for her.
I would recommend early intervention. The initial evaluation will take about an hour of your time and they do it right at your house! It will give you peace of mind, and if services are warranted, you will be that much further ahead! Best of luck!

Tiffany - posted on 06/25/2010

Speech therapy may help....but don't worry. I get irritated when I read that you should. There is a huge range of normal that even reaches outside that. I had a child in my prek who did not speak until 3!! There is nothing wrong with him..just some anxiety. That being said..my boys now are receiving speech. I will not compare and I urge u not to..but get the help now.

Carmen - posted on 06/24/2010

I know lots of older kids around the neighbourhood that are now 4-6 yrs old and I talked to their parents and some of them didnt really start talking til after 2 yrs old and what they said was once the words started they didnt stop. =) SO i hope you dont worry too much about your little man

Kate - posted on 06/24/2010

I would be concerned! My daughter is 20 months and says up to 5 words in a sentence. Push the subject with his doctor.

Carmen - posted on 06/23/2010

I wouldnt worry too much =) As kids grow each to their own and until he is a full 2 yrs old, I wouldnt press him or anything. Let him relax and grow on his own..Worrying will just worry him.

Katie - posted on 06/23/2010

I think you have a legitimate concern regarding your child's language. I am a speech-language pathologist (and work in early intervention). By 20 months of age, your child should be saying many words. There are some children, especially boys, who do begin talking late. However, the earlier language is addressed the better. If you are concerned, I would contact your early intervention (birth-3) program--it won't hurt to have an evaluation. If there isn't a delay, it will put your mind at ease. If there is a delay you can begin receiving services. Otherwise there are numerous things you can do to help encourage expressive language. Talking (no baby talk) about what you are doing (i.e., Mommy is sweeping the floor). Also giving him choices and encouraging him to use words to respond (i.e., do you want milk or juice?). If he wants something (does he point?), be sure to say something like "oh you want the ball? here is the ball." Emphasize key words such as ball. If he does attempt words be sure to praise him (i.e., I like when you use words! I know what you want. Great job using words!) Have you considered sign language? I did this with my daughter and research shows it increases vocabulary and expressive language. Always say the word as you do the sign. Start with basic signs such as "more, milk, all done"--you can add more as he picks them up. You can find these online--there are also many baby sign books available. As I said I did signs with my daughter and she talks a lot--she also continues to use the signs with the spoken words. I also recommend signs to families I work with in birth-3 and it is amazing how quickly children pick up the signs and the words. Research has shown sign language decreases frustration and gives children a means of communication while encouraging language development. These are just some generic ideas--I do not know your son so this is no substitute for a formal evaluation or intervention.

Lisa - posted on 06/22/2010

Ann, did your son have any other signs at 20 months that would have led you to believe he had autism? I think my son is otherwise on track just not talking but I'm not sure exactly what to look for and I am concerned about autism. Please tell me about your experience and how your son was diagnosed if you don't mind.

Ann - posted on 06/21/2010

No speech at 20 months is not good. Don't make the mistake I made with my first. I kept taking him to the doctor, asking about why he never spoke. The doctor just kept saying "he's a boy-they start talking later" and "he'll do it when he's ready". They were wrong. We moved to another state and when my son was 18 months old, a new doc noticed the lack of speech immediately and referred us to Early intervention and a developmental pediatrician. Ask his doctor for a referral to Early Intervention.They can evaluate your child and get him help if he needs it. The earlier a child gets help, the better. Not saying your son has the same problem mine has, but mine was eventually diagnosed with autism. He will be 5 next month and has only been speaking for about 6 months. My 20 month old has over 130 words. According to the older milestone charts, a child should have close to 200 words by the age of 24 months.

Nancy - posted on 06/21/2010

My son's doctor wanted to refer him to speech therapy because his speech didn't improve between 15 and 17 months. I refused until he turns 2. He is an only child and the daycare still has him in the older baby group instead of the toddler group, so he's not with other children who are talking. After our appt, he threw in a few more words, but doesn't use many regularly. Outside, mama, dada, dog-dog, what's that, banana, that's about it and it's few and far between when he wants something. We did teach him a few signs for "more", "eat" and one he made up himself for "all gone". That helps us a lot in communicating. The speech will come. My best friends son didn't do much except point and grunt until he was almost 3, then it was like a faucet got turned on full blast and he won't shut up!! So, I'm trying to be patient, it will come when he's ready. (Boys tend to develop slower anyway).

Lisa - posted on 06/20/2010

My son is the same...20 months old, not taking. I had him evaluated at 18 months by a speech therapist and they said it is not anything to worry about until the age of 2. I did find some dvds on amazon that are supposed to help late talkers....we'll see if they work.

Cynthia - posted on 06/20/2010

Danielle, does your baby get what he wants with grunts & other noises? I have found that if you are consistent with urging him/her to speak a word for what they want and resist giving it to them for a short period of time, they will speak. Ex. if they want a drink, try to get them to say cup while showing them the cup, over and over and over again. :)

Ceterra - posted on 06/20/2010

No worries, my baby brother waited until he could speak well before he started talking (over 2 years old)...my son won't stop talking (20 months)!!!! Every child is different and if he hears and comprehends don't stress it. I hate forcing kids to do something they aren't ready. Unless something is clearly developmentally wrong then let the time pass and your child grow in prosperity!

Charlotte - posted on 06/20/2010

I had a friend who's son was exactly the same! everything was a grunt, or "eee".. She stressed and worried and thought he was abnormal, he's just turned 3 and talks quite fine.. He's not a chatterbox, but he communicates well. When he started going to pre-school at age 2, he started speaking a lot more (monkey see, monkey do) and she bought some flash cards and used to practice with him at home. Also she would say a word and really overexaggerate the mouth movements so he could see, and when he would ask for, say a banana, she would hold it in front of him and say banana once or twice before giving it to him. Reading is another great way to help, my son is 20 months and loves books with pictures and words rather than story books. He gets so excited by pointing to a picture and saying the word. Kids develop at different speeds, if his hearing is fine, and he understands what you say then dont make a big deal out of it or you might make him think that he's not good enough, he will speak in his own time.

Amy - posted on 06/18/2010

My son is the same way. Here in Arizona they have what is called an early intervention program. I contacted them and they came out and did an evaluation on him and will let me know if he needs therapy and will provide it for him as well. My two older children went through it as well. This program here only works with them til they are 3 so the earlier you get them started the better. At three though they did transfer both the older ones to a special needs preschool to continue them getting the extra help they need. It is a great program and if you have it available I sincerely suggest trying to use it. I believe you could Google for early intervention with your state name and find the right program easily, most states have a similar program I believe.

Rebecca - posted on 06/18/2010

All of my children were late talkers! My oldest daughter was actually partly deaf and we didn't know it. So that slowed her down some. My middle daughter had speech problems from the beginning. She couldn't form her mouth to make the right sounds. She babbled all the time though. My 21 month old son is still having problems talking. He started off saying da da clear as day and now it comes out ya ya. My pediatrician thinks he just needs tubes in his ears. There is probably fluid in his ears. This is actually the most common reason for children to not talk - its because it sounds muffled to them.

Dori - posted on 06/18/2010

My 19 month old doesn't really speak either. My husband and I own our own businesses and one of us has been with her every minute since she was born, so it got to the point we would respond to the grunts. Know we don't respond until she trys to say the words. She knows most of her letters and she can read about 25 words, but she wont speak. Our ped. suggested we get her around other children 2-3 times a week to help things along. He said the more she is around o0thers around her age the more she will start to mimic them and try to speak. He is not worried at all, his 5 five kids started talking at a wide range of ages.

Valeri - posted on 06/17/2010

BTW - we do not use baby talk - we only speak in complete sentences and have requested that other family members do the same. He is not in day care. I'm a stay at home mom and he is my only child.

Valeri - posted on 06/17/2010

Our almost 20 month old son was just evaluated yesterday by the "early intervention team" per our pediatrician's request. He only has less than 10 words (Mom, DaDa, Eebee (his doll), bye, hi, bu (for bus), ball, car, and a few others) but, can recognize & tell you every upper & lowercase letter of the alphabet and what sound they make. He can also identify the letter if you sign it (he can only sign a,b,p & z). He scored at 36-48 month old levels on alphabet, numbers, etc. but his speach is that of a 12 month old they said. We will be doing speech therapy once a week now. We had many people tell us that the reason he wasn't speaking was because he knows around 150 signs, but, the speech therapist and other other evaluaters confirmed the opposite - it only encourages speech. He ALWAYS trys to say what he is signing because that is how he was taught. The problem is that he doesn't use all of his signs or words to get his needs met (they say) - he only uses the signs more, done, cold, play ground, yes, shoes, hurt, etc. They seem to think my son might have a sensory problem. I don't think he's autistic - he is very friendly, not shy, babbles, hugs, kisses and responds to my requests. He has recently started having melt-downs in stores and that concerned them. I thought he was just a typical boy who doesn't like to shop. Also, when in a group class he doesn't follow instruction. For example, he does head shoulders knees and toes at home but not in a group setting - he watches them. It's also very hard to engage him in a new activity when he is already focused on something else. They are sending us for futher testing but have also requested DT therapy 2 times a week. I really hope nothing is wrong. I cried for hours after they left yesterday - I just want him to grow up to be a normal happy individual. Has your doctor suggested having his hearing tested or other evaluations?

Shannon - posted on 06/17/2010

dana...same here.

Dana - posted on 06/17/2010

My 19 month old doesn't talk either. The only words she has recently stated saying are... ma (mama), my (her sisters or anything else she thinks of as hers), and has finally doing a few babbles.... thats it. The rest or all just grunts.

Her doctor wants to test her hearing, but she understands everything we say to her and responds appropriately.

She has learned 2 signing words. Thats all I have learned so far. But I have read and been told that she doesn't talk because she does not need to. Her sisters are 10 and 12 yrs old and then there are us. We know what she wants and needs so therefore she has no reason to talk. We basically do the talking for her.

Shannon - posted on 06/17/2010

Rosa...I totally agree with you :)

My two older kids are only 10 months apart so they had each other...basically this one is an "only child" and 5 1/2 weeks preemie..so i know she will be a little behind...but she seems to up to speed with developmental things...just not talking...which drives me nuts lol Soon I'll be asking "how do shut your child up" lmao

Rosa - posted on 06/17/2010

I was just wondering about the baby talk because that was one thing that older & wiser parents told me would affect children in how they learn to speak, like how can they learn if your talking to them in something other than the language we really speak. I also have a son and I have a five year old niece who my son plays with daily and he picks up almost everything from her I never no what he might do or say but he is also in daycare so that's why I asked about if he's around older kids that is very helpful to them more so than adults alone.

Shannon - posted on 06/17/2010

I never baby talked to my kids...my 12 and 13 year old were fine. In fact my 13 year old started talking at 8 months....I agree other kids influence them...Daughter was around a 27 month old 2 weekends ago and she's more vocal then ever...we're going to put her in daycare staring in a couple of weeks hoping to speed things along. I just think she's lazy and we talk for her. "do you want this?" "do you want that"...and she'll answer us "no" or "yes"..but talking meh...I won't be worried until she's 2....but my youngest brother didn't start talking literally till he was 3...

I know this question was directed at me...but putting in my 2 cents :)

Rosa - posted on 06/17/2010

Does anyone baby talk to him or is he around kids that are older this always is the influence when it comes to small kids learning

Shannon - posted on 06/17/2010

Daughter is the same way...grunts only but knows everything we say or ask her...her comprehension skills are absolutely fine..just not talking. Her yes' are "da"....we think she may be talking russian instead of english. lmao

Linsi - posted on 06/16/2010

my son is the same age and is the same way. he whines and babbles. I have him in the Early Childhood Intervention Progam, every state has one. Google it or ask your doctor about it, the work with all kinds of children from speech delays, to physical abnormalities. I haven't see an improvement yet, but he's only been in a few sessions. they come to your home and it's a free program or atleast low cost. the speech therapist have minimum of a bachlors degree and are wonderful with kids. they will most likely start him off with some sign language so there is no frustration due to the communication gap. good luck

Jackie - posted on 06/16/2010

My 20 month old is the same way. He actually gets mad if I ask him to repeat a word I say...he will only say words if he initiates it. I thought he only new words like 'uh oh' and 'ow', then one day he walked up to me with a cracker in his hand and said 'cracker'. And I have not heard him say it again. It is frustrating to us and probably to them too because we keep forcing them to say stuff...so I really don't know what to do. Our ped was concerned about it at the 18 month checkup and is seeing us at 21 months to see if there has been any progression. We'll see. What I think is weird is that when I ask him where the dog is or his brother or whatever..he points to it. Our little guys are just stubborn!haha! Good luck!

Danielle - posted on 06/16/2010

Thank you to everyone that has replied! His doctor wants to wait til his second bday. She's not too concerned as of right now. Thanks again for all ur input!

Chrystyna - posted on 06/15/2010

i think you should see if he has a speech problem this is something you should speak with his Dr about

Alexandra - posted on 06/15/2010

Danielle, this must be upsetting, some children develop sooner than others and some children just absorb all the info and don't start talking until they are 2 but then in full sentences,
however if you are that concerned I do have a friend who is a speach therapist in NYC if interested e mail me orrilln@aol.com I will give you her number and you can get a second opinion. I hope this is comforting.
Alexandra

Mary Beth - posted on 06/15/2010

my pediatrician referred me to a speech therapist because she was not saying any of those words either. In 2 months, she is now saying 3 word phrases. They evaluated her 3 times before determining that she needed the therapy. It is called First Steps here in KY. A program like it should be available in every state.



UPDATE:



My daughter has already been cleared from therapy just after 2 months. She scored higher than average. This program really works. She is not talking full sentences or anything like that, but it is 1000 times better than it was. My goal was to just get her up to speed. Don't be afraid to have your children evaluated. Yes, some will talk in their own time, but with the lack of communication can come frustration. I am pleased with the outcome of my child, however do what you think is best for yours!

Robin - posted on 06/15/2010

My daughter is not talking either but says dad but she is using sign language.....we had her hearing checked and it was fine also... our doctor suggested early intervention which evaluated her and she will be having it twice a week....

Sarah - posted on 06/15/2010

My 20 month old just started saying mom and dad and doesn't say it much! He has said words, but tends to say them and then stop altogether. Someone told me once that they can't develop everything at once so they may be focusing more on some other developmental categories, like gross or fine motor skills right now. If you know he can understand you, I wouldnt' worry too much yet. Go along with what the doctor suggests, maybe speech therapy. I know our doc is considering it with our little guy. Someone else I know said all of her kids were around 2 before they started talking and they are all very smart adults now :)

Jessica - posted on 06/15/2010

my son only says a few words and i have spoken to his doctor and there sending us for a speech evaluation! also might be a good idea to have his hearing tested! and talk to him alot and reading to the children helps too

Kristin - posted on 06/15/2010

I am so sorry that you are worrying about this, I am worrying about the same thing with my 20 month old. She just got tubes in her ears after 8 ear infections in the last year and we thought that might help, and it has a little. Her Pediatritian wanted an evaluation done on her speech at 18 months because he said that they should be saying at least 5 words by that point. She has started speech therapy once a month and it is really just to help teach me different ways to get her to speak. She has started learing sign language which is helping. Like your child, mine grunts, screams and points at everything and it is driving me insane. In her evaluation, she is comprehending at a 3 year old level. All I can say is I know she is very smart and not every child talks at the same time. I know we know what she wants and so we give it to her. I have just been really trying to make her make some noise other that screaming or grunting to try to tell me what she wants before I give her what she wants. So many I have talked to said that their late talkers were their smartest child, I agree with what another mom said, they just may not have too much to say right now. Try not to worry too much, your worring is what makes you a great mom. Just know that not all kids are the same and he will talk when he is able and ready. Is your child an avid mover? Mine is and a lot of times I think she is just too busy to care or try to learn how to speak. Enjoy the quiet while it lasts, it won't last long. I hope this all helps.

Amie - posted on 06/14/2010

no suggestions, but my son is the same age, and has barely any kind of vocabulary. i get ma, amie, hi, and thats about it. so its not just your son! if you find something that works, let me know too!!

Tiffany - posted on 06/14/2010

well one suggestion Ive been given for my 20 month old who talks a bit, but its very unclear a lot of the time, is have him really watch your mouth as you talk. make eye contact so he's aware of how your lips and tounge move.

And not allowing much TV at all. Its halts all of his development, and studies have been fidning its especially hindering kid's speech under the age of 3.

check it out.

Donna - posted on 06/14/2010

Definitely talk to your doctor about any concerns you may have, do you have any programs in your area like birth to three?

Krystyna - posted on 06/13/2010

our girl, Khoen, is 20 months and does not say more than a few words - i know that its frustrating but i truly believe that most kids who are like this, will just start talking when they are ready. sign language helps with communication but i think that with encouraging them to speak with words, like not anticipating what they want or need and then doing it automatically for them, can help. My daughter and i are very close and there is no need for verbal communication much of the time because there is a really close connection (like so many mamas and their babes) - so i have to work on encouraging her to say the words before i do anything that she wants. i imagine she will protest at first but will eventually help push her in the direction of speaking. I cant wait to hear what she says!!! Good luck to you all!

Tabatha - posted on 06/13/2010

Keep trying and working with him/her. Even thought they are not saying these words now she is probably picking up on them. I try to teach words to my 20 month old and nothing. Then all of a sudden reading or playing by herself I will hear her saying and using the words.

Kassie - posted on 06/13/2010

I agree with everyone who is suggesting to talk to your pediatrician to see if there's anything medical going on, but also, have you tried any sign language in the meantime? We started with just a few signs from a baby sign language book, and before he could say anything our son was already telling us when he wanted more or was all done. I've also heard that just by hearing language and it's patterns, babies will begin to sync their noises to that pattern. So if you narrate your day, eventually they start responding at appropriate times, if not necessarily with words. I do this a lot, and at the grocery store I get a lot of stares, but my son now responds to me with words and signs. Good luck!

Morgan - posted on 06/13/2010

Einstein had speech delay. Does your pediatrition have a problem with where your child is at with speech? If he is understanding you then he does not have a language problem. I would talk to your doctor and see what he or she says. Some kids just talk later especially if they develop faster in other areas. My Eleanor understands EVERYTHING you say. She can follow directions. She is very physical and walked very early but she doesn't say a whole lot. She tries words out and if we understand her she uses that word again. I have even heard her practicing words when she thinks no one is paying attention. Her favorite is NO of course.

Kelly - posted on 06/13/2010

My nephew was the same way...his mom took him to the pediatrician for a checkup and found out that his tongue was tied (tongue attached to bottom of mouth by a section of skin). The doctor snipped it and my nephew started talking within a week or two. So-I agree with the other replies here, but think a visit with the Dr might be warranted if you are worried, as sometimes there is an unsuspected physical reason for delay.

Debs - posted on 06/13/2010

it could be a case of you are getting to know what he is saying and you could be without realising it talking for them just stay calm and encourage them but dont over do it as it could put them off but ask your health visitor or doctoer for help if ur worried xxx

Brittni - posted on 06/11/2010

My daughter is also 20 months and she has just in the last 2 days been really trying to say things. Before she would just blurt something out, like she started saying "Stuck!" one day without any prompting from me, and if I tried to get her to say something else new she wouldn't. But out of the blue she's started repeating words to me, like 15 new ones in the last 2 days! I think sometimes they just concentrate on one thing for a while like walking and then when they shift focus they can speed right up to where they should be :)

Jeneva - posted on 06/11/2010

The biggest thing is comprehension. As long as he responds to your requests (like giving you a kiss or getting a blanket or something), I wouldn't be too worried yet but you will have to work really hard with him. Just like Sonya said. My daughter (now 32 months) didn't really start talking till about that age. If by 2 he doesn't have those basic words you can talk to the pedi and see if they can get him into speech therapy to help.

Jessica - posted on 06/10/2010

My daughter started off like that, but then she went through a minor word explosion and has the basics down (mama, daddy, Riley her sister, our dog Lulu, etc). I've never been too concerned with language until 2 years old, as long as they have an understanding of the words they may just be holding off on saying them. We live near train tracks and I would say "bye train!" and for weeks I got nothing out of her except a bye bye wave. Then suddenly she busted out "bye train!" like she'd done it a thousand times before. Like my aunt told me: maybe they just don't have anything important to say just yet.

Sonya - posted on 06/10/2010

with my child i would not comply unless an attempt at a sound was made. for example if she wanted a drink and pointed at the fridge instead of the common "grunt" i would encourage and persist and when she tried the "doo" (or whatever) sound i would then give her a drink. my oldest daughter went to speach therapy at the age of aprox 2 as well she said some words but not enough