# Late Talker Success Stories?



## ParisJeTadore

My LO is 21 months old and only says approximately four or five words (hi, oh no, eyes, wow). I am trying not to let it get to me but when I see kids his age saying tons of words and, at times even stringing a few words together, it's hard not to worry. 

We read with him every day, talk to him lots and go through his word book daily but have seen no improvements in many months. He's great with fine motor skills, and loves to tinker with stuff but seems behind with talking. He's been behind on all of his milestones (very slow to roll over, pull up and walk) so maybe this just follows the curve he is currently on and is consistent with past behavior? I also find it odd that, despite saying mama and dada at 11 months, he hasn't used it since. I've never heard him say mommy or daddy although he does seem to refer to my husband and I as "ta". 

Any other late bloomers out there that sound similar who turned out fine?


----------



## Quackquack99

If I'm honest, try not to worry your lo is still young. I know its hard but I have a nearly three year old with a speech delay but many kids to pick it up. If you do have concerns for their speech then see if you can get referred for speech therapy.


----------



## Hunbun

My son will be 3 at the very beginning of August and he still is a slow talker. 

He didn't say his first word until a few months after his 2nd birthday. Even then we had ball, hello and car until about 3 months ago. He just wasn't interested in speaking. He wouldn't copy any words or ask any names of things.

All of a sudden he is obsessed. Everywhere we turn its 'what's that?' and then he copies (tries to copy!) what you say. He has hundreds of words popping up and even some phrases. 

When he was two he had his two year assessment and the health visitor noted his 'speech delay' but she said she would contact us in another couple of months to see if he had progressed any and if he hadn't we could think about a speech therapist. However we never heard from her and to be honest just left him to get on with it himself. 

Maybe he will just be the strong silent type! :haha:


----------



## MrsNorthman

Hey, try not to worry, my little guy who is 27 months can completely understand everything we say but his speech is not were I would like it to be however he has come on a lot in the past few weeks even and has a lot more words. 

He is not saying everything and maybe stringing one or two words together but you can really see the difference, I know he will get there in his own time and tbh I think some of it is pure laziness as he is the first grandson and all he has to do is point at something and someone will get it for him.

Just like you I read, sang and talked to him constantly and I was sure he would be talking really young. My little girl is 8 months and she does not get the same attention as he got (not in a bad way just not as much time now as when I only had one) and I can already hear her babbling away a lot more than he ever did, she will probably be talking before him :haha:

However if you think there is more to it than get it checked out, my gut tells me my little guy is fine just a little slower than others to talk but I know it'll all come together soon enough!!!

xx


----------



## DianaB

DD1 was always ahead with her milestones but when it came to speech I think at you lo's age she only had 5 words and only 2 of which she used with correct meaning. Once she hit 2 years old her speech exploded she was learning 2-4 new words a day and now at 2.5 she's completely caught up and speaking in sentences. Try not to worry speech is one of those really variable things and your lo still has lots of time to catch up.


----------



## tommyg

Some body said to me kids are either walkers or talkers. Mine was a walker, he was 26 mths before he really said much and went from odd words to talking to fully understandable sentences in days.


----------



## Willow82

Not a success story here as we are in exactly the same situation! My LO is also 21 months and only has a few words (hiya, yeah, bye, mummy and daddy). So you're not alone! He's also been slow in meeting his milestones, he didn't walk until he was 19 months, so I'm trying not to worry. I'm going to wait until he's 2 and if there has been no improvement, raise it with the health visitor.


----------



## happysaurus

In my experience, 21 months with only a few words is normal. That's not late talking, it's just not early talking if you see what I mean. My LO is now advanced in language at 2.5 years but had very few words (which were only really understandable to family) at 21 months. I remember when she was about that age that I thought that there was no way she'd catch up with her best friend who is 3 months older but, honestly, she did. It's amazing how it just suddenly explodes.


----------



## ds0910

Following. My son is 20 months and really only says hey, ok, and yea on a regular nasis. He will say a word once and then won't use it again? So I know he CAN talk, he just doesn't. I'm not overly concerned because he knows exactly what we say to him, and he only has to see something once and he does it, so that tells me it's not a learning delay. I think it's like a PP said being lazy because he is also the first grandchild AND greatgrandchild on my husbands side. He lets you know exactly what he wants by pointing and even directs you when you are carrying him. He was pretty quick with his other milestone, he walked fine unassisted at 10 months, so I guess this is the one he thinks he can slack on lol


----------



## Mrs HM

My DS was behind on all of his milestones and at 24months only had a handful of words and mostly animals noises. In the last 4 months his language has come alive and he's putting entire sentences together that strangers can understand. It's honestly happened so quickly and from nowhere. We always read to him and talked to him a lot, but somedays he says words and I can't even think where he would have heard them from! 

Please don't worry just yet, your LO will get there too.


----------



## emma4g63

21 months is too young to class as a late talker - no first hand experience as madison was saying around 100 words or so by then but had only just started to string together - and then used 2-3 words from then on she has always been an ok talker but the difference between her at 24 months and now as 26 is unreal!! she can pretty much say anything and tells you all about her day and wheres she been and what she ate and goes on and on and on....still some of it is i have no idea what she is saying but most of it i can and thats only in 2 months 
just wish she would shut up now lol :dohh:
:thumbup:


----------



## JASMAK

My nine year old talked around four years. Before that she had absolutely no words, or communication. No pointing, etc. now she is nine, and with intense speech therapy, now speaks like approx 4-5 year old. She is making leaps and bounds! Hang in there. Sounds like lots of words to me, really!


----------



## minties

Thomas didn't talk until he was 2, and at 3.5 he's just the same as every other kid in his age group.


----------



## lov3hat3

My son didn't start talking until he was 2 and a half. By 2 they were trying to get him to see special needs people and speech therapists but I said id wait and see. Now he wont shut up lol. I wouldn't worry! some just take longer then others. :thumbup:


----------



## ds0910

JASMAK said:


> My nine year old talked around four years. Before that she had absolutely no words, or communication. No pointing, etc. now she is nine, and with intense speech therapy, now speaks like approx 4-5 year old. She is making leaps and bounds! Hang in there. Sounds like lots of words to me, really!

Do you mind if I ask if they gave you a reason for the delay?


----------



## ds0910

lov3hat3 said:


> My son didn't start talking until he was 2 and a half. By 2 they were trying to get him to see special needs people and speech therapists but I said id wait and see. Now he wont shut up lol. I wouldn't worry! some just take longer then others. :thumbup:

Speech therapy was brought up at my sons appointment Monday. They said they weren't overly concerned but if he wasn't talking by 2 they wanted to do a hearing test to make sure nothing was wrong, and if he still wasn't talking when he started approaching 3 look at speech therapy. Personally I am like you and would prefer to wait because I see him every day and I honestly think he is just going at his speed. Guess we will just see what's going on in 3 months :)


----------



## JASMAK

ds0910 said:


> JASMAK said:
> 
> 
> My nine year old talked around four years. Before that she had absolutely no words, or communication. No pointing, etc. now she is nine, and with intense speech therapy, now speaks like approx 4-5 year old. She is making leaps and bounds! Hang in there. Sounds like lots of words to me, really!
> 
> Do you mind if I ask if they gave you a reason for the delay?Click to expand...

Yes she is severely delayed due to a type of autism


----------



## ds0910

JASMAK said:


> ds0910 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> JASMAK said:
> 
> 
> My nine year old talked around four years. Before that she had absolutely no words, or communication. No pointing, etc. now she is nine, and with intense speech therapy, now speaks like approx 4-5 year old. She is making leaps and bounds! Hang in there. Sounds like lots of words to me, really!
> 
> Do you mind if I ask if they gave you a reason for the delay?Click to expand...
> 
> Yes she is severely delayed due to a type of autismClick to expand...

Ahhh ok, I see. So glad she is making such progress :)


----------



## _jellybean_

At 24 months my son had a language explosion. I was concerned before that.


----------



## Bug222

we are waiting on 1:1 speech therapy services but a lot of these stories are encouraging! DS is 2 at the end of the month and mostly just has animal sounds with a few actualy words (dada, yeah, ball, kitty, cheese)- most of these have been licked up in the last 2 months. I just want to hear Mama!!!


----------



## ParisJeTadore

Yes, I would love to hear mama too! 

Thank you so much for all the encouragement ladies! I can put this issue to rest for the moment and will worry about it later if I don't see any improvement in more months to come. It's nice seeing the flip side and realizing that not all kids approaching 2 are speaking 200 words :haha: I sometimes think these boards don't give an accurate picture of childhood development since often people who reply are the ones who have children who are excelling at a phenomenal rate.


----------



## _jellybean_

Yeah...one of the reasons I worried is b/c I saw so many ladies with kids younger than mine talking more (and I have two degrees in education--specializing in linguistics!). All children really are different...I'd give it more time hon!


----------



## AP

Both my kids are late bloomers. Alex only started using words properly at 4.5yrs, so things are still slow. She has autism though, so its a bit different.

Her sister doesnt and she has really come on in the last few months. Shes just turned 3. Things have definatley taken a jump and playgroup has really helped. When it comes to nursery age you will probably see a huge difference!


----------



## Boo44

I'm in exactly the same position my son is 2 next week and has a few words lots of which he learnt last year (!) that he uses all the time, but he point blank will not say a single new word! He uses only animal noises I've never heard him say an actual animal name. I contacted my HV because I was concerned at the obvious difference between him and his friends, and she has referred him for a hearing test and SALT. Not sure if this is just because I pushed it all by calling her or if she thought he was delayed too... Anyway the waiting time is 18 weeks so we'll see if he's improved by then..

I too just want to hear him say a few 'normal' words like ball or book etc

And I Second the person who said that this forum makes it worse than real life as you get lots of threads with responses from people whose toddlers are doing really great. However I have posted in the special needs section about my sons speech delay and it was really reassuring! I've also found this thread reassuring so thanks everyone :D


----------

