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Behaviour/development

22 month old speech

20 replies

Strawberry678 · 02/09/2015 10:27

my daughter will turn 2 in the beginning of November and I'm starting to become concerned. She walked at 10 months runs climbs etc, gives kisses blows kisses, understands pretty much everything I say like lets go brush teeth or please pass me your book/toy/pajamas etc but her speech itself is very limited. She says mumma daddy no yeah hiya and hello and there. That's about it must mostly she will take my hand to whatever she wants and needs to communicate. I read to her everyday and we have flash cards. She can do all of the animal noises and has memorised all of her flash cards she even recognises to ring flash card as the ring on my finger. I try to encourage her to speak and she will try to copy but when she gets it wrong she gets very upset and refuses to try again. I wasn't concerned but now every one keeps telling me I should be as they have younger children who speak more then she does. Can anyone help? Thanks

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Strawberry678 · 02/09/2015 10:34

I should also add she is constantly babbling as if speaking in her own language

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Bogburglar99 · 02/09/2015 10:37

DS was similar at 22 months. At 9 I cannot get him to shut upGrin and that's a fairly common story. DD was not fast to talk either and is now indistinguishable from her friend who started to chat at 12 months.

I believe that at rising 2 the biggest concern is that they show understanding of what you say to them (simple requests as you mention) and are making efforts to communicate one way or the other. DS, for example, had about ten words including the all purpose word DAT at 21 months but I have never seen a toddler get so much and varied use out of a single word!

The range is very wide and there are certainly children who talk much more much earlier. The vast majority get to a similar point in the end.

Keep an eye, chat to your health visitor if you're concerned but I think from what you describe she's likely to be absolutely fine. Best of luck.

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sausagepoo · 02/09/2015 10:47

By 20 month old DD is the same, she refuses to say words, and if you try and get her to do so, she misses all consonants. She doesn't say yes or no, she shakes or nods her head instead and will stubbornly refuse to even try if you ask her to. She can do animal noises without consonants, and talks to us all the time in her own language which is suspect is English but makes no sense as she can't do initial consonants sounds. She understands everything including very complicated instructions so I'm hoping she's just a bit slow. Her brother who is quite a bit older spoke in full sentences by this stage, and was speaking clear words at 12 months so it's a bit different especially since they always say boys are slower at language!

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Inim · 02/09/2015 10:48

My DS just turned 2, up until 3 weeks ago he could only say mummy, daddy, and that. Now he can say pretty much everything and I can't shut him up, he just seemed to overnight start speaking. I'm sure she'll be find if she can understand words, and say a few, then it seems like she's doing fine.

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Strawberry678 · 02/09/2015 10:59

Thank you so much everyone for your replies I feel a lot better about it since hearing your stories! I think sometimes I get caught up in it since we have family and friends who are 2 months younger and seem to speak a lot more then people start to hint at me about why she isn't the same so thank you :) that sounds a lot like my daughter with the stubbornness if u ask her to try, I do hope they are just slow! I always hear the same that it's usually boys but I guess they will just go at their own pace. She does use dada or dat a lot if she tries to say something she can't say not really sure why! Thank you I also hope it will happen over night I don't want to put too much pressure on her so fingers crossed, thanks again all :)

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Lj8893 · 02/09/2015 11:00

I posted a similar thread about my 22mo old a few weeks ago, since then it's incredible how many words she is saying. She is even putting "it's a" in front of items!

I think they say if your still concerned at 2.5yrs then seek advice.

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Lj8893 · 02/09/2015 11:00

Oh, and my extremely talkative mother (seriously, she can talk for England!) didn't speak till she was 3!

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blaeberry · 02/09/2015 11:05

I found words came very quickly from about that age with more added every couple of days. They look for 50 words by 2 years old. Less than this means they need to keep an eye not that there is definitely a problem. When you count words any sound that is consistently applied to an object/situation counts, so all the animal noises count as words. The babbling is also good.

As far as the flash cards are concerned, I would be careful not to put too much pressure on her. Don't correct her and get her to repeat, just model the correct word back to her (eg. Her 'rrrr', you 'yes ring').

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Strawberry678 · 02/09/2015 11:05

Thank you I will try have a look for ur thread :) wow that's great I hope it does come soon, it's strange but I feel as if she's really staring at me when I'm talking so I do hope something must be going in, I've even had the TV off this is the 2nd week without it in case even that being on in the background was effecting it. That makes me feel a lot better lol :) I think now there seems more pressure than ever for children to hit development milestones which is frustrating in some ways :/

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Strawberry678 · 02/09/2015 11:08

And thank you i did not realise than anima noises counted as words as she can do loads of them lol don't worry I do not pressure or tell her off for getting things wrong I simply ask her to say it and if she gets upset I put them away but she loves her flash cards mainly for the animals! :)

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tictactoad · 02/09/2015 11:08

I took ds1 to the HV when he was around that age as he didn't say much. He apparently had an acceptable number of individual words and was using them appropriately but she asked how he was with toys. He could always work out how to get them to work as they should and I remember his much more verbal friend throwing something ds1 had sussed immediately across the room in frustration when he couldn't get it to do what he wanted.

The HV pointed out that ds1 was clearly concentrating on other things than speech at the moment and they didn't do everything at once but to bring him back a few months later if I was still concerned. By that time he'd caught up and was stringing words and sentences together with the best of them. Haven't been able to shut him up since and he's twenty three now Grin

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Lj8893 · 02/09/2015 11:09

Yea, I think there is enormous pressure! Especially when you have similar aged or younger children close by who are hitting milestones.
But all children hit them at different rates, and your dd walked at 10 months which is earlier than "average". They can't do it all Wink

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Strawberry678 · 02/09/2015 11:13

Thank you that does sounds similiar like know others who speak more but have no interest in some of the things she does best. It's very reassuring to hear these stories! Thank you I do hope I see a change soon :)

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SusannahD · 02/09/2015 11:13

Please try not to worry, my DS was 32 months when he said his first words, he his now 5 and is a very very chatty and intelligent boy!

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lanbro · 02/09/2015 11:22

My youngest is 2 in a couple of weeks and the improvement in her speech from 22 mo is incredible. You can see an almost daily improvement so I don't think you need to worry yet!

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Hero1callylost · 02/09/2015 11:23

Where is the pressure coming from? If it's friends/family then just ignore, every child develops at their own pace. Be aware of who is saying things and what qualification they have to base their opinion on!

If you were still worried by the 2yr check up I'd have a chat with your health visitor but don't stress about something that isn't a problem yet (if at all).

My niece was a slow speaker but still had really good comprehension and is bright. Her speech really came on around 2.5 onwards. It sounds like your little one is similar and with the good understanding she shows with the flash cards etc I wouldn't be worried at all. I'd just keep repeating the things she says to show her you understand (and to model the words back to her), read books together and chat to her even if it's just narrating what you're doing.

This is a helpful website - www.wordsforlife.org.uk/milestones-two-years

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Strawberry678 · 02/09/2015 11:25

Thank you that is true they can't always do it all Smile I really do hope she will also be chatty soon!

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Strawberry678 · 02/09/2015 11:31

Yeah the pressure is just really from family and friends, we are surrounded by children some the same younger and older and I guess they all have there own story to tell! I don't think they are being purposely mean but I constantly pick up the hints like are u reading to her much etc when I read to her non stop I never turn her away when she brings books to me which can be like 10 times with the same book once she gets her fave lol I guess I just feel like maybe there's something wrong or im doing something wrong when I see others coming on leaps and bounds Hmm but thank you yes that does sound similiar, thank you I will Smile and thank you will also check the website out now Smile

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NickyEds · 03/09/2015 10:10

Hi, my ds is 2 in december and still isn't talking. He'll say Daddy and Tickle and make some limited animal noises. His understanding seems pretty good, he'll fetch things if I ask for them and point to things in a book (this is very hit and miss and dependent on his mood). I worry a great deal about it. I worry as he won't "parrot" sounds back at us so when we say word to him him doesn't even attempt to say them.
I also worry that as I'm a SAHM I'm just not doing enough. The pressure you talk of really compounds this worrySad. I get a lot of sad looks and head tilting- "Awww, I'm sure he'll talk in the end" and "Do you talk to him at all?". A few family have suggested just not doing things until he asks, so not giving him his drink until he says "drink" or "ta" but this just seems mean and I'm not convinced it will work.

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Sgos22 · 25/07/2019 07:21

Hi Strawberry678 - I do hope you see this!!
I’ve been reading your thread but I notice it was from 2015 and just wondered if you would provide an update with how your DD got on with her talking after your initial concerns. My DS is the same age now and he is everything you describe your DD as in your first post!
Kind regards

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