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Behaviour/development

16mo no words yet

32 replies

fourlegstwolegs · 21/05/2014 15:33

Hello!
Should I be worried? He makes a lot of noise and I think HE thinks he is talking, but it's all funny noises and babbling.
No words yet, and no Mama or Dada. He occasionally says those words but not in context.
He understands loads. He will go and fetch things if I ask him to and will come for dinner when I call him - so he isn't deaf!
Thoughts?

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mrsbucketxx · 21/05/2014 15:36

please don't worry ds didnt really start properly talking till 2 and a half 16 months is still really young. the babbling etc is a good sign it will get better over time

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Lisa3578 · 21/05/2014 15:37

just give him the time he needs when he's ready. I wouldn't worry about it

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runningonwillpower · 21/05/2014 15:47

My son said his first word around 13 months and by 18 months had a pretty wide-ranging vocabulary but only in one-word sentences. By 24 months he was speaking in fluent sentences.

My daughter didn't say her first word until about 18 months yet by 24 months was speaking in fluent sentences.

A friend told me she didn't speak until she was about 24 months - she is one of the cleverest people I know.

We are all different.

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TravellingToad · 21/05/2014 15:54

I think I wrote your post 8 months ago.

DS is 2 this week and I was writin down all his words for his scrapbook and he speaks over 50 regularly. He does 3 word sentences but didn't say anything until 19 months. He just has exploded since then. You'll be surprised how much he will come on in the months until he is 2 (and beyond)

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sewingandcakes · 21/05/2014 16:02

Ds3 had me concerned until this month, when he started making efforts to say lots more. He's 23 months now, and his understanding has been present for a long time. I think if a child doesn't understand when you speak to them, or respond to their name, that's more of a concern.

I don't think you need to worry at this age.

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Guin1 · 21/05/2014 16:37

I don't think this is anything to be concerned about. The important things are that his receptive language (understanding) is good and that he wants to talk, hence all the babbling. My DS was exactly the same - he finally started saying a few words that we could understand (mostly "no" and "up") around 19mo and within a month had added about another 50!

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CheekyResearcherNameChange · 21/05/2014 16:41

Can I cheekily suggest that you have a look at our study:

UK-CDI

It should give you a good idea of what he understands and what gestures he uses, which as others have said are really what it's about at this age.

Any questions do ask, and if you happen to have any friends in Northern Ireland, Wales or Scotland (or indeed any friends at all) with babies the right age do beg and plead them to take part too.

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neversleepagain · 21/05/2014 21:10

My twins are 19 months. They were brought up exactly the same way at exactly the same time. Twin 1 has nearly 40 words and twin 2 just 8 words! All babies are different, try not to worry :)

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naty1 · 22/05/2014 13:19

I found picture books like of the my first words sort really good. Repetitive so my DD got the hang of a few words at a time.
Doinging animal noises

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MiaowTheCat · 23/05/2014 08:47

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

IWillOnlyEatBeans · 23/05/2014 15:53

DS2 is 17 months and doesn't say much either - he says around three words - yes, no, hello - but they are more like sounds really - yeahr, ooo, awoh.

My eldest was speaking in little sentences by this age!

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WanderingTrolley1 · 23/05/2014 17:40

My DS2 is almost 16 months and still nothing.

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LovelyWeatherForDucks · 25/05/2014 20:53

I had a friend over today who is a speech and language therapist with children - she mentioned that my 19mo (who has quite a few - but unclear- words) was doing quite well, but equally she wouldn't have been surprised if he didn't really have any words either. And babbling is a good sign. So I think anything is normal at this age!

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fourlegstwolegs · 19/06/2014 19:37

17 months now - still nothing! I expect he will come out with some kind of long soliloquy when he finally does speak!

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Daveface · 19/06/2014 19:43

My DD had nothing at 2!

By 2.5 I couldn't remember what it was like when she couldn't talk!!

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WanderingTrolley1 · 23/06/2014 11:54

My son is 17 months and not a single word.

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fourlegstwolegs · 21/07/2014 18:24

18 months now - lots of nonsensical babbling but still no words!

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fourlegstwolegs · 18/08/2014 13:22

19 months! Still no words. Unless jumping out from behind things and shouting "Boooo" counts?

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Hedger · 20/08/2014 14:45

Does he respond communicate with you non-verbally? i.e., does he make good eye contact, point, follow your point, etc? If so, and if he is understanding what you say, and babbling, I really think there is no need to worry - lots of children don't start speaking until 2 or so, some even 3. The main thing is that he communicates in other ways.

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tobysmum77 · 20/08/2014 22:53

dd said nothing till over 15 months and is apparently 'exceeding' for speech at the end of reception.

Once they start properly they learn seemingly tens of words a day. Therefore being able to say 'duck' at 12 months is in the grand scheme of things of very little account.

I really think 16 months is too early to worry.

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TravellingToad · 20/08/2014 23:05

My HV said they are much more concerned with level of understanding rather than speech until they are 2. How well does he follow commands ?

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fourlegstwolegs · 27/08/2014 14:02

I think he understands what I say, if I ask him to go and find his shoes he will, go get in the car etc. Plenty of eye contact and stuff. Lots of babbling!

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Ellle · 27/08/2014 18:49

Will follow this thread with interest.
We are in the same boat. DS2 is 19 months, but no proper words. Especially when compared to DS1 at the same age. Of course, I know all about how children are different and will do everything at their own pace and when they are ready.

Although, if you take into account the animal sounds, bus, train sounds, and the few words that he has said the one time and then never again you could stretch the list to 20 at most.

Many of them are just the first syllable of the word, but he uses them regularly enough for us to know which word is supposed to be.

Understanding is fine. Good eye contact, lots of pointing, follows complex commands, can answer where is the dog or cat, etc by pointing at the pictures in books. Lots of noise that sounds like he is talking to us, only it is not anything recognisable. So deep inside I know there is nothing to worry about. I just wish he was already talking, or that at least he would keep using the few words that he occasionally says more often so that I could feel his vocabulary is growing.

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Hatetidyingthehouse · 27/08/2014 20:29

Same

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Jellyandjam · 28/08/2014 09:09

Understanding is definitely more important and babbling is good. Don't worry too much but do keep an eye on it. Often children have a big explosion of words after the age of 2. My DS (now 5) did have difficulty with his speech and we were concerned at that age too. We were told not to compare with his sister (who was talking in sentences by then) and that as his understanding was good it wasn't a concern at that point.
We still had concerns as he got older and he did have speech therapy. Now his speech is age appropriate and he has been discharged from therapy.
You may well find that in the next few months his vocabulary just suddenly explodes, but if not please be reassured that with the correct help they all get there.
Just a note on the hearing test, it might still be worth getting it checked out as it can sometimes be a problem with different frequencies which means they are not hearing certain sounds properly. If wasn't the case with my DS bug it was good to rule it out.

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