2 Year Old Talking Milestones

I have/am going thru the same. First....don't worry. Second, have him evaluated. Most likely he has a minor speech delay, and he will qualify for Free services thru Early Intervention. A speech therapist will come to your home and give you strategies to help him increase his vocabulary.

However, speech is developemental. So....you could spend MILLIONS of dollars on speech therapy, and still he won't speak until he is ready to. So......even though you may start getting more ideas from Early intervention, his speech will only develop more when he is ready for it to develop more. The best thing about early intervention is that it helps YOU feel like you are doing something.

My son and I have had an awesome experience with early intervention. My ped told me the same as you, but I insisted on getting him evaluated just to be safe. And since the services are free, and they come to your home.....it is really easy for you!!!!!!!!!!!

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just get him tested then you wont worry any more. if there is a problem the earlier the BETTER for intervention and if there isn't a problem you wont think about it anymore.

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Don't wait act now. Our pediatrician said the same thing but you need to ask for an evaluation through...I think it is First 5 of California. Once they hit 3 you do it through the school district you live in.

My son has a speech delay that we saw early. It can sometimes take months to actually have the evaluation.

Hope this helps.

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Honestly, my DS was in the same place as yours. He didn't really start talking or using more words until closer to 2.5+. Now at almost 3 he's trying to sing along with songs and talks all day. Most boys are slower talkers. There are exceptions, but give it 6 months and you'll be amazed and what your little boy says.

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Hi,

Please wait until he's 3. My son didnt even have 25 words at 2.... but then at 2 1/2 he was talking a lot more - and now at 4, he won't be quiet! LOL I vote for listening to your pediatrician. Why waste money and time on something that is really not needed in the end. Just be patient.

D.

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Don't stress mama, I don't know why your "friend" would do that, she should know better. All kids are different and it is definately not time to worry in my opinion. If your counting his words that carefully your thinking too hard. Just let it be, boys don't normally talk as much as girls. My good friend has boys who only say a couple of words and one of them is in therapy for other things and they are not worried. Your friend may just advise that to people because that is how she makes a living. Sorry but that just bugs me! Don't stress and take heart with what your ped says! My dd did not walk until she was 14 months old, but she is 22 months now, walking, and using 6 word sentences. Imagine if we would have sent her to therapy? Good luck to you.

Ask your doctor for a referral. He is entitled to free services through the county. At age 3 He will be entitle to free services through the School District. My daughter went through the exact same thing, the doctor said not to worry, and practice sounds and saying things like b b b bird! Well I did all that and still no improvement. A friend of mine a speech therapist said I need to be concerned. So I called the doctors office again got the appropriate refferal and they even came to my house to give her speech sessions. You have to be the squeaky wheel and complain and demand servies. My daughter will be 5 in a few days and we are still getting speech serices. It has help but I wish I wouldn't have waited so long. I still feel bad about it. Good Luck to you, Motherhood is full of hurdles and this is just one of them. Take care!

Hello, I have a 13 year old grandson who was very much like your son. He just wasn't using many words. He was also not interested in learning ABC's, or numbers before he started school. He never crawled. We worried some about these things, but didn't dwell on them. He would sit forever and listen to books. As it turns out, he was sucking in all of the learning. He is now in all "Honors" classes getting A's. He is in the eighth grade and is very handsome and heading towards college even in this grade.
If you continue to be worried, then have your son evaluated. However, he is very young and the language should come.
Our sons were later in talking than our daughters. Why? I don't know. However, when they started talking, they could speak very well. Our second grandson (whom we had custody of at the time) had some language difficulties. He trouble with r's and such. I spoke with a speech teacher at the local elementary school and she said it was quite normal. He is also in the gifted program. Go and figure.
Good luck with your precious little son.
K. K.

My personal opinion is that you have nothing to lose by having him evaluated right now, right? Kids all develop differently, of course, but if a speech therapist advised you to have him checked, then I would. That is his speciality, afterall. Best of luck!

In my opinion it is best to not panic...but to get a speech assessment - it never hurts to get an assessment and if needed get some speech therapy going early...the earlier the better and it's not going to do any harm.

My daughter was the same way, and at two I started to worry when she wasn't talking, even though I knew she was communicating just fine in her own way! Within a few months she started talking a ton, and she just turned 2 1/2 this month and literally talks all day long. It felt like it happened overnight. No worries yet. Does your son "communicate" with you, and does he seem to be progressing? If so then he's fine. If you are worried of course you can have him evaluated, but unless he is showing signs that he is having trouble I wouldn't worry. He's just moving at his own pace!

You're right about all kids developing at different rates and his vocab may explode over the next year, but to get him evaluated may be very worthwhile. My daughter at her 18 mo exam was behind in lang dev & I had her evaluated. She tested fine but they put her in a language development, speech therapy "play" class with 2 other kids. She had so much fun and it really helped give me ideas on how to help her communicate better. She's 2 now and talking up a storm. This may have happened naturally anyway, but I'm so glad I did it even just for the "training" the program gave me. This is program we used: http://www.ccfc.ca.gov/

I have a close friend who's son is only 2 and they took him to a speech therapist (covered by the State). His case is odd because the son only speaks his own language when he does speak. He's been in therapy for months now and is doing "a lot better". I just saw him a couple of days ago and although his speech is still perplexing, he did manage to say a few words I could decipher. I don't think you need to wait till 3. If you are concerned, I would go ahead and seek one out.

I have one boy who talked in complete sentences at 2, and his younger brother who had only 10-20 words at 2. He is almost 4 and speaks well now, although still not as clearly as his brother did at this age (but has no speech or cognitive problems). I would definitely get your son's hearing tested first, as that can always be an issue. After that, listen to your instincts. If you are really worried, do get him tested. If not, you can go month by month and re-evaluate. If you trust your pediatrician, talk some more to him/her about it. THat may give you some peace of mind.

I had the same situation and we decided to have him evaluated and I am so glad we did. Keep in mind that the first 5 years of a child's are imperative and they are making incredible brain connections. Why not get him evaluated and the help he may need to get to where he needs to be. Also there are a lot of resources before age 3. After ypu have to go thru the School district which in some cases is not the best depending on where you live. My 3 1/2 is now talking but still behind a few months but he has been receiving speech for a year now. Best of luck.

As a person who has worked for many years with special needs children I do agree that you need to get your child assessed. When a child is not meeting their milestones; the earlier a child gets help the better.

What's the harm in having him evaluated now?

Debra is right. A few parents and family may jump to conclusions that something might be wrong, too early. However, I am in the educational field and I experience the opposite. The majority of parents, families, and pediatricians do not respond to early intervention quick enough! Early intervention is and will always be the key to assisting your son in being successful with his talking. He may just be slower in talking and you may find that he won't need any assistance...But what's the harm? You're talking about someone assisting him with language! I would highly recommend that you take your friend's offer and allow her to evaluate him.

I was worried too and my friend kept saying "just you wait til he's just a little past 2.5" and she was right! All of a sudden he just started talking..now he's 3.5 and he uses words correctly like "irregular" "incredible" ..words i wouldn't expect a 3.5 year old to use properly..cracks me up..wait til he's 3..people are always freaking out too soon..now sometimes i miss the quiet times!

At 2.5 my son took off talking. He didn't say much before this. I think boys are a little slower in this area.

Maybe there is nothing wrong...but it doesn't cost anything to have him evaluated and if there is a delay early intervention is key. Do you live in Orange County CA? Call Regional Center and ask to have him tested. You have nothing to lose by inquiring.

My son was the same way. He seemed to just take in his environment. When he was about 3 1/2 years old, he just suddenly started really talking. I think he always had the words in him, he just never really found the need to use them.

Remember: Each kid is different and develops at his own pace. Eventually you will know if he needs a therapist or not. If you feel more comfortable having him see own now, then do it. If not, then wait.

It doesn't hurt to have your son evaluated by a Regional Center near you. The one we used for my now 4 year old was Frank D. Lanterman Regional Center.

http://www.lanterman.org/

They absolutely confirmed my son had a speech delay and he immediately started speech therapy. I am grateful that I didn't listen to my friends who would say, "Oh, he'll talk when he's ready," etc. Even his pediatrician told us to wait until he was 2.5 and I was fearful that he would be too far behind. I chose to take the next step for him and am so glad I did.
Good luck!
He's now still in speech therapy through the school district and talking up a storm.

It's true, all kids develop differently. My nephew didn't talk till he was almost 3, and when he did, he had a huge speech impediment. He's now 17 and has always been at the top of his class at school. His sister was speaking complete sentences CLEARLY at 1 1/2 years, and she's now 13 and has already had to repeat a grade, and consistently stays near the bottom of her class.

My son is 21 months and speaks about 20 or 30 words, uses a dozen or so hand signs and likes to make animal sounds. A friend of ours little girl is already talking in complete sentences, and she's only 2 weeks older than our son.

Every baby is different. You shouldn't worry till he's older than 3. :)

Hi there,
I wouldn't worry so much. My nephew doesn't talk much at the age of 2 1/2. When he just turned 2, he hardly talked at all.....we used to call him the caveman boy. LOL. In just 4 months, his vocabulary increased quite a bit. Hang in there. I think the doctor is more on target. I would evaluate him closer to 3. Your friend is jumping the gun because it is her profession. Try to work with him. Such as, if he loves his icecream, then try to get him to say it before you give it to him...stuff like that. Be a little tough, if you KNOW that he can say the word. Positive reinforcment is the way to go!!!
Good luck!

My son was the exact same way. I got services for my son. My son LOVED it. My son had lots of progress AND he was happy about it. He KNEW the Speech Therapist was there to help him "talk" and he REALLY was happy about it. My son is now 3 years old, and talks more than his sister! And he has a very impressive vocabulary and self-expression ability.

In my area, the Easter Seals' "Early Intervention" department provides the services.... which is FREE up until 3 years old. They do a full spectrum developmental assessment.... then based on that, suggests the most helpful approach for your child. AND they come to YOUR house. It is so convenient.

I would, have your son evaluated. Don't wait until 3 years old. SURE, all kids develop at "their own" pace... and boys are generally 'slower' in talking than girls. But so what. There is nothing wrong with assisting your child and giving them supplemental "tools" in order to flourish. That was my attitude about it all, with my son. Sure, as time went by, he would have talked more, if I waited. BUT... not at the level of progress he attained via Speech Therapy. AND, it gives the child AND the Parent, TOOLS and methods to "practice" at home too.... AND it TOTALLY encourages the child. My Son gained so much happiness and he was SO proud of himself each time he attained a new word that he could say. He would tell us "Me talk more!" and he'd be grinning from ear to ear.

I really recommend early intervention... they make it "fun" and it is nothing intimidating or impersonal. At least that has been my experience. It is wonderful.

ALSO, unless you are guided by a Professional Speech Therapist... everyone will tell you what to do with your son to make him talk more and what is right or wrong etc. BUT you will NOT have the proper knowledge about it all... it will be hearsay. AND you could just get your son more confused. For us, my Speech Therapist said for example, that even "sounds" they make counts... it is communication. BUT, it is the way they form their mouth and throat and the ENTIRE coordination of their oral structure, that is important. There is SO MUCH information about how to get a child to "talk." But unless you are told by a professional Speech Therapist, you won't know how to 'teach' it to our son properly.

All the best,
Susan

I have a 7-year-old who was speech delayed and our pediatrician also told us to wait. I wish we hadn't! It may be nothing, but if it's something, you'll be glad you got an early evaluation. In my experience, if a pediatrician is not a developmental pediatrician, they really don't know much about special needs. Parent's have the intuition to help their children. Follow your hunches, not the "expert" opinions. That's how I figured out how to help my son, when everybody around me told me I was wrong. It doesn't hurt to have him evaluate, and it's free at regional center.

I felt the same about my son. I was very conserned also. His md assured me that there was no need to worry and to stop compairing him to his sister who at his age was talking full sentences. The school districs start eval at 3 hrs. His md gave me peace of mind and scheduled him an appt in ENT for a speech eval. Turns out there was nothing to worry about. Boys also tend to develope slower.

Like you said, all children develop differently. My daughter was asking "whats that?" constantly from the time she was 1.5 until she was 2 years old, along with that, she spoke 20 words MAX. Now, she is 2.5, and I can have a complete conversation with her! It will probably shock you how quickly words start tumbling out. Something to remember also though, from what I have gathered, it usually takes boys a tad longer for the language skills. Don't worry!! There are kids out there that are 2 and older that are just grunting, haven't said words at all yet.

My advice to you is this. Don't encourage his use of the 'sounds' he makes that are not actual words by treating them as if they are. Meaning, if he is making a particular sound, and you know its the one he makes when he wants to be picked up, DON'T enforce the behavior by picking him up. I would get down to his level and ask him what he wants. I always tell my daughter, "You have to talk to me to tell me what you want or I cannot help you!" It has worked very nicely for her language skills.

I would have him evaluated now. It will make you feel better. Why should you sit and worry? Kids develop differently. However, if he does have a speech delay, it is better to start early to fix the problem.

If you can get your insurance to cover it, by all means get him tested now. If there is something more to it, the sooner he gets intervention the better. Be thankful that he does have 25 words --- that is a good sign. My oldest didn't speak at all. I had had her tested for hearing issues at 18 mos due to chronic ear infections. She could hear fine. She started talking at about 28 mos on her own. At 3 she had ear tubes -- unrelated to her speech.

I don;t think you have anything really to worry about. Like you said all kids develop at their own pace. But at the same time I don't think it will hurt at all to have him evaluated. What do you have to lose? Even if they tell you he is fine then you will KNOW. Especially if this is something that is going to bug you. Think of it his way, if you wait until he is 3 and they say something is off will you be mad at yourself for not taking him sooner? Also who says you have to wait til 3? maybe even give him a month or so to see if he is picking anything up and if it still isn't happening take him. I think (hope) everything is fine but its not worth stresing over. If it is bugging you take him.

Hi! Please have him evaluated ASAP! We made a mistake with our daughter and later found out her hearing was not normal even though her hearing test at the hospital was normal!