My 25 Month Old Daughter Is Not Speaking a Lot, Is It Normal?

I am a speech-language pathologist and have been working in the school setting for 6 years now. While most children in monolingual homes do have larger vocabularies and are putting together at least 2 word sentences by 2, it isn't atypical for children from bilingual and multi-lingual homes to have language that progresses at what seems to be a slower rate. When you think about it she's learning each word and how to structure a sentence in 3 languages. So if she has 40 words in each language, your daughter has actually acquired 120 words. Additionally, sentence structure varies from language to language which can cause a slow down as well.

I would suggest keeping an eye on her language development. Your concern shows that you are monitoring her development well. Do keep track of what words she currently knows in each language, as well as her 2 word utterances. You can have her assessed through Regional Center under 3 years of age. Once she is 3 you can have her assessed through your local school district free of charge.

In the mean time - like I said, keep track (it sounds like you already are, but it will help if she is assessed to have good records of this). Also, instead of asking her to repeat words and phrases after you, involve her in language rich play. Use baby dolls, other toys and just talk alot. If she says something like "dolly", for example, you can expand that for her, "Your dolly is eating" or "The dolly is sleeping." Nine times out of 10, children will begin to repeat words and phrases they hear alot in a more natural setting. Reading and looking at magazines or pictures is also a wonderful way to increase language and vocabulary development and your daughter won't even suspect that's what your doing :) Right now she's young and still learning - play is the best way for her to do that. Just bombard her with language. When she wants something, do make her ask for it with at least one word, like "Milk", then say, "Oh, you want milk? Mommy will get you milk". It might feel weird at first, but it pays off HUGELY.

I hope some of this helps. :)

G.

1 mom found this helpful

Hi,
First of all, every child is different, but I always suggest going with your gut. There is no harm in seeking a professional evaluation.
Call the Child Care Resource Center. The number is listed below. They should be able to guide you in the right direction. You will want the phone number for the Regional center. Do it before she is 3. If you decide to do something after she is 3, then you will have to go through the school district! Big mistake!

http://www.ccrcla.org/home/index.asp?page=91

Administration:
###-###-####

I hope this helps you,
D.

We are also a bilingual home, and my daughter is now 30 months and she only has 10 words in her vocabulary. She says a lot of jargon and bable but thats it. We contacted our Pediatrician whom set us up for a Speech evaluation, whom then referred us to Regional center too. Its been a godsend. Hopefully with her speech delay she will get back on track.

Look into it, but don't get worried and compare your kid to others. As the other person said, do it before she gets into the school system. Have her assessed or evaluated. No matter what, you want to be abreast and current about your child's situation...instead of second guessing it. Then you won't have to keep guessing! But, remember, most of the great genius minds like Einstein etc., didn't 'talk' until 3 years old. You do want to 'rule out' any other problems developmentally though, so you can support your child the best you can, in a educated manner once you know what is going on.
Going back to the subject of her growing up in a multi-lingual family.... it's not a big deal. It DOES NOT impair the child's ability to s-p-e-a-k. My child grows up in a multi-language home too, and in a multi-language state, and a multi-language school where they teach MANY different languages. My state is very diverse and mixed culturally. This does not impair a child's development, it makes it richer. My child is VERY articulate for her age... and she is multi-lingual, PLUS speaks English fine. But, some kids are just more 'shy' than others. It' is also important for the child to have positive role models and experiences and to actually be told that it's 'okay' to speak in different languages....other wise, the child may feel 'odd' about it and not like their friends. They need support and positive reinforcement. The most important thing is, don't focus on how she is 'different' from other kids... or that she's compared to others in a negative way. Again, if it worries you, just have her assessed or talk to her Pediatrician... they could refer you if you want a 2nd opinion. I'm sure it would be nice for you, to finally have a conclusive 'diagnosis' on what your daughters situation is. Then you can relax and feel better about it.
Good luck and take care
~susan
www.cafepress.com/littlegoogoo

My nephew (husband's side) was raised speaking english and spanish from birth. They had a very similar problem until he was about 3. Then all of the sudden a switch flipped in his brain and he became a liguistic master. He is now 22 and you would never have known there was a problem. 40+ words is actually pretty good for 2. And the fact that she's MULTI-langual is AWESOME! In time it will come together for her! ~J.

Hi S.,
Definitely make a list of her words. Pay attention to how she communicates with you.
How does she tell you she's hungry? Does she say milk, water, cookie? Or does she point to things or take you by the hand to where the food is? Mention it to your pediatrician... because you can definitely get help for her FOR FREE until she turns 3 years old. My son had lots of individual words when he was 2. But he didn't have functional language-- like complete sentences. He got 2 hours of speech therapy a week... in less than a month he was saying " i can do it by myself" " i want more milk mommy" Huge improvement. He's going to Kindergarten in the Fall, with no problems.

try speaking to her in only language at all times... my daughter didnt speak until she was four because we were a two language household it confused her... once your daughter starts talking you can teach her the other languages in your home...

She may just be shy, but most speech problems do crop up by age 3, so it may be worth getting her tested. Your local elementary school can evaluate her. Some districts offer speech therapy for children as little as 2. If not, they should be able to offer yu referrals to an agency that does.

Hi S.,

I have a nephew who did not talk until he was 3 years old. He also grew up in a household where they spoke 2 languages and he had 2 older siblings. I think when he was 2 years old all he could say was "leche" (not sure if that's spelled right) which means milk in spanish and "no". Now he just graduated from kindergarten reading at 1st grade level. If your daughter is understanding what you're saying just continue with letting her hear the languages.

Don't stress yet!!!! My son does have a speech delay and at 2 1/2 years of age he had 6 words in his voculbary. That's a bit slow. When he was four and staying with my sisters mother in law that didn't speak english my son was speaking both English and Spanish, less words then the other kids and he stuttered, but he did it. Don't stress yet. 40 words is a lot, and don't compare your kids to other kids not even your own kids. My grandma tells how my dad walked at 9 months and my uncle waited for 15 months. It drove her nuts!!!

my understanding is children in multi-lag home do talk later

but they are so much better at math and music!
i am sure she is fine.
she had receptive lag if she can say no when you ask her to talk!

My daughter was a late talker too..she had about 20 words at 2 years (they are supposed to have 50). We got in touch with the Regional Center in our area and she's now in speech therapy once a week (for free). Three months into it, she's got at least a hundred words plus full sentences. It might be worth it to get your little girl tested to see if she qualifies...the sooner she gets therapy the faster she'll catch up.