18 month old still not talking

Mary - posted on 06/17/2009

Well my son didn't start talking until about 2 months after be took the pacifier away! From there we got a bunch of preschool FLASH CARDS and he is doing great now I am a big believer in seeing and saying!! Try that I hope it helps.

Christie - posted on 06/17/2009

Has your child had ear infections? If so, it could just be that she has fluid stuck in her inner ears and she is unable to hear. A good ENT can quickly tell you whether that is the case or not. I have 2 kids who both have speech issues and have required speech therapy - and both had recurrent ear infections. You can also contact Easter Seals or your local Department of Child Services (available through most counties) and they can test your child for a speech to determine whether there is a problem. Most will not begin therapy until your child is 2, but they can help determine what steps you need to take next to get your child in with an excellent therapist. They also can direct you in whether your city/county offers a free pediatric hearing screening and who to contact for that service. You can also contact your pediatrician, but most will refer you to these service providers anyway. We did try the private speech therapy route, but Easter Seals has some really incredible therapists that far exceeded the ones we found in private practice. Good luck!

Karen - posted on 06/17/2009

My son was like that,and now he won't stop talking. Some are early and some are late. It is a waiting game. Hang in there and things will happen. If not then get help.

Karen - posted on 06/17/2009

My son was like that,and now he won't stop talking. Some are early and some are late. It is a waiting game. Hang in there and things will happen. If not then get help.

AMBER - posted on 06/17/2009

you might want to try getting her to use a straw because that helps curl their tongue and practice tongue movments with her

Christine - posted on 06/17/2009

i once knew a girl with a four year old that she use to yell at all the time because he didn't do what she said, well finally after four years she finally took him to get his hearing checked and for sure he was 80% deaf in one ear and 100% in the other. that poor boy. it may be possible that she hears a little but not everything. anyhow the doctors said that if she would have got him to the doctor at a young age (like your daughters age NOW!!!) that they could have taught him how to use his hearing which i believe that it was the back left part of the brain that controls hearing. i cant remember but get her to the doctor right away. its hard to accept it now, but just think of the guilt my friend had because she could have made his life easier if she would have accepted it then. that's about the best suggestion i could advise or anyone else for that matter.lol. good luck, take her and let me know, i have a little girl going to be 12 and im 29 and she hates to admit that there might be a problem, but i have explained to her that if there is any problem we have to fix it now before it gets worse!ttyl

Janine - posted on 06/17/2009

My son was very much behind his little friends, (they were saying nursery rhymes before he said anything) but I never had the words you didn't understand with him, he just seemed to start talking very clearly so I never had the baby talk. Now he is no different from his friends so I really wouldn't worry at all.

Karla - posted on 06/17/2009

No worries, My son didn't really start talking until he was about 2 1/2 now he is saying too much! Time will tell. She'll talk, she's just taking it all in rught now.

Veronica - posted on 06/17/2009

Well first of all I dont want to say dont worry, you should make sure all medical issues are out of the picture. But to be honest, I have 4 children and all differnet experiences with them. My first son was speaking perfect sentences by 1 1/2 I was extreamly impressed, BUT my 2nd son would not speak a word until a month after he turned 3. I was soo worried he would never speak, I couldnt even get a sound out of him, and we had his hearing checked and I tried everything to make him speak. It got to the point he would rather walk away hungry with out his banana or apple because he wouldnt say the word and I wouldnt give it to him untill he spoke anything even baa nana or anything. But one month after he turned 3 it just happened, in a matter of minutes he just leaned over and started to talk in perfect sentenses, clear as day, no short sounds just straight forward clear words for everthing he wanted to say. It was amazing. Now I have twin girls 2 1/2, and there is a speach therarpist that comes to our house for the girls because they thought the girls were delayed. They do speak a few words finally, but most of the time they would speak between each other and I had read the twins develop their own type of language. I dont think they have 50 words between them but if anyone was to sit and watch them it was like they were talking a million words between each other. So to end it I would say it might just be one of those things were she is just waiting till she gets it right and then deside to talk. I hope when she does start to talk you have the patience for not being able to shut her up, lol GOOD LUCK and hope all goes well.

Dajana - posted on 06/17/2009

my little two year old didnt start really talking untill she actually hit two..she used to say only simple things like hi bye mama daddy and baba but now i cant stop her from talking and being loud...Also what helps is having another girl her age that does speak or a girl a little older then her and having them have play time 2 days a week or soemthing like that and then she can learn from the other girl thats also how my daugther started talking and walking was watching my friends kid do it

Dawn - posted on 06/17/2009

Jackie- I was reading this because I just click on this site today...Lots of great advice and I didn't read all the way down but....my daughter was the same...we had her hearing check BUT we also had her eyes....She needed glasses...at age 2 1/2 she got glasses and her vocabulary is growing everyday!! She is four and see a speech therapist!

Lin - posted on 06/17/2009

I dealt with the same thing with my son. I ended up taking him to speech ther. and to some extent, depending on the exact issue dealt with, I kinda think it's a b.s profession. I spent allot of time at home with him, reading him all sorts of stories, sowing him flash cards, ect. You constantly have to be creative and always talk through play, make it a point to express yourself in that tone that will grab her attention, eventually she will want to have that two way communication with you.

Rita - posted on 06/17/2009

I think it's good to rule out medical issues, but I suggest starting to learn some sign language to ease frustrations for you as well as for her.

My son has down syndrome and wasn't talking by 2, so we went to speech therapy where we started to work on speech sounds as well as learn sign language. The first signs took a week to master, and then after a while he was learning a new sign daily. My son is 7 now and didn't really start to say many words until he was 5. He did learn to communicate with signs and we knew 115 signs . Once he learned a word, he would stop using that sign.

Studies have shown that children who learn to sign, which is really the first step in communication, have an easier time learning to speak because they are already good communicaters. Babies as young as 6-8 months old can learn signs. My second son learned a few signs at that age without much prompting (he has no speech delay).

Although I was skeptical at first, I could now be the poster child for sign language.

Good luck to you!

Shannon - posted on 06/17/2009

Be patient! My 19 month old just started talking a few weeks ago. I think some children are happy to just sit back and soak it all in, then one day they start chatting up a storm! I think she is learning a great deal from your excercises with her, maybe she just hasnt quite realized how to form the sounds of expression yet. Does she have any ear problems? I think that also makes it harder for toddlers, but its nothing that in time they wont outgrow..

Laura - posted on 06/17/2009

hi my son is now 2 and a half and he onli started speaking a few months ago i was always worried that he wasnt talking but he seems to of just started picking up words he isnt as good as other children his age but hes getting there just hold on she minght not be ready yet.

Darlene - posted on 06/17/2009

Actually walking at 13 months is not considered late. Everyone thinks their kid is suppose to be walking at 12 months when in actuality the norm age for walking is 15 months. So 12 13 months is considered early. If you are concerned bring it up to your pediatrician and i gaurntee you he won't be concerned until she is two. You can always call Early Intervention on your own... The earlier the better and if it's nothing she will take right to it and will start talking and if it is something more you got her speech services early and it will only benefit her in the long run...Good luck

Karen - posted on 06/17/2009

Definately have her tested. Her hearing should be tested and she should see someone about speech issues. Ask your pediatrician to direct you to whoever they feel you should see. However, if you do not feel that your doctor is taking it seriously or sending you in the right direction, take it upon yourself to get your child tested. My son is hearing impaired and I had to do all the speech stuff early on. I am a huge advocate for early intervention. It works wonders and children do catch up to their peers. Please have her checked out - have her hearing checked, see a speech pathologist and I even took my son to a child psychologist to make sure there were no other causes. There are many reasons why this could be happening - Early intervention can works wonders! You would never know my son is hearing impaired to hear him talk - early intervention was wonderful and he caught up with his peers.



The best of luck to you and your little one!

Christine - posted on 06/16/2009

My daughter didn't start talking until she was three years old!! She had the hearing test which was fine, she just needed more time. She's now a wonderfully intelligent 5 year old.

Carol - posted on 06/16/2009

Hi Jackie, my daughter now 22 took her time to talk, I spoke to her all of the time, all children decide when they want to communicate and how, do as you are doing she will one day surprise you. Perhaps, toddler programs with pop up words will entice her...Patience! good luck!

L Allison - posted on 06/16/2009

Your daughter sounds like my son, except for now he his 2 and still isn't talking very much at all. I expressed my concern to my family dr and where my son had multiple ear infections he referred us to and ENT who assured us that his hearing is fine. I also took him to a Child Wellness Clinic where I was able to express my concerns to a Speech and Language Pathologist. She advised that he is lacking in speech but that kids vary in age and speech and that some kids are just lazy in speaking. She did advise me to get him on the list for a speech therapist and in the mean time to keep working with him and if he starts to increase his vocabulary to cancel the appointment. Hope that this helps.

Verlene - posted on 06/16/2009

there may not be a thing wrong with her 2 of my kids were quick at talking and 2 were almost 2 before they talk, always talk to your dr about you concerns good luck

Dawne - posted on 06/16/2009

I am now 45, my mother said I didn't talk until i was 2.5 years old, now that I have 45, my husband says that is all I do...Is she developing in other areas, talk to your pediatrician with your concerns..

JOANNE - posted on 06/16/2009

my daughter was 2 weeks early she took a little longer to talk i do recommend early intervention it works miracles with every angle for your child. I also say be open minded because once my daughter went to day care it became very difficult with her not speaking. She is now 5 and you can't get her to be quiet she still receives speech therapy at school going into kindergarten in Sept.

Glendeen - posted on 06/16/2009

I'm not a doctor or a specialist but I think she is prob just soaking everything in and one day whether its tomorrow or another few months she will just all of a sudden start shooting out all the words that she knows! Also like you said probably just a little stubborn they know they can get what they want whether they say it or not.

Glendeen - posted on 06/16/2009

I'm not a doctor or a specialist but I think she is prob just soaking everything in and one day whether its tomorrow or another few months she will just all of a sudden start shooting out all the words that she knows! Also like you said probably just a little stubborn they know they can get what they want whether they say it or not.

Glendeen - posted on 06/16/2009

I'm not a doctor or a specialist but I think she is prob just soaking everything in and one day whether its tomorrow or another few months she will just all of a sudden start shooting out all the words that she knows! Also like you said probably just a little stubborn they know they can get what they want whether they say it or not.

Glendeen - posted on 06/16/2009

I'm not a doctor or a specialist but I think she is prob just soaking everything in and one day whether its tomorrow or another few months she will just all of a sudden start shooting out all the words that she knows! Also like you said probably just a little stubborn they know they can get what they want whether they say it or not.

Tricia-Mari - posted on 06/16/2009

Would agree about the hearing test my son is coming on two and says very little and you can't really make out what he says he has to show you while saying it and I have to look at him when talking when I took him to an ear clinic they said he has glue ear and no other doctor picked it up except my current one that I am going to now.

Audriana - posted on 06/15/2009

My son is 17m and doesn't talk much much. he knows what everything is, and if he's feeling adventurous will talk. it could be that shes just being lazy. if she hasn't said any words then do have concern. but shes gotten u used to point and grab so she doesn't feel the need to talk

Holly - posted on 06/15/2009

Hearing loss or not talking is not one signof being Autistic ,there are manny others does she shy away from every one even kids her own age ?i would start off having hearing tested cause seh proubly has fluid built up and cant hear rite !

Holly - posted on 06/15/2009

hello i would highly recomend going to the dr and have her ears check and have them look for fluid in her ears ,my son had the same exct same thing !we went to a ears nose dr and he said most deffontaly he needs tubes ,cause when he hears you or any one it sounds muffled or like under water ,you also can go to a web site from yahoo its a book i have called HELP ME TALK from ages 1-3 wonderfull topic to help you with suggestions !I ad the tubes put in and that day he was talking much better he now says mamam,dadada,bottle ,nanana ,cat dog he can hear air plains ,hear a fan in the room cause he now will look up !I dont know were you live but here in michigan we have a help program its called Eariy on ,they help with speach verry good .also call your local school adminastration building and ask if they have speach help for toddlers she will have to take a test and see but the sounds she will quilifiy ,also talk to your dr ,see what they know if they can help some insurences will pay to , hope im able to help if you have any questions look me up i would love to help u ,oh and by the way if she does need tubes ,its not bad at all ,i know sounds horrable i was a nervous reck but it only took 5-10 min and if they say yes still do it and ask if you can go in the operating room you will feel much better !thats a nother helpfull advice GOOD LUCK ,BEST OF WISHES

Aislinn - posted on 06/15/2009

No suggestions sorry, but my brother started talking at 6 months.. I started when I was 3 yrs 2 months... It doesn't mean there is anything wrong, each child is different.

Once I started, I NEVER stopped! :) Goodluck!

Alicia - posted on 06/15/2009

I had the same "issue" with my son and we were getting worried, but he finally began talking and rapidly learning new words by 21-22mos. His pediatrician told us that if it got to 2yr, then be worried, but he did it. Just make sure she is understanding what you are telling her, such as being able to follow a command that is a true indicator, at least according my his doctor, that there isn't any developmental problems, she may be just waiting.

Jinglebones - posted on 06/15/2009

It is not unusual - between now and 2.5 you should see an explosion of words. I am more interested in if she understands what you are saying - it sounds like she is trying to communicate through her gestures and sounds; if you ask her a simple instruction like *give me your dolly* or *where is the ball*, can she respond appropriately. Also, there are lots of easy ways you can enrich her language environment - i.e. label everything, keep it simple, (truck, yellow truck), try doing OWL - Observe, wait, listen - young children need lots of room to produce words, and remember, the consistent use of an approximation (ruck, ba, baba, ju) equals a word (truck, ball, bottle, juice) (note: children can take a long time to get all of the phonetic sounds like s-t-c-p, sometimes until age 7, so do not worry about this part), as do gestures and signs - my 2.5 year old still uses the sign for more when he says mo or plus (we are a bilingual family and he did not say much at all until 2 - he now does 3-4 word sentences in english - my mother tongue, and 1-2 word sentences in french - his fathers mother tongue). There may be a point at which you become concerned, but I would give her 6-8 months before becoming overly concerned. I am a child development specialist, and I was getting a little worried about my guy, but I just kept labelling and giving him lots of opportunities (hard to do when the have an older sibling always talking for them). I also like the little trick of playing dumb - pretending you do not know what they want to motivate them a little. Again, if they do not produce a word, I just encourage my guy to show me. Communication requires effort so provide her with lots of opportunities. Good luck, and also, trust your instincts but know that language development varies widely between children - try not to compare her to other kids too much.

Angela - posted on 06/15/2009

My daughter, Ambrielle will be two on the 26th and she doesn't talk either. I am going to ask her Dr. about her tonsils. I have heard that some kids have troubles talking when they have large tonsils and my son had to have his removed because they were overly large.

Terry - posted on 06/15/2009

My daughter is almost 10 and at 18 months she didnt say more then mama or dada and if she edid learn a new word she forgot one. We had her tested through Indiana's First Steps program and her hearing was fine (she has never had a ear infection) they had her in speech, devlopmental, sensory theroys. SHe was later Dxed with severe childhood apraxia of speech and SSI. She does talk a lot more now but it took theropies and working with her. If your gut says something is wrong then follow that. It took me going 4 hours away (i lived in a very small town) to the childrens hospital for us to get DX on what was wrong. Its better to be proven wrong then not follow your gut! THats my personal thoughts. Keep working with her and follow you heart and soul!!!

Jennifer - posted on 06/15/2009

My son was a late talker. We were very concerned, as he was 2 and could only say 5 words. We tried sign language, but he didn't take to it. He just made noises and pointed at what he wanted. We spoke to our pediatrician several times about this, since he was 18 months and when he turned 2 we had him tested. He was speech delayed, and we were able to get him a speech aide, and a speech thereapist to come out to the house 3 days a week to help him. We were also able to get him into the preschool for special needs kids at the local elementary school when he turned 3. Now he is going into 1st grade, and he is in the top of his class. His test scores are amazing, he is at a 2nd grade level. You would never know that he was speech delayed. My advice is to be persistent about it, and have your daughter tested no later than 2 years old. Keep on the doctors, I have seen children in my son's kindergarten class who are speech delayed and didn't get the help they needed. Now they are a year behind. Don't ever give up, it can get very frustrating but there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. During the time when we were dealing with my son's speech problem, we were dealing with his older sister who has JRA (Juvenille Rheumatoid Arthritis), and whe was only 4. Things were stressful, but we're very happy that we never gave up.

Jennifer - posted on 06/15/2009

My son was a late talker. We were very concerned, as he was 2 and could only say 5 words. We tried sign language, but he didn't take to it. He just made noises and pointed at what he wanted. We spoke to our pediatrician several times about this, since he was 18 months and when he turned 2 we had him tested. He was speech delayed, and we were able to get him a speech aide, and a speech thereapist to come out to the house 3 days a week to help him. We were also able to get him into the preschool for special needs kids at the local elementary school when he turned 3. Now he is going into 1st grade, and he is in the top of his class. His test scores are amazing, he is at a 2nd grade level. You would never know that he was speech delayed. My advice is to be persistent about it, and have your daughter tested no later than 2 years old. Keep on the doctors, I have seen children in my son's kindergarten class who are speech delayed and didn't get the help they needed. Now they are a year behind. Don't ever give up, it can get very frustrating but there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. During the time when we were dealing with my son's speech problem, we were dealing with his older sister who has JRA (Juvenille Rheumatoid Arthritis), and whe was only 4. Things were stressful, but we're very happy that we never gave up.

Michelle - posted on 06/15/2009

my little girl never started talking till she was two we had the normal mummy etc so i took her the the docters a few tests later and a few months she can not hear out the right ear which i was told was the problem with her late talking but she all ok now still a little behind at school but we know why

Shanasia - posted on 06/15/2009

Not to worry. I had that same worry, especially when an emergency room doctor asked my 2 yr old son "where did it hurt?" and I told the doctor he didn't talk yet, and the idiot doctor responded with "Oh. Are you sure he isn't autistic?" What new parent needs to hear that? Thank goodness I was in a parenting program at my church at the time, and not too long after that incident in the emergency room, they had a pediatrician come in and talk to us parents. I asked him about my son not talking yet and he laughed and told me matter-of-factly, that I had nothing to worry about. He assured me that when he did start talking I would wish he would be quiet. He wasn't lying. My son started talking not long after that and has not stopped He is a motor mouth and know it all, and I love every minute of it.

So my advice to you is patience. Be patient. Talk to her and definitely have her around other kids as much as possible. That really helps. Good luck and God Bless.

Kelly - posted on 06/15/2009

I wouldn't worry yet. I have four young kids and none of them started talking till right around when they turned 2.

Corina - posted on 06/15/2009

Hi



I live in NJ. And we have a great support system here. With Early Intervention. My son didn't talk either. I had Early Intervention come to the house and do evaluations. I also took him to Hackensack Hospital (the Childrens Hospital-section). They did speech evaluation, OT evaluation, PT evaluations, hearing tests, etc. Then I had a speciality doctor do her evaluation on him. He was receiving speech at our house twice a week.



Now that my son is three, he attends a pre-k program. With eight children in total. Thru the public school. He has one main teacher and there are three aides in the room. He loves it!! And he really is talking more now. He also receives speech once a week there. And they also have group speech once a week. Then he receives OT twice a week in school.



Let me know if this is helpful. But I would get in touch with Early Intervention. And even call a hospital in your area. And ask about having your daughter evaluated. And hearing checked as well.

Lisa - posted on 06/15/2009

Post a reply! don't rush her it will come when she is ready my youngest child did not start talking or walking until he was 2 now he does not stop ,if you are really worried go to your health visitor

Kelly - posted on 06/15/2009

I wouldn't worry yet. I have four young kids and none of them started talking till right around when they turned 2.

Kelly - posted on 06/15/2009

I wouldn't worry yet. I have four young kids and none of them started talking till right around when they turned 2.

Sneaky - posted on 06/15/2009

My baby girl is three and (according to the speech therapist) is about eight months behind in her talking - she wasn't talking at eighteen months either but there is nothing wrong with her, she is just a late bloomer.



Some practical tips (you may have already got these, I did not read all the posts before mine :o) -

No dummies (and yes I know how hard that is!!!!!!!)

No 'sippy' cups with spouts or bottles with teats, only grown up cups for drinking

If you can, start her in daycare one day a week - exposure to other kids and competition with them for attention will get her talking faster than anything else!



Good luck :o)

Alida - posted on 06/15/2009

Don't stress too much, I have a nephew who will be three next month and he still refuses to talk. He has just begun to say no to things, and every now and then we will hear him singing to himself, but he just won't talk! Give her time, she'll surprise you when you least expect it.

Christa - posted on 06/15/2009

No worries, she's retaining all that information. She will begin speaking when she is confident that she can communicate what she has retained to those around her. The next time she wants something, instead of assuming what she wants, act as if you don't understand, which will allow her the opportunity to express herself.

Dot - posted on 06/15/2009

My daughter was the same at that age, she is 2 and 8 months now and i can't get her stop talking. Try writing down everything she says over a few weeks and then add the words up, you will probably find that she talks quite alot. With my daughter i just stopped getting her what she wanted until she asked for it properly, sounds horrible but it saved my sanity, it does get worse before it gets better though.

Rhionna - posted on 06/15/2009

Hi Jackie,



Are you in the UK? If so, they tend to wait top do speech therapy until they are 2. My son is 2 1/2 and is having speech therapy, he doesn't even point to things and is undergoing tests for various things, he is possibly autistic.

It sounds to me like she is just a bit lazy but it's good that your doctor is checking her over!

My speech therapist suggested toy instuments to help him to make different shapes with his mouth and we've also used a book called "baby talk" by Dr Sally Ward which has been a big help. We are also using some very simple signs which we have learnt by watching Something Special on CBeebies. Try not to worry as she IS communicating with you! Just hang on in there! x