19 Month Old Not Talking in English

You have gotten a lot of great advice--I just want to add keep on labeling--they start out with a few words as yo know--then it adds up--but once they hit like 25-40 words it just spirals from there--just hang in there he will get there!!

I am no professional but I remember my brother had a problem with speech as well - My mom put him in a headstart program where they worked with him (speech therapy) Anyway he is 13 now and you can't keep him quiet and we always feared he would struggle in school cause of the speech thing he is A&B student and talks fine. -- good luck! :>

This sounds unusual. Have you discussed this with the doctor? My opinion is that there could be a hearing problem.....and then it may be nothing. You need to rule out any problems.

I would suggest contacting Early Childhood Intervention Programs (ECI) for a screening. I do believe they will take insurance, Medicaid and scun. The dallas number is ###-###-####. They provide referrals for developmental screening and evaluations on childeren ages 0-3 years. They will provide early intervention and family support services. They are housed out of Irving, Texas. You can call this number and see what program is in your area. They are wonderful. JW

My daughter had chronic ear infections which caused her to not be able to hear words correctly and not be able to say words. You might want to see if there are any hearing/ear problems.

Have you had his hearing checked?? That would be the first order of business if you haven't already had it done. They are not usually done that early . . . that's why you should check with his doctor about having it done, to make sure that there is not anything that may be impairing his ability to understand you clearly.

Then . . . sometimes, they just do it when THEY are ready . . . I have seen examples of both.

Good Luck
P. P

I am a speech pathologist and I work with preschool to first grade children in the public school. I think you have gotten lots of great advice. There is a wide range of normal speech development at 19 months - one child may say only several words and the other may be speaking in clear long sentences. I would agree with getting his hearing checked especially if he has chronic ear infections. Then I would contact ECI for a speech evaluation. They can do a speech evaluation and tell you if your son needs services at this time or if he is on target. As far as what to do at home: Reading books and pointing out the pictures and labeling them and labeling the actions is perfect. Also talk about what you are doing like cooking dinner, now I am getting the spoon, getting you milk, washing clothes, etc and talk about what your child may be doing playing with cars, ball, eating, etc. Don't use "baby talk" and expand on the utterances your child does use. Like he says car - you can say "you have a car", "that is a blue car", "drive the car", etc. Don't use too complex of sentences when doing this. Also, using "baby signs" is a great way to assist commmunication - simple things like more, eat, all done, etc. Please don't hesitate to contact your local ECI and talk to the speech pathologist. I have many parents of 3 year olds contact me whose children (once evaluated) are on target but aren't talking as much or clearly as an older sibling. I love visiting with parents and helping them out.

Suggestion: Have his hearing checked.

My cousin's little boy didn't start to really say words until 3! He was seeing a speech therapist and everything. It just turned out that he was being somewhat stubborn about it :-) Have you tried signing with him? Baby Einstein has a great movie on the subject.

Best Wishes, M.

Your little boy is FINE! My soon-to-be- 2 yr old girl didn't start saying "mommy" and "daddy" regularly until about 20 months old. Now that she is almost two she says things that I didn't even know she knew! Plus sometimes she just points and whines and I correct her and won't let her have what she's after until she repeats after me with the correct verbage. . .

Don't worry -- he'll catch on. Just keep working with him and have patience!! Remember, we spend the first two years teaching them to walk and talk and the next sixteen wishing they would sit down and be quiet!!

:-)

I would say wait until he is about 2 years old. My son started really talking around that time and they say what they want to. My son has been in his current daycare for almost a year and today was the first day they heard him talk. ECI assessed my son they said he did not have an developmental delays but they did give me a paper to learn other things to help him want to talk. I bought some flash cards with the ABC's, numbers, shapes, and colors. he is good for about 30 minutes and will stop talking or hand the cards to anyone else in the room but me. _:-)

R. -

You have recieved some great and well intentioned advice. I must respectfully disagree with the moms that have advised you to take a wait and see approach.

I too was a "she'll talk when she's ready" Mom with my first born. And I put off her first ECI evaluation until she was almost 26 months.

My daughter was eventually diagnosed (not at 26 months) with apraxia of speech - a neurological disorder that presents as a severe and profound speech delay. She will struggle for the rest of her life to speak properly.

Obviously my daughter is on one end of the spectrum. And the kids who eventually spoke in full, clear sentences are on the other. I hope you find your son on the later end.

But what do you have to lose if you go ahead and have him evaluated now? Hopefully and likely - they will tell you he is fine and developing at his own pace. But if there is a delay/disorder best to know as early as possible. Early intervention with speech issues is CRUCIAL. I implore you not to take a wait and see approach - for the sake of your son.

I used Collin County ECI and still have OUTSTANDING contacts there. They came out and evaluated my third child when he was about 16 months. (He's 100% fine) If you are in CC and would like names of who to ask for - PM me.

Keep up the great work, Mama! Words, books, sights and sounds. Mirror him when he says or attempts to say a word. He says DADA - you say "Yes, Daddy" No baby talk. Speak to him using adult words. and always with proper pronounciation.

My best.
T

Hello,

I am the mom of 3 kids from 3-13. My last was a boy and he
was a little slower than all of them. Boys tend to be like little men. More reserved in the communication department.
I honestly would not worry to much about it until you have your 2yr. check up with the Dr. You can at that time mention it to him or even before that if you see him for an illness. That way he is aware it is a concern and can evaluate it for him/herslef.
My son didn't say much until 2 that was legible. My brother who is much younger than me said he thought my son was speaking Leprochan.( we thought that was funny) He is almost 3 now and he is just now using all the words correctly. He would always use R for W and W for R. He used T for K. It sounded so funny.

Most important it all worked itself out.

DO NOT worry! Your son is fine. Most children do not really start talking well until 2 or later. My son is 2 and 4 mnths and talks good but mostly in a language mom and dad understand still. At 19 mnths old they understand ALOT more than they can say!
Every child is different and go at their own pace.
I wouldn't let others make you think there's something wrong with him at 19 mnths old. Give him some more time, at least until 2 before you start taking him to different doctors over this. The majority of doctors will tell you he's just fine and his speech will come in better the older he gets.

Take care!

R.,
I did not read the other responses, so if this is repeat I apologize....

He is young and it is not abnormal that he is not speaking a lot at this point. Some things to look for would be:

1. Does he respond to one to two step directives? "Get the ball" "Come to mommy" "Sit down" that kind of thing.

2. Can he point out a picture in a book...not necessarily say its name, but just identify it?

3. Are the sounds he is saying "dad, car" seem clear?

You are doing exactly what he needs....reading is SO important. Make if fun and low stress. Keeping him engaged is the key. If he switches books, switch with him. You can teach him some sign language as well and that is a good way to stimulate the communication part of the brain....start with 'more, eat, play, night night, cup'.

Relax, enjoy your lil' man.....one day you will turn around and wonder where all the new words came from. Processing language is not seen but is occurring all the time.

You may want to talk to your pediatrician about your concerns. Every child is different and has a different learning curve, so your doctor can tell you if he's "behind the curve" or if it's just something to monitor for now. And, too, boys have a tendency to develop a little slower. Honestly, at 19 months, I dont' think you have a problem on your hands, but again, your pediatrician can address your concerns and let you know if any early intervention is necessary.

My son didn't really start talking until he was three. Now he is a straight "A" student and excels in other areas of his life as well. I'm sure your son is fine...he is just taking a different path of learning.

I was a speech pathologist before I had children and quit practicing. All the advice you have received is great advice. Nineteen months is still in the early range of speech development, however if you are concerned take him to ECI and see what they say. Since I can only go on what you say on this board I would hate to say "He's fine!" and there truly be something to be concerned about. ECI is a wonderful program. Another thing you can look at is his frenum (the skin under his tongue). It's not commonly looked at by pediatricians and sometimes it is very short resulting in what was previously called "tongue tied". If he can't touch the roof of his mouth easily with his tongue then you might have your pediatrician look at it. Sometimes clipping it can make a big difference. Just continue encouraging him in a positive manner, read lots of books, label objects verbally and don't talk "baby talk" to him. (that's just a personal pet peeve!:-)) Good luck!

Just to add- if you continue to be concerned, ECI is an excellent idea (and minimal to no cost due to being a state-funded program I might add; regardless of whether you have current insurance or not). The local referral hotline number is 1-888-754-0524 or ###-###-####.

i ahve 2 boys with speech issues. my 11 yr old developed his own language, and unfortunately i just thought he would be a late bloomer and didn't think too much about it until he was 2-2 1/2. by then it was obvious and he was beginning to stop talking as much because he would get frustrated because know one could understand him. i called our local school district, and they tested him for free. he qualified, and since he turned 3 just a couple of months later and it was summer, we just waited and he began speech therapy at my older sons school twice a week. he's a 5th grader now, and still has to go to speech. he's almost reached all the goals, but i wish i would have known how important it was to seek help early. it makes a huge diference.He actually had muscle developement issues with his tongue, and because we let it go on for so long, its like any muscle memory, once it's good and established, its hard to change. My 3rd son was just not saying many words, so when he was 18 mo. i went throught the same testing, and because he was under 3 yr., they sent a speech therapist to my home 1 a week for an hour session. it was wonderful.When the yr ended, he no longer qualified because he had reached all of his goals and now age 7 won't stop talking. PLEASE,PLEASE get your child tested. most school districts (we live in Garland)have to offer services to any child for free, and they start with infants. The earlier the better. K.

I would recommend speaking with your local Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) service for a speech/language evaluation. ECI provides therapy services and family support for children birth to 3 years. If children continue to need speech therapy or other services once they turn 3, the school districts provide walk-in speech therapy for children aged 3 until they start kindergarten. Hope that helps!

Hi there,
It sounds familiar to me, my son did almost the same thing. It turned out that he has Asperger's Syndrome. Best thing to start with is to Google Asperger's Syndrome, there are lots of websites that are in layman's terms and can do the explaining alot better than I can, also put you on the right path for testing and the best way to deal with it. Remember this, the sooner you start to deal with it the better chance your son has of living a more normal life. I don't mean to scare you, my son is wonderful, and his intelligence is astounding, really. He excells in electronics and was doing repairs for his teachers in 6th grade. So don't be reluctant to find out more on your own as a first step. You'll always be his best advocate, so get the best information you can. Good luck, and I'm here if I can help you.
W.

The other posts are right about ECI, but let me also say two things. PLEASE don't put off having him evaluated, as the earlier you intervene, the better, if there is a problem. Also, do not take the ECI therapists word as the gospel. I have had experiences with a lot of different therapists with my son, and it is so important that you feel confident in what they tell you. Get a second opinion if you think it is necesssary, and depending on the ECI program where you live, it might be a good idea to also get him evaluated by a private speech therapist.

Eci thru yr ped mine was 26 mths.sometimes a sign of intelligence though,mine is smart and very advanced in art.best of luck!!

Okay - I'll put my "Two cents" in! I also had a terrific experience with ECI. When the pediatrician recommended it I was extremely skeptical. But I am so glad we went ahead with it. My son caught up with a vengeance!!! And his speech became one less thing to worry about. ECI was extremely professional and we loved having them in our home. My older daughter was always jealous becuase little brother was having so much fun with his "Friend" - so the therapist would often include her as well, having them take turns and encouraging him to "Use his words." You can always say no if you don't want to do it. But it is SOOOO worth it in my opinion. Everything we can do now just gives them a head start for later!

Don't worry. Language blossoms around age 2. There is also a wide range of what is considered "normal" at a young age. Your child still has a lot of time to learn what he needs to know. LBM

At 19 months I don't think you have anything to worry about. I would give him another 6 months the re-evaluate. I do not think this is unusual in the lease. Take care!

Call your local ECI (early Childhood intervention) in your county and have him evaluated. if he qualifies, you could have speech therapy at your home for little or no cost.

AJ

My beautiful ragmuffin turned 2 in January. He was late to talk - only now are we getting 'grink peas' and go byebye and amen out of him.. in December he probably had 10 words.

Over the past couple of weeks he gained 20 words and 'conversation'. I'm leading up to tell you not to worry. If you are concerned, though, you can always call ECI to do an evaluation - it's free.

S.

You might need to have his ears checked by an ent doctor. My 2.5 year old nephew was having the same problems and when we took my 1 year old son to the ent doctor due to chronic ear infections we thought it couldn't hurt to go ahead and have my nephews hearing and ears checked as well. Turned out, that while he had not been diagnosed with chronic ear infections, he did have a lot of blockage in his ears, which was effecting his hearing and ears. They put tubes in his ears and then put him in speech therapy. That was 1.5 years ago. He's still in speech therapy but is now speaking in complete sentences and is receiving top marks from his teachers.

Public schools offer free speech therapy for ages 3 and up. It's a free service, as you pay for it with your tax dollars.

Dont worry. My son didnt say any words til he was 22 months. And he has not stopped since!

I have two suggestions - 1. Get his hearing checked. He sould have a hearing issue for a number of reasons - typically your ENT has an audiologist that can do that on site 2. Call ECI - it is a great resource and they can provide speech therapy at your home for very little cost if it is necessary. Try not to worry...my oldest was very delayed in speaking and then one day - ha started speaking in sentences! It was crazy. I did have him evaluated by ECI and foudn them to be quite helpful.

Hello R.,

Your son is very fortunate to have a mother who is so concerned about his communication development. I am a speech-language pathologist, and I would strongly suggest you have your child assessed. A speech-language assessment is typically fun for children -- there is no pain involved, only gain. What I mean is, you will either receive peace of mind (and some suggestions from a speech-language pathologist regarding what you could do with him), or you will find out what needs to be addressed, and begin a therapy program. Current research continually stands by the benefits of early intervention. This is truly the time (I started my own daughter at 17 months). If your child is bright and understands more than he can express, I am sure you could see where that could eventually lead to frustration.

We are so fortunate to live in an area that offers so many therapy options. I will tell you, that over my 15 years of practicing, I have met so many parents who regretted their "wait and see" decision, as their children reached three or four years old.

If you are not sure what a child is supposed to be doing at certain ages, I invite you to visit my website, www.startherapyprograms.com, and click on the milestones button. The information is based on ASHA (American Speech-Language Hearing Association). If you should have any additional questions, it would be my pleasure to speak with you ###-###-####).

Best Regards,
S.

My son had this same problem as well. By his 2nd birthday he was speaking fewer than 10 words, now at 3 he's combining several words into short phrases thanks to his speech therapy twice a week.

At my son's 18 month check up I mentioned something to his pedi. That's when she suggested getting him evaluated by a speech therapist if his vocabulary didn't increase by his 2nd birthday. We went through ECI first, but we are now with a private therapy company which has been best for our son. Let me know if you need more info.

Continue reading and dictating what you're doing while with your. It does help out in the long run. Best of luck :)

I have a 17 month old in the same situation. His word for everything is either "da" or "da-da", whether he's trying to say dada, santa, dog, or cat. He says mama when he's mad or upset. Other than that he just babbles all the time in his own language. My pediatrician told me he should say 6 words by the time he's 18 months, but remember, each child is different. I've heard boys speak later than girls too. I read somewhere that it's more important a child understand what is being said rather than being able to actually say the words. My son follows directions very well- when I say "let's go brush your teeth" or "let's go outside" or whatever, he leads the way. Keep up the great work of reading books and naming things- he really does understand what you're saying. Good luck!

Hi. I have a two year old who sounds very similar to your son. My doctor told me to watch and listen to his sounds, because even sounds are words to him. When they are so young, it's not such a big stress. They should really start a lot of talking once they are two. I have really been reading a lot to my son and pointing out objects in the books. That has seemed to help a whole lot. Listen to his babble, it's his language and he's talking to you and he wants you to listen and respond. Don't worry, if he needs to see a speech therapist that will come later. As long as he seems good in other regards (how he responds to you and other children, mobility, etc.) I wouldn't worry too much, but if there are other things that worry you then call your nurse and ask about it. Just remember that every child develops differently and at their own pace, so they won't always match the progress a book says they should. I honestly think my son has a little bit of a speech impediment, but by listening I have discovered that he actually says a whole lot. He will probably have to start seeing a speech therapist here in a little bit, but it also might be something he will grow out of since it isn't a serious one. I hope this is helpful and a little of what you were looking for. Good luck!

Contact Early Childhood Intervention or Child Find through your area. You should be able to find it through the local school district. A therapist will come to your home and evaluate him at no cost and determine if he needs services that will also be provided in your home until he turns 3, at which point services are available through the schools.

Call your local school district and ask for your Early Intervention Center (ECI) phone number. They have federally mandated birth-to-three programs to address the needs of children and families. There are also federally mandated 3-5 year old programs for children needing intervention at this age. All these programs are free to parents. If there is a problem, the sooner you address it the sooner your child can begin to improve. If there is not a problem then at least you mind will be at ease.

I would contact ECI (Early Childhood Intervention) for free evaluation. Speech therapy starts at 18 months if they determine your son needs it, and the cost is based on a sliding scale. (If your insurance pays at all, you won't pay anything.) Our ECI experience was wonderful, and my daughter didn't need any other therapy when she aged out at 3. Good luck and God Bless! N.

You should contact ECI. It is a state-funded program that provides speech therapy for children under three. They also help coordinate your child getting assistance from your public school at 3 years old. My son is in the program. Here are some phone numbers:
1-866-529-6566
www.readystart.org

Good luck!

A.

No need to panic, boys often start talking later than girls. You may also be surprised to discover how big his vocabulary actually is. I would recommend keeping a log of the words he uses. Just keep doing what you're doing. I would mention it too your doctor and if things haven't improved by the time he is 2 1/2 your doctor may suggest testing him. My 2 yr old goes to school with a little girl who is actually a bit older than her and the little girl didn't say anything at all for the first four months (although I think she did speak at home some). Not a word in class, not yes, no, mama nothing. But now she's talking up a storm. Don't worry - he'll talk and in a couple of years you'll be trying to figure out how to get him to stop. =D

My son was the same way. People told me to get his hearing checked, but his hearing was perfect and he was saying a couple words, like ball, look and no. He didn't say mama or daddy until he was almost 2.

Then one day, around 22 months, he just started talking constantly. I was amazed at how many words he knew. I got him little flashcards and an etch a sketch, and I would draw pictures and he would name the animal or whatever. It really helped him make learning fun.

Kids talk at different ages, he just may not be there yet. I had one child that talked a year later than the other three, and he was just as smart etc. If it continues too long you could check with someone, as I have a three year old grandson now that is just a real smart kid in everyway but talking, and they are taking him to a speach thearpist, as he seems to have his own little language. But at 19 months , I doubt you have anything to be concerned about. Just keep reading to him an pointing to things and saying them.

my daughter was at the same stage when she was your son's age. lots of people told me that I was worrying too much and that some kids talked later than others, but I wanted to do something. So I called LifePath/ECI of Allen, where I live, and they scheduled an assessment right away. It turned our she was 9 months ahead with comprehension and 9 months behind with expression. She started having a speech pathologist at the house every week. She is now 2 1/2 and I am proud to say today is our last speech session. She has totally caught up and won't shut up ;). lol. They taught me lots of tools to help her speech development along and it is free the first 6 months!!

J. sahm mom to a darling and sweet 5 yr old boy and a lovely 2 1/2 yr old terror girl

I went through the same thing with my son (who is now 10) and I was completly lost, all he could say was "da-da" and he spoke some foreign language. I heard about ECI (Early Childhood Intervention)called them up and they came out to my house and tested my son. They said he qualified for speech therapy and some large motor skills therapy. He tested at a 16 month old level and he was 2 1/2. ECI was the best thing to happen to us. When he turned 3, he started going to the local public school and received speech there. He only needed therapy for 2 years and when he started kindergarten, he was ahead of his class and has been ever since. I thought he would have learning problems for the rest of his life, but he has surprised us all. He now makes straight A's and is in the Gifted and Talented class. You could sit back and he will eventually learn to talk, but I believe ECI and the school system gave my son an advantage. Also, this is not your fault, I blamed myself for my son's speech problem. Boys are just wired different. They want to move and walk, and later they start talking, so don't you blame yourself!!!

Does he point? Will he respond to his name? Does he wave to you?

I recommend contacting ECI. A speech evaluation is a noninvasive test. If nothing is afoot, then you can move on with a sense of peace. If something is amiss, the sooner you take action the better.

LOL!!! I could have posted this!! I have a girl (5) who was saying sentances at 18 mo, vocab of 100+ words, talking up a storm. My boy? Says about 5 words and most of them sound the same. My oppinion??? Boys are sloooooooow!!! He is much more focused on physical stuff, like climbing and taking things apart, etc. I've heard that little ones only focus on one thing at a time, so if it's manipulative skills (like building, etc) then they just can't or don't care to learn about speach. I wouldn't worry about it until your pediatrician becomes concerned. :D

I have a 26 month old that has a minor to moderate speech delay. She didn't start "talking" until she was about 21 months. My pediatrician recommended ECI (Early Childhood Intervention). They are a state funded agency that will come to your house. They come out to get you in the system, then send a therapist. I know several speech therapists and they have told me the only problem is it is luck of the draw, you don't know anything about the therapist you are getting. They could be great or they could be fresh out of school. If you do go with ECI, make sure they send a speech therapist, not an occupational therapist. The good thing is because they are state funded the cost is based on your income and is less than private speech therapists.
I went the private route. We have only been in therapy for 3 weeks and already we are seeing an improvement.
Good luck!

has your son been re-evaluated for his hearing? have you talked to your pediatrician about this? lots of times they do not really worry too much until the child is about two and a half years old. it could be that your son is just absorbing what you are teaching him and that he will just surprise you one of these days!

Does he drool quite a bit more than normal? My son drooled all the time and finally at 2 1/2 we discovered he had low muscle control in his tongue and mouth. With some therapy through Early Childhood Intervention (free through the state) he recovered and now is a typical 7 year old. Speak with your doctor and they can set up testing... first they will do hearing and then they will set up appt with ECI to come to your home and test him. My doctor wanted to wait until 2 - 2 1/2 before doing the testing (they respond better to the hearing test). Hope this helps.

Hi - My son was the same way at 19 months - it sounded like he was talking, but it was all jibberish. I know now that he was just getting warmed up for the real thing! He's 17 now, very articulate in his speech, and can talk like an educated 50 year old man. P.S. - I adopted him and got him when he was 19 months old. Not to worry - I learned a long time ago, you can't compare your child to another. We're all wired a little differently.
B.

As long as there is no physical reason he isn't talking (hearing problems, etc.), I wouldn't worry about it. Of course, I'm no expert in this kind of stuff.

My super-intelligent uncle didn't say a word until he was three (and then he began speaking in complete sentences). A very ahead-of-his-time doctor told my granny that he just didn't have anything to say.

On the other hand, we have some friends whose daughter wasn't meeting her milestones and they just let it go. She has serious problems that should have been caught earlier.

I would think that it would make it worse if a big deal is made of it. I would have him checked out by a doctor and a speech therapist and, if everything checks out, just let him develop on his own schedule.

Hi R.,

I have 3 daughters ages 7, 4 & 2. My older girls didn't have any problems with their speech and they were both talking a lot at an early age. My 2 year old starting saying her sounds around 12 months and I had a list of maybe 10 words going, but then she stopped saying those words and didn't say more than 2 words regularly when she was 18 months. She just screamed to communicate. It was HORRIBLE! For her and for me. My pediatrician kept telling me she was fine, until the 18 month check-up. Then he referred me to ECI (Early Childhood Intervention). My daughter qualified for speech therapy and we started having sessions. At our first session the therapist asked if we had her hearing checked. She said that was a requirement by ECI. So sure enough we went to a wonderful ENT and my daughter needed tubes, poor thing was having a very hard time hearing. Within a week of putting the tubes in we noticed a difference. After 1 month she was saying close to 50 words. Now she's 2 and says basically everything. I can't count her words. I don't know if you have looked into these two things, but you may want to consider it.

Best of Luck!

J. :-)

I wouldn't worry too much about that right now. I've had one that didn't talk at all at that age but he did and understood everything I said. Then I had one that wouldn't talk in public to other people. Both of them developed very well verbally.

If he were 3 or 4, then I would be more concerned.

He will be fine. Just keep working with him. Talk plainly to him and don't use baby talk. Do simple things like counting steps when you walk up them or the number of fruit in a bowl. Have him repeat after you when naming things. The more you do, the more he will pick up. If you try to have too much of a class setting, their attention span doesn't last long so just keep it simple.

Hope this helps!

My son didn't even say "mama" until about a month after he turned 2 years old. I have 2 older sons who both talked non-stop from the time they wre 18 months old or even a little younger. They learned new words every day! Then my last son came along...no words -- not a SINGLE one until he turned 2. Then, all of a sudden, he said everything. He learned new words quickly and pronounced them clearly. Even his Sunday School teachers were amazed every week with how much he was saying. I'd say give it few more months. If he doesn't improve by the time he turns 2, schedule an appt with his pediatrician to discuss.

My son did not really start talking until after his 2nd b-day, now he is 3 and talks non-stop and many people think he is 4 when they hear him talking. Your son will get there soon enough, you should not worry until around 3 yrs. If he is still not talking then, he may need speech classes.

The only advice I have is to check with his pediatrician. If your doctor is unsure, he can always recommend a child/speech therapist, or other consultant for you to see.

I have a 22 month old and had the same concerns at his 18 month check up. Boys develop slower. By age 2 my pediatrician said their vocabulary words should be about 10-15 so we had sometime to go. The only clear words we can make out now are choochoo, truck, car. he still pants like a dog when he sees one and all cats are called mama after one of our cats, even tho we say dog and cat after congratulating him on recognizing them. The receptive skills, (understanding what you are talking about) are tremendous but the vocabulary still isn't there. Pediatrician told me no to worry about it at this time. Hope its of some comfort.

A little about me:
I am a 27 y.o. mom to a 22mo little boy. Married one year to my wonderful husband and best friend. Just moved to Texas 8 months ago. Recently unemployed.

You probably don't have anything to worry about as of yet. He is still quite young and more than likely doesn't feel he needs to do a whole lot of talking. My son when he was a toddler probably was about 2 before he started making any real noticeable progress as far as talking. I told my husband that once he gets started we'll wish he would be quiet sometimes. And sure enough, it's hard to get him to be quiet. He is a people person so feels that he has to talk.

I have four children and they each reached developmental milestones at different times. In my experience, the talking really starts at around 2, so you shouldn't worry yet. My youngest is 2 1/2 and is now attempting to speak in sentences, but at 19 months sounded alot what you are describing. My pediatrician explained to me that at age 2 they should be able to say 40 to 50 words, and even if it is just a sound, if they make that same sound for something everytime that counts as a word. Sounds to me like you are doing a great job.

R., my so n is about a month older than yours and at his 18 mo check up, voiced my concerns to my pedi about my son not speaking enough words yet.(he would onl say bye,more,and mama...the rest was babble). She told me not to worry until he was 2. She also said that if they excel in their motor skills, they are more than likely to be late talkers.
In any event, I decided to relax a little bit and just let things to be. He is now 20 months and has added 2 more (understandable)words to his vocabulary. He nodds his head yes or shakes his head no when I ask him a question such as "are you hungry". Its apparent he understands me. In short, he is progressing,so I am just going to hold off on worrying until he is 2. I don't think waiting 4 or 5 more months to contact ECI or a speech therapist will hurt your son.

My first baby was saying 50 words at his first b'day, second child... nothing! he didn't really start talking until he turned 2. now he's 2 1/2 and talks constantly!!!

hang in there!

K.