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

Original poster

18 month old barley speaking

16 replies

butterflyexperience · 09/12/2011 21:01

Dd2 understands loads and very good at following two step commands but only has a handful if words

Mum
Da
Car
Baoon (ballon)
Baw (ball)
Ka (cat)

She can do all her animal noises

Thing is she is getting really frustrated at not being able to communicate so tantrums are coming thick and fast now.

Any advice?
Thanks

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

foolonthehill · 09/12/2011 21:25

home made sign language did it for us. We used something based around Makaton, sign assisted language. There is some evidence that it promotes language development (used to be said it inhibited but now disproven)...it certainly helped us with the tantrums . I see that these days there is Baby talk, baby sign and all sorts...but frankly you could make it up yourselves so long as you are consistent.

As an encouraging spin off, all my DCs now use it if trying to communicate across noisy rooms....very cool they tell me!!!!

Original poster

butterflyexperience · 09/12/2011 21:35

I love sign language did classes with dd1 and as I already knew it just did it home with dd2.
Don't do as much now though but am willing to throw myself back into it.
I really do belive baby sign language is hugely beneficial in developmental terms

OP posts:

foolonthehill · 09/12/2011 21:49

could DD1 remember some and teach DD2....?? we have a fantastic video of our oldest 3 having a "conversation" when they were 12 months, 2.5 years and 3.8 years....so cute!
I lost a bit of momentum after that but regretted not persevering with the others more as we definitely had more tantrums around not being understood although that may have been due to more parental neglect as so many DCs

DonInKillerHeels · 09/12/2011 21:57

Don't worry. Our 17 month old says Daddy, Mama, duck, dog, bath, "aya" for hello, "tata" for goodbye. . . and that's about it.

But he definitely communicates in other ways, and we know what he wants and doesn't want; and there's clearly a smart little brain ticking away there.

FWIW I have a PhD student at the moment who is the smartest I've ever seen. He told me the other day that he had to be kept back a year at school because he didn't speak until he was FIVE.

effingwotsits · 09/12/2011 22:00

My 18m ds says less than your dd. Both my dd's were very verbal by this age, but he is just so different.

I'm not so worried yet as he is fine in other ways, I guess they're just all different.

Original poster

butterflyexperience · 09/12/2011 22:01

Don that's interesting about not speaking untill 5. My dad is was the sane smartest person I know and he says he didn't speak untill he was 5 too. Makes up for it now with his drunken rambling

Dd1 has forgotten alot now and she spoke quickly um sure dd1 was speaking in small sentences by now...

OP posts:

Ponyclubmum · 09/12/2011 22:04

Crikey my 2 and a half year old says about that much. I got him referred for speech and language therapy and they've said he's fine. I wish he'd said that much at 18 months!

foolonthehill · 09/12/2011 22:06

many children in this house, some fluently pointing to helicopter and saying "rotor blades going round and round" by the age of 2, others have not spoken until nearly 4....................all are fully able to express themselves now....in some volume......[replaces ear protectors].

I wouldn't worry but the tantrums are tiring so sign can be good for that

xxhunnyxx · 09/12/2011 23:03

I really wouldn't worry about that, 18 months is still very young.
At the 2 year check they would only expect them to be saying some words and just be beginning to be putting words together, that's 6 months away which in baby time is a looonnngggg time.
From my experience they really do come on in leaps and bounds and they really can go from hardly speaking at all to speaking in sentences in a matter of a couple of months.
I hardly spoke until I was about 3-4 and my sister was the same, both of us are now little chatter boxes. We're both tongue tied though which is what delayed our speech and we both needed a bit of speech therapy.
My son is tongue tied too though and he has always had very advanced speech, so there's just no written rule.
I always think people worry too much about speech, it doesn't matter if a child begins speaking at 18 months or 3 years old, when they are 5, 10, 18, 30 they will all be exactly the same, so does it really matter?
I'd be careful of using baby sign though, my best friend is a health visitor and she says that she sees so many children with delayed speech BECAUSE of baby sign.
If you're talking to your LO lots and read to her and encourage her eventually it will come. Children are all different.

BeaHededd · 10/12/2011 00:28

DD1 who is now 12 was speaking in sentences by 17 months.
DD2 can only say mama gama and dat so I like you was panicking but she knows what she wants to say by pointing at it so have decided to let it go down the old all babies are different route.
If it helps my Mum once childminded for a little girl who came to us at 17 months old and never spoke at all six weeks later she said "Lizzzzzzzzzzzzzz where is the bricks"
She had taken it all in and decided to save it for a sentence.

hazeyjane · 10/12/2011 05:56

butterfly, I think your dd sounds as though she is doing all the right things, and is completely within the normal range for speech development.

The trouble with the frustration at 18 months is that when they do communicate what it is they want 9 times out of 10 it is a completely unreasonable demand ('more biscuit') you have to say no and they have a screaming meltdown anyway!

I do have to say though that I don't think what xxhunnyxx says about baby signing delaying speech, goes against everything that I have heard about signing. It is very important that signs are done whilst saying the word and this is how it helps with speech development. Ds (17 months) does have delayed speech - he doesn't point, has only just started clapping, makes no consonant or speech like sounds. His speech and language therapist recommends - signing, reading, anticipatory games (round and round the garden for example) singing and in ds's case lots of blowing raspberries and playing with his lips.

I also have to say, hunny, that the reason that people worry about speech, is that if there is a delay or an issue with speech (and I really don't thing it sounds as though there is with the op's) then the earlier you get intervention with a SALT the better.

Original poster

butterflyexperience · 10/12/2011 06:08

Thanks for the reassurance everyone.

Your all right she will start soon and then I'll be wanting her to shut up
I guess I thought dd2 would be quick to speak as he has an older sibling.
Although dd2 has been quick physically is a climber and walked at 8 months so for her it was one or the other.

Love the poster who's mind spoke in a long sentence after saving it all up!

OP posts:

Original poster

butterflyexperience · 10/12/2011 06:10

And hazey good tips about reading dd2 loves books and with singing.
I also agree about signing that it helps in language development.
That hv who dismisses it should research abit more into benefits of it all

OP posts:

Akiram · 10/12/2011 06:16

Your all right she will start soon and then I'll be wanting her to shut up

Thats is what happened with my DC2. She didn't say much for ages whilst all the DC around us of the same age were saying loads. She is now 7 and literally doesn't shut up !
DC3 is 18months and grunting and pointing is his preferred method of communication. I sometimes think maybe its because he has 2 older siblings and so doesn't need to be able to talk because at the slightest wimper from him they are running around after him and getting him a drink, toy etc so he has no need to to actually say the words. I'm savouring it because I know that the hell of non-stop chatter is just round the corner
Also think its a bit like walking. We are so desperate for our DC (especially our PFB) to start yet once they do we wish they had just stayed still for a little longer!

xxhunnyxx · 10/12/2011 09:46

Sorry i was just going off what my hv friend said, that they're seeing more and more children with delayed speech because they just use the sign, maybe it's down to the parents not using it with the words, I dunno.
I was keen to use baby sign with my son as I was expecting him to have delayed speech due to his tongue tie but despite nursery and myself using it from him being about 9 months old he never used it, he started talking at around 1 and could have a conversation with him at about 18 months. He only started using the odd bit of sign when he was about 2 but I don't even think he realises that he's doing it.

I totally agree that yes if there is a problem then the sooner it is addressed the better, I know I was teased at school for the way a talked. I was just meaning at 18 months it really is too early to say there is a problem so IMO there's no point in worrying about it.

Defo think reading, singing, round and round the garden type games are the best thing, I think interaction and 1-1 time is the key.

Rubyabcd · 10/12/2011 20:06

My dd is the same. she's just 18m and only has a few words

Mummy
Daddy
Baby
Hiya
Bye
Bah for boo

I too am getting a bit anxious but am trying to talk myself out of it, she can point out all kinds of random things in books such as tooth brush, doggy, moon, stars, sofa, christmas tree etc.. and seems to understand alot so I suppose it will come in time. I was the same over the walking, she didn't walk untill sixteen months but is now practically running!!

Flip