Hi Moms, my son is 20 mos. old. He comprehends everything, for instance, if you ask him where certain body parts are he can point to them such as, "where are your eyes? where's your navel, where's your thumb, etc.." He knows how to throw garbage away and how to get his shoes, my shoes and his Papa's shoes. However his comprehensible vocabulary is limited ; he says papa (actually it comes out as da da) and ma ma (rarely though). He's a papa's boy. He actually cries when we try to suggest words for him to speak and refuses. He started walking at 10 mos., climbing at 6mos., and he can do a head stand using the back of his crib for support and recently he's started doing head stands without any support, basically his athleticism is great. Here's my question when can I expect to hear a few comprehensible syllables or words from my son.
Thanks Moms
Hi Moms, once again thank you all for the awesome advice. Here's what happened with my son's most recent visit to the pediatrician concerning his speech. According to his doctor, he's doing just fine, He's alert, comprehends everything that's spoken to him, his ears are fine and he can hold a conversation. And Lastly, the doctor said that he didn't start speaking until he was 2.5 years old. =-). The doctor says he will start talking when he's ready and not a minute too soon or too late. Thanks again moms for everything.
At 20 months old, he's likely a candidate for early intervention. get him evaluated. He may just need a little speech therapy. In the meantime, try to get him to just imitate sounds. let him take a break from words while you work on the mechanics of various mouth noises. I recommend the DVD Baby Babble, available on Amazon.com. Good luck to you.
my son was the same way. i told myself i'd wait until 24 ms to give him more time b/c i REALLY didn't wanna get ECI involved if not necessary. by the end of his 24th month i didn't see any improvement and NOTHING like what books & other kids his age were saying. I can't help but compare a little!! everything said he was supposed to be up to 50 words or something - uh, hell no for my child. MAYBE 10 on a good energetic focused day! so i called ECI...we've been working w/them for about 4-5 months. there's DEFINITELY been some improvement. hard to tell it's just been the passage of time or me using some of the techniques they showed me. there's a waiting list so now that he only has 7 months or so left of the program (only serves up to age 3), i wish i'd called early. but at the same time, i was trusting my momma gut & felt more comfortable waiting. either way...i'm glad i called & i'm glad for the services provided. they visit him @ home ____@____.com...that's just my 2 cents. good luck w/your sweet boy - gotta love those babies!!! :)
oh by the way, the kids are seen by case workers & speech therapists, not doctors, so there's no diagnosis to follow him around. all they said about my son is that he's speech delayed. so...maybe that'll help your decision too. i was worried about a label myself!
His speech is delayed. Call Early Intervention (or whatever its called in your state) and get an evaluation for your son. Not only should have say at least 10 comprehensible words, he should be using words to get what he wants or communicate with you. He cries because its can't do it. Don't worry, there is probably nothing "wrong" so don't freak out. Lots of kids have a speech delay, esp boys. My son did and now he is totally caught up.
He sounds like he's been working on his gross motor & cognitive development instead of fine motor (using tongue, lips, breath control for verbal growth is all fine motor). Since his comprehension is great, I wouldn't be concerned about language until he's 2.5... but am willing to lay money down you'll get a language explosion right around age 2.
My own son was the same as yours... our speech explosion happened a little after age 2 ... went from mama/dada/baba/nana/up to "The squirrels are mocking I!" & "If you please," / "Thankyou kindly", & "Do you think we might go to the park? Perhaps swinging?" in about 3 months.
My godmother IS a speech pathologist... and though tons of family were concerned (and kept trying to coax him into using words) neither she nor I were concerned... because he comunicated fantastically via facial expression/ body movement, and his babbling had all the "right sounds" according to her. AKA he could make them, he just wasn't stringing them together yet.
If ya don't happen to have a speech pathologist in the family, visiting one can be extremely relieving. Many/Most kids who get early intervention for speech (according to my godmother) don't have the "recognition" for words that your son is demonstrating / that my son did also. So too, there tends to be a LOT of frustration as they TRY to talk/get their ideas across but can't. (Don't know if you've got that or if, like my son, communication is no problem).
To know, as well, fast growers & bilingual kids tend to be later talkers. For the fast growers: They spend a LOT of time compensating for the fast growth by focusing on body movement or cognitive / emotional development instead of fine motor. It's not causal... slow growers often work on other areas of development, and some fast growers talk early. For the bilingual kids... it's a *completely* different time line than monolanguage speakers.
Your son may very well just start talking more on his own in the next few months as all children develop at different rates. However, as a mother and SPED teacher, I personally would contact Early Child Intervention for a free assessment. There's nothing to lose, and if your son has a speech delay it is always best to begin addressing it as soon as possible.
I'm sure your son will get on pace with his peers in no time.
Good luck!
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Experts say the average child without hearing impairment will say about 50 words and be putting together 2 word sentences at 24 months. Do you think your child will reach this goal in 4 months? My son was also speech delayed at that age. He was evaluated and received speech therapy in our home from 24-36 months, for a very low cost. one thing that really helped him was learning some sign language. Sounds like your son is also a kinesthetic learner and would do well with sign language. His first signs were more, please and thank you which get used A LOT and so were repeated all the time. the next step would be him pointing to something and saying please. When my son learned a sign he would always follow it up by learning to say the word within a few weeks so it Really helped his oral language development. Because pushing for words was stressful at 20 months I worked on animal sounds and silly noises, fun and non stressful! I also recommend BAby Babble DVD and a book or DVD about sign language. He is now 6 and speaks like an average 6 yr old!
This was my son at 18 months. His ped suggested I get his hearing tested. I told her I didn't think there was anything wrong with his hearing because he understood what I said, came to me when I called his name, etc. She said there are two types of vocabulary---receptive (what you hear) and expressive (what you say). She said there was a disconnect. So, I took him for a hearing test and he had 100% fluid blockage in one ear and 50% in the other. The doctor said it was like he was listening underwater. He could hear enough to do things, but not well enough to speak. He was VERY surprised that he had never had an ear infection. Usually they would catch that much fluid b/c the child would have several ear infections. We put tubes in and the rest is history. He is now 5 and has no speech delay or anything. He never stops talking!!!
My son, from 19 months old to almost 3 years old, had Speech Therapy, which was free, via our local "Early Childhood Intervention" organization.
Did not have to be referred by a Pediatrician. I simply called them myself.
They do an overall developmental assessment of the child.
This is all done in your home. And is FREE. Up until 3 years old.
My son, was assessed at being advanced in many areas. He was simply speech delayed.
He loved speech therapy.
He is now the MOST talkative one in our family with an astounding vocabulary and very complex speaking.
He understood EVERYTHING that was told to him since he was very young and is also bi-lingual and has always been very athletic too.
Speech formation... is age related and developmental based.
A 1 year old, 2 year old, 3 year old, 4 year old, acquires enunciation... per their age. It also entails mouth/tongue/lips coordination. Fine-motor coordination. Speaking in a 20 month old, is not like a 3 year old.
So, you can just check out your local ECI organization and just call and ask. It is free. You can choose to have it or not, per if your child needs it. No obligation.
Boys, gender wise, often speak later.
My son's Speech Therapist said, 80%of her clients, were boys.
Many times it is just a delay in speech and in enunciating sounds.
Other times, they do have a condition, such as Dysphagia or Apraxia etc.
But that is not common.
Or, you teach your child, sign language. I did that with both my kids.
My son, even if he was speech delayed, did not tantrum or get frustrated, because he was very creative in conveying his communication... and he also knew sign language. He was real 'articulate' even if he was speech delayed prior to receiving Speech Therapy.
I don't see any problems. My step son didn't start talking til he was almost 3. Some kids just start late. My daughter on the other hand spoke (but not very many words) by 20 months and by the time she turned 2 it was like her vocabulary increased dramatically and I haven't been able to shut her up since. She is almoast 3. I would talk to ur ped. Doctor and see if they suggest anything. But I wouldn't worry to much. If ur child wasn't talking at all then I would be concerened.
Hi C. F. My grandson is doing the same thing as your son is doing(he'll be eighteen months on the third of this month) So just be patient. I think children should be able to say a sentence by age two. But check with his peditrican to be sure.
My son didn't talk until a few months after his 2nd birthday. Give it some time and discuss any concerns with his doctor at his two year check up. He will talk.
that varies greatly. If you are really worried about him call eci and get him a speech therapist. His hearing is probably fine. He is doing things mine can't. and yours is 20 m and mine turns 3 thursday. I wouldn't sweat it to much but call eci if your really worried. Say the words loudly and slowly to him put emphisis on such things a m in milk and also the k on the end. do this with all of his words and believe me when I say if you make him look at you when you talk he will figure it out faster. Mine has hearing issues but making him look us in the face makes him try harder. he doesn't always get it but I reward effort.
My 23 month old is so great at communicating- you can ask her a question and she will show me what she needs. I was getting worried about her and at her last check u, the doctor told me to keep an eye, or ear, for herlanguage. At about 21 months, she just started talking. She says several complete sentences and knows so many words. She also was walking at 10 months old, and able to pull up at 6-7 months old. If you have any more children, they sometimes "speak" for the younger siblings.
My son was like yours and could understand everything. He said a few words before age two, but was not really much of a talker. Also, he was a very fast physical developer. He walked at 9 months and was running and climbing and doing everything right away. Now, when he turned two, it was like an overnight change! He was not only talking in sentences, but was composing thoughts and expressing them with words and phrases way beyond his years! While his brother, older by 13 months, was still talking kid talk, this son was speaking like an English professor! I know that with a lot of kids, if they are focusing on the physical, it takes them longer for the verbal to develop, so I guess that was going on with my son. Today, he is a sophomore in high school and is in honors English, so he had no problems, just a late talker.
