My Two Year Old Daughter Only Says a Few Words.

I second the ASL advice! We went to www.signingtime.com and got their DVDs. They are INCREDIBLE!! It really cuts down on frustration, and also helps facilitate speech! :)

If she's deveolping nomally otherwise let it rest. I was the same way, and my husband was well into 4 years old before he spoke one word. He's a genius! Do you speak for her or is there someone that will answer questions posed to her, do you finish her sentences...etc. This was how it was with my 4th baby everyone did the talking for him. He didn't talk much either til he was older, he didn't have to until we realized what we were doing. Like his dad, he too is a genius! Sounds too like she's more physical than verbal, that explains it. How can she master both at 2. Enjoy her and don't fret. Enjoy the quietness while you can.

best wishes,
L.

Hi,
My son turned 3 yrs at the beginning of January and still isn't talking. Everyone told me he'd get to 3 yrs and probably start talking in full sentences. He didn't. He's just finished going through the EI process and has been given a free am pre school place starting this Wednesday. He'll have speech therapy 3 times a week too. The child study team have been great and through assessments have determined that speech is his only issue. It's a huge relief to know that he'll be getting the help he needs now before hitting Kindergarten, by which time they say he'll be in a 'normal' class.
Contact them, it doesn't hurt to get a professional opinion. Good luck.

Children vary so wildly, I really wouldn't worry esp. if you don't notice any other behavior problems. My first daughter was talking in little sentences by 19 months and, like the video you saw, reciting prayers and singing whole songs by 24 months. My next daughter was just like yours, up until 2 months ago (when she was 28 months) she never spoke. Ever. She would say Kiki (her sister's nickname) or Mama and that was it. As I write this she is singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star with the right tune and all the words, so she really had a language explosion over the past two months.

Do you baby her a lot? I think that is part of what contributed to my second not speaking sooner. She really had no reason to since we always spoiled and babied her so much.

I had a very similar situation with my second child. At her two year well visit, the doctor told me that she was on the bubble for needing services, but the doctor also explanied that getting into the system for early intervention can be a bit tough - thus, we began the process. In less than six months my daughter was speaking in full sentences, but the early intervention team prasied my decision to have her evaluated early. The explained that often if you wait until the issue is obvious, with the lag time in services, it could be too late. I am sure everything is fine, but I say trust your gut and get her into the system. My daugher will be three at the end of the month and our brief evaluation trips did not impact her in the least.
Good luck!

My son was the same way. When he turned 2, he only said about 5 words. I called early intervention and was able to get the assistance from them. By the time he was in the program for about 6 months, he was discharged from the program. He picked it up that quickly. My son loved it when the therapist came to the house. He loved the games she played with him.

My suggestion to you is to call early intervention and have your daughter evaluated, regardless of what your pediatrician says. The program is free until your daughter turns 3. So, there is no reason not to call them.

First of all, enjoy it while it lasts :)

My little guys were very slow to talk and now they drive me crazy soms days. They were already in early intervention (because they were preemies) so we did have a speech therapist come in every other week. To be honest, I don't know how much that helped. I just talked to them all the time (about every little thing) and asked them questions even if they didn't answer. When they were ready they started, and progressed MUCH more rapidly than other children do - from words to complete sentences in a ocuple of months.

Because it's free, you could investigate early intervention to calm your fears. Perhaps just getting her formally assessed would help on that front, even if you don't decide to use their services.

Lastly, keep working with her on all areas - gross motor, fine motor, self help, etc. - rather than getting too caught up on the speech, and she will do just fine . . .

I would tell you kids develop at different stages. how much she interacts with other kids her age will be a reason she may or may not talk about much as you think she should. my son is almost twenty months and does not talk in sentences either. the main thing is does she understand what you tell her? My mom told me i did not really talk in sentences or more until i was 2.5 years old. i know the pediatrician said to watch how much tv you child watches. it is almost like children are birds. the more you say words to them the more they pick them up. i do flash card with my son with alphabets on them. i have the old fashioned magnet alphabets on the fridge. when he starts pointing at them i will him which letter it is. see what the doctor says. everything will be alright. do not stress yourself too much. :)

Just relax. I was in the same boat 10 yr.s ago when my daughter was 2; I talked with other moms and speech pathologists at the university where I teach; fortunately a good mom told me to relax and chill. I started a computer file with all her words, it grew and grew 'til I figured she was fabulous.

She hears and understands and communicates, so relax. You can start to include American Sign Language--often children can communicate with this more readily than with speech--and you can also communicate from a distance better than shouting (my daughter and I still use quite a bit so we don't have to yell across the street or she can discreetly ask for "10 minutes more?" without her friends knowing she's asking permission--pre-teen no-no!).

Best of luck.

You are right to express your concerns with your pediatrician, of course. But keep in mind that kids often develop O. aspect at a time....if they are very physically advanced with their motor skills, sometimes the verbal lags behind bit. Was she an early walker? Seems like early walkers can sometimes talk later. It's most likely nothing but it never hurts to get a doctor's opinion! Good luck.

I'm a speech pathologist and I've seen lots of kids this age who are late talkers. Most catch up quickly, but a few really need some help. It's great that your daughter understands well, and it sounds like you don't have any other developmental concerns (like walking, feeding herself, learning). Normal at this age would be at least 50-100 words, and often more, with frequent 2 word combinations ("bye-bye" doesn't count because she understands it as one word). Your pediatrician will probably suggest having it checked out, but even if he or she isn't concerned, I would suggest contacting Early Intervention. It can't hurt to have them take a look at her, and it's free. Plus, there's probably a waiting list so if she takes off with her speech in the meantime, you can always cancel. She'll probably enjoy playing with the therapist. The therapist will be looking for signs of overall language delays, plus any other developmental problems. It's possible your daughter is just having trouble with the physical making of the sounds of speech, coordinating all the movements of her lips, tongue, cheeks, and her breath. These issues aren't unusual, and it would be a good idea to get her some help before she gets frustrated and starts to act out from not being able to communicate. Might also help to teach her some sign language and/or use some picture symbols as she's learning to use more speech to keep her language skills developing and help reduce frustration. The EI therapist can help with ideas around this, or your pediatrician can recommend a private clinic. Good luck!

My old pediatrician had me take do early prevention for my oldest when he turned two. THe early prevention said that he was only 3 months behind in talking and 4 months ahead in moter skills. They said that many doctors are acting to concerned and they are overloaded with visits that they should not be going to. He exspode with words two month later and talked better then any other child his age. My second the new pediatrician said wait until he is 28months and if he is not talking we will have him checked out. Then he will be 6 or more months behind. I agree you need to keep and eye on it but if the understanding and doing other things other children their age are not they should be find.

I would highly recommend a consultation w/Elaine Hardy, RN, APN, C Expert Nurse Practitioner in NJ that specializes in developmental delays in children. I know the sooner the better in getting treatment. She will look into vitamin/mineral deficiencies, yeast, food intolerance and past medical history including medications that your child has been on since birth, they seem to all be linked somehow and she tries not to medicate, just make diet and lifestyle changes, it is SO GREAT!! Her website is www.holisticfamilyhealthcarepc.com , you can read up on her and even email her ahead of time to see if she can help!!
Good luck to you!!!

My son only said a few years at 2 also. He'll be 3 in July and is really starting to begin to talk now. It took awhile, but just talk constantly. Always tell her what you're doing...try to teach her how to start asking for things (like juice, etc.)...if she has a certain way of communicating that she wants juice for example, and it's not saying juice, then reply to her "Do you want juice? We will go get the juice. It is in the fridge". Stuff like that. She'll start to repeat you eventually. I think the key for us was to stop responding to him when he whined or grunted for something. We made him start to ask for stuff. She'll get there and there's probably not anything wrong. Some kids, especially first borns from what I learned take longer to start to talk. We just have to be patient and keep talking/reading to them!

Hi L.,

I have a daughter who just turned two and she doesn't say too many words either. However,she is very expressive with noises, points and shows me what she wants.Sometimes she will say certain words clear as a bell, then other times she says them in her "own way". As long as your daughter comprehends what you are saying, and can follows directions don't worry! Some children don't begin to really talk until they are around three years old. Besides, children learning to talk and intelligence has nothing to do with each other. I have a friend who's little boy didn't talk until he was about three and his IQ when he was a teen was 148! I got very concerned with the same thing in relation to my little girl, but when we stop to think about what it takes in terms of our vocal cords to form words... it is difficult. So don't worry she will be talking before you know it, and probably won't be able to stop! LOL

This might sounds kind of silly, but are you sure she only knows 8 words? I thought the same of my 22 month old, until we were looking at a picture book and I really listened. I realized she actually knew just about every word in the book... they just all sounded very similar to my "untrained" ear. You might try to get one of those books that just have pictures with labels and look at them together. She will probably repeat the word and you might start to hear the nuances.

I also agree with the person who mentioned sign language. We taught some to my daughter (and she actually learned some watching a DVD) and its very helpful for words that sound similar. I wish we had kept at it, we slacked off once she started saying more words. But there are still times when she will use either a sign, or both, to get her point across. Its very helpful!

I'm sure your pediatrician will point you in the right direction, so try not to worry.

L.
I wouldn't worry about it just yet. I have had many friends who thought the same thing when their kids were your dd's age. They are now older and every single one of them is talking normally now with no developmental setbacks. Some just talk later than others.

Wow, I feel like I could've written this 8 months ago. At 2, my son was hardly saying anything also, but his understanding was absolutely amazing and the things he knew were beyond what was expected for a 2-year old. But since he really wasn't saying much, I talked to my pediatrician who felt he was just going to be a late talker and really wasn't concerned. But she knew how concerned I was so she suggested early intervention. He qualified only for his expressive communications, he was a very good nonverbal communicator and he understood everything. We've been having a speech therapist come every week since then for one hour. Within a couple months he started talking and now I literally can't get him to shut up. :) He's singing songs and is at a point when he repeats everything we say and is even good with some of the "tougher" sounds for 3 and 4 year olds. I have mixed opinions, although I think the speech therapy can't hurt, I do think my pediatrician was right, he was just going to be a late talker. With or without the speech therapy, I think he still would've started talking at some point. However, if I had to do it again I would STILL get the speech therapy, because regardless of whether he would've talked on his own, we didn't know that at the time, and the therapist has definitely improved my sons ability to pronunciate words, and also taught my husband and I how to encourage my son to speak more and to pronunciate things right. I laugh because he always watches people's mouths to see how to say certain words. I think as an only child, we were so used to anticipating what he needed and he could non-verbally show us, so it wasn't a need of him to talk early on and sometimes our behavior probably added to his lack of talking.

Plus early intervention is free, so what's the harm? I would suggest getting her evaluated and extra help really can't hurt. I would bet that she's probably just going to be a late talker and if not, then you'll get the help early on. I remember my pediatrician said that the measure of intelligence in a child is not how much they say, but how much they know and understand. My son also was mechanically inclined and still is. If you have anymore questions I'd be happy to talk with you more about it. I was exactly where you are 8 months ago and it all worked out fine. So, don't worry until you know there's something to worry about.

Our twins didn't say much at all until right after they turned two - even to the point that a very rude woman at our gym made a comment that they are "behind" a month or so before they turned two. It was amazing ... they literally starting saying everything at once after not saying much at all!! I wouldn't worry quite yet!!!! Good Luck!!!

L.,

If you doctor is concerned about her lack of vocabulary then immmediately call early intervention. It will take over a month for everything to truly get going, and it was a god send for us. My son was very similar to your daughter with his vocabulary (they told us he was at a 17 month old level at 25 months), but with the help of an amazing speech therapist he was constantly talking within three months. After four months on the program we were told that he was above and beyond his age level and could be taken off. Many family members told us we were crazy to be so concerned so early, but now those same family members are thrilled that we did it and comment about how wrong they were for trying to stop us.

While every child learns at a different speed, I don't see why you wouldn't want to call early intervention. Their services are free, they come to your house, and your daughter will be chatting up a storm in no time! Good luck!

Hi L.,

My son, Mason, who is now 9 and is a great talker did not say a word at 2. Although it is advisable to talk with your pediatrician to rule out any issues, I would say for you not to get too worried yet. When Mason had his 2 year check up they gave me info on early intervention. I held on to this info for probably 6-8 weeks and was just ready to make the call when he started talking up a storm and hasn't stopped since. His presonallity is that way, when he's ready that is when he does things. On his terms when he wants. He's a great yet strong willed child who brightens my everyday! Good luck!

Oh,dear. I'm amazed by the number of posters here saying you should do nothing because kids develop at different rates. Chances are that your daughter will catapult ahead like so many others described here, but given your concerns and the availability of a free, quality program like Early Intervention, why wouldn't you schedule an evaluation? Certainly get your doctor's opinion, but unfortunately not all doctors seem plugged into the EI system. I went to one who was highly recommended to me in Pittsburgh when my son was 14 months old and missing his gross motor milestones. She seemed unconcerned and never mentioned EI. I had to stumble across it myself on the Internet. We were living outside of the U.S. and on my return several months later I was frustrated that it took another 6 weeks or so to finally get EI therapists in our home. They were excellent and helped get us on track. (It turns out, though, that my son still has significant delays across the board, so, you can see, that is where I'm coming from.) The earlier delays are addressed, the easier it is to develop the neuron pathways, adjust behaviors, whatever! It's your child -- don't hesitate to do everything to help her and put your fears to rest knowing that you're doing everything you can. Best of luck!

When my oldest was 2, and went to her physical, the doctor asked if she knew 10 words. She actually knew way more than 10, but my understanding from that is that 10 words is the benchmark. (my daughter majored in English, so obviously words have always come easy to her)

My sister's youngest didn't speak at all at age 2. He had 4 older siblings, and everyone else could talk well. When he wanted something, he needed only to let them know with gestures and signs, and everything was provided. In the end, he never talked your typical baby talk. He came out with a hundred words at once. We think he waited until he got it right, then finally came out speaking well. :-)

You can try a baby sign language book, and learn it and use it while talking. If she's as mechanical as you say, she'll catch the hand signals AND the words, and maybe doing the hand signals will make it easier for her to practice the words, too.

I hope all goes well !

I went through the exact same thing with my daughter, who is almost 3 now. At 24 months, she was only saying a handful of words, which was especially frustrating since she understood everything I said, and was so advanced in the motor skills department. I took her to the doctor, who not only recommended speech therapy, but also checked her ears and found she wasn't hearing right due to fluid in her ears (she never complained about her ears hurting) So we got tubes put in her ears and started speech therapy...she is now talking better than I ever imagined. I fully recommend early intervention if you're worried about the amount of words she says. It's hard not to compare your child, but I know when my daughter's younger cousin was saying more words than her, I got very concerned. Good luck!

Hi L.

Just to ease your mind (or maybe make it worse) I have 3 babies. My oldest are 4 years, and 2 years in May. My oldest son could recite the alphabet, recognize the letters and count to 20 before he was 18 months old BLEW MY MIND~ my daughter could care less! She is VERY physical, VERY. She climbs and explores whereas my son did not. I think that when the brain is developing speech it does not put as much into the physical and vice versa. My son met all his physical milestones at appropriate times but NEVER early and NEVER with gusto where as my daughter does. She is just starting to answer yes and no appropriately and asks for "joo" which means any liquid in a cup. She throws tantrums~ my son did not. She doesn't put words together as small sentences and loves to babble. At first I compared, big time. But now I realize they are both intelligent and very different individuals.
I think you are doing the right thing by asking her to think a little more. If I ask my daughter if she wants a drink, I tell her to get me her cup, things like that to help her make the verbal connections. Chances are she understands what you are saying anyway. Make sure you read too. All 3 of mine love stories! You are doing fabulously and there ain't a darn thing wrong with that baby!!!

Hi L..

I know this can seem alarming but like the other posters said, most likely it is not a problem. Kids are just... different. My husband didn't utter a word until he was 3 years old, and he is completely normal. That being said, definately talk to your pediatrition about it if you are concerned. I have a good friend who has a now 3 year old that had to have tubes put in her ears. They found out she wasn't talking because she wasn't hearing properly due to excess fluid in her ears. Just something to think about. Hope all goes well!

You have gotten plenty of reassuring advice, but I'll add my two cents. My daughter only said a few words at age 2, but understood EVERYTHING and did not have a problem communicating what she wanted. She was also physically more advanced than other children her age. But there is so much pressure out there these days with the anxiety around autism that I think many people are blinded by fear. Right after she turned two, her vocabulary really grew and by three, oh my! She is now 3 1/2 and she is such a chatterbox. I kick myself when I think about how I worried for no reason, only because less educated people put ideas in my head. Others have said it, definitely talk to your pediatrician (who will probably say check it out to be safe) but don't waste a precious moment worrying about as long as she is happy and healthy and developing without concern in other areas. It is just modern-day paranoia. Good luck and ENJOY your darling little girl for who she is!

A friend - a nurse - had a son who chose not to talk - older siblings knew what he wanted. The kids stayed with an Aunt and Uncle while the parents went on a second honeymoon. When they returned he was speaking in complete sentences!
If the doctor is concerned - seek help. If not, let your little one take her time to decide to talk. Remember - once they start they DO NOT STOP!

My son was exactly the same. He barely spoke at 2 but by 2 1/2, he was talking so much more. He's 3 now and never shuts up! Kids all learn at different rates. You said she's mechanically oriented... toddlers/babies work on one skill at a time. She's probably spent most of her learning on her gross motor skills and fine motor skills. If she can comprehend what you're saying (no hearing loss) then I wouldn't worry about it. I'm pretty sure the pedi will tell you the same. In six months, she'll be talking up a storm! Toddlers change SO much SO quickly!

We went through a similar experience with my son (who is now 4) When he was 2 he only said two words "Ma" and "Da". He was very quiet from birth but like your daughter had excellent comprehension. At his 2 year check up I found out about early intervention and we had him tested. He was accepted into the program. He started talking more within a few months, but I don't think it was anything specific the therapist did, I just think it was his "time". She did give us tips and ideas on how to work with him in between her visits. Your daughter sounds very intelligent and healthy in the brief description you gave (my son never even 'babbled' as you put it) but if you are concerned about your daughters development, then follow your motherly instincts and look into Early Intervention. It's inexpensive or free depending on your situation and it could help your daughter and put your fears to rest. It's not being a crazy mom, it's doing what you think is best for your child! Best of luck to you! (By the way, now my son won't stop talking so be careful what you wish for!)

You should discuss your concerns with your pediatrician, but if she is developing normally in all other areas then she is probably fine. I agree with the previous poster, if kids are developing physically, then the verbal stuff will be delayed & vise versa. Two things to ease your worries...The idea of reaching milestones is relatively new. One hundred years ago no one cared if you started talking at 2 or 4. Kids just did what they did whenever they did it and there was no early intervention. Also, (my MIL told me this)...when your kid is 20 its not going to matter when they started walking/talking etc. Everyone catches up & it has no long term effect on their abilities.
Good luck.

Call Early Intervention and ignore all of the advice that tells you to wait. EI will evaluate your daughter and provide therapy for you. If you wait until she is 3, you have to go through your Intermediate Unit and it is VERY difficult.

I was told to "wait it out" with my daughter and it took me 5 months to get an IU appointment and then it took 6 months to get therapy started. The EI will respond within weeks. (Don't worry about them being "overloaded with unnecessary calls" - if the EI therapist really told a mother that, they should be fired. It is their JOB to help. They evaluated my son within two weeks of the call.)

It is also important to remember that speech problems are much easier to address at an earlier age. So do not wait, if you are worried, you should get it checked right away.

As for the advice "if she is developing normally in other areas" you should not address the issue is ludicrous. Development in one area (say physical) has no bearing on delays in other areas. This is why there are developmental benchmarks in many areas. They are not interconnected. (Just because two events happen at the same time does not indicate a correlation between the events.)

Best of luck to you.

I did not read any of your response because I don't really have the time right now. So, sorry if I am repeating many responses.
I would say that if you are concerned, call Early Intervention. They come out completely free of charge and they certainly wouldn't judge you if they feel she isn't delayed enough. My motto is that YOU have to be the one to look out for your children. I have 4 and the doctor's are never vigilant enough. Two of my children qualified for speech therapy throught Early Intervention and their doctors said nothing to me(and these are 2 different doctors)
Also, a friend of mine has twins and the doctors waited till around 3 to say something. Well, by then she has to drive them to the Intermediate Unit. Plus, since they are older the treatment is a longer process. Sometimes when you start soon all they need is a little push.

It is completely up to you and your husband. But, would it hurt to have Early Intervention out regardless of hat your doctor says?
Good Luck!!!!

Hi L., Every child speaks at different times. Here are a couple of questions to ask yourself. Can she follow two-step directions (like go to your room and get your shoes.)?
Does she make her needs/wants clear to you even without speech? Is she with other children alot or just mom? I have three girls, the oldest didn't start talking til after her second birthday. The middle one was talking non-stop at a year old and my youngest didn't talk until she was three years old (she couldn't get a word in edgewise between her two older sisters!). Don't fall into the compareing trap!! Every child has his/her strengths and weaknesses that's what makes being a parent a challenge...learning when to worry and panic and when not to. Best wishes.