16 Month Old Not Talking- Experience with "Late Talkers" Needed

My second child had speech delays. Hers were from hearing issues that were resolved with ear tubes at ten months. That was enough of a delay to significantly delay her speech. She was in speech therapy from 2.5 years until 6.5 years and is doing well. Her speech started in the 6th percentile. I have another friend with a 3.5 year old son that spoke really late. He did speech therapy for a short period of time and is talking non stop now. There are free state programs that anyone (regardless of income) can use to test and if necessary, treat things like speech delays. Though it is likely due to his personality, if there is a speech issue, it is easiest to correct at a young age.

You will also read that by 2 years they should have fifty words, mine did not...at two she could say mama, deda, papa, duke (the dog), bubby (butterbean the cat), wahtu (washington the cat), no, dink (for drink) and light, ice and bite...and by the way, they don't count names of pets or immediate family members as words. at 2 years and 4 months she started speaking in sentences...so no, at 16 months I wouldn't worry about it if the comprehension is there.

You mention that his hearing has been checked twice, however, how was it checked? Was it checked by a licensed audiologist? My daughter didn't have any words at 18 months, however, she could hear us clap our hands so my husband thought her hearing was fine. I was questioning it and finally some friends convinced me to have it checked, I completely skipped the pediatrician and went directly to an audiologist and come to find out she was moderate to severely deaf. Deafness can happen in only certain frequencies, it is NOT like turning up or down a radio. There are certain sounds that have a higher or lower frequency and sometimes deaf people can hear some of those sounds, however, they don't hear enough of all sounds to be able to mimick speech. We got my daughter help right away and even though she is now severe to profoundly deaf, she is an amazing young lady. She is now 17, goes to regular classes at high school, has been accepted to Tulsa University and speaks very well. She also uses a sign language interpreter in her classes, however, we do not sign in the home...she reads lips and speaks.

I hope your friends baby does not have a hearing problem, however, if he does please give her my email address if she has any questions.

good luck!

Some kids are just late talkers, I wouldn't worry at all. My mom didn't talk until she was 3 and she is perfectly fine, she never had to go to speech classes or anything and her hearing just fine. My son who will be 2 on April 1st just started really talking around Thanksgiving or so. They do say that boys are usually slower to talk then girls. A friend of mine her son didn't talk until he was around 2. Also Pedi's aren't usually worried about speech until at least the child's 2nd birthday. Hope your friend has some luck, but I would just let her know not to be worried and that he will talk when he is ready too talk.

My daughter started talking late, around 2. All the doctors said not to worry because her hearing was fine. Around 2 or 2 1/2 she had a language explosion. It seemed overnight that she just decided to start talking. She has some speech problems so she is in speech now, but it isn't anything I could have avoided. Some kids just talk late. I would hold off on speech until he is at least 2. It's expensive and my therapist said there isn't much they can do if there isn't a hearing problem. I would tell your friend to just keep an eye on it and if his hearing seems to change or comprehension drops, to talk to the doctor again.

A little too early I'd say. My daughter is going on 3...still very limited in speech. She has been tested, evaluated for speech therapy...they say she's fine and to let nature take its course. When they are ready. For now, we view our daughter as a "thinker" She is taking it all in and waiting until she has something important to say..then she speeks! M

If Mom is worried then it is something to have checked out!! Always trust your mommy instincts, I say! I am suprised by the number of responses that say "not to worry" With 3 out of 5 boys having speech delays and with Grovernment mandated "FREE" evaluations for all children under the age of 5 why would you let it go without checking it out! Most states also have, through the "no child left behind", FREE speech therapy for childern age 3 and under. If all this is going to take is your time to have it checked with a professional Pediatric Speech Therapist then why wait and see if he catches up. My son had speech delays in articulation(his comprehension was off the charts) as well as Oral motor issues(email me if you would like more info about my son) and started speech therapy at age 30 months. I wish I would have started him sooner when I was worried at age 18months instead of listening to his doctor to "wait and see". However because I still started him early(before school age) he is now catching up and almost where he should be at age 6yrs! If there is a problem the longer you wait the longer it will take to get him where he should be. So have your friend ease her mind and have him checked out by a Speech Therapist that specializes in children. (most therapy groups have a quick evaluation that they do not charge for that will determine if a full evaluation is needed, and most insurance will pay for evaluation and a set amount of therapy for children age 7 and under... also check out to see if your state does provide services, In Arkansas it is done through the school CO-OP. Please email me with any questions... I do hope this did not come across as me on my soap box but as helpful.
J.

You should absolutely NOT be worrying this early. If his 2nd birthday comes along and still nothing then get him checked out. Every kid develops at their own age. I had 2 kids that took speech therapy and the speech path said that there are some kids that won't start til 2 or after. And the ones that wait longer tend to be better talkers because they've been soaking it all in for so long. If it is really bugging you, then call Sooner Start (I'm assuming you're in the tulsa area?). They will send out to the house a speech path to evaluate the kiddo at no cost. Thats who serviced both of my first 2 kids. And if there seems to be a delay, then Sooner Start will offer speech services (again at no cost) until the age of 3 when he starts school. Good luck. But seriously DON'T WORRY! ;-)

A.

Check with the Tulsa County Health Department. They do free hearing and developmental screengins. If there is a problem they can also recommend them to Sooner Start which is a free program that helps children with speech and developmental issues.

You may look into Parents as Teachers. They come to your home once a month and spend time with the child playing age appropriate games and so on. They can tell you if your child is on track or behind and if they are behind they can help you get into a program to get them back on track. They usually have a playgroup once a month to allow for social interaction also.

Hi D.,

My son didn't start talking until he was 3 years old. At that time I had taken him to the doctor and he reassured me he was ok. I, like your friend was told he should know different words by a certain age. Well, when he began pre-k, he still didn't talk as much as the other kids his age. He is know 5 years old and will not stop talking. My son didn't go to daycare, so I don't know if that delayed his speech? So, I would suggest to your friend that if she has not already enrolled him in daycare (and can afford to), try to put him in at least part-time (like a mommie's day out). Also, (if she's not already doing so) buy flashcards. The flashcards encourages kids to speak by telling what the flashcard is. I wish I did that for my son (when he was that age). Nevertheless, I work countlessly with him know, and he's improved so much! Encourage your friend to work with him know, ( flashcards, reading) so it will be easier for her and him later!! Good luck and MAY GOD BLESS!!

I also had a son who was a VERY late talker. It wasn't until he was 3 years old that I decided to have him evaluated. We had his hearing tested just to rule that out. A speech pathologist concluded that he had a SEVERE speech delay, and would need speech therapy once a week. I was devastated. But 6 months later he was scoring within the normal range. He is now 5 years old and is speaking wonderfully. I think that some kids just need a little extra help. As long as they are not displaying other developmental delays along with a speech delay, its no reason to be worried. Just tell your friend to mention it to the child's doctor at the next appt. and maybe the doctor will schedule an evaluation with a speech pathologist and they will be able to get the child back on track. Tell them not to wait too long, the longer you wait, the harder it is to get them the help they need!

Hello, my little girl had the same problem at that age. She understood us but she pointed to things that she wanted and couldn't tell us....i ended up having to call the early steps program where i live they came to my house and worked w/ her...but i took and didn't want to think anything was wrong and i waited to see about anything till after she 2...after i got her help it did her good....that also help her get into headstart this yr...if there is a early steps program in your area call them and just have the baby checked....i hope this helps your friend out....

I don't know the exact ages that children should really start talking. But a good friend of mine had a son who didn't really talk until this year and he's four. I've also always heard 1 to walk 2 to talk. And if it makes her feel any better Toni Morrison didn't talk until she was like 4 or 5, something like that. She just listened and soaked up all she heard.

Hey,
I have a 6 year and a 3 year old. My 3 year old son has allergies and asthma. We have been to many doctors and it turns out that he was not hearing very well and what he did hear was like being under water. We had tubes put in his ears. We were able to go thr the state and enroll in a Speech Therapy program. He was in that from 1 1/2 to 3 years old. Now we are in Speech thru the school system. He is talking up a storm!!!

Hope this helps.
P. N.

It's very common for boys, in particular, to be late talkers. At this age, if the environment is supportive at home, there is little that can be done to hurry it up. It sounds like they are trying, and that's good. If, at age 2, he's still very behind, a speech therapist would be a good idea. At that age they can do a lot more testing and make sure there is not a problem somewhere. Most likely, he will talk when he is ready. It's always good to be concerned though.

Hey Diana, tell your friend no worries. I had one that talked in full sentences at 14 months and one that didn't talk till he was 2 1/2. We had to refuse to give him things until he would say them in order to get him to talk. When he did he spoke in full sentences with no speech problems. My grandson was 2 before he talked and my granddaughter is following the same path. She is extremly intellegant and understands/follows everything you say. Your friends little one will talk when he's ready or when you insist. he's probably doing lots of other things instead right now and he just doesn't see the need. have fun...R.

LOL, I'm in the same situation. My 17-1/2 month old isn't talking either. He makes occasional word-like sounds, like "chss" for "cheese" or "cad" for "avocado" but he doesn't say things spontaneously. He just started walking at 16 months, which also concerned me, but then his cousin only started walking at 2 years (and then it was a run!). My son's comprehension is great, he can follow instructions, recognize a bajillion words, answer yes/no questions with head nods.... But no talking. And so I try to remind myself that my nephews didn't start talking until at least 2, and my mother didn't start talking until she was THREE (but in complete sentences). It seems that kids within families tend to develop similarly, without following the patterns of kids in other families.

I was just reading last night in John Rosemond's "Making the 'Terrible' Twos Terrific!" that kids will often focus on one developmental area at a time, to the detriment of other areas. So they'll be advanced in one skill but neglect another, until they decide to switch gears and focus on something else. So sometimes my son really wants to be read to, and other times he really wants to stack blocks. Rosemond says that slight delays in one or another area are okay as long as a child is developmentally on-par in at least one area. He has four general lists that are very helpful - because I was reading over them and discovering that my son is on-par or advanced in three areas, and verbally is on-par or advanced in terms of comprehension - just not SPEAKING!! So I'm going to wait and trust that he'll speak when he chooses to, when he figures he has a reason to.

Finally, a first child tends to be slower developmentally than later kids because they have no other little person to imitate, and let's face it, it's hard to hold one-sided conversations all day, every day!

I have experienced this with my youngest child. He was a late talker but he understood simple commands at an early age. On labor day when my son was 2 he fell off of his scooter and broke his femur bone which required him to be in a full body cast for five to six weeks. It wasn't until then that he actually started talking in more than one to two word sentences. He was a very active boy and once he was forced to be still his verbal skills came out and have not stopped since. If your friend has had his hearing checked and it came out ok then I would not start worrying yet, some kids just have other things on their minds than talking. I was worried that something might have been wrong with my son as well but I am amazed now at how intelligent he actually is and how well he communicates now. We did have trouble with our son being able to tell us what color things are and that has not gotten any better. I took him to the eye doctor to have him checked and we did find out that he is in fact color blind but other than that he does not have any communication problems. It is just like walking, kids do it when they are ready and not a minute before.

My son is 2years and 3months old and still isn't talking very much at all and what he does say isn't very understandable to anyone other than me and my husband. I have a 4 year old that seems to do all the talking so I think that is part of the reason why he isn't talking - his hearing has been tested multiple times (because he has tubes) his hearing is fine. I also think part of it is his personality he is much more easy going than my first and I think some of the time he just doesn't feel like talking. Anyway, I have been reassured that he will talk when he is ready and I'm sure he will - so anyway, I really wouldn't worry about a 16 month old not talking very much as long as he is doing fine with everything else.

This sounds exactly like my son - who is now 4 and did not officially talk until the week before his 3rd birthday. I worried all the time and got his hearing checked and took him to speech specialist. I would not worry unless he goes past age 3- that is what they always told me. It seems like it is always boys and more than likely the first child - I heard that a lot as well - we as moms just seem to do all the talking for them and they get into that habit. I finally started paying attention to that and would make him say the words or at least try before I would give him what he was wanting and make him watch my mouth to make the word, then praise him and get real excited w/him about it - he then started talking in sentences when he talked - it was really strange - my mother in law said my husband did the same thing.just be patient and good luck!!! He will talk before you know it and then he will not ever stop - ha ha...

Hi D.,
I had the same experience with my son. He had tubes in his ears at 10 months, and we had his hearing checked when he was 18 months or so, I can't remember the exact age, he might have been a couple months older than that. Anyhow, long story short, my entire family was worried about him not talking clearly. He said things and looked at you as if he thought you should know what he was saying, and sometimes it sounded vaguely like it should. His sister (3 years older) always knew what he wanted and would "translate" and get things for him, etc. But as you say, with your friend's son, mine could hear quiet noises such as the door closing, etc. Every time I would put him in his baby bed when I went out of the room, no matter how quiet I was he would hear me and wake up. We could be in another room and he would hear something in the other part of the house, even before we would. If we whispered, he could hear it. We tested him ourselves several times. No "problem" was ever found, and eventually as he got a few months older, I'd say within the next year, he began to make himself understood, and his speech became clearer. My mother told me later how worried they'd all been about it. I was just going along not worried at all. I knew in my heart there was nothing "wrong" because he could hear those small sounds and it just took him longer to be able to say what he wanted. I did buy him a "Raffi" video because he loved to play with a toy guitar he had, and he would sit and try to sing those songs with Raffi, which I think helped him with his pronunciation. My daughter was very "ahead" of her age for talking, but I think this is the difference in some boys and girls, and also the birth order --she was the oldest and he was the youngest. Hope this helps your friend feel better. My son is now 19 and has NO PROBLEMS at all <G>. I bet your friend's son will be just fine in a few months, but I would encourage her to play word games with him and getting a singing tape might not be a bad idea--that way, he can watch the singer perform the song and learn the words at the same time to sing along. E-mail me off list if you need any other info. I think they still make that Raffi tape--I saw it not too long ago in Target or somewhere.
C.

As a doctor of audiology (and a new mom to my 12 wk old son) I felt the need to respond to this question. I see many children come through my office with parents reporting that they are concerned about their child's speech delay.

I applaud Subrenia for going directly to a licensed audiologist to have her child tested. Even a slight to mild hearing loss can greatly affect a child's speech and language development - even as an infant! The critical "window" for learning speech and language is two years, and if a hearing loss goes undetected it can negatively impact your child's speech development (among other things). Fluctuating hearing losses (i.e. from ear infections) can also impact speech development.

Please have your son's hearing re-evaluated again by an audiologist (not a screening in a pediatrician's office). There are specialized tests that allow us to obtain information on how the inner ear (cochlea) and auditory nerve are functioning, without input from a young child. These include otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) and auditory brainstem response (ABR). If your son is found to have a conductive hearing loss (due to middle ear problems such as middle ear fluid or infections), then treatment may be available to improve his hearing. If a sensorineural (inner ear or hearing nerve) hearing loss is detected, hearing aids can provide rehabilitation.

Sooner Start is an excellent program that can provide services for your son. I'd encourage you to contact them to have you son's speech and language development evaluated (after having a hearing evaluation). SoonerStart's phone number is ###-###-####. You can get more information at the website: http://www.okdhs.org/programsandservices/dd/ss/
You can also contact your local county health department.

Other information regarding speech and hearing is located at the American Speech Hearing and Language Association's website: http://www.asha.org/public/
and
http://www.asha.org/public/speech/development/chart.htm

Always trust your maternal instincts. You are your child's advocate! It's better to be safe than sorry. Good luck!

Hi there D.:

There is a story about similar youngster and a nursery school, Head Start style, It seems that when the child did talk the child said "Everything had been perfect up till then." And the child started talking because he had competition . The parents had a new baby. So this too will pass. God bvless.

I wouldn't be too concerned at this point. My pediatrician was also not concerned when my son wasn't talking and saying as much as I thought he should be at that age. my youngest son didn't really talk a whole lot until he was about 2, and then was very hard to understand. I had him evaluated by our state program (Special Services) and he does have a speech delay. He has been in Speech Therapy through the state (for free) since Sept. and is making alot of progress. Still some things are hard to understand, but his delay is only expressive. His receptive speech (what he understands) was normal. So, at this age not too concerning, but I would def. keep an eye on it and have him evaluated if it's not better by 2 or so. In AL they can start speech for free at age 3, therefore I started the process when he was about 2.5 (I figured it would take a while, which it did!). some children just talk later than others which can be normal. my older son started talking at 1 yr. and never stopped!! all children are different and will do things in their own time, but I would keep and eye on it and keep asking the pediatrician if it's still normal at diff. ages. sometimes you have to prompt them b/c you are with your child much more than they are and if you feel there is something wrong it may be. hope this helps and eases her/your mind about it.

He is processing his world but I would think the mom should talk to her Doctor about this. Some kids don't talk in sentences until later but the child should be using some very simple words now.

We had Sooner Start evaluate J at 21 months and he was behind in talking but suddenly started using 3 and 4 word sentences about 2 months ago. His favorite is "Let go me", when he gets to sit in time out for hitting or throwing toys with the intention of hurting someone.

I would be concerned too. Since he is not using mama and daddy correctly but can point to them correctly in pictures. He may have a problem with his mouth or throat.

Here's what I got from renowned speech therapist Dr. Sally Ward in BabyTalk, is a book named after her program, which helps babies and young children who are behind (but is also extremely good for all little ones in helping them to develop fantastic speech skills, which of course is crucial to learning, socialization, and other good things. The slow-developing children in her programs generally ended up with high IQs and even a substantial number of them gifted! The control group of late talkers did not; many ended up in the below-average range.)

(HAVE YOUR FRIEND BUY BABYTALK. IT WILL MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE FOR HER SON.)

Tell your friend that t.v. is a major culprit in late talking/speech problems. Tell her that she and her husband need to make a commitment to turning it off and leaving it off while he is awake (and making sure it is quiet enough that he doesn't hear it in his sleep).

(You'd think that exposure to all of the talking on t.v. would be good for them, but it is a passive experience, so the connections aren't really firing in their brains while they're watching. This is a key point. They need to be hearing language all around them, but from people who matter, and they must have the interaction.)

Tell her that they need to NOT do the very common "can you say [word]? Say [word]! Say [woooooord]! [Word]!" This actually confuses babies and makes them shut down - I think due to feeling pressured. They probably don't understand the dynamic - they don't observe adults talking to one another like that, after all.

This might sound entirely off-topic but, most importantly, she or her husband need to spend at least half an hour with him every day (they can take turns but it needs to be only one parent at a time so the child can focus), in which they play together in very easy but specific ways. I don't know what the program is for babies of his age; I've only looked a few months ahead for my 7-month old. I know that allowing babies and small children to focus on whatever they want to focus on is really important (this is hugely important for minimizing or preventing add/adhd, too, by the way; their attention span is going to be short in early childhood, but every time we're like, "ok, let's focus, let's turn the page," (for example) that fragments their attention even further, and makes learning more difficult. Let them "be distracted" and bang the book on the bed or whatever. This is probably true for 16-month olds, as well.

Tell your friend to take heart. Apparently, you start to see results with this program quite quickly, and he'll be caught up to at least the average development for his age (probably will exceed it) within a couple of months.

L.

i wouldn't. neither one of my kids said anything til they were about this age (17 mo and 19 mo) and they both have a great vocabulary. there is a book called the late talker (i think) and my daughter didn't have any of the problem signs. you could check it out.