Not Talking

Hi L.,
You have probably read this on every other web page, but each child is going to develop at their own pace. Some two year olds can say 20 words, others are speaking hundreds and hundreds of words. When you say a two year old "doesn't talk" is he or she trying to make or form words and you are simply not understanding them? If there is no vocal activity at all, yes, it would be best to get them checked out. Set up an appointment with your pediatrician, and he/she will probably refer you to a specialist if they feel there is a problem. No matter what, you will have peace of mind if you get your 2 year old checked out (or whomever's child you are talking about if he/she is not your own), and if by chance there is a problem, early detection can help tremendously. Always better to be safe and a check up will ensure there aren't any hearing problems or any early signs leading to autism. Here is a good article on a 2-3 year olds vocabulary: http://parentcenter.babycenter.com/0_developmental-milest...

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First of all, it is important to talk to your pediatrician about the different stages of talking that children go through. Of course, like all the other posts have mentioned if your child is not understanding you then definately have his hearing checked. However, other factors of speech are often overlooked. My son did not "talk" until he was 3 with a very limited vocabulary. He could make sounds and babbled all day long. But the whole "a mother knows" theory was lost on me. I couldn't figure out a word he said and for a time when he was 2 he would whine most of the day because we could not figure out what he wanted. He could understand us however. I could tell him 10 things to do and he would do them. Doctor's kept telling me he would talk when he was ready. One doctor had noted his tonsils and adnoids were enlarged but said he would grow into them. He barely had a 200 word vocabulary when he was 4.

When he was 5 I took him to a doctor because he was sick, and this doctor recommended his tonsils should come out because they were restricting his airways (he had always snored). He said he would probably grow into them when he was about 12! A month later they were removed and suddenly he could talk clearly. And his limited vocabulary soon peaked, and he could say anything we said! He's 9 now and he asks so many questions it is unbelievable that at one time he barely talked!!

I won't tell you not to worry, because I know you will. Do not blame yourself, is the best advise I can give. I kept wondering what I was doing wrong. And the truth was, I was doing everything right. As long as you are talking to your child, then you are doing what you should be doing. Ask your doctor if your child needs speech therapy or if there may be more they can do.

It kind of depends, Is he or she not talking at all, when I say that I mean any sounds, or trying to communicate at all. If they are verbilizing of some sort than it may be a delay thing. If there is no communication at all then it is not normal. Have you not spoken to your pediatrician about this.

My question is, is there an older sibling in the house? If so, the older one will answer for the younger one all the time. If not, go immediately to your pediatrician and have their hearing tested. They can do marvelous things now for the hearing impaired. You may get the rare experience of learning sign language too. If so embrace it, and include everyone in your family (that means grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, day care givers, anyone your child comes in contact with and help them learn too. There are great resources out there for you, take adavantage of them all. Good luck to you and your family. As ever, Susan Curtis

Yes it is, especially boys. Boys make noise, girls talk. And my oldest son, now 20, didn't form his first sentence till he was almost 3. I took him to a doctor and was told that if he wasn't talking by the age of 3, they'd do hearing tests and find out if anything was wrong. When he said "daddy home' during prayer time when his dad was out to sea I just about jumped out of my seat. Up until that point it was just Hi, Mama, Dada, NO, Me...things like that. Nothing that was what I thought he should be doing.

But after that 1st little sentence, he started talking more and more and he was fine. He was never delayed in his learning and he made up for lost time let me tell you. So just keep working with him, say words to him, try & get him to say them back but don't force the issue. If he's not talking by age 3, then take him in unless you've noticed something could be wrong with his hearing. And don't let grandma's freak you out. They have a way of doing that (sorry grandmas). But my mom had me worried when my 18mo daughter wasn't potty trained because I was trained at 1 year old. But we managed and that's a whole other subject.

I work at a Mother's Day Out program, and I see all ranges of verbal abilities in children. Typically a child will really begin talking as a toddler. Sometimes a lack of using words to communicate is something as simple as a lack of necessity. If caregivers and loved ones respond quickly to a child's cries, grunts, and other sound effects that were used when the child was a baby, he or she doesn't necessarily have reason to talk. Talking is communication, and if the child feels able to communicate without words, then that is enough! Other causes for lack of talking are ear issues - if a child can't hear well, either due to hearing problems or due to clogged ears because of drainage, then they won't be able to talk well, either. I have known several children to suddenly begin talking when tubes were put in their ears! Finally, there is the time when there is a developmental problem. Often lack of talking is one of the symptoms of a developmental issue that needs to be addressed. My recommendation would be to simply talk to people who know the child - a pediatrician would be the first choice, but also caregivers, family members, and friends with children. Pay attention to how easy it is for the child to get what he/she wants, how well the child seems to hear, and how the child measures up on a developmental level in other areas. Normally speech therapy will start when a child is a little older, if that is needed, but looking for signs now can help open up those doors of communication. And, keep in mind, if everything checks out, the child might just be a non-talker and might all of the sudden begin speaking in complete sentences when he or she is good and ready!

Hi, L.. I am a speech pathologist and mom of a 9 m/o little boy.
First let me ask, is your child making any sounds? For example, is he/she saying "mama", "dada", baba" ? or is he/she pointing to things that he/she wants? Pointing is a huge nonverbal way to communicate. Does he or she respond to their name? Does your child look or point to you when he hears someone say, mama?

If your child points to a desired object then YOU say something like: "Oh, you want to drink?" then show him the cup and say, "drink". That will kind of reinforce that you understand what he/she is asking for AND teach your child what the object is.

Try to make sure that your mouth is also visible so that your child can see how you are making sounds.

If your child isn't making any sounds at all you might want to visit the pediatrician to tell them the problem and to get his/her hearing checked.

I would not worry about this. I have many friends who have children of this age that are not able to speak well yet.
I have been fortunate b/c my daughter is speaking very well. She is clearly putting sentences together and doing so well. I am actually surprised. I don't know if it is something I did, but I have worked with her alot on speaking. Everything she comes into contact with, I say what it is and ask her to repeat it. I also try to talk more clearly than I used to before I had my daughter. I don't know if these few things helped, but I haven't had any trouble with my daughter speaking. However, many have told me that the first born child sometimes develops more quickly than the next born.

my son was like that , he was my 2nd child and the reason he didn't talk is because he didn't have to, i knew what he wanted and got it for him, then i realized i wasn't helping him at all so i made him start telling me what he wanted and if he didn't then he didn't get it. talk to you doctor and have your childs ears checked also!!

I was having trouble with my oldest boy (3yrs) not speaking. I finally got him evaluated at TC Thompson. I'm glad I did because he did need help. We are now going through the Walker County school system for therapy. Don't worry too much though. I didn't get hime help until he was three. My two year old boy is speaking more than my oldest does. It might just take time for your child to speak. I don't think my three year old would have been ready any sooner if I had pushed more. The important thing is to read and encourage your child to talk.

My pediatrician said that my two year old should be saying words and putting short phrases together. If you're concerned, talk to your pediatrician. All kids are different.

No it is not normal. A 2 year old should be babbling and you may or may not be able to understand what he/she is saying. Don't freak out, but check out www.autismspeaks.org. Autsim diagnosis has been on the rise due to children being screened at earlier ages and this website has videos to show you what a "normal" child is like vs. a child who has autism. Austism can be very mild and not as noticeable is a lot of children. You definitely should see your pediatrician about your concern. The earlier the better. It could be nothing, but I like to be cautious. Keep me updated!

My grandson is a little over 2 and my daughter had a speech pathologist come in for 6 weeks to get him started. Now he's a chatterbox and very articulate. I met the speech pathologist and she thought Dakota didn't like asking for things. He had a series of hand motions that got him what he wanted so he didn't bother to learn to verbally ask for things. Kids don't know there is a problem with not talking. If they are communicating otherwise and their needs are met they get complacent. But there could be a more serious underlying reason so having a professional meet with your child won't hurt. If it's not affordable, call a nearby university and they may have a reduced rate program.

I have heard that some children don't talk till close to 4. My sister's little boy didn't talk till he was almost ready to go to kindergarten and she took him to the dr who sent her to a psychologist. She said that was a sign of autism along with a few other signs that he had like walked on his tippy toes and flapping his arms alot. He isn't autistic that we know of but he isn't very smart to this day and very "air head" like.
Now my son's girlfriend said that she didn't talk till she was 4. She is very, very smart. She got a scholarship to go to Vandy.
Now a friend's little boy was 3 and not talking. Her dr told her to quit doing everything for him when he grunted saying that he didn't have to talk. She quit and he started talking to tell her what he wanted.
One of my boys talked late... like 2 1/2 or 3. He is to this day just a real laid back kid and doesn't talk alot now, but very smart.
They did a hearing test on all of mine when they were born, did they do one on yours and did they say it was normal?
So I think that it all depends on the child and sometimes the parent.

I would say no. They should be saying something. Consult your peditrician not might recommend speech terapy.

No, it's mot. I am a speech pathologist. What do you mean by not talking? No words or sounds at all? Does he/she just point to what they want? A two year old should have some basic words such as mamma and dadda. He should also be able to ask for things lke juice and cookie. You may not understand what he says all the time but at least he is trying to communicate. Does he understand you? Does he follow directions when you ask him to do something? If he is not doing any of this, talt to your pediatrician about having him tested by a speech pathologist. Most states have early intervention services for kids under 3 at little or no cost to the family depending on income.