Concerned with Speaking Issues

I know it's hard not to worry, but it really is too soon. We had a lot of concerns. Usually the M-CHAT is done at 18 months. It will help determine any speech delays and\or social issues. My son started speech therapy at 20 months. They had us use sign language. We had to move his hands for him at first. It helps them to understand that words have meanings and if they use their words they can get what they want. We started with eat and more. We really like the Baby Signing Times dvd's.

My daughter didn't start talking (other than the norm: mama, dada and maybe one or two other words) until she was about 2 1/2 and then she started talking like crazy with a HUGE vocabulary and extremely clear. When she had her 2 year check up the Pediatrician said that if she wasn't talking by 2 1/2 he wanted her to be tested. Needless to say she never had to be tested.

She started walking (not cruising but on her own walking) at 8 months so I always just figured she was WAY TO BUSY doing other things than learning how to talk.

14 months is still a baby, I would say don't stress about it until probably after 2 years old. :o)

**Remember, just because they are not repeating does not mean that they are not learning**

my first son began early and speaks really well and my second son didnt, they are all different, but by 2 yrs old his doc recommended a speech therapist and it has really helped him!!!! i think it also takes time as well...

At 14 months old I wouldn't be very worried about it to be honest. My nephew is 17 months old & it seems like practically overnight he has started saying a whole bunch of words as well as attempting words that he wouldn't bother with at all before. When I was there to visit last month he was saying very little other than hi & bye, but this past weekend I realized his vocabularly has really jumped considerably. It sounds to me like your pediatrician is right on the money with his age time-frame.

Instead of having him repeat words, give him a larger vocabulary by showing him pictures and naming. My twin boys were only saying 5 words at 18 months. The pediatrician was concerned, but he said twins and boys will delay speech. His direction was to get some board books and name everything in them. I found some good ones that were just for naming objects. They're by Bright Baby, and the pages are just pictures with labels. Storybooks didn't work for my boys because they wanted to turn the page and get through the story. We spent 15 minutes a day when they were wide awake looking at pictures and naming objects. I still read to them at night. By 20 months they had a huge explosion of words and went to 100 words in less than two months. By their second birthday they were over 300 words and knew the uppercase alphabet.

Your son will be fine, just keep working with him and naming objects. He'll pick up more words soon.

I think the important thing at 14 months is how much is he babbling? does he make a lot of nonsense sounds? things like nanana or babababa? Does he make his voice rise up and down? or does he play very quietly? My son seemed stressed if I tried to teach him words so we concentrated on funny noises trying to get him to repeat Pop! Bam! Beep and animal sounds. Make it FUN!
Sign language really really helped increase his vocabulary! As soon as he learned a sign within two/ three weeks he learned the word!
Baby Babble is a great video to watch together it has a part for child and a part for parent.

Yes I went through this but my doctor back 11/12 years ago told me he was a boy and boys talk late. He wasn't worried until 2 and a half then we started with hearing tests to rule out any hearing issues. The next step was speech therapy. He is now 13 years old and he does talk a lot. But language and speech in the social setting is sometimes real tough for him. He is very bright but shy too. He is on the autism spectrum with a diagnosis of PDD-NOS. My son had an older sister that he let talk for him. I think it is hard to diagnose someone that young. I know when my son was young I was never sure what he understood. Now I know he understood a lot he just wasn't able to tell me.

I wouldn't worry yet. I'd follow your doctor's advice and wait another 4 months. Just keep talking and reading to him as usual. Use expansion when he points something out to you. (He points to a little toy car. You say, "Oh, a car! I see the red car. The red car can go really fast!")

I had my daughter evaluated at 18 months, because she wasn't saying anything other than mama and dada. She did have slight apraxia, and went into speech therapy. She started talking and hasn't stopped yet. We figure eventually she'll have to take a breath...... : )

My son babbled a lot, but didn't really say much at 14m. By 18m, though he was talking up a storm. The fact that your son is not babbling does sound worrisome.

If you're really concerned, make an appointment now with the pediatrician.

However, you could give it until the baby's 18m check-up and ask the doctor about it. Be sure to share all the info you share with us (whether you go now or later)--that he only says 2 words, doesn't mimic and doesn't babble. The pediatrician can refer you to the right resources.

You can also contact Ohio's Help Me Grow program:
http://www.ohiohelpmegrow.org/professional/providers/Help...

When my son was 14 months old, he wasn't talking either. My pediatrician told me to take him to a speech therapist for an evaluation. I thought it was too early and waited until he was around 20 months. At that point, they said he had a slight speech delay. My son will be four in a couple months and you can't get him to stop talking. He probably starting talking a bunch around 2 1/2 years old. Some kids just take longer. I would get an evaluation around 18 months or so, but I wouldn't be worried about it at this point.

At 14 months, this is perfectly normal. My twins didn't each say the first word until at least 15 months (one 15 mos., the other 17). They were both fine - at age 12, they're at the top of the class. We read a lot of books, so once they did start talking, their vocabulary blossomed relatively quickly. :) Just like crawling, walking and eating, it will come.

I think 14 months is too young to worry about this. But frankly I was concerned too. My almost 16 month old has been saying hi, bye since 12 months old but nothing much other than that. I would try to get him to say new words but all I would get were smiles. He still doesn't say dada or mama. But last week or so he has started telling lot of new words. Well doesn't repeat it every time but atleast I have heard him repeat after M. atleast once. At his 15 month appt his doctor told M. as long he says couple words and understands few others he is doing fine. For ex: if dad asks him to say bye to M. , he turns to M. and says bye. So he knows I am M.. But he is adamant not to call M. M. even though I am always repeating it around him, hoping he will repeat after M..

My son did not say more than a few words until a few months after his 2nd birthday. He either did not feel like talking or was still trying to figure out how to make his mouth produce the words. If your child has a good understanding of what is going on around him, listens, comprehends and follows simple instructions, I would wait to see if it is just his personality. On the flip side, he could run and kick a ball, hit a ball being thrown to him with a bat and ride a bike at 18 months.

My daughter could do none of those things, but she hasn't stopped talking since she was 18 months. They are complete opposites and developing in different areas at different paces.