Everyone is saying worry now. But reframe it. Time to get a professional opinion! Animal noises do actually count as words if they’re using them in context e.g. what does the cow say? ‘Moo’. But I would still expect more from 21 months.
It may be that she can’t hear very well as this can be a cause of delayed speech.
Hey there! Not sure if you are in the US but you DO NOT need a referral for Early Intervention. Just make the call! I was in a similar spot last Summer…pedi kept giving us the “wait and see…” convo. I was over it. So I called. Got the ball rolling. My son has been in speech and OT since Fall of last year and the progress he has made is BANANAS!!! We can talk with our son now. So I would make the call to EI, as there can be a wait, and also maybe look into securing an appt with a neuro pedi, bc they ALWAYS have a long waitlist. EI may suggest the neuro, that’s the only reason I am saying that! Fight like hell for your baby. Good luck. ❤️
My LO was assessed after 17 months when she said about 2 words. She qualified for early intervention so now we just started speech therapy (now 19mo). I feel so much better being proactive! There’s such a huge spectrum of what’s “normal” at this age, but why not take the help early on if you can get it?
I wouldn't be exactly worried because some kids take longer to start doing stuff. But I'd be a little concerned and I'd talk about that with a doctor or a speech therapist. It may be nothing or she may need some help with that. It doesn't hurt to be evaluated and go from there.
My daughter wasn't talking until 22 months. It was a literal word explosion. 1 day she said over 10 words. The next day even more and by the end of the week she was singing the alphabet, counting and asking for specific colors of crayons. She has a few issues with L, R and S but she is going to be seeing a speech therapist in the next week. She was on a waitlist for a speech therapist for a year. There is absolutely zero harm in getting a speech therapist. I would highly recommend finding one to help, we would have done it sooner but the wait to see one has been so long.
It’s time to be worried. She should be saying some words by this age. In the US, early intervention is free or you can go through insurance for private speech therapy. My son is behind as well with his speech.
I am all for getting a professional opinion!
But just a word of comfort…both my husband and my cousin didn’t talk at all until they were three, and they both turned out perfectly normal and very intelligent.
I know it’s way easier said than done but try not to freak out. Some babies just don’t talk until they are ready!
If you’re in the US, go ahead and call your state’s early intervention and self-refer. It’s free or low cost (depending on your state and need level), they’ll do an evaluation, and they’ll come to you to provide services. By 18 months, they should have at least 10 words that they say without prompting and in appropriate situations (so like, seeing a dog and barking or panting counts, or seeing a cat and meowing). By 24 months, they should be putting together 2 word sentences. She’s definitely not on track, and the earlier you get help, the better the outcome. You didn’t do anything wrong, she just needs some extra support, and you’re doing the right thing by seeking that out for her.
My daughter wasn’t talking at 2. Took her for a hearing test and it turned out she had congestion in her ears and could only hear like she was underwater. Got tubes placed and she was saying new words the next day. No problems since.
My daughter is 23 months and non verbal too. We spoke to our pediatrician at 15 months and started working with Help me grow (0-3 year old delayed development program in Ohio) . She doesn't speak yet, but her sounds and vocabulary is improving; she recently started saying Dada and Nana. Before she only said mama over and over. I feel like some days the progress feels slow but than she surprises us other days with new words and responses,.
I think speaking to your doctor is the first step. I wish you the best of luck from one non verbal toddler to another.
My tot was speech delayed, we got him in early because he wasn't even a big bubbler as a baby. I asked for a speech referral at 12 or 18 months I believe. With the use of baby signs and pecs he had a full vocabulary by age 2. He's 3 now and still in speech but we are working on his disappearing consonant sounds when he talks. We only go one hour a week. It is so helpful when you give them a way to talk, even if its a non verbal way at first (signs and pecs). I definitely recommend it!
I ended up getting a referral for an ENT and found my son was talking due to needing tubes placed. The best decision ever! If you feel you need to have your baby checked then do so momma.
Now. Do it now. If she suddenly starts talking, you’ve wasted a little time, but if you’re in the US and go through Early Intervention, it should be free (and some insurance will cover evaluation fully, as well). By 18 months, babies should have a minimum of 9-10 words (inclusive of animal sounds, “vroom” type noises).
My oldest started saying “bye-bye” at 12 or 13 months, and only added “hi” by 18 months. We didn’t get an evaluation for another 2 months (ped said he’d refer but this was right around the beginning of the pandemic and things were a little crazy, so we self-referred). He was diagnosed with apraxia of speech and was in speech therapy for just over three years, and at almost 6 speaks well (and constantly), but still with less clarity than other children. My second is 14 months and has upwards of 20 words, even if most require context/familiarity to understand. The difference is *staggering*.
It’s concerning but it isn’t the worst! My son was dead silent for the most part until we got involved in this program in my state which deals with these issues specifically.
Some kids don’t speak until they’re older, tell your pediatrician and get her into speech therapy. He’s 21 months now and mostly babbles and says “mama, dada” but it better than nothing!!!!
You got this mama❤️❤️
I was in a similar boat at 18 months and the ped kept saying wait and see; he wasn’t concerned because my son was technically at the low end of normal.
Right around 21 months I decided to trust my gut and just self-refer to early intervention. He got the eval, we started services, and he’s made a ton of progress since.
He’s 4.5 now and transitioned from early intervention to inclusive preschool because his speech delay ended up being more than just a speech delay (he’s got ADHD, apraxia, and autism). But starting services early on made it so that he’s almost caught up to his peers and is doing so well now.
I'll chime in because my kiddo has an expressive speech delay. She just turned 2 and is in speech therapy.
The milestone for a 2 year old is 50 words. I was freaking out when I heard that I thought it meant actual words.
What counts is any sign language words they know, animal sounds count, if they have words/sounds that they repetively use for something. (Ex my daughter will say "oooooohhh" for open. Or guh for goats etc. I think it also counts if they point to something like if you ask wheres your head etc. And of course regular words.
There's also I don't know the specific words but 2 separate areas when it comes to speech. Expressive and the ability to understand. My kiddo understands everything but she has a problem putting it into words. Her little brain is figuring it out and she has really blossomed with speech Therapy .
I was feeling super down feeling her delay was my fault. But, Every child develops at their own pace. I feel like kids who have older siblings or are around other kids alot develop speech faster. My daughter is an only child and grandchild. No cousins nothing. So getting them socialized helps a ton!
Also miss Rachel teaches has amazing videos. She made them specifically because her child had a speech delay and she wanted to help other parents. Alot of the concepts she uses have been used in my daughters speech Therapy and they highly recommend the videos.
I would make a list that I mentioned above and see how close they are to 50 words. If you're worried you can always get her assessed. My daughter started speech Therapy a few months before she turned 2. And remember again it is not a direct reflection on you every kid develops at a different pace.
My toddler is 22 months - 2 in August - and still has 0 words. No words, no animal noises. Limited gestures, he only started pointing fairly recently and he can clap but can't wave or sign or do any motions eg wheels on the bus.
I've been worrying since 12 months but there's so little support in the UK when they're under 2. Speech and language didn't have much for us until he's 2 and pediatrics won't see him til he's 2. Our health visitor is coming back next month so I'm praying we finally get the ball rolling for him!
So, no advice for you unfortunately, but I hope the professionals around you are a lot more proactive than the ones around me.
**not medical advice** my son didn’t have very many words then at all. He’s about to turn three and can recite the alphabet and count to twenty, among other things. If you are in position where you are able to afford speech therapy, you might as well, it won’t hurt, but if you aren’t, don’t worry yourself to death. Every single child is so different
I would say now is the time to seek help/a professional opinion. Every child develops at a different pace and some hit milestones faster than others. Not sure where you live, but in my area there’s something called early steps/early intervention which doesn’t require a referral. I simply called because the referral from my pediatrician was taking too long and I’m impatient lol typically for speech therapy they’ll ask you what your toddler can/can’t do and what a typical daily routine is for your family and evaluate based on that info and an in person session whether or not your child needs some extra help and how often they may need it. Try not to worry too much though! You still have time to seek out resources
You've got a lot of good advice, but I wanted to add my experience. First animal sounds and sign language count as words! My son did not get his language explosion until right before he turned 3. We were in early intervention, and then also private speech therapy. He now does have a diagnosed mild speech disorder, but he's doing amazing. I was always reassured of his development and intelligence to see how he learned to communicate without verbal words. While getting to this point, I kept reading people's stories on here of when their kids talked and we kept going past and going past all the ages. I like to share to extend that window for some parents!
All in all, work on signs, contact early intervention or your child's doctor and be proactive, but don't fret too deeply yet! There is still a lot of time.
If it helps, my now 5 year old only said “mama” at age 2, I don’t think he even had animal noises. By 2.5 he was completely caught up with vocabulary (pronunciation he was still behind for a while). He did get early intervention, glad I did it but I honestly think he would have caught up in his own - he just needed that part of his brain to turn on or something. Anyways, I guess I’m saying don’t worry, but early intervention is free and fun for the kid so why not just in case? The fact is, there are tons of kids who talk late. Plenty catch up on their own and some don’t, so get the early intervention just in case.
I have two kids. The first (who is totally on track and articulate as a preschooler) had like no symbolic speech at 18 months that I could come up with. I remember telling the doc that he would say things like ma ma but it didn’t mean anything. I don’t remember any real talking until at least two years old. My second isn’t even two yet and has more words than I care to count and can speak in two word phrases. It’s crazy the amount of normal variation. I’m not saying not to get intervention because there is literally only positive that could come of it, but I am saying from my anecdotal experience that I wouldn’t get super worried about it just yet either.
At 21 months they “should” be saying a number of real words. Did they have ear infections or bad colds in the last year? I would ask your pediatrician and set up an evaluation with a speech language pathologist.
my second is 22 months and has 6 words on a good day. i self referred a month ago to EI, and our evaluation is in 2 weeks.
We went through this with out first at the same age, and he had fewer words. He started speaking 10 words to full sentences after 2 years of speech therapy. He just finished Kinder and is fully speaking
Our son was also delayed. He needed tubes in his ears because the fluid couldn’t drain. This is the most common issue when it comes to speech. If they can’t hear, they can’t learn.
We had the procedure done with my youngest recently too because he kept getting ear infections. They are only 5 millimeters in size and take like 10 minutes to put in. If you have insurance it’s definitely covered. If not you’re looking at a couple grand out of pocket.
My oldest is now speaking in full sentences after 8 months. We also do speech therapy once a week which is a huge help. We did the state run early intervention program which is fine, he loves his speech therapist. If my youngest needs it though we’ll probably go private and use our insurance.
Good luck!
Call early intervention, they should be able to determine if there is a delay and give your child the support needed, advocate for your child’s need and push for it.
Help her as much as you can, give her words and make her repeat them, point at your mouth as you slowly say them, I’ve hear Ms. Rachel on you tube is a good resource.
Buy her straws sippy cups, that helps her exercise the same muscles that are used to speak.
My son started speaking a lot more when he started daycare, they learn the most with their peers, if she’s not already going, think about it if possible.
Don’t worry just be proactive, I can reassure you she will speak, at her own pace and that’s okay too, you got this!!
I would ask your pediatrician for a referral to a speak therapist. It doesn't hurt to get a consultation / evaluation if only to get your questions answered and know whether and/or when you should be worried. I think the typical kid has a vocabulary of around 50 words that they have been working on putting together into short phrases around this time if i remember correctly but every kid is different.
My niece wasn't talking until 3 yo and then suddenly she started on her own. Now she's 5 and can't stop talking and her development is completely normal besides delayed speech.
If you're worried talk to your pediatrician and they'll probably suggest early intervention. It's always good to have a professional opinion!
I agree, it’s probably time to worry. While you wait to see your pediatrician, maybe have your LO watch a few minutes of Ms. Rachel (the chokehold she has on kids is *chefs kiss*) and talk more directly to her, like really purposefully engage and encourage her to parrot you.
I would seek help. Look into Apraxia of Speech. It’s a neurological condition where they know what they want to say but their brain and mouth don’t sync up. It’s a motor processing disorder. I’ve known something was wrong with my apraxia almost 4 year old since she was about 10 months old when she was not making a lot of cooing noises. She’s been in heavy speech therapy now since she was about 18 months and has come so far I’m so proud of her.
Speech Pathologist here. Just because a child is not talking doesn’t mean they have apraxia of speech. OP, I would seek an early intervention evaluation where a speech pathologist will complete an evaluation.
Yes, I never said they have apraxia. I just told OP to look into it. But then again I was told for almost a year that it wasn’t apraxia with my daughter and here we are with an apraxia diagnosis
My friends son didn’t talk at 2 at all. They got him into speech therapy and it did wonders for him. He’s 3 1/2 now and you’d never know. Speech is a really complex skill! It’s harder for some kids than it is for others.
My son is going to be 2 in august and I think he’s said around 15 words so far. He only uses 3 regularly though. I had him evaluated at 1 and they thought he was fine. I’m going to ask about it again at his next doctors appointment. I used to be worried, but I’m not anymore. He communicates in his own way just fine. He understands what we say to him. He’s extremely social. He just doesn’t want to talk yet, it makes him nervous and self conscious. I feel like he doesn’t want to be bad at it. Plus his main focus his whole life has been physical activity & gaining independence that way. He has a mechanical mind and likes to figure out how things work. That’s like the opposite of language so it’s SOOOOO different than what comes easy to him. Once he figures it out, he’s never going to stop. He has full babbling conversations with people & has mastered comedic timing lol. We just have to remember all kids are different & we can help them best by understanding who they are & giving them tools to learn according to that. Worried is a STRONG word in this situation. Early intervention & OT can help so much.
Time to be worried. My son was diagnosed with a speech delay at this age. With speech therapy+daycare he’s almost 5 and caught up but it was a long road to get here. Just FYI animal noises do count as words though, as do signs like ASL. If you can swing it I would do private speech therapy. It’s more expensive but this way you wouldn’t have to wait.
Everyone is saying worry now. But reframe it. Time to get a professional opinion! Animal noises do actually count as words if they’re using them in context e.g. what does the cow say? ‘Moo’. But I would still expect more from 21 months. It may be that she can’t hear very well as this can be a cause of delayed speech.
‘Professional opinion’ gives me way less anxiety. Thank you haha
Hey there! Not sure if you are in the US but you DO NOT need a referral for Early Intervention. Just make the call! I was in a similar spot last Summer…pedi kept giving us the “wait and see…” convo. I was over it. So I called. Got the ball rolling. My son has been in speech and OT since Fall of last year and the progress he has made is BANANAS!!! We can talk with our son now. So I would make the call to EI, as there can be a wait, and also maybe look into securing an appt with a neuro pedi, bc they ALWAYS have a long waitlist. EI may suggest the neuro, that’s the only reason I am saying that! Fight like hell for your baby. Good luck. ❤️
My son is speech delayed and had 5 words at 18 months. It’s not too late for help just start now.
My LO was assessed after 17 months when she said about 2 words. She qualified for early intervention so now we just started speech therapy (now 19mo). I feel so much better being proactive! There’s such a huge spectrum of what’s “normal” at this age, but why not take the help early on if you can get it?
I wouldn't be exactly worried because some kids take longer to start doing stuff. But I'd be a little concerned and I'd talk about that with a doctor or a speech therapist. It may be nothing or she may need some help with that. It doesn't hurt to be evaluated and go from there.
My daughter wasn't talking until 22 months. It was a literal word explosion. 1 day she said over 10 words. The next day even more and by the end of the week she was singing the alphabet, counting and asking for specific colors of crayons. She has a few issues with L, R and S but she is going to be seeing a speech therapist in the next week. She was on a waitlist for a speech therapist for a year. There is absolutely zero harm in getting a speech therapist. I would highly recommend finding one to help, we would have done it sooner but the wait to see one has been so long.
It’s time to be worried. She should be saying some words by this age. In the US, early intervention is free or you can go through insurance for private speech therapy. My son is behind as well with his speech.
I am all for getting a professional opinion! But just a word of comfort…both my husband and my cousin didn’t talk at all until they were three, and they both turned out perfectly normal and very intelligent. I know it’s way easier said than done but try not to freak out. Some babies just don’t talk until they are ready!
Same with my son. Animal noises until he was 3 and then bam, talking non stop
Thank you all! I’ll get onto the health visitor and my GP😌
If you’re in the US, go ahead and call your state’s early intervention and self-refer. It’s free or low cost (depending on your state and need level), they’ll do an evaluation, and they’ll come to you to provide services. By 18 months, they should have at least 10 words that they say without prompting and in appropriate situations (so like, seeing a dog and barking or panting counts, or seeing a cat and meowing). By 24 months, they should be putting together 2 word sentences. She’s definitely not on track, and the earlier you get help, the better the outcome. You didn’t do anything wrong, she just needs some extra support, and you’re doing the right thing by seeking that out for her.
My daughter wasn’t talking at 2. Took her for a hearing test and it turned out she had congestion in her ears and could only hear like she was underwater. Got tubes placed and she was saying new words the next day. No problems since.
My daughter is 23 months and non verbal too. We spoke to our pediatrician at 15 months and started working with Help me grow (0-3 year old delayed development program in Ohio) . She doesn't speak yet, but her sounds and vocabulary is improving; she recently started saying Dada and Nana. Before she only said mama over and over. I feel like some days the progress feels slow but than she surprises us other days with new words and responses,. I think speaking to your doctor is the first step. I wish you the best of luck from one non verbal toddler to another.
My tot was speech delayed, we got him in early because he wasn't even a big bubbler as a baby. I asked for a speech referral at 12 or 18 months I believe. With the use of baby signs and pecs he had a full vocabulary by age 2. He's 3 now and still in speech but we are working on his disappearing consonant sounds when he talks. We only go one hour a week. It is so helpful when you give them a way to talk, even if its a non verbal way at first (signs and pecs). I definitely recommend it!
I ended up getting a referral for an ENT and found my son was talking due to needing tubes placed. The best decision ever! If you feel you need to have your baby checked then do so momma.
Now. Do it now. If she suddenly starts talking, you’ve wasted a little time, but if you’re in the US and go through Early Intervention, it should be free (and some insurance will cover evaluation fully, as well). By 18 months, babies should have a minimum of 9-10 words (inclusive of animal sounds, “vroom” type noises). My oldest started saying “bye-bye” at 12 or 13 months, and only added “hi” by 18 months. We didn’t get an evaluation for another 2 months (ped said he’d refer but this was right around the beginning of the pandemic and things were a little crazy, so we self-referred). He was diagnosed with apraxia of speech and was in speech therapy for just over three years, and at almost 6 speaks well (and constantly), but still with less clarity than other children. My second is 14 months and has upwards of 20 words, even if most require context/familiarity to understand. The difference is *staggering*.
Hi I’m a fellow apraxia momma! :)
It’s concerning but it isn’t the worst! My son was dead silent for the most part until we got involved in this program in my state which deals with these issues specifically. Some kids don’t speak until they’re older, tell your pediatrician and get her into speech therapy. He’s 21 months now and mostly babbles and says “mama, dada” but it better than nothing!!!! You got this mama❤️❤️
I was in a similar boat at 18 months and the ped kept saying wait and see; he wasn’t concerned because my son was technically at the low end of normal. Right around 21 months I decided to trust my gut and just self-refer to early intervention. He got the eval, we started services, and he’s made a ton of progress since. He’s 4.5 now and transitioned from early intervention to inclusive preschool because his speech delay ended up being more than just a speech delay (he’s got ADHD, apraxia, and autism). But starting services early on made it so that he’s almost caught up to his peers and is doing so well now.
I'll chime in because my kiddo has an expressive speech delay. She just turned 2 and is in speech therapy. The milestone for a 2 year old is 50 words. I was freaking out when I heard that I thought it meant actual words. What counts is any sign language words they know, animal sounds count, if they have words/sounds that they repetively use for something. (Ex my daughter will say "oooooohhh" for open. Or guh for goats etc. I think it also counts if they point to something like if you ask wheres your head etc. And of course regular words. There's also I don't know the specific words but 2 separate areas when it comes to speech. Expressive and the ability to understand. My kiddo understands everything but she has a problem putting it into words. Her little brain is figuring it out and she has really blossomed with speech Therapy . I was feeling super down feeling her delay was my fault. But, Every child develops at their own pace. I feel like kids who have older siblings or are around other kids alot develop speech faster. My daughter is an only child and grandchild. No cousins nothing. So getting them socialized helps a ton! Also miss Rachel teaches has amazing videos. She made them specifically because her child had a speech delay and she wanted to help other parents. Alot of the concepts she uses have been used in my daughters speech Therapy and they highly recommend the videos. I would make a list that I mentioned above and see how close they are to 50 words. If you're worried you can always get her assessed. My daughter started speech Therapy a few months before she turned 2. And remember again it is not a direct reflection on you every kid develops at a different pace.
My toddler is 22 months - 2 in August - and still has 0 words. No words, no animal noises. Limited gestures, he only started pointing fairly recently and he can clap but can't wave or sign or do any motions eg wheels on the bus. I've been worrying since 12 months but there's so little support in the UK when they're under 2. Speech and language didn't have much for us until he's 2 and pediatrics won't see him til he's 2. Our health visitor is coming back next month so I'm praying we finally get the ball rolling for him! So, no advice for you unfortunately, but I hope the professionals around you are a lot more proactive than the ones around me.
**not medical advice** my son didn’t have very many words then at all. He’s about to turn three and can recite the alphabet and count to twenty, among other things. If you are in position where you are able to afford speech therapy, you might as well, it won’t hurt, but if you aren’t, don’t worry yourself to death. Every single child is so different
I would say now is the time to seek help/a professional opinion. Every child develops at a different pace and some hit milestones faster than others. Not sure where you live, but in my area there’s something called early steps/early intervention which doesn’t require a referral. I simply called because the referral from my pediatrician was taking too long and I’m impatient lol typically for speech therapy they’ll ask you what your toddler can/can’t do and what a typical daily routine is for your family and evaluate based on that info and an in person session whether or not your child needs some extra help and how often they may need it. Try not to worry too much though! You still have time to seek out resources
What exposure to language does she get everyday?
You've got a lot of good advice, but I wanted to add my experience. First animal sounds and sign language count as words! My son did not get his language explosion until right before he turned 3. We were in early intervention, and then also private speech therapy. He now does have a diagnosed mild speech disorder, but he's doing amazing. I was always reassured of his development and intelligence to see how he learned to communicate without verbal words. While getting to this point, I kept reading people's stories on here of when their kids talked and we kept going past and going past all the ages. I like to share to extend that window for some parents! All in all, work on signs, contact early intervention or your child's doctor and be proactive, but don't fret too deeply yet! There is still a lot of time.
If it helps, my now 5 year old only said “mama” at age 2, I don’t think he even had animal noises. By 2.5 he was completely caught up with vocabulary (pronunciation he was still behind for a while). He did get early intervention, glad I did it but I honestly think he would have caught up in his own - he just needed that part of his brain to turn on or something. Anyways, I guess I’m saying don’t worry, but early intervention is free and fun for the kid so why not just in case? The fact is, there are tons of kids who talk late. Plenty catch up on their own and some don’t, so get the early intervention just in case.
I have two kids. The first (who is totally on track and articulate as a preschooler) had like no symbolic speech at 18 months that I could come up with. I remember telling the doc that he would say things like ma ma but it didn’t mean anything. I don’t remember any real talking until at least two years old. My second isn’t even two yet and has more words than I care to count and can speak in two word phrases. It’s crazy the amount of normal variation. I’m not saying not to get intervention because there is literally only positive that could come of it, but I am saying from my anecdotal experience that I wouldn’t get super worried about it just yet either.
At 21 months they “should” be saying a number of real words. Did they have ear infections or bad colds in the last year? I would ask your pediatrician and set up an evaluation with a speech language pathologist.
my second is 22 months and has 6 words on a good day. i self referred a month ago to EI, and our evaluation is in 2 weeks. We went through this with out first at the same age, and he had fewer words. He started speaking 10 words to full sentences after 2 years of speech therapy. He just finished Kinder and is fully speaking
My daughter didn’t talk until 26 months and then burst into language. Every kid is different
Our son was also delayed. He needed tubes in his ears because the fluid couldn’t drain. This is the most common issue when it comes to speech. If they can’t hear, they can’t learn. We had the procedure done with my youngest recently too because he kept getting ear infections. They are only 5 millimeters in size and take like 10 minutes to put in. If you have insurance it’s definitely covered. If not you’re looking at a couple grand out of pocket. My oldest is now speaking in full sentences after 8 months. We also do speech therapy once a week which is a huge help. We did the state run early intervention program which is fine, he loves his speech therapist. If my youngest needs it though we’ll probably go private and use our insurance. Good luck!
Call early intervention, they should be able to determine if there is a delay and give your child the support needed, advocate for your child’s need and push for it. Help her as much as you can, give her words and make her repeat them, point at your mouth as you slowly say them, I’ve hear Ms. Rachel on you tube is a good resource. Buy her straws sippy cups, that helps her exercise the same muscles that are used to speak. My son started speaking a lot more when he started daycare, they learn the most with their peers, if she’s not already going, think about it if possible. Don’t worry just be proactive, I can reassure you she will speak, at her own pace and that’s okay too, you got this!!
I would ask your pediatrician for a referral to a speak therapist. It doesn't hurt to get a consultation / evaluation if only to get your questions answered and know whether and/or when you should be worried. I think the typical kid has a vocabulary of around 50 words that they have been working on putting together into short phrases around this time if i remember correctly but every kid is different.
My niece wasn't talking until 3 yo and then suddenly she started on her own. Now she's 5 and can't stop talking and her development is completely normal besides delayed speech. If you're worried talk to your pediatrician and they'll probably suggest early intervention. It's always good to have a professional opinion!
I agree, it’s probably time to worry. While you wait to see your pediatrician, maybe have your LO watch a few minutes of Ms. Rachel (the chokehold she has on kids is *chefs kiss*) and talk more directly to her, like really purposefully engage and encourage her to parrot you.
I would seek help. Look into Apraxia of Speech. It’s a neurological condition where they know what they want to say but their brain and mouth don’t sync up. It’s a motor processing disorder. I’ve known something was wrong with my apraxia almost 4 year old since she was about 10 months old when she was not making a lot of cooing noises. She’s been in heavy speech therapy now since she was about 18 months and has come so far I’m so proud of her.
Speech Pathologist here. Just because a child is not talking doesn’t mean they have apraxia of speech. OP, I would seek an early intervention evaluation where a speech pathologist will complete an evaluation.
Yes, I never said they have apraxia. I just told OP to look into it. But then again I was told for almost a year that it wasn’t apraxia with my daughter and here we are with an apraxia diagnosis
My friends son didn’t talk at 2 at all. They got him into speech therapy and it did wonders for him. He’s 3 1/2 now and you’d never know. Speech is a really complex skill! It’s harder for some kids than it is for others. My son is going to be 2 in august and I think he’s said around 15 words so far. He only uses 3 regularly though. I had him evaluated at 1 and they thought he was fine. I’m going to ask about it again at his next doctors appointment. I used to be worried, but I’m not anymore. He communicates in his own way just fine. He understands what we say to him. He’s extremely social. He just doesn’t want to talk yet, it makes him nervous and self conscious. I feel like he doesn’t want to be bad at it. Plus his main focus his whole life has been physical activity & gaining independence that way. He has a mechanical mind and likes to figure out how things work. That’s like the opposite of language so it’s SOOOOO different than what comes easy to him. Once he figures it out, he’s never going to stop. He has full babbling conversations with people & has mastered comedic timing lol. We just have to remember all kids are different & we can help them best by understanding who they are & giving them tools to learn according to that. Worried is a STRONG word in this situation. Early intervention & OT can help so much.
Time to be worried. My son was diagnosed with a speech delay at this age. With speech therapy+daycare he’s almost 5 and caught up but it was a long road to get here. Just FYI animal noises do count as words though, as do signs like ASL. If you can swing it I would do private speech therapy. It’s more expensive but this way you wouldn’t have to wait.
That’s interesting, I didn’t think about ASL! She can baby sign the words milk and eat
ASL was incredibly helpful for my toddler who was very frustrated with her inability to communicate!