Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

15 month old speech delay

45 replies

tholeon · 16/09/2010 19:54

My 15 month old hasn't got any real words at all. He is very social, and communicates a lot in other ways: always pulling me to what he wants, etc. And he understands a lot: 'put the book back', 'get the nappy please' etc. He was an early walker and is very good at all the physical stuff. But he doesn't even say Mummy...

What do you all think? Any good ways of encouraging actual words? I do think he is ok really but I've read stuff which says he should have a few words by now..

OP posts:

winnybella · 16/09/2010 20:01

I think at 15 months it's too early to worry about speech delay. Perhaps you might want to check his ears/hearing to make sure there's no problem there. DD said 2 or 3 words at this age. Now she's 19 mo and gets a new word every day. Don't worry.

OnEdge · 16/09/2010 21:37

mine only says "ta" he will say mummy n daddy but only parrot style, he doesn't use the words appropriately.

redflipflops · 16/09/2010 21:40

15 months is much to young to worry. Some kids start later but they all catch up in the end. Enjoy the peace and quiet while it lasts

zapostrophe · 16/09/2010 21:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

PosieParker · 16/09/2010 21:43

No worries...My ds1 talked at 2.5, I think first words were 18months ish.

randomimposter · 16/09/2010 21:57

my DS is 2yo4mo... he doesn't say mummy either! He is also very physically advanced. I really don't think you should worry.

The 2 year check asks whether they have (I think from memory) 10 words. You have a long time to catch up.

Boys are anecdotally less talkative anyway. My DS is just like his dad...

BonniePrinceBilly · 16/09/2010 22:06

a 15th month old can't have a speech delay, as there is no real expectation of him having any speech.
Leave him alone.

LilyBolero · 16/09/2010 22:13

Don't worry, 15 mths is early for speech, so impossible to have a speech delay really.

Ds1 - started speaking at 2
Dd - started speaking at 9 mths
Ds2 - speech delay/hearing loss, started speaking at 2.8 or so but has taken to age 4 to be comprehensible.

To encourage speech (if you want to), look at picture books and talk about the pics - building up the sentences. So;

"Dog. Dog and Ball. The Dog has the Ball. The Dog is playing with the Ball in the Park."

" Boy. Boy and Teddy. The Boy is cuddling the Teddy. The Boy cuddles his Teddy in Bed."

Emphasise the capitalised words. But I really wouldn't worry at this stage, if you are at all concerned, get the HV to refer for a hearing test, they are very straightforward.

moajab · 16/09/2010 22:37

Does he understand words? My DS2 had no real words until about 19 months, although he clearly understood things. He's 5 now and has a very good vocabulary and is one of the best in his class at reading and writing so his later start with speech did not hold him back at all.
DS3 is now 20 months and only has about 5 words and a few other sounds that we know what he means. He does not say Mama or Dada, although does say poo! I'm trying not to be too offended!

Original poster

tholeon · 17/09/2010 07:37

ok thanks, sounds like I probably don't need to worry. I keep hearing about how I was talking at 9 months - but it didn't lead to any brilliant long term outcomes!

OP posts:

StealthPolarBear · 17/09/2010 07:46

Yes DS was the same, I can't remember the details but he was talking a lot less than all his little (girl) friends at that age! But he understood stuff - at 13 months he could follow instructions like "pick up those clothes and put them in the basket". Your DS is communicating with you (non-verbally) and is he understanding what you say? If you ask him where a particular toy is, does he look at it / go to it?

Rillyrillygoodlooking · 17/09/2010 08:25

DD is 14 months, nearly 15 months and has no words, although she will point to get what she wants.
DS didn't talk (make any recognisable sound that was properly referring to something) until he was 27 months, but he has hearing loss.

A speech and lang therapist explained it as a tree. The understanding and nonverbal communication are the roots and proper talking is the leaves. So there is quite a lot inbetween. That was a very basic version of what she said :)

Don't worry, plenty of time. As long as the communication and understanding is there, that's the main thing.

Shells · 17/09/2010 08:39

Its very reassuring that his understanding is good but I'm afraid I don't go along with the 'wait and see' approach. Some speech delays don't go away.

Get his hearing checked as a starter. 15 months is early and he'll probably be fine, but don't leave it too long if you're worried. Early intervention with speech and language problems is crucial.

StealthPolarBear · 17/09/2010 08:41

thats why i asked if he understands. surely if he follows instructions, his hearing is fine

becaroo · 17/09/2010 08:47

If he is alert, hapy and understands instructions i.e. dont touch that its hot then I dont really seee what the problem is?

15m is really too young to be worrying abuot this unless the child is obviously not meeting any of his developmental milestones.

My ds1 didnt speak til 2.5. He did have some developmental delays though due to IUGR.

ds2 is 2 next week and only has a few words. However, he was rolling over at 3 months, crawling at 6 months and walking at 10 months. He is very physically advanced for his age and understands everything we say to him.

I had thought he would talk sooner than ds1 but it doesnt look like it!!!

LilyBolero · 17/09/2010 08:49

SPB, it's not strictly true that if they understand then the hearing is fine. Ds2 had low frequency hearing loss, which meant his speech development was compromised. He could understand fantastically, but couldn't hear enough to reproduce the sounds.

With respect to 'early intervention is crucial', be prepared that although you can get a hearing test easily, there is a huge list for SALT, and in fact at pre-school level they often take an approach of wait and watch, whilst giving the parents guidelines of how to talk (as I did earlier). Their preference is for non-intervention as they say that outcomes are better. Obviously different cases are treated differently, but that is what ds2's SALT said, and it makes sense. His speech has really really improved in the last 6 months, and although it's still a bit behind, he has caught up a lot.

So, if you're concerned, get a hearing test, but don't worry at all about the speech, still very early days.

RaisedFromPerdition · 17/09/2010 08:50

Och, he's fine.

I talked early and fluently. And now 29 years later, I can still talk. There's not an awful lot to be gained from it.

StealthPolarBear · 17/09/2010 08:54

"SPB, it's not strictly true that if they understand then the hearing is fine. Ds2 had low frequency hearing loss, which meant his speech development was compromised."

Thanks for clarifying that. So it is worth getting checked out even if you think they can hear and understand, but aren't speaking, in case the range of hearing is wrong?
Does the same count even if they're babbling and making all the right word sounds, but just not putting words together iyswim?

LilyBolero · 17/09/2010 08:58

If you have any concerns at all I would get a hearing test - they're very easy to do, totally non-invasive and just put your mind at rest. Ds2 was babbling and making the 'sounds' of speech, but without any words. When he first saw the SALT, he had a good range of words, though with some odd pronunciations, but wasn't putting words together at all. He still has his own language a bit, but is much much clearer and more sophisticated in his speech.

His was very much a 'speech' delay, rather than a language one, as his cognitive language (ie what he understood) was way ahead of normal ranges, his speech though was about a year behind.

Original poster

tholeon · 17/09/2010 14:14

thanks all. I think his hearing is fine because he always seems to hear things, and notice funny noises before I do (he's going through a scared of aeroplane noises phase...) but it is interesting about the different hearing frequencies point.

OP posts:

thedudesmummy · 20/09/2010 11:00

I have also been worried about this with my 15 (nearly 16) month old, who babbles a lot, is highly interactive, and is definitely not deaf (unless he is eating the cat food and just does not wish to hear me saying NO), but does not say any proper words that we can understand. He does say Dada but its not always in context.He seems so bright full of beans but he just doesn't say words! I am trying not to worry yet.

(He was also IUGR and very small, still below 9th centile for weight).

hatchypom · 20/09/2010 14:21

I'm afraid I think if you are worried enough to post, you should eliminate hearing as a cause and turning to sounds doesn't indicate hearing well enough to discriminate speech.

thedudesmummy · 22/09/2010 14:59

We are going to ask the HV next week when we take him for a weighing. He is still not saying words with any particular meaning, although he babbles all the time. I am starting to feel very worried as he will be 16 mths next week.

QueenofDreams · 22/09/2010 15:09

thedudesmummy lack of speech on its own doesn't necessarily indicate a problem. However, if you're worried, get his hearing tested just to be sure.

I know a nearly two year old with no words yet. However, SIL observed him at DS's party on Saturday and she reckons he has some autistic behavioural traits. THis is not based on his lack of speech though but on watching him interact etc through the afternoon.

(DS just turned two and it's only in the last 4-5 months that he's suddenly started talking. Now I have to be so careful as he copies EVERYTHING)

thedudesmummy · 22/09/2010 17:29

I think we will just mention it to the HV to see what she says...I am trying not to be too worried! He is so bright and interactive in every other way.

Flip

1 2