would you worry about a 2yr old not talking very much...

[greedygoose]

My dd is 24 mths and says very little, she makes herself understood by snorting (!) and pointing. She is dc3 and I feel she does not really need to communicate therefore chooses not to really. I would say she has maybe 15 words but she certainly does not use them regularly. She does make noises like ahhhh and eeeee and some animal noises too. At what point are you worried because I certainly remember the other 2 chatting away at this age almost in little sentences. Grateful for any advice/reassurance.

I really wouldn't worry. DD is now 2 and a half and speaking in sentences. At 24 months she could not string two words together let alone a sentence and I was quite concerned. I needn't have worried and I don't think you should. All children develop at their own pace and I am sure in a few months you will wonder what you were wonrrying about.

Hth.

Thanks Ellie - I feel very relaxed about it really but its hard not to compare them to your others! I just feel for her sometimes because there is frustration there when she wants to ask/tell you something...

I would always advise talking to your HV (if she's any good) and seeing about a referral. I worried such a lot about my now 2.6 yr old. I spoke to my HV and although she didn't deem it a problem agreed to a referral to a SALT. However the list is long and he hasn't been seen yet. BUT, he has come along in leaps and bounds and spouting new words every day. We went from about 25 words to well over 100 in a matter of a few weeks, and now he knows he can do it there's no stopping him, so I will be cancelling the SALT. So, no harm can come from asking for a referral but you might find you don't need it anyway and you can cancel it if you feel it's not needed. Children vary widely at this age. My ds is a whizz with jigsaws and numbers and also very physical, and think it just took some time for the verbal stuff to catch up.

Not at all. DS had learnt about 6 words between 18-24mo, and then just after his second birthday it all started to click. literally went from 6 to 60 words within a week.

Do you do baby signing?

Don't worry about it yet unless you're worried about his hearing.

What's her understanding like? eg does she understand and follow instructions? If you have no concerns about that, and if her non-verbal communication and interaction is ok, and her hearing is fine, then I wouldn't worry too much. Lots of children don't speak much at this age and have no problems. But it can indicate something more, if there are other concerns with general communication.

If all the above is ok and she isn't speaking at around 2.5 though I would seek advice - waiting lists for speech therapy are long so the earlier you get on it the better. If she's caught up by the time of an appt, then no problem you can cancel it, and if not you have done the right thing by getting early intervention and in the system.

Thanks all for advice - very helpful. Her level of understanding is very good and she is potty training (not my choice!)and has a lot going on at the moment. She is very independent and does not do anything she doesnt want to! I agree that she is probably just going to get it and it will take off - but I may speak to HV about it too.

I would do something sooner rather than later. See your health visitor to get into the system asap.

Dc1 was a late talker, dc2 worse, and it turned out that he had a problem. Early intervention and endless speech therapy sessions meant that he was 'cured' by the time he went to school. And dc3 was a very early talker and never stops!