Comments on: Speech Delay: A Joyous Nuisance

By: Sarah M

Sarah M — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 12:17:29 +0000

My 22 month old isnt talking yet either, he babbles a lot and makes a lot of noise but has only a few words and even those arent pronounced correctly. He’s still an only child and being raised bilingual so I’m not worried yet, just impatient to get to the next milestone, comparing gets really tough, his cousin is 5 weeks younger than him and has a vast vocabulary, but she has 3 older siblings and she loves to copy everyone, unlike my son who just does things his own way barely copies. He will speak when he speaks :)

By: Michelle

Michelle — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 10:53:04 +0000

My husband started talking soon after his first birthday, then abruptly stopped and didn’t say another word until he was nearly three. It was partly a) His way of being contrary (he wasn’t going to be a performing monkey) and b) His perfectionist streak making itself known.
As an adult, he is softly-spoken but quite eloquent.

By: newmom

newmom — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:08:16 +0000

My nephew did not have more than 10 words until he was 2 1/2. He was a first child, so my brother and wife had nothing to compare it to, which I think was a blessing. I am a teacher so I was concerned but tried to follow their lead. The doctor said if he wasn’t talking more by 2 1/2, than have him evaluated. Just before Christmas of last year he started talking, and HAS NOT STOPPED! The difference is night and day. I’m talking full sentences, repeating adults, and using big words that just floor me. He’ll be 3 tomorrow and is perfectly normal! Try not to compare to your 5 year old — I see parents do this all the time and it will only make you crazy.

By: Dallas

Dallas — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 17:55:01 +0000

Please don’t worry. Our little girl didn’t have much to say before about 18-19 months, at ALL. She didn’t show any other signs of anything being wrong either — hearing tests were fine too.

Now she’s 25 months and talks all the time. Since I’m a stay at home mom, and she has no siblings, I honestly think she really didn’t have much to say.

Also, I have read that some children who have an older sibling take a bit longer.

Our daughter, in the space of about 3 weeks, went from saying very very little to talking non-stop. (And when I say “very very little”, I mean she said “dada” and “dog”.)

Please don’t worry… like a previous poster, my experience was that is was like someone “flipped a switch” — practically overnight.

By: Amber

Amber — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 23:23:37 +0000

My son was walking full-time when he was 10 months old, but when I started a job outside the home the month he turned two, he babbled a lot but said nothing clearly but “mommy”, “daddy” and “ball”.

After three months in daycare, he was acquiring words like crazy and speaking basic sentences.

Part of it, I think, was that he’s so far an only child and really liked mimicking/learning with the little boy his age at daycare, but I’m pretty sure most of it was just timing. It was like someone flipped a switch, and he turned into a word sponge.

Everything in its own time.

By: Rex

Rex — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 21:44:56 +0000

Do not hesitate in taking him to a speech therapist. My son was in the same situation, and a few weeks of therapy “clicked” with him and he had the vocabulary of a 4 year old by 24 months. The worst thing to do is wait and see if he “gets it.”

By: KGS

KGS — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:23:11 +0000

I can understand why you’re worried– it’s so hard to just wait and see, but it sounds like for the moment that’s all you can do. Just to add to your store of hopeful andectodes while you wait for tests… My brother didn’t talk until he was almost two, probably due to the “chatty big sister effect.” More worrisome for the parents, a friend of mine’s younger brother didn’t speak until he was four. Doctors couldn’t find anything wrong, but he was essentially silent. Their parents enrolled him in a preschool program for deaf and mute children. He’d been going there for some time when he suddenly began speaking aloud in sentences. He very quickly “caught up,” but no one ever figured out what the delay was about. Human brains are such strange things!

By: Jen

Jen — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 23:56:20 +0000

I remember my second neice didn’t speak much until she was 3, so it makes me feel a little better that my younger daughter doesn’t say much either. She will be 3 at the end of the month.
When I look at videos of my 4 year old daughter when she turned 2, she probably said more than my younger one is saying at almost 3. Of course, size wise is the same thing… my younger one at her 3 year checkup will be the height her sister was at her 2 year checkup! Crazy!

I’m sure in a few months my daughters speech will take off and I will miss these silent (though tantrum filled) days! :-)

By: anjii

anjii — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 23:42:17 +0000

I second the use of sign language. In the moment, it reduces frustration due to not being understood, and in the long term, it builds more language synapses in the brain, and adds another dimension to their language abilities.

We signed with both kids. Wyatt was talking in LONG sentences by 1 1/2, and dropped the sign language pretty quickly. Dawson is a preemie, with slightly slower verbal skills (starting to pick up speed now at 21 months), who has over 85 signs, and LOVES watching his Signing Time dvds. As it turns out, we recently found out he also has chronic ear fluid buildup, which has the effect of constant earplugs (he hears, but not the lower volumes), so our Developmental worker is grateful that we’ve been signing from the beginning.

By: MoJo

MoJo — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:00:22 +0000

When our son (2nd child) was 2 and still not talking is when we got worried. We did the hearing screen (everything fine), a development screen (also fine) and eventually did some speech therapy to move things along. By 3, he was where he should be and now at 4 you would never know how we struggled with his speech. Being the second child with an older sister who talked clearly before 1 year, our expectations were unrealistic. We also found some areas where we were at fault for making it too easy for him to get what he wanted/needed without having to fully communicate with words. If you aren’t happy with the answers that your doctor gives you (ours was too lax in our opinon), check out the regional center. They offer no cost screening and reassurance if nothing else.