17 month old still making no effort to speak!

wolfpawnat

Hey everyone.

I know everyone will think I am over reacting, but Aidan is over 17 months and though he babbles for Ireland he has actually has not a world of English, or any other language for that matter. He used to say tata or taku and mama, dada and baba. But now nothing. It is really upsetting, I am starting to get comments off family that he behind on his development mentally!!! In everything but speech he is well ahead but this is getting really bad, he should have a lot by now, but nothing! I am sick of the mantra "he'll just start talking all of a sudden" it's way too late!

I am sorry, I am just upset for him because he is trying to communicate but is not even thinking of trying to use words

Nevyn

You have to encourage him to use his words.
How has he done with the rest of his developmental checks?
How was his hearing?

Nevyn

sesna banned for 1 week.

wolfpawnat

His hearing is grand, according to the PHN. I read that the best thing to do is talk through everything you are doing with him so while shopping, making lunch and everything I am telling him what I am doing. I read to him ever night and play with him naming his toys and when I am dressing him I tell him a sock is for his foot and he exptends his foot out to me, so that makes me feel like he either understands what I am saying or more than likely he is used to seeing the sock and knows I will put it on his foot!

He was a bit late learning to sit up but usually he has flown through!

lilblackdress

The best thing for you to do is to bring him to your GP who can refer you to someone if they think it is needed. Many kiddies are just slow to pick up things like talking. My little niece was about 2 when she started to actually say words properly and now, a year later, we can't get her to stop talking and singing! There could be many reasons why he is not yet talking but a trip to your gp (if he's a good one!) should put your mind at rest!! Try not to overload him with words by pointing out everything as it may just be too much for him to figure out all the different words. Apart from all that try not to worry too much although it is hard. Best of luck!

eimsRV

Hi Wolfpawnat,

Alannah turned 18 months today and uses very few words also. She babbles alot, she has said Dada for a few months. Only in the last few weeks she has begun to say "bye" and "woof woof". Last week we were looking at photos and I was pointing out different people and she said "MAMA", was thrilled! And since then she has been using it to reference me. But overall her vocab is so limited and like Aidan she used to say more words then stopped.
As she responds to photos, I was thinking of making some flash cards by taking photos of everyday objects around the house. It might make it easier?

One parent i know, her little girl of 3 goes to speech therapy. She was told her speech is in the spectrum of normal and i bet Aidan's is in the normal spectrum too. Sorry I've no more practical advice hon, I know its not easy but I think it will all even out over the next year.

Eimear

wolfpawnat

Thanks girls, I am sorry, but I just get so stressed when the comments are made and I dont want him to be behind on anything because you can see he is a really intelligent child (he will spend 20 min trying to figure out how a toy works, not just play with it) and he really does love learning.

Yes I shoed him a pic of his dad yesterday and he smiled the biggest smile and tried to rob the photo and was looking at it and then his dad and back at it again!

Another thing that was suggested is that I force him to attempt a work before letting him have something such as a bottle, but that I would think would only annoy him and cause a tantrum!

eimsRV

I think it would be an impossible task to force the child to talk! Definetly keep it fun and don't let your frustration over his lack of talking show.
My sister rang me yesterday to tell me that her friends baby is like a dictionary at 16 months, not helpful! Try to remember all the positives of his development, and like the others have said if it would ease your mind speak with your GP/PHN.

e

January

wolfpawnat wrote: »

Thanks girls, I am sorry, but I just get so stressed when the comments are made and I dont want him to be behind on anything because you can see he is a really intelligent child (he will spend 20 min trying to figure out how a toy works, not just play with it) and he really does love learning.

Yes I shoed him a pic of his dad yesterday and he smiled the biggest smile and tried to rob the photo and was looking at it and then his dad and back at it again!

Another thing that was suggested is that I force him to attempt a work before letting him have something such as a bottle, but that I would think would only annoy him and cause a tantrum!

Don't try force him to speak before giving him something, that will just frustrate him even more. If you're worried about him talk to your PHN but I don't think they're keen to refer children so young onto speech therapy.

Just keep doing what you are doing, try not to listen to the comments about him being behind, because he's not. He's perfectly normal. I know lots of kids who didn't speak a word until after they were two years old and they are perfectly fine now at 7 and 9.

I know it's easier said than done, but he does seem to be grasping things if he's putting his foot out to you when he see's the sock.

metrovelvet

When my son was 18 months old, he may have had one or two words and the pediatrician sayd he should have at least 7.

He is three now, a little chatterbox, with a vocabulary that sometimes is very surprising. He even has some French too.

Fran79

Hi
as others have said don't worry (easier said than done I know)

My little lad is 2 yrs 3 mths and has only really started talking in the past couple of months. Like yours he is very inquisitive and likes to work things out.

Don't stress - but I agree other peoples comments can be a pain in the a***.

Fran

sarahlulu

The only advice I ever offer to new parents is to smile politely, and then ignore any unsolicited comments people make about your kids. Many children do not speak until after they turn 2.You can tell that he understands what you are saying to him. Sounds to me like you are doing a fantastic job. Keep doing what you are doing and he will be giving you a headache in no time!

Bill2673

That is some cheek for people to say he is behind on his development mentally.....really, people ought to know better than blabbering on about things they don't know about. Do they want him to be doing the crossword too?

janmc

I don't know much about this myself, but I remember my cousin didn't speak at all for aaages (around 2 I think), and his parents were very worried and got hearing tests for him, talked to doctors etc. Eventually he started speaking and when he did it was in sentences! He just wasn't bothered before. He's now 18 and very intelligent so I wouldn't worry just yet. Children develop at their own pace.

mohawk

i know others have made the same point but My cousin was really slow learning to talk my aunt was really worried but my granny was always telling her it was ok because he understood everything that was said to him. He was nearly two and a half before he said anything. He started speaking in sentances straight away. He was basically watching the world around him and learning the whole time and then one day decided he would talk. He is now 6 and a very big chatterbox.

Basically I am trying to say is there are loads of kids out there who talk in their own time and its nothing to do with being slow to develop mentally.

The nasty comments are just one of the many perks of being a mother. Everyone thinks they know best.

Mola1

I feel the same as you ! My son is 21mths and has very little words,he chats away in his own language but not much we can understand,when he was just over a year he was doing well and started to say little things but since stopped. He was sent for a hearing test at 15mths which he passed,he failed his 9mh one,we havnt seen PHN since,so I was thinking about bringing him to the Gp,hopefully this time next year well be complaining about them talking too much!

Robert McGrath

A friend of mine had the same issue with her 18 month old - you should take heart from the fact that he is using non-verbal communication - that's the first step - the rest will come

SuperTyper

My little girl is now 3 and attends speech therapy. She didnt speak at all til she was past 2 and even then it was very little. It was noticed at her 2 year developmental check and she was put on a waiting list and is only now getting the help she needs with her speech. Saying that, in the last 6 months, she has come along great, she is saying sentences and talks constantly. Think she is making up for lost time:)