Toddlers & speech

LordSutch

Obviously the age at which toddlers start to speak varies enormously from child to child, (as with toddling), but at what age should they be able to say certain words? For example "does it matter if a toddlers vocab is very limited at the age of two"? and are there any guidelines for speech progression in toddlers?

Curious.

Moonbeam

It depends on the child and siblings and some say gender.
My just gone 2 year old girl has good speech,knows the words to many songs,can ask for what ever she wants,is well able to tell tales,can count out over 20 things to you but we have met 3 year olds that are just as intelligent but just not as bothered about speaking.
They will do what interests them the most and often if they have an older sibling or are not in creche they have less reason to have to talk.

hazydays

my 2 yr old has lots of words and sentences but can't get r sounds or l sounds perfect yet it will come with time, I also have an 8 year old who went through the speech therapy program for 4 years he was tongue tied he had to get that lasered back to help mobility so he could move his tongue correctly to make the sounds. I am a little concerned about my little girl and have booked her in for an assessment with the speech therapist just to be safe I find a lot of people will still not understand what she is saying even though everyone close to her have no problems knowing what she is saying.. to get to the point of my rambling if you are concered see your gp or health nurse because the waiting list for an assessment with a speech therapist going public is 24-36 months and then they will put you on a list for therapy if needed so you could be waiting years so i believe in taking early action and if after the assessment they don't need therapy then there was no harm done hope that was somehow helpful,

January

My 25 month old girl has a good few words, but a lot of it is still babble to herself. She can count to ten (only when she wants though! and often skips numbers unless we correct her), she knows the words to a few songs.

The thing the speech therapist said to me at the parent and toddler group I go to is that you can self refer to speech and language therapy, so if you are worried just head to your nearest HSE health centre and ask for the form for it at the reception. You don't need to speak to the PHN or the GP for them to do it and it gets the ball rolling for you too.

ellee

Hi, I was a bit worried too when I received an email from www.babycentre.co.uk (am signed up for newsletters) on the very topic, I found it comforting and I googled it and copied it here for your informaiton:-

"Most children have learned to say at least one word by the time they're 12 months old and it's unusual for a child to not be speaking at all by 18 months. But although it's not typical, your child's situation is not necessarily cause for concern, either. Boys, especially those under two, tend to develop language skills more slowly than girls, and some more cautious and reserved children tend to wait until they understand a great deal of what they hear before they actually speak.

Look for these signs of language development:

• Does your child point? Pointing to something he wants or to pictures in a book is closely related to the beginning of actual speech.

• Does he seem to understand what you say? The ability to understand language precedes the ability to talk. If your child seems to understand a great deal of what others are saying, he's well on his way to talking.

• Does your child use gestures and facial expressions to communicate? Many children communicate what they need non-verbally, and in fact most toddlers develop a host of non-verbal signals. Until about 24 months the fact that your child is making some kind of effort to communicate is more important than a large vocabulary.

• Does your child grunt? This may seem a strange question, but new research shows that the little grunts toddlers make while pointing to pictures or playing with toys are actually a kind of commentary. Children who aren't yet talking and don't grunt are more likely to be diagnosed with a language delay later on.

If your child isn't showing these signs of language development, you may want to mention it to your health visitor at his 18-month development check. (You are responsible for taking your child to the clinic for this -- you won't be called in automatically.) In general, the earlier a language delay is detected, the easier it is to treat. Many language problems can be treated very effectively during the pre-school years leaving no long-term problems."

I hth!

upinthesky

my little lad is 9 weeks and he has started to copy sounds i make to him

like i say a chooooooo to him and he repeats it or makes a real effort to
so it starts from an early age

i think they should be saying words by the age of two anyway or at least giving it a go i know my little girl was late enough talking
were as my other lad was a year and he was yapping away depends on the child

wolfpawnat

My son is 23 months and the only understandable thing he says is oof oof any time he sees a dog. Thats it. But he points and babbles and understands basic commands. I am worried and I get upset by it. I am sick of the mantra "Oh sure he'll start in his own time" and I have brought him to a gp who was very dismissive which is very annoying!

Grawns

Ah Wolfpawnat ( hug) If he's pointing and babbling and oof offing - he is communicating. Try not to worry too much and go to a different doc if you're unhappy with your current one.

cassid

my youngest is 22 mts, can put 3 words together and knows most words. He was with his neonatalogist and he said his speech at that level was ahead of his peers. His brother was 2 and only had a handful of words so he was referred to speech and language at 2 and was discharged at 4 and his bang on for his age. early intervention is always good, if you are worried contact your pediatrican, gp or phn

annetted

well as everyone says, children do everything at different ages. if your child's speech is something you are worried about - you should get advice from a different GP.

our little boy was a great talker from about 2 - but i have a nephew that didn't really get going on his talking till he was 2 and a half.

i read somewhere that you should let your child talk to you - don't interrupt your child - these early talks are all about your getting their words out and building their confidence...

Fran79

Hi
my little man was not really saying anything till about 2yrs 5 mths. In the space of a few weeks he went from 20 words to over a hundred. It really was that quick. He is now usuing sentences at 2 yrs 8 mths.

He was good at usuing non verbl communication though.

Fran