2 yrs old and not talking yet..

Dawn - posted on 03/19/2010

My youngest is 2 1/2 and hes is the same way sometimes it sounds like he is speaking in a different Language...I also am a stay at home Mom but my sone is not alone he has a Brother who is going to be 4 this month...he talks to him all the time but it dosent seem to help my 4 year old started talking before he was one! I often find myself comparing them but I can not do that because every child is different!

Donna - posted on 03/18/2010

my daughter didnt talk until she was 3. everybody was worried. but within about 2 months she was talking so well that nobody could tell she had just started talking.

Paige - posted on 03/17/2010

Elizabeth, I hope you aren't blaming yourself, it's not your fault and he will learn to talk! My brother was very slow but he's a happy adult now (and he can talk). I've been told by other moms and noticed that my son talks more (overnight improvement it seems) when he's around his cousins because he gets lots of attention from his aunts and hears young children who are just older than him and can speak well to each other. We only see them a couple times per year but it's like a foreign language immersion program for him! I bet you will see marked improvement with him in classes, although probably not right away. Good luck! I hope you know it's SO SO SO common in little kids (boys and girls) to only speak a few words at 24 months.

Angela - posted on 03/17/2010

My son just turned 2 years old and for some reason I thought that once he turned two he was all of a sudden wake up one morning and start talking to me. I was wrong. I spoke to my sons pediatrician and she told me not to worry. Every child is different. She said that he should start by connecting two words together...and he does. So I'm not worried anymore. She also told me that I should read to him more. She said that he'll probably start talking before I know it and then he won't stop!

Helen Selina - posted on 03/17/2010

Lucky you, it must be nice, no seriously they will talk when they want too trust me, each child develops at his/her own pace some take longer than others its nothing to worry about, sometimes if there is alot going on in a household they notice they haven't got all the attention then suddenly they shock you, others just don't till their ready if he wasn't communicating at all then go see a speech specialist but he is so I don't think you have to worry just carry on with what you are doing and keep the encouragement going, include him in your daily duties like when shopping I used to get my daughter to write a list (pretend of course she couldn't write)
what we need then get her to try to find them in the market takes longer to shop but they feel as though they are doing it for you, and she wouldn't stop talking when I did that? just have faith it will happen and when it does you will wish they were still not talking when they find the voice its all or nothing good luck and hang in there lol xx

Melissa - posted on 03/17/2010

That is the best thing you can do for him, by socializing him with others he will be well on his way to non stop conversations! You would have probebly had the DR. say something to you if he was 3 or 4. Boys can some times nest with mommy a little while longer than girls, And lets face it ladies we love all that chitt chatt with our girlfriends when our hubby's wld rather sit in front of the "boob tube"! It's in our blood to run or gums! LOL!

Lindsey - posted on 03/17/2010

I wouldnt worry about it too much until hes closer to 3. If hes still not talking much by then, you might want to talk to his doctor about it. My son didnt start talking until 2.5 years old. His younger sister was actually talking before he was!

Jennifer - posted on 03/16/2010

I have 5 kids 3 boys and they all started speaking clearly and more words closer to 2 1/2 - 3 where as my girls spoke tons by age 2. Boys focus on physical and girls focus on language and then around 4 they balance out. So no worried you boy will play and climb at the playground while if you had a girl she'd find someone to chatter with.

Hope this helps,

Jennifer
www.GoodbyeWick.com

Nanette - posted on 03/16/2010

Well, I had a son that would not talk due to 2 older siblings and no desire, but I as a mom could not stand him grunting and groaning for everything. He was 3 1/2 before he started to talk, but we taught him sign language and he knew enough to tell what he wanted by signing. I opened up a whole world with us to know what he wanted and needed. It was amazing to know that he did have thoughts and he could share them with us by that way of communication. You can pull up some simple signs through the computer and teach her over and over what they mean and then she will get the hang of it and she will be able to communicate what she wants. Our son finally one day just decided to talk and then that was it. He is a little shy to this day, but not too bad. Hopefully this is helpful for you. I know it can be frustrating at times, but just be patient and she will come around. We almost put him through speech therapy and all, but man am I glad we didn't. He knew what he wanted he just needed an outlet or another way of expressing himself. We all don't learn the same exact way as another and I feel we all don't have to talk aloud to express ourselves as long as we can communicate. So try this and maybe you will make some progress. Good luck.

Deborah - posted on 03/16/2010

OK Don't get worried or jump all over me for answering your question completely. I have 3 sons let me start by saying. The oldest is 15 and started chattering on time and very age appropriately. The second was making all of his milestones, talking in sentences etc. until getting a doubled up set of immunizations (we were behind so they gave them all at once). He quit talking, wouldn't look at us anymore and started some odd behaviors. I was also told by our pediatrician to not worry, boys talk later, new baby in house etc, etc,. About 14 months later we had him diagnosed with a form of autism. Hunter is 11 now. He is still not very chatty but he lets us know what he needs most of the time. My youngest is 9 so I watched him like a hawk to see that he was developing normally, determined not to have a 14 month window where we did nothing to help him. When he wasn't really communicating as well as his oldest brother had I took him to see the developmental pediatrician. He ran a battery of tests including a receptive language test. The tests were very positive in that I had the relief that he did not have autism but verbal apraxia. He could say some things at times but couldn't repeat them. Like they had been accidental and he couldn't quite figure out how he said them before. He started speech therapy immediately at around 2 years and by the time he got to kindergarten he was speaking better than my husband. (He corrects his dads grammar sometimes.) Of course, Ed says I couldn't have left well enough alone because now he will talk your ears off. He is in an advanced program in school and is on honor roll. I don't want to scare you with the autism. The non verbal aspect is only one item in a whole checklist of things to look for. I recommend seeing a developmental pediatrician in your area to get an understanding of your childs specific strengths and weaknesses. Good Luck

Nicole - posted on 03/16/2010

If you are concerned call early intervention and have them come in and evaluate him. This does not mean he will be classified. My 2 year old was not speaking at all and is now receiving speech therapy and it is now using sentences! I am not sure where you live but you should have early intervention services in your state? You could probably find out from your doctor. Good Luck trust yourself and do not wait!

Liza - posted on 03/16/2010

Has he had his 2 yr old physical yet? Have you talked to the Pediatrician?
I have a daughter who will be 2 in May and still isn't talking. She has absolutely NO interest but, we know she is able to speak because on vacation she came up with a ton of new words but, then stopped saying them once we got home. Sometimes it takes a change of scenery.
Chances are your son is fine. My son didn't speak until almost 2 1/2 and he was our first born and wasn't around a lot of children. They all have their own agendas when it comes to speaking.
If your Dr. isn't concerned, I wouldn't be. However, if he reaches 2 1/2 and still doesn't speak...you might want to try talking to a specialist about it. Like I said, chances are he is just fine and sometimes, they just need a little 'speech' therapy to get them actually speaking.
My suggestion would be for sure no more vaccinations until he starts speaking...just as a precaution to make sure that isn't it. He will be fine for a few months w/o boosters or new shots. Good luck to you!

Danielle - posted on 03/16/2010

that's not true that all most kids are speaking full sentances .. every child is different and maybe he's just not ready to talk in full sentances. But, the more you talk to him in full sentances the more he'll pick up on them. If it makes you feel better my son is 2.5years old and just started developing his full sentances. If you are really concerned how about talking to your pediatrician about it?

Pam - posted on 03/15/2010

My daughter is 3 and she was the same way she did not talk very much at 2. She is exposed to children regularly. She is doing well now. I think every kid does things at there own pace. My son is 10 and he had a vocabulary over 100 words and complete sentences at 1 yr of age. If you have concerns talk to your pediatrician there are some cases where children aren't talking and they find out they are autistic, that happened to my cousin...that is rare. Give it time and maybe talk to your dr about speech therapy. My guess he is just not ready. Good luck and be patient it will all work out.

Pam

Jennifer - posted on 03/15/2010

I have a 2 year old son who is not saying complete sentences, but is starting to put a couple of words together. I would not be concerned, all kids develop on their own time. My second son was talking like crazy by the time he was 2 1/2, but my youngest is not. I would talk to you ped. and see what they say, but I'm sure he is fine! I think my youngest son is not talking yet because he don't have to, my 2 older sons talk for him!

Misti - posted on 03/15/2010

We had trouble with our daughter not talking..we gave her what she wanted when she pointed. We "figured" out what she wanted instead of making her say the words. We were told to make her try to say the words for about a minute then say the word for her. She eventually picked up on the fact she needed to use words. The other issue was she had fluid behind her ears from 10 months on. We discovered this around 18 months and had tubes put in her ears. The ENT said it was horrible how much was there and no wonder she wasnt speaking. She couldnt hear what we were saying. Some peds wont discover fluid behind the ear because they look for red ear drums to signify infection. You can have fluid and no infection...you might get them to test for fluid. They have an instrument they use that is easy and doesnt hurt...Good luck!

Jennifer - posted on 03/15/2010

Elizabeth, I am a first time mom but a seasoned nanny, with a degree in child development/psychology who has experience with kids of all ages, mostly boys. First of all, never compare your child to anyone as all kids develop at different stages for many different reasons. Many of the kids that speak may have older siblings which is always a plus for helping a toddler talk or may also be older (even months can make a huge difference). Girls also develop communication much quicker than boys so if you need to compare, only do so with boys his own age (within weeks apart) and those that are without siblings. More than watching the kids, though, I encourage you to see what the parents might be doing differently.

It is NOT uncommon for a 2 year old boy to not be saying complete sentences yet. I would encourage you to check out some child growth and development books and charts to help you determine if there is a real need. I have had many boys who didn't speak in complete sentences until around 2 1/2- 3 years of age but once they did begin to speak their vocabulary was surprisingly on level with kids their age.

A good question to consider more than the advice of us would be what does your pediatrician say? If they say it is ok then just keep encouraging your son's speech through repetition and reward and encouraging simple phrases like, "chocolate milk, please" to help his brain make appropriate speech pathways. More than likely the pathways are already paved correctly but he may just not be ready to express it yet.

If you are anxious to communicate more effectively with your son then child signing might be a good path too. I have had a few boys pick up signing quickly and speech followed even quicker. Many research studies have demonstrated that it can help to create a vivid vocabulary in most children.

More than likely your son has preferences to how he wishes to communicate and unless there are other developmental issues you have witnessed I encourage you to continue being patient and encouraging to him. Your love for him and devotion to his development is very admirable!

Xochitl - posted on 03/15/2010

Hello Im a SAHM I have a son soon to be 3yrs in april. Who has a close cousin who is 5months younger and was preemie.. My son would walk early and climb and jump and build things. But he never semed to talk at all he would point at things and cry. His cousin started talking when he was barely turing two. I have his grandparents constantly telling me something is wrong with him. We are always talking to him too. The doctor told me not to worry kids grow up at different rates. My nephew on the other hand is talkative to the point we want to put earplugs in. But he is careful about every move he makes didn't start walking till he was 1 and 1/2 won't jump off a curb and will cry if you leave him on the couch because he can't get down. I've had other parents of 2 and 3 year olds ask me all the time how old my son is because he is so active and he seems to have no feargoing to the highest slide and their kids won't even try. But my point is My son within this month started talking out of nowhere. He says sentances, I've never even heard him say half these words before. I say give him time he might just be working things out in his head but if you feel you need a second opinion follow your mothers intuition it's usually right. By the way i'm investing in earplugs..good luck...

Jennifer - posted on 03/15/2010

First talk to his ped. He should be evaluated and possably started with speech therapy. If he is valuated and they say he is fine then dont worry they will probably give you some suggestions to "kick start" his talking. Second Dont listion to those who say you need to expose him to more speech or that just putting him in classes will sove the problem. Those who say that normaly dont have any real clue what it is like to have a speech delayed child in there home. You are not doing anything wrong!! Here is my story, my oldest started talking early and like those you have noticed was using full sentances by 2 But my youngest was a differant tale. She did not talk even those couple of words by 2, we did talk to her all the time I read to her and her sister everyday ect. I tried making her talk on others suggestion doing the "you have to say juice to get juice, say up to be picked up" stuff. Nothing worked. At first her ped said nothing was wrong they all develop at differant rates, talk to her more read to her more. was told that in most cases the parent was the problem. We changed ped.s and were sent in to have her eval. done, by then she was 3 and still not talking, she was found to be delayed and started on therapy, with the first place it did not work she had no improvement at all. It was suggested that we take her in for a hearing test, the first test showed hearing loss in both ears and she was set up to have the next test done this one would conferm the hearing loss and find out what kind of aids she would need. After 2 weeks (thats how long it took to get in for the test) of beliving that she had never heard us tell her "I love you" or most anything else we said the next test came out that there was no loss of hearing! We finnaly took her to childrens hospital, Apraxia is what she has after starting with a therapist that has been traind to work with aprixic children she has make major improvements. A the time she started her speach was about the level of a 12 month old she was almost 4. We have just passed her 5 bday and with the help of her therapist and a lot of hard work she is able to talk at almost her age level. She has gone from a child that did not speek at all to a child that talks all the time she still has trouble with some things saying "hims" instead of "his" ect. I dont want to scare you! Just get the doc.s take on whats going on and if the doc says hes fine but you dont believe that or are still worried get a second oppinion. Good luck and best wishes!

Patricia - posted on 03/15/2010

I would have his hearing tested right away. Yes, boys tend to talk later, but it is better to be safe than sorry. Even though you might not feel that he has a hearing problem, have it checked. Then, have him evaluated for speech. The sooner you act, the best! :)

LaCi - posted on 03/15/2010

Mine is about to be 21 months and he's not talking. I'm not concerned because he is on track or ahead with all the other milestones. Although he HAS said words he typically chooses not to. It bugs me, but I feel like he's just moving at his own pace, even if it isn't the pace I'd like him to be moving at

Jenni - posted on 03/15/2010

Don't worry. My son had the same problem. I decided to put him in preschool at 3 yrs. Once he started going he talked like never before. Boys are always more lazy than girls but eventually boys are smarter. Your son will talk soon.

RIKKE - posted on 03/15/2010

I HAVE A LITTLE GUY WHO WILL BE 2 IN MAY AND I'M LUCKY HE SAYS DADA ... YOU ARE NOT ALONE . HAVE YOU HAD HIS EARS CHECKED BECAUSE MY MIDDLE CHILD HAD AN ISSUE WITH TALKING ALSO AND IT WAS BECAUSE HE NEEDED TUBES .

Kelly - posted on 03/14/2010

something that really helped my late-talking son was the "Baby Babble" videos. you can find them on amazon.com. they were created by speech pathologists and he loves to watch them- still, even though his language skills have developed beyond the video's level. and be patient. i worried for probably a year before my son got interested in communicating with words. he is moving right along now.

Colleen - posted on 03/14/2010

I wouldn't worry too much some children don't start talking till 3yrs I have heard it is a sign of intelligence!

Robin - posted on 03/14/2010

I notice mine wasn't talking at the level I thought he should at 18 months. I told my pediatrician each visit and each visit he said to wait and see. I knew something wasn't right, kept pushing, but wasn't getting anywhere. LONG story short, he has expressive language, articulation and speech problems. I put him in Kindermusik at 3 1/2 and noticed an improvement within a couple of months. I was finally able to get him speech therapy 2 times per week through the school system (was a long process, but worth it) and have noticed major improvements. He turned 4 in February and is not at the same level of speech and language as his peers but improving.

If you feel something is off, then my advice to you would be push to get him evaluated. I feel if my pediatrician would have listened to me at 18 months, we would be so much further along. My goal is to get him ready for kindergarden so he isn't picked on...we have 1 year to do it.

Good luck, I hope you find the answers you are looking for!

Linh - posted on 03/14/2010

well my little girl is 2.9, three in june and she's very good at talking, very smart, she just got rid of her dummy a month ago and is fully toilet trained. she started full sentences just after she turned two. i never really had a problem with her. she's only been attending daycare for four months. each child will be diff, some learn faster than others. just be patient and if your so worried find some professional help. good luck.

Louise - posted on 03/14/2010

my son is the same, he was 2 in december. Boys are usually lazy, especially if you dont have any other young children around. Try a play group or mother and todlers group for him to mix with other children.

Julia - posted on 03/14/2010

my son did the same thing, everything that came out of his mouth was a bunch of bableing that no one could understand but me (stay at home mom too). we had his ears checked out, we have this thing called birth to three where they test kids that are under school age for autisum and see how far behind they are. at two he was 45% behind in his speach. then when he was about three and a half he just started talking and now we cant get him to stop. Hes 4 and still has a hard time pronouncing words but . . . I would talk to your peds DR and see if they have anything like the Birth to 3 for you.

Aminath - posted on 03/14/2010

Hello Elizabeth! I think it's not a problem for you to worry. My son also didn't talked at the age of two. I was also worried like you. He is finally talking now. Just try to talk to him as much as you can, try to ask him more questions.

Nicole - posted on 03/14/2010

Thats right you can lead a horse to water but you cant make them drink

Nicole - posted on 03/14/2010

I wouldnt worry about it, I just went to the Dr with my 2 1/2 year old daughter who isnt talking as much as her cousing who is the same age, we also have a 1 1/2 year old and the Dr said that I had my youngest at a critical age for my 2 1/2 year to start talking, I cant say she doesnt talk at all she uses sentences alot more that her cousin who does mostly single words, my mom said not to sorry because we dont know any adults that cant talk so like I said dont worry he will take off talking.

Deepa - posted on 03/14/2010

Hi, i did not hav this problem but I know 2 kids who talkd late. One talked by the time she was 4 and the other by the time she was 3.my nephew too spoke late at around 21/2 just keep talking to ur son. Everything will b fine

Jennie - posted on 03/14/2010

my daughter is nearly 2 1/2 and shes still sinlge words her brother does the talking 4 her. but kids will always do what they want when they want u cant force it

Mandi - posted on 03/13/2010

he is ONLY two. when he is ready he will talk and he will never stop. thats how my first son was. i wouldnt worry at all. they are all different and move at their own pace.

Kellilyn - posted on 03/13/2010

does he use a binky? that can seriously delay speech...if he is your 1st-he may also talk a little later because he's not trying to imitate an older sibling...

Amy - posted on 03/13/2010

My son has a really good vocabulary so my only advice would be to speak to your pediatrician

Rona - posted on 03/13/2010

I wouldn't worry too much..... Kids don't all develop exactly the same. My oldest son was saying LOTS of new words by the time he was a year old. Now my youngest, 15 months, has just recently said his 3rd word; and my step daughter, was a down right chatter box at 8 months, lol. My 15 month started waving by-by when his brother wouldn't do that till he was 2 years old. I've known of kids not even speaking till they were nearly 4. A good friend of mine is a speach pathologist and taught me that as long as you are interacting with your children, singing, reading, speaking planely, even teaching them bible versus and other languages; they ARE absorbing it, but their 'lil personalitys are developing too and they may not be ready for anybody to hear them talk yet. Also you may try asking him/her to say a particular word like "please" when they are reaching for their snack or sippie cup, etc. and just hold back a few minutes until they at least TRY to say the word.... Then once they begin trying it, ecourage them to say it plainer. This is something my 2 oldest ones picked up on rather quickley but my youngest is "stubborn" and resistful. I think its all according to their personality.

Carina - posted on 03/13/2010

I'm a living contradiction! lol... My older brother spoke beautifully by the time he was 1yr old. At age 2 he was making up lyrics to songs! I didn't talk until about 4yrs old! So much for the boys are late talkers! Now my daughter spoke very clearly at 1. My son on the other hand started to open up more after he turned 2. He's 3 now and he speaks with a lisp. I didn't take them to speech or anything. Believe it or not, Elmo helped a lot, my constant talking helped and my husband & I read to them all the time.

Rebecca - posted on 03/13/2010

I have 3 boys aged nearly 5, nearly 4 & just over 1. My older ones didn't talk until they were close to 3 or so and now they never stop. A child and youth nurse suggested it was because they didn't want to talk until thay could get exactly what they wanted to say across and I would have to agree with that. my 14 month old is not very vocal but I'm sure he will make up for it soon enough!

Sheree - posted on 03/12/2010

I have a three year old son and he was not talking very much mostly single words and it turned out he had speech delay, he is also diagnosed with autism. I contacted 323 kids and had a referral made to the Early Childhood Intervention and started working with the school district, I strongly reccomend this, one thing that they are finding is the more therapy the better!! He is also in speech therapy twice a week. Some suggestions are visual aides, sign language but give the word and the sign for the item, watching shows that encourage language like dora or diego. These are some of the things I tried before I got the referral, i tried for about 4 months and when it was not helping we did the refferal.. Good luck!!

Melissa - posted on 03/12/2010

The social classes will probably help but not to worry. I would stay in communication with your pediatrician and they may eventually want to do some testing. My cousin didn't talk till he was 4 and had no disabilities. I was also a late talker and needed to be encouraged to talk. Just don't worry about it but encourage communicating vebally.

Cheryl - posted on 03/12/2010

Does your son still use a pacifier? That will delay speech. My younger son was a little slow in walking and talking and he's been very smart since entering school. All advanced classes since entering middle school and he's finishing 8th grade. My older son walked very early and talked very early. He's graduating high school in May, barely! You just never know. They each turned out the opposite of what I thought. Even Einstein didn't talk until he was 4. Try not to worry too much. Cheryl

Danyelle - posted on 03/12/2010

we had the same problem with my now 5 year old. he was diagnosed with PDD. my best advice is that if you are concerned most states have a program in WV its called Birth to 3, that handle speech therapy and testing for preschool aged children. They have access to lots of information, supprot groups etc...Some children just grow out of it, but it doesn't hurt to have them evaluated. It has been a lot of work but my son is now in Kindergarten and we are finally starting to speak in sentences! It is also a very good idea to have their hearing tested especially if they have frequent ear infections.

María - posted on 03/12/2010

My son is 3 now, but he was the same way when he was 2. Now he is still behind, compare to other kids of his age, so I started a program called Hippy, is not specificly for that, but it's been very helpful because it makes me spend more quality time teaching him, reading books, playing and talking to him. Its been only a month since we started and we are already seeing results! he is talking a lot more and anwering questions wich he didn't do before. I realize that staying at home didn't mean that i was spending quality time with my kids. Maybe that not your case or maybe you haven't realized like me. My sugestion is read to him every day, talk a lot, correct him when he says something wrong, ask him questions, name the everyday things he use. In other words comunicate a lot with him! and be paciente, every kid has his own time to learn. I hope this is helful.

Kelli - posted on 03/12/2010

My nephew is the same way. He only says some words and his favorite is 'yeah' to everything.

Kelli - posted on 03/12/2010

I wouldn't worry. My son is three and he just started using more words and forming sentences some kids just start talking later than others My other son was talking very well by 2 1/2.

Heather - posted on 03/12/2010

Children all develop language skills at slightly different rates. He may be busy developing other skills right now and the language will come later. If it will help you feel at ease contact your school districts early childhood office and find out how you can have a screening done. It's a relatively simple process.

Rebecca - posted on 03/12/2010

I used to work in child care before my 2 yr old was born, and it is not uncommon to see children 2-3 yrs old not speaking properly, it really is a personal development thing. I found with my son that being with other childen, asking him about his day and making him tell me what he wants, instead of just giving him things, has forced him to talk , and now he is capable of having full convesations. Mum's and their baby's develop a language between themselves and mum's always know what they want, it is not until they see a need to develop another form of meaning making ie; talking,that they start to work at it. So the harder you make it for them to get their point across without speaking the sooner they will develop language. Give him a few more months, if that doesn't work then maybe consider getting some exercises from a speach therapist.

Tara - posted on 03/11/2010

I'm sorry, this makes me laugh! My son is 2.5yrs old, and I have a neice who's 13months older... she talked sooo much earlier than my son did. Ohhh the comments from all the in laws!! (that's whats making me laugh!) what helped the most was that I have a cousin who has a son just a few weeks older than mine (although on the other side of the country) everytime we, or our parents talked, the boys were at the same exact stage. For the longest time, my son had his own 'language' it seemed... eventually they just get it! Just have to be patient, and not let others 'suggestions' and comments get you down. Now, my son doesn't STOP talking (although its still somewhat hard to understand him...) don't worry, it'll come!