18 month old not using words

[mommyx4]

my 18 month old boy(almost 19 months) *talks* but doesn't use words. He does say some things like wow, dada, heart, meow, etc. but I wonder if he's behind. My twins spoke alot more words than him at this stage. Should I worry? Should I have him evaluated? I know he's a different child and I shouldn't compare...but I do...

[mommyx4]

I realized after I posted this it doesn't make sense. He babbles alot and has a vocabulary of about 10-15 words, but I hear of other 18 month olds saying so much more and it worries me...

[Carrie12345]

My now 5yo only had a small handful of word until his second birthday. We scouted out speech therapists etc around 18 months but decided to wait until the "magic" age of 2, and his vocabulary did explode. (We may still seek speech for enunciation next year, but the vocab is excellent.) A hearing test may be a great place to start.

[MAIMOM]

I think it is pretty common for some children to wait until around the 2nd birthday to really start talking. Both my DS and my niece did not really talk until 2. They were very serious children that were so observant of all things going on. When they did start talking it was in statements rather than words. I think my son waited until he could say words correctly before he talked. He only mispronounced two words and one of those was in the use of past tense. I was thrilled when DD said cute words like "communiated and apticopter and callipiter" I did not let her big brother correct her as I wanted to relish the cuteness.

[mommyx4]

I know he can hear because I can call him from across the house and he'll come running. He also does every command I give him. Like it I tell him to go get the Baby Angels book, he'll go get it.

[Catwoman]

How is his receptive language? Does he understand what you're saying to him? If that's fine, I wouldn't worry a bit! :)

 

Also, are there any other late talkers in the family?

[mommyx4]

Yes, he always understands what I'm saying. For example, if I give him a piece of garbage and ask him to go throw it out, he goes to the garbage in the kitchen and does it...is that receptive language?

[gardenmom5]

do you wait for him to use words? it's so easy with younger children to anticipate what they want they don't *have* to use words. does he understand what you say?

 

everytime you do something for him - use words to describe/label everything. make sure he's getting lots of exposure to words themselves.

 

if you have been doing the above things and he's still not talking , I'd consult with his ped. at this stage, he's probably just a late talker. I've had late talkers who then talked in sentences when they started talking.

[FLDebbie]

My son said nothing at all when he was 18 months, but understood us, like it sounds like your son does. My sister is a pediatrician so I asked her if I should be worried and she said there's nothing unusual with that, especially since he's a younger child and a boy. By 2 he was speaking as much as any other 2 year old.

[Pamela H in Texas]

An 18month old is supposed to have about 20 "words." A word includes a sound (like "ruff") or sign (like signing "more" or "milk") or an actual word-like sound (caw for car, bah for ball, da-da for daddy). If you think that he says 10-15 words and count that he likely makes a few sounds/signs also, then he's probably just fine. On the other hand, my ds17 said mama at 22months and said very little. His speech took off after we were much more intentional, used sign also, and did something like Teach Your Baby to Read (the 1960s version).

 

You can always get an eval from a private home health agency (what we use) or ECI.

[Catwoman]

Yes, he always understands what I'm saying. For example, if I give him a piece of garbage and ask him to go throw it out, he goes to the garbage in the kitchen and does it...is that receptive language?

 

Yes, that's what I meant. I truly believe you have nothing to be concerned about.

 

If more time passes and he's still not talking, read a book called The Einstein Syndrome and see how your ds compares with the kids in the book.

[AdventureMoms]

None of mine had more than 3 or 4 words at that age. About 2 weeks later DD was speaking in full paragraphs and hasn't shut up since. Seriously that child talks all day long. Complete strangers could understand her perfectly by 19mo. My twins didn't really start up until a month or so before they turned 2 (a few weeks ago). Now they have hundreds of words each and use 3 and 4 word phrases all the time. They are hard to understand, but that really just puts them on a more typical track than DD.

 

In my mom's group I don't think we had any boys talking before 2. I think it's pretty typical.

[Desert Rat]

My youngest didn't start really speaking until closer to 2.5 years. And it's the same with my boy as AdventureMoms. He even talks in his sleep. I have to remind him to take a breath sometimes. LOL But he does have so many interesting things to say!

 

OP, try not to worry. I know that's easier said than done though.

[dbmamaz]

my older two were very early speakers and my last was very late. at age 2 he only had 30 words and at least half were animals sounds or made-up words. we went for early intervention intake and they basically gave us 2 home visits and told us he'd be fine. he was late to talk, late to read, late to write, but since i'm homeschooling, i can adjust. i do worry about when he goes back to school, though. he still speaks a bit 'young' in his pronunciation.

[tabrizia]

Sounds like he is a younger child too. My 20 month old rarely talks, he can if you press him, but he normally doesn't bother, he gets his point across with pointing, a couple of signs, and letting his siblings talk for him. I really don't think it is a huge issue and my older DS is in speech therapy.

[poiema]

My son said nothing at all when he was 18 months, but understood us, like it sounds like your son does. My sister is a pediatrician so I asked her if I should be worried and she said there's nothing unusual with that, especially since he's a younger child and a boy. By 2 he was speaking as much as any other 2 year old.

 

Our pediatrician told us the same thing. Sure enough, at 2 years he was speaking in sentences. I wouldn't worry (but I sure did at the time).

[Tammi K]

Two of my six children didn't speak until they turned 3. My daughter had no interest in communication. She was content to just 'exist' in her space. Then, one day right after she turned 3, ironically the day after we contacted the "Child Find' help agency to see about getting her evaluated, she began speaking in full sentences.

My youngest, didn't speak until he was three but he had a sign vocab of about 150 words and a good receptive vocab. He understood everything we said to him. He just had no interest in speaking.

My daughter eventually graduated Summa Cum Laude and my son is also quite bright. They just developed on their own time table. Unless you feel his lack of speech is symptomatic of a bigger developmental issue, my advice would be to just relax and allow him his own path. As long as his receptive skills are good,and HE isn't frustrated by his inability to express his needs, he's processing language and speech will come.

[Pawz4me]

Our pediatrician was interested in how the boys' speech developed between 18 months and 24 months. It wasn't so much how many words they were saying, but that the number of words increased in that time period. So as long as he picks up some more words before 24 months I'm guessing he would be considered normal. If he's saying the same few words, then maybe it's time for an evaluation.

[KatieJ]

One of my Grandsons didn't say much at all until he was amost 3. His older brother did all the talking. :laugh:

When the older brother started Young Fives ( the current term for preschool around here) the younger brother had Mom all to himself for 3 hours a day and the vocab came fast and furious.

 

I wouldn't worry yet at all.

[JFSinIL]

Does he do pretend play, like pretend to use a phone/cook/whatever - with toys? Does he wave "bye-bye" unprompted? Are his words spontaneous, or is he echoing the last thing he hears you say?

 

You can always request the local Easter Seals for a 0-3 evaluation. They will check hearing, etc. If there is a problem, it is always better to catch it as soon as possible. Odds are he is just not needing to talk much yet...but better to get him checked out.

 

One of my twins did not develop much non-echoing speech beyond 18 months...turned out he did have major problems that might be less devastating now (he is 21 years old) but we lost too much time assuming nothing was wrong. His younger sisters we jumped on the first signs of a delay and they got therapy/treatment and are now FINE.

 

Not worth the risk of delay just in case there is a problem. If you are worried enough to ask - get him checked!!!!

[bobbeym]

From what you've said it sounds like he's just a late talker. As long as he continues to pick up new words at a consistent pace I wouldn't worry to much about it.

 

My oldest DS was a VERY late talker. By 2.5 or 3yo he still only said a few sentences here and there - maybe. We went through all the evaluations only to figure out that he didn't talk because he didn't need to talk. He was home with Dad most of the day and they'd developed their own communication style. By 4yo his need to talk kicked in on its own and he wouldn't shut up.

 

Even now at 19, he's mostly silent unless it's a topic he's interested in.

[wapiti]

The rule of thumb is 5 words by 18 months. If he has 20 words, I would not be concerned at all (I have three late talkers, one who is still in speech therapy at 9 y.o., and three others who just made it in under the wire at 18 months). If you are concerned anyway, call EI - that is what they are there for.

 

You can always do a hearing test at your ped's office. Though it's not as in-depth as with an audiologist, a hearing check is usually the first step. If you were concerned about speech - and I'm not saying that you should be - I would not rely on your own observations re: hearing. It's just something that gets checked before kids start speech therapy, period.

[In The Great White North]

One of my Grandsons didn't say much at all until he was amost 3. His older brother did all the talking. :laugh:

When the older brother started Young Fives ( the current term for preschool around here) the younger brother had Mom all to himself for 3 hours a day and the vocab came fast and furious.

 

Dd (then 2) didn't really talk til we dropped her older bro (then 4 1/2) off at pre-school. On the way home, it was like we had flipped the switch. She talked non-stop. Turned out he had been shushing her for a year or so.

[JFSinIL]

You can always do a hearing test at your ped's office. Though it's not as in-depth as with an audiologist, a hearing check is usually the first step. If you were concerned about speech - and I'm not saying that you should be - I would not rely on your own observations re: hearing. It's just something that gets checked before kids start speech therapy, period.

 

I would caution folks not to totally rely on that office hearing test. The ears may hear fine...but is the brain processing the info at full speed? Three of my four kids had auditory processing delays - one severe enough that although he did eventually get proper treatment, it wasn't until he was FIVE years of age, and by then the lack of language development could NOT be overcome. He is permanently disabled. Yet - all his hearing tests were FINE! An audiologist needs to do special testing to determine if there is an auditory processing delay in the part of the brain in charge of such things.

 

The basic hearing test for any degree of deafness is, of course, the first step, in case the problem is in the ears. But it is not the last step.

[BlueTaelon]

Neither of my kids were talking at 18 mo, for 1 kid it was an issue as it turned out she had hearing loss due to blocked E tubes, she didn't really talk until 4 beyond "mama". After the hell I went through with child #1 and dd#2 being dx'd with a syndrome that had a high risk of profound deafness by adulthood I started teaching her sign around 9 months (she had motor control issues). At age 2 she still wasn't talking but it was a totally different experience since she could communicate with sign, as long as they can communicate I wouldn't worry. Now if they are 3-4 and STILL not talking and not communicating some how I'd worry. That said now both talk fine and NEVER SHUT UP! :rolleyes: Just a side note and dd#2 doesn't even realize she does it but when she's REALLY excited and wants something she speaks and signs even at 6 lol:)

[Stayseeliz]

My son was on the slower side of things when it came to talking and all I had to compare it to was my niece who is 7 months older. I was a little worried but his vocabulary did explode around two. I wouldn't worry. Even my youngest was a little slower. She is 20 1/2 months and really just starting to talk a good bit.

[Jerico]

My first was speaking in full sentences by 18 months. My second was quite the different child and didn't speak much until 2 years, and really took off closer to 2 1/2. I try not to compare them. I'd wait personally.