Talking

[Vicks]

Sorry if there has been another thread about this recently, but I couldn't see one on here

Joe is nearly 21 months and the only real words he can say are Dada and No (with a cute shake of his head!).

He understands what we're saying to him, asking questions, pointing things out, talking to him, but unless he wants to say no, his only other repsonse is a grunt. I know I shouldn't compare him to other toddlers, but others around the same age are saying quite a few words already and I'm getting a bit worried.

He's always done things in his own time, he didn't walk til 16 months and then never stopped, so he will only do things when he's ready, but not sure whether to speak to the HV or doctor about it??

Thanks

 

[Charlotte-j]

Won't hurt talking to the HV pr doctor if it helps you feel better
But my LO was the same, at about 27 months plus she started getting more vocal, she learnt quick from then. she was just lazy to start with lol

 

[isil]

By all means talk to your HV or Dr but from what you've said I don't think there is a problem. His understanding is good and he is saying something. My son didn't really talk at all til he was over 2. But now there's no stopping him and his language is right on track if not slightly ahead of his peers.

 

[Foogirl]

I wouldn't worry about it at all. If his understanding is good, he's probably just taking his time. I never spoke single words then at about two and a half, started with sentences.

One thing to be aware of is, do you give him a chance to say the words? It is easy to get into the habit of handing him what he wants when he points to it. If he doesn't have to talk, he just might not do it in a hurry. My sister in law is a pediatric speech therapist and according to her, that is one of the most common causes of delayed speech in children. We all do it without realising it!

 

[Vicks]

One thing to be aware of is, do you give him a chance to say the words? It is easy to get into the habit of handing him what he wants when he points to it. If he doesn't have to talk, he just might not do it in a hurry. My sister in law is a pediatric speech therapist and according to her, that is one of the most common causes of delayed speech in children. We all do it without realising it!

Thanks hun. I'm pretty sure I do, but it's got me thinking lol! I'll definitely be aware of it now, long pauses to see if he will say things himself. I do talk alot, so maybe he's like my OH and worried he won't get a word in

 

[Foogirl]

Thanks hun. I'm pretty sure I do, but it's got me thinking lol! I'll definitely be aware of it now, long pauses to see if he will say things himself. I do talk alot, so maybe he's like my OH and worried he won't get a word in

I know the feeling. I constantly talk over Abby and forget to give her the chance. The thing is, her speech is great and she gets really annoyed and says "mummy!!!" when I do it

Just like everything else, we find ourselves doing it without thinking.

Once he starts it will be a big rush to catch up. It is one of the most fascinating things I've found so far, watching them explore language.

Do you watch "something special" on cebeebies? It is primarily about sign language, but it will give an opportunity to encourage words through repetition. Also, if you have Baby TV (channel 623 on Sky) there is a programme called "louis world" which we found brilliant for repeating speech. It was the first programme Abby talked back to.

 

[Vicks]

Do you watch "something special" on cebeebies? It is primarily about sign language, but it will give an opportunity to encourage words through repetition. Also, if you have Baby TV (channel 623 on Sky) there is a programme called "louis world" which we found brilliant for repeating speech. It was the first programme Abby talked back to.

Joe loves something special, we watch it all the time. Haven't watched the baby channel in a long time though, might give that a try!

Thanks hun x

 

[sun]

Does your LO get frustrated because you don't understand him? My son is 2 months younger, but he doesn't speak at all and was getting very frustrated because we didn't know what he was talking about. We have taught him some signs and it has made a huge difference in our communication!