Is My Daughter Talking like She Should?

by this age a stranger should be able to understand 75% of what your daughter says. That's the best judge of any speech delays. If she's not making complete sentences but she's fully understandable well, you're still on the right track.

My daughter is 2 1/2 and she speaks in complete sentences. I know her 5 yr old brother has helped with this because she is trying to keep up. My friend has a 2 yr old he is not saying anything.... he just groans, so I think it depends on the child. I would ask the doctor the next time you take her in. I know it is hard when we think our children should be doing something and they haven't yet, but I really think it just depends on the child.

I do not know the sounds or letter combinations, but I do know there is a screening program at the OKC county health department. I do not know if you have to meet certain qualifications or if it is available to everyone. The number is ###-###-####. I am not sure where you are located but if the okc area is not close to you than maybe they can direct you to somewhere that is.

If you are pretty concerned, talk to your pediatrician. My 2 year old is very behind where my 9 year old was at this age..but he's suddenly starting to do things like talking more. Has your 2 year old had a lot of ear infections? Each kid is different, so maybe your two year old will suddenly hit a spurt and talk your ear off!

Hello A.,
I have 4 boys - 2 of whom went thru speech therapy. If you feel your daughter isn't where she is suppose to be then most likely she isn't. There are places here in town you can take her for a free evaluation to see if she is on track. We are new in town - Derby - but in Wichita there is Rainbows United and I think the other one is called Heartspring. Do not wait to get her tested -- it is easier to correct when you take action soon. When my son was 2 I thought he might be a little behind - but since I had another child that spoke very early and one that has downs and still barely talks I didn't know where average was - so I waited. He was 4 before I decided he was definetly behind and go t him into speech therapy. He is doing very well after a year of speech but he is still not as clear as most kids in his kindergarten class.
It doesn't hurt to get a free evaluation - it does hurt to ignore a problem. Hope this helps!

D.

you've received some excellent advice. if you're concerned, please talk to your pediatrician. they will want to rule out a hearing impairment, developmental delays or autism or speech disorders. any of those may sound scary,but trust me, with a proper diagnosis, you'll have answers and won't feel quite so helpless. I'm hearing impaired, have been since birth and at 31 people think i'm from england because of the deaf speech, ha ha. my 7 year old is autistic and thanks to speech therapy is doing very well. hang in there and good luck!

Hi A.,

If you have some concerns, please go with your instinct and voice your concerns to her pediatrician and a developmental specialist. It may be nothing, but it may be a developmental delay. Better to err on the side of caution. Let us know how it turns out.