Baby speech development - when should they start saying anything recognisable?

[Witchycat]

DD is 9 months and although she is progressing physically really fast (now standing unaided for a few seconds and pulling herself about on furniture) she doesn't really make any defiante noises.

She's really vocal but it's all 'ra ra ra'. She's ocassionally said DaDa or MaMa but I don't think she said them in connection to me or DP.

She also doesn't wave, clap or do anything else definate with her hands although she has no problem going & getting things & picking them up (big or small).

What sort of noises should she be making at 9 months. I'm sure her brother was way ahead speech-wise by this stage (although he was slower physically)

LOL - that should be 'definate' noises not defiant ones - though they do sound defiant alot of the time.

DS didn't say any real words until about 14 or 15 months. Within a couple of months he was talking non-stop and at 22 months talks even more (if that is possible)

witchycat - my dds were verbal fairly early, but late physically - neither pulled themselves up or walked until over a year old. It tends to work like this - babies seem to concentrate on either one thing or the other! They don't make progress evenly in all areas.

I'm keen to hear responses to this. My DS2 is 16 months and doesn't say anything. He squeals a lot and points to get want he wants. DS1 had lots of words by this stage. We have some concern over DS2 hearing and are waiting for a referral, but would be keen to hear others experiences.

Witchycat - I gather from your post that your DD is not your first child. Me netiher. People keep telling me the reason DS2 is 'slow' to speak is because his older brother talks for him. Same for you?? (DS2 was physically on target too so no worries there).

Thanks for these comments.
Mamoftwo - I have a ds aged 4yrs. I've heard that theory about 1st child speaking for 2nd child but I'm not sure it applies with my two - ds is really fond of his baby sister but doesn't particularly speak for her - I don't think he has much idea what she wants/needs most of the time (apart from telling us when "she's stinky").

I think maybe it's true that alot of babies do either the physical or the verbal development early and not both. That would seem to fit with my two. Just can't help wondering about it when I hear about other babies of a similar age who seem to be virtually 'talking' by now.

9 months is very early to be worrying about speech!!!! From 9 months(ish) pointing should begin to develop- pointing out things of interest should be in place by 18 months (ie a whole lifetime away yet) and if it isn't then that is a cause for concern. Pointing etc remains far more important than speech until 2+

phew, so glad you said that bakabat. Ds is 18 months and we still really only have dada said at everything. But he points at lots of things and babbles incessantly so I'm trying not to worry even though a lot of babues his age are saying thier colours, animal noises to the correct picture etc

My dd is also 18 months and mainly talks gobbledigook. She sort of says mama, dad and hi but not much else. She can let me know what she wants easily enough though.

In bed the other morning she came over and pushed my head up, then she took my shoulders in an attempt to pull me out of bed! Charming.

I wouldn't worry about it too much. I do wish she was talking more sometimes (like when I went to pick her up at nursery today and this wee girl knew my dds name!) but she will get there in the end.

ds2 didn't talk unti 2 and a half- when I had him assessed he was dxed with a speech disorder- all his sounds were coming in the wrong order. I was 99% sure he had verbal dyspraxia. However I never worried about him as ds1 is severely autistic (and incidentally talked very early before losing all speech by 15 months) because his ability to communicate was so damn good. And I never tired of seeing a point (ds1 still doesn't really get pointing although he'll do it with prompting now aged 6).

Suddenly in the course of one week ds2 started talking. DS1's SALT couldn't believe it. It's now thought he was copying ds1's sounds!!!! But I'm pleased I didn't waste time worrying too much. Incidentally hedoesn't haver verbal dyspraxia- more like verbal diarrhoea

DS3 is 9 months now. Says mawah, baba and mama. But we won't celebrate his first proper word anywhere near as much as we will celebrate his first point!

btw I couldn't tell you what ds2's first word was or when he said it, but I can tell you hist pointing out something of interest was at 12 months and one week of age in my friend's house!

his 1st- sorry one handed typing!

Hi Witchycat- My DS is also 9 months and at the same level of babbling etc as your DD. I think as long as he's babbling, I won't worry about that for a while.

I am however, freaking out about him still not waving. He also doesn't copy me so I'm more worried about this general lack of non-verbal communication than speech itself at the moment!

Thanks everyone. Will stop worrying about speech.

Paprika - dd doesn't wave or clap either but I've not really shown her these things particularly. Why are you so worried about it - are they supposed to be key things to watch out for ?

Not waving etc is perfectly normal at nine months!

Ah ok, will try to relax about the waving. Would be nice if he copied me sometimes though!

ds3 started clapping last week (he's 9 months). No waving though. I think that's usually later. I use a little bit of sign with him (he's high risk for a communication disorder) and he seems to understand signs for cat and where's (which he thinks is funny) but no signs coming yet- and tbh I wouldn't expect them yet.

Remember as well that boys are often later than girls.

Hi how have your little ones come on?